The interplay of surface and shallow subsurface fluxes plays a critical role in controlling water movement in hillslope agroecosystems and impacting soil and plant health during prolonged dry periods, demonstrating a need for in-field monitoring. This study was conducted for two years (2021–2022) by combining field monitoring of the grass-covered inter-row area (passive wick lysimeter, surface runoff, and meteorological data), laboratory determination of soil hydraulic properties (SHPs), and numerical modeling with the aim to explore near-surface fluxes at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) located on a hillslope vineyard. Additionally, sensitivity analysis for basic root water uptake (RWU) parameters was conducted. The model was evaluated (R2, RMSE, and NSE) with lysimeter (hillslope) and runoff (footslope) data, producing good agreement, but only after the inverse optimization of laboratory estimated hydraulic conductivity was conducted, demonstrating that adequate parameterization is required to capture the hydropedological response of erosion-affected soil systems. Results exhibit the dependence of runoff generation on hydraulic conductivity, rainfall, and soil moisture conditions. The data suggest different soil-rewetting scenarios based on temporal rainfall variability. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that Leaf Area Index (LAI) was the most responsive parameter determining the RWU. The study offers an approach for the investigation of fluxes in the topsoil for similar sites and/or crops (and covers), presenting the methodology of self-constructed soil–water collection instruments.

Environmental monitoring, data processing, and reporting methods are expensive, labor- and resource-intensive, time-consuming, and often inaccurate. An innovative project management platform was developed for integrating environmental monitoring sensors, telemetry, geographical information systems, models, and geostatistical algorithms for automatically generating contour maps and time-stamped renderings of sensor attributes and multivariate analyses. More specifically, algorithms converting sensor-derived head and solute concentration values allow for automated monitoring of mass flux and discharge to evaluate groundwater remediation system performance and contaminant discharges from aquifers to surface-water receptors. Life-cycle costs and carbon footprints were reduced due to the elimination of energy and labor expenditures associated with transportation, data collection, laboratory efforts, report generation, and information dissemination. A brief summary of two demonstrations of this sensor-based water resources management application is presented. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Three environmental forensic methods were used as part of an integrated evaluation to determine the extent of dissolved perchlorate in groundwater originating from a former rocket propellant testing site in Southern California. The methods included the evaluation of groundwater modeling, subsurface environmental conditions, and isotopic fingerprinting. While these methods have been used independently in environmental forensics, this study is the first to document the combined use of the methods to evaluate the extent of dissolved perchlorate in groundwater. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that the perchlorate originating from a former rocket propellant testing site is under hydraulic control and that multiple sources of perchlorate exist within the same hydrogeologic basin.

A floating force balance has been designed and integrated into the working section of a to enable the measurement of total drag on test plates, which form part of the tunnel wall. Measurements completed include a calibration of the rig using a smooth acrylic plate, a smooth painted plate, and an artificially roughened plate. The painted plate and rough plate have also been studied with biofilms attached to their surface. The water tunnel and total drag rig have been built specifically to allow the detailed investigation of freshwater biofilm effects have on the flow through hydraulic conduits. Calibration results show that useful information can be obtained by using the force balance, particularly in association with other measurement techniques. Research into the effects of biofilms showsthat large increases in friction and effective roughness can be expected.

Hydroelectric power systems use pipes and open channels to convey water over distances from a few hundred metres to many kilometres. The efficiency of water conveyance in these systems is affected by the surface roughness. Contributing factors are the surface roughness of the construction material or its coating, and the roughness caused by biofilms that accumulate over time on the surface. This paper describes photogrammetric methods that are being developed to measure the surface roughness of pipes and open channels in the Tasmanian hydroelectric power system, and to monitor the accumulation of biofilms. This work contributes to a cross-disciplinary study of biofilm accumulation and conveyance efficiency in hydroelectric power systems.

Hydro Tasmania operates a network of open channels and pipelines to supply their 29 hydroelectric power stations with a total combined output capacity in excess of 2,200MW. These hydraulic conduits are susceptible to deterioration in their capacity over time due to biological growths on their internal surfaces. A research program involving Hydro Tasmania and the University of Tasmania is currently underway to alleviate the problem. This paper reports on the effects of having biological fouling material removed from a high velocity pipeline in the headworks of a hydroelectric power station. Pipeline cleaning was discovered to produce significant changes in both friction headloss and equivalent wall roughness. The broad aim of this project is to optimise pipeline maintenance procedures, minimise biological growth effects, and increase the economic return from existing infrastructure. Preliminary testing has indicated the potential for significant economic benefit.

Samples of polystyrene, prepared using 14C-tetraethyl thiuram disulphide, have been treated with various chemical reagents. The specific activities of the polymers either fall to zero or are unaffected by the treatments, suggesting that the polymers contain only one type of labelled fragment. The results of the tracer experiments have been combined with kinetic observations and with measurements of molecular weights. It is concluded that the thiuram compound initiates polymerization through the agency of the radical (C2H5)2N.CS.S˙ and that this radical is produced also during transfer to initiator. The retardation evident at higher concentrations of the additive is attributed to primary radical termination and recombination. Other observations recorded include the effects of the compound upon the polymerization of methyl methacrylate, the sensitivity of the compound to light, and the reactivities as initiators of polymers prepared in its presence.