The vadose zone is a critical zone at the interface of soil and water systems and largely controls many important soil and hydrosystem functions and services. The vadose zone buffers and filters flow in terrestrial systems and determines the ultimate quality and quantity of water entering surface and groundwater systems. It also exerts an important feed-back on the climate system, as evapotranspiration is largely controlled by vadose zone processes. However, the transport and retention capacities of the unsaturated zone are difficult to assess, as the underlying properties are extremely variable in space and time, and as transport and retention exhibits strongly non-linear behavior. Therefore, unraveling the vadose zone behavior needs a multidisciplinary system approach, including physicochemical and biological processes studies at the interface between soil science and hydrology.
This session will be focused on the latest research on solute transport processes in the vadose zone, encompassing field work data and simulation models. It will also accept visionary talks on how vadose zone science should evolve to improve the understanding of this complex and critical component of terrestrial systems.