Institute of Hydrology
Topic
Water Balance of the Unsaturated Zone of Soils in the Eastern Slovak Lowland: Lysimeter Measurements and Evaluation
PhD. program
Water Resources Engineering
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Andrej Tall, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Civil Engineering STU
Annotation
The development of high-precision weighable lysimeters has greatly expanded the possibilities for monitoring components of the soil profile water balance. Modern lysimeter systems, equipped with groundwater level regulation mechanisms, allow direct and detailed observation of water fluxes at the upper and lower boundaries of the unsaturated zone of the soil. The aim of this dissertation is to comprehensively analyze the water balance of the unsaturated zone for different soil types with varying textures and to identify the processes that influence water accumulation and redistribution. The specific objectives are: - To quantify water fluxes at the lower boundary of the unsaturated zone – i.e., capillary rise from the groundwater table and gravitational percolation toward the groundwater. - To quantify and analyze water fluxes at the upper boundary of the unsaturated zone – i.e., actual evapotranspiration, precipitation, and “non-rainfall water” (dew, fog, frost, and adsorption of water vapor). - To compare the dynamics of the water balance in different soil profiles and identify differences in the soil’s ability to accumulate and release water. The study will use data from the lysimeter station in Petrovce nad Laborcom. The obtained results will provide detailed information on the functioning of the unsaturated zone under the soil and climatic conditions of the Eastern Slovak Lowland.