An Investigation into the Effects of Temperature Gradient on the Soil Water-Salt Transfer with Evaporation

Temperature gradients exist in the field under brackish water irrigation conditions, especially in northern semi-arid areas of China. Although there are many investigators dedicated to studying the mechanism of brackish water irrigation and the effect of brackish water irrigation on crops, there are fewer investigations of the effects of temperature gradient on the water-salt transport. Based on the combination of a physical experiment and a mathematical model, this study was conducted to: (a) build a physical model and observe the redistribution of soil water-heat-salt transfer; (b) develop a mathematical model focused on the influence of a temperature gradient on soil water and salt redistribution based on the physical model and validate the proposed model using the measured data; and (c) analyze the effects of the temperature gradient on the soil water-salt transport by comparing the proposed model with the traditional water-salt model in which the effects of temperature gradient on the soil water-salt transfer are neglected. Results show that the soil temperature gradient has a definite influence on the soil water-salt migration. Moreover, the effect of temperature gradient on salt migration was greater than that of water movement.