Chrysanthopoulos et al. (2026) Spatiotemporal dynamics of capillary rise in shallow groundwater table areas revealed by spatial TDR

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-30
• Authors: Efthymios Chrysanthopoulos, Martha Perdikaki, Epameinondas Floros, Andreas Kallioras
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135957

Research Groups

• Laboratory of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens

Short Summary

This study presents an integrated monitoring sensor system based on spatial time domain reflectometry (TDR) for retrieving high-resolution soil water content profiles along transmission lines. The approach combines inverse modeling of TDR waveforms with automated signal processing, dynamic calibration against co-installed low-cost sensors and uncertainty propagation.

Objective

• To determine the spatiotemporal dynamics of capillary rise in shallow groundwater table areas using spatial TDR measurements

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field-scale monitoring within a kiwifruit orchard in Arta's plain, Greece
• Temporal Scale: 3-hour measurement interval over a period of 4 days (23 June 2024 to 27 June 2024)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Fast–iterative physics–based transmission line model, Todoroff algorithm for waveform reconstruction
• Data sources: Spatial waveguides installed in various depths, point soil water content sensors, pressure transducer in well piezometer

Main Results

• High-resolution soil water content profiles along transmission lines were retrieved using spatial TDR measurements
• Inverse modeling of TDR waveforms was used to determine the saturated portion of the capillary fringe and its expansion in shallow groundwater table areas
• The results demonstrate that spatial TDR significantly improves the characterization of soil water content profile fluctuations compared to discrete measurements

Contributions

• This study provides a robust methodology for linking groundwater dynamics with soil water variability, enabling precision in agricultural management, evapotranspiration estimation, and groundwater abstraction strategies
• The integration of spatial monitoring with automated data processing provides a scalable pathway toward continuous, profile-scale observation of coupled surface–subsurface hydrological processes

Funding

• This research was funded by the [insert funding agency/project name] with reference code [insert reference code].

Citation

@article{Chrysanthopoulos2026Spatiotemporal,
  author = {Chrysanthopoulos, Efthymios and Perdikaki, Martha and Floros, Epameinondas and Kallioras, Andreas},
  title = {Spatiotemporal dynamics of capillary rise in shallow groundwater table areas revealed by spatial TDR},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135957},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135957}
}