Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics
Abstract Vadose zone soil moisture is often considered a pivotal intermediary water reservoir between surface and groundwater in semi-arid regions. Understanding its dynamics in response to changes in meteorologic forcing patterns is essential to enhance the climate resiliency of our ecological and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-08-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50690-6 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849433055076286464 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhichao Shen Yan Yang Xiaojing Fu Kyra H. Adams Ettore Biondi Zhongwen Zhan |
| author_facet | Zhichao Shen Yan Yang Xiaojing Fu Kyra H. Adams Ettore Biondi Zhongwen Zhan |
| author_sort | Zhichao Shen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Vadose zone soil moisture is often considered a pivotal intermediary water reservoir between surface and groundwater in semi-arid regions. Understanding its dynamics in response to changes in meteorologic forcing patterns is essential to enhance the climate resiliency of our ecological and agricultural system. However, the inability to observe high-resolution vadose zone soil moisture dynamics over large spatiotemporal scales hinders quantitative characterization. Here, utilizing pre-existing fiber-optic cables as seismic sensors, we demonstrate a fiber-optic seismic sensing principle to robustly capture vadose zone soil moisture dynamics. Our observations in Ridgecrest, California reveal sub-seasonal precipitation replenishments and a prolonged drought in the vadose zone, consistent with a zero-dimensional hydrological model. Our results suggest a significant water loss of 0.25 m/year through evapotranspiration at our field side, validated by nearby eddy-covariance based measurements. Yet, detailed discrepancies between our observations and modeling highlight the necessity for complementary in-situ validations. Given the escalated regional drought risk under climate change, our findings underscore the promise of fiber-optic seismic sensing to facilitate water resource management in semi-arid regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d72b108b83ba4361b8bbd7cd2f091589 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-d72b108b83ba4361b8bbd7cd2f0915892025-08-20T03:27:11ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-08-0115111010.1038/s41467-024-50690-6Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamicsZhichao Shen0Yan Yang1Xiaojing Fu2Kyra H. Adams3Ettore Biondi4Zhongwen Zhan5Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologySeismological Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologySeismological Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologySeismological Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyAbstract Vadose zone soil moisture is often considered a pivotal intermediary water reservoir between surface and groundwater in semi-arid regions. Understanding its dynamics in response to changes in meteorologic forcing patterns is essential to enhance the climate resiliency of our ecological and agricultural system. However, the inability to observe high-resolution vadose zone soil moisture dynamics over large spatiotemporal scales hinders quantitative characterization. Here, utilizing pre-existing fiber-optic cables as seismic sensors, we demonstrate a fiber-optic seismic sensing principle to robustly capture vadose zone soil moisture dynamics. Our observations in Ridgecrest, California reveal sub-seasonal precipitation replenishments and a prolonged drought in the vadose zone, consistent with a zero-dimensional hydrological model. Our results suggest a significant water loss of 0.25 m/year through evapotranspiration at our field side, validated by nearby eddy-covariance based measurements. Yet, detailed discrepancies between our observations and modeling highlight the necessity for complementary in-situ validations. Given the escalated regional drought risk under climate change, our findings underscore the promise of fiber-optic seismic sensing to facilitate water resource management in semi-arid regions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50690-6 |
| spellingShingle | Zhichao Shen Yan Yang Xiaojing Fu Kyra H. Adams Ettore Biondi Zhongwen Zhan Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics Nature Communications |
| title | Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics |
| title_full | Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics |
| title_fullStr | Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics |
| title_short | Fiber-optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics |
| title_sort | fiber optic seismic sensing of vadose zone soil moisture dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50690-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhichaoshen fiberopticseismicsensingofvadosezonesoilmoisturedynamics AT yanyang fiberopticseismicsensingofvadosezonesoilmoisturedynamics AT xiaojingfu fiberopticseismicsensingofvadosezonesoilmoisturedynamics AT kyrahadams fiberopticseismicsensingofvadosezonesoilmoisturedynamics AT ettorebiondi fiberopticseismicsensingofvadosezonesoilmoisturedynamics AT zhongwenzhan fiberopticseismicsensingofvadosezonesoilmoisturedynamics |