Journal Article

Simulation of Overwinter Soil Water and Soil Temperature with SHAW and RZ-SHAW

Li, Zizhong, Flerchinger, Gerald N, Ahuja, Lajpat R, Ma, Liwang, Li, Zishuang, Wang, Hao

2012

Overview

Correct simulation of overwinter condition is important for the growth of winter crops and for initial growth of spring crops. The objective of this study was to investigate overwinter soil water and temperature dynamics with the simultaneous heat and water (SHAW) model and with its linkage to the root zone water quality model (RZWQM), a hybrid model of RZWQM and SHAW (RZ-SHAW) in a Siberian wildrye grassland under two irrigation treatments (non-irrigation and pre-winter irrigation) in two seasons (2005–2006 and 2006–2007). Experimental results showed that pre-winter irrigation considerably increased soil water content for the top 60-cm soil profile in the following spring, but had little effect on soil temperature. Both SHAW and RZ-SHAW simulated these irrigation effects equally well, which demonstrated a correct linkage between RZWQM and SHAW. Across the treatments and years, the average root mean square deviation (RMSD) for simulated total soil water content (liquid plus frozen) was 0.031 m3 m−3 for both RZ-SHAW and SHAW models, and that for liquid water content alone was 0.028 m3 m−3 for both models. Both models provided better simulation of total and liquid soil water contents under non-irrigation condition than under pre-winter irrigation conditions. On average, RZ-SHAW simulated soil temperature slightly better with an average RMSD of 1.4°C compared to that of 1.8°C by SHAW. Both RZ-SHAW and SHAW simulated the soil freezing process well, but were less accurate in simulating the soil thawing processes, where further improvements are desirable. These simulation results show that the SHAW model is correctly implemented in RZWQM (RZ-SHAW), which adds the capability of RZWQM in simulating overwinter soil conditions that are critical for winter crops.

• Publisher: Soil Science Society of America,The Soil Science Society of America, Inc,American Society of Agronomy
• Subject: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions / Biological and medical sciences / Crops / Earth sciences / Earth, ocean, space / Exact sciences and technology / Freezing / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Grasslands / heat / Herbivores / irrigation / Irrigation effects / Irrigation water / Moisture content / Physical properties / Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils / Root zone / Root Zone Water Quality Model / Simulation / Soil profiles / Soil science / Soil temperature / Soil water / soil water content / Soils / Spring / Surficial geology / Temperature / Thawing / Vegetables / Water and solute dynamics / Water content / Water quality / water temperature / Winter