Derivation of spatial patterns of soil hydraulic properties based on pedotransfer functions

Authors: Pachepsky, Yakov

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/8/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Spatial patterns in soil hydrology are the product of the spatial distribution of soil hydraulic properties. These properties are notorious for the difficulties and high labor costs involved in measuring them. Often, there is a need to resort to estimating these parameters from other, more readily available data, using pedotransfer relationships. The objective of this presentation is to deliver a mini-review that focuses on trends in pedotransfer development. Recent hot topics are addressed including estimating spatial variability of water contents and soil hydraulic properties which is needed in sensitivity, evaluation of the model performance, multimodel simulations, data assimilation from soil sensor networks, and upscaling using the Monte Carlo simulations. Ensembles of pedotransfer functions and temporal stability patterns derived from ‘big data’ as a source of soil parameter variability are described. Estimating parameter correlation is advocated as the pathway to the improvement of synthetic datasets. Persistent knowledge gaps in pedotransfer development are outlined that are related to the regional soil degradation, seasonal changes in pedotransfer inputs and outputs, spatial correlations in soil hydraulic properties, and overland flow parameter estimation. Pedotransfer research supports major applications of pattern discovery, i.e. model performance assessment, upscaling and downscaling, and reducing uncertainty in simulated concentrations and fluxes in soil-vegetation-atmosphere systems.