title: Assessing the performance of a cold region evapotranspiration landfill cover using lysimetry and electrical resistivity tomography.
abstract: In order to test the efficacy ofa cold-region evapotranspiration (ET) landfill cover against a conventional compacted clay (CCL) landfill cover, two pilot scale covers were constructed in side-by-side basin lysimeters (20m x 10m x 2m) at a site in Anchorage, Alaska. The primary basis of comparison between the two lysimeters was the percolation of moisture from the bottom of each lysimeter. Between 30 April 2005 and 16 May 2006, 51.5 mm of water percolated from the ET lysimeter, compared to 50.6 mm for the the CCL lysimeter. This difference was not found to be significant at the 95% confidence level. As part of the project, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was utilized to measure and map soil moisture in ET lysimeter cross sections. The ERT-generated cross sections were found to accurately predict the onset and duration of lysimeter percolation. Moreover, ERT-generated soil moisture values demonstrated a strong linear relationship to lysimeter percolation rates (R-Squared = 0.92). Consequently, ERT is proposed as a reliable tool for assessing the function of field scale ET covers in the absence of drainage measurement devices.
authors.affiliation: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Water and Environmental Research Center, PO Box 755860, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5860, USA. weschnabel@alaska.edu
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Schnabel
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Munk
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abichou
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pape
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska; D002138:Calibration; D003080:Cold Temperature; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018526:Plant Transpiration; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D014197:Trees / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D014835:Volatilization; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D014867:Water; D014872:Water Movements; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014867:Water