Figure showing change in soil properties between two occasions of running a hydrological experiment
During the 55 years since the construction of the flume, the soil properties changed considerably: the silt fraction increased while the sand fraction decreased. Credit: Lee et al. [2020], Figure 3
Source: Water Resources Research

Most hydrological model studies assume constant soil properties. When Lee et al. [2020] redid one of the most famous hillslope hydrological experiments at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, their results showed that soil properties can change significantly within several decades. This is a very important finding. The outflow from the flume changed considerably compared to the original experiment due to a leak in the concrete. This allowed the researchers to determine the effect of permeable bedrock on hillslope outflow. Above all, the manuscript highlights the usefulness in redoing an experiment many decades later.

Citation: Lee, R. M., McGuire, K. J., Strahm, B. D., Knoepp, J. D., Jackson, C. R., & Stewart, R. D. [2020]. Revisiting the Hewlett and Hibbert (1963) Hillslope Drainage Experiment and Modeling Effects of Decadal Pedogenic Processes and Leaky Soil Boundary Conditions. Water Resources Research, 56, e2019WR025090. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025090

—Ilja van Meerveld, Editor, Water Resources Research

Text © 2020. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Except where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.