Performing single ring infiltration tests near Vimperk to measure saturated conductivity

Performing single ring infiltration tests near Vimperk to measure saturated conductivity
We spent the entirety of this week with other university students/faculty in the Šumava Mountains (Bohemian Forest), a low-lying mountain range located in the southwestern corner of the Czech Republic. Throughout the week we helped conduct fluid transport experiments and field installations. At an ongoing experimental site outside of Vimperk we performed single ring infiltration tests to measure saturated conductivity. A large-scale dye tracer experiment was performed to further evaluate the hydraulic conductivity of the site’s soil. After the dye was applied, a 1.5x1.5m square section of substrate was dug up in 10cm increments. After the removal of each section, the topsoil was photographed to document dye locations. This series of photos will provide a visual representation of the fluid’s journey through the soil and indicate potential preferential flow pathways.

Documenting dye movement 30cm below the soil surface

Documenting dye movement 30cm below the soil surface
At a nearby experimental beech forest catchment we helped install four large tensiometers. Time Domain Reflectrometry (TDR) devices were also installed. These sensors send voltage pulses through the soil to gather soil moisture content readings. Thirty-six additional ponded infiltration tests were conducted in a grassland field in Kubavo Hut. The sites were grid-oriented to mimic a previous study done in the field 20 years prior. From these data, Czech Technical Institute will generate retention curves and model fluid transport in the area of interest. On the final day, we made an excursion to Šumava National Park, the largest national park in the Czech Republic. Here we visited a research station in a protected catchment and learned more about the history of the surrounding area.