Monitorization of the unsaturated zone on the sandy soils of Doñana National Park
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21701/bolgeomin.121.3.003Keywords:
Doñana, electromagnetic sensors, recharge, unsaturated zone, water balanceAbstract
Within the framework of a study into the recharge of the Almonte-Marismas aquifer, we describe the methods used to monitor water flux in the vadose zone at four sites within the Doñana National Park and its surroundings. We also provide a description of land use and soil and hydrological conditions at each measurement point. Very frequent observations are required to monitor efficiently the water flux in these well-drained, sandy soils, which undergo considerable oscillations in their usually low water content. To this end we have resorted to inexpensive capacitance probes, installed at different points along the soil profiles in question according mainly to the depth of the water table. We propose a calibration method to increase the accuracy and precision of the probe measurements. Our work has demonstrated that these sensors perform well in monitoring soil water content and also validates both the installation methods used. Data analysis proves that these sensors are very useful for locating the depth of the water table accurately and emphasises the need for specific calibration for each soil in order to obtain the most accurate moisture data.
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