Novel streaming potential and thermal sensor techniques for monitoring water and nutrient fluxes in the vadose zone

The “Novel streaming potential (SP) and thermal sensor techniques for monitoring water and nutrient fluxes in the vadose zone” project ended Oct. 30, 2015, after an extension to complete travel and intellectual exchange of ideas and sensors. A significant component of this project was the development and testing of the Penta-needle Heat Pulse Probe (PHPP) in addition to testing of the streaming potential concept, both aimed at soil water flux determination. The PHPP was successfully completed and shown to provide soil water flux estimates down to 1 cm day⁻¹ with altered heat input and timing as well as use of larger heater needles. The PHPP was developed by Scott B. Jones at Utah State University with a plan to share sensors with Shmulik P. Friedman, the ARO collaborator. Delays in completion of the PHPP resulted in limited testing at USU and a late delivery of sensors (Sept. 2015) to Dr. Friedman. Two key aspects of the subsurface water flux sensor development that delayed the availability of the PHPP sensors were the addition of integrated electrical conductivity measurements (available in February 2015) and resolution of bugs in the microcontroller firmware (problems resolved in April 2015). Furthermore, testing of the streaming potential method with a wide variety of non-polarizable electrodes at both institutions was not successful as a practical measurement tool for water flux due to numerous sources of interference and the M.S. student in Israel terminated his program prematurely for personal reasons. In spite of these challenges, the project funded several undergraduate students building sensors and several master’s students and postdocs participating in theory and sensor development and testing. Four peer-reviewed journal articles have been published or submitted to date and six oral/poster presentations were also delivered by various authors associated with this project. We intend to continue testing the "new generation" PHPP probes at both USU and at the ARO resulting in several additional publications coming from this follow-on research. Furthermore, Jones is presently awaiting word on an internal grant application for commercialization of the PHPP at USU.