Institute of Hydrology
Topic
Analysis of the Water Balance of the Unsaturated Zone of Soils in the Eastern Slovak Lowland Using Lysimeter Measurements
PhD. program
Landscape Engineering, Agriculture and Landscaping
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Andrej Tall, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering SUA
Annotation
High-precision weighable lysimeters enable detailed monitoring of the water balance in the unsaturated zone of soil profiles. They are capable of quantifying water fluxes at both the upper and lower boundaries of the unsaturated zone. The aim of this dissertation is to analyze the water balance of the unsaturated zone for different soils with varying textures and to determine which processes most strongly influence water accumulation and redistribution. The work specifically focuses on:
• Quantifying water fluxes at the lower boundary of the unsaturated zone, i.e., capillary rise from the groundwater table into the unsaturated zone and gravitational percolation in the opposite direction.
• Quantifying and evaluating water fluxes at the upper boundary of the unsaturated zone, including actual evapotranspiration, precipitation, and “non-rainfall water” (dew, frost, adsorption of water vapor).
• Comparing the dynamics of the water balance between soil profiles with different textures and identifying differences in the soil’s ability to retain and release water.
• Quantifying water fluxes at the lower boundary of the unsaturated zone, i.e., capillary rise from the groundwater table into the unsaturated zone and gravitational percolation in the opposite direction.
• Quantifying and evaluating water fluxes at the upper boundary of the unsaturated zone, including actual evapotranspiration, precipitation, and “non-rainfall water” (dew, frost, adsorption of water vapor).
• Comparing the dynamics of the water balance between soil profiles with different textures and identifying differences in the soil’s ability to retain and release water.