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Macropore Connected to Drain (Picture courtesy
of Martin Shipitalo).
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Soil Column with Innovative macropore Design
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Smoke Emitting from Macropore in Field (Iowa State
Research Site, Nashua,
IA)
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Current
Research Progress
Problem Statement:
Concerns exist about the rapid transport of contaminants, such
as pesticides, pathogens, and nutrients, from the soil surface to ground
water through macropores. With macropores, wetting fronts propagate to
significant depths by bypassing matrix pore space. The influence of macropores
increases as soil saturations increase. Therefore, the ability to model the
interrelationship between macropore-facilitated contaminant transport and
subsurface drainage systems, where soil is consistently near saturation, is
important for evaluating potential environmental contamination. Additionally, recent research
suggests direct hydrologic connectivity between macropores and subsurface
drains. Directly connected macropores can result in the rapid
transport of contaminants from the soil surface, into the subsurface
drains, and then into adjacent receiving streams and channels by bypassing
the soil filter. Our research
focuses on both pesticide and pathogen transport through macropores that
are directly connected to subsurface drains.
USDA-CSREES
National Water Conference Poster (February 2009)
USDA-CSREES National
Water Conference Oral Presentation (February 2009)
Current Funding Support:
ROLE
OF DIRECTLY CONNECTED MACROPORES IN PATHOGEN TRANSPORT TO SUBSURFACE
DRAINAGE
Research
supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Research Initiative Grant
(2007-2010), under Award
No. 2007-35102-18242.
Previous Funding Support:
EXPERIMENTAL
ANALYSIS AND MODELING OF MACROPORE FLOW DURING ARTIFICIAL SUBSURFACE
DRAINAGE
Research
supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Research Initiative Grant
(2004-2006), under Award
No. 2004-35102-14890.
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