Source: RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY submitted to
APPLYING NEAR-SURFACE GEOPHYSICS TO CHARACTERIZE AND MONITOR HYDROLOGIC PROCESSES
Sponsoring Institution
Agricultural Research Service/USDA
Project Status
NEW
Funding Source
USDA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0427041
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
8070-13000-012-43S
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 30, 2014
Project End Date
Oct 1, 2015
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
BUDA A R
Recipient Organization
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
3 RUTGERS PLZA
NEW BRUNSWICK,NJ 08901-8559
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
(N/A)
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1020199200010%
1120210205030%
1330330200010%
1020399205030%
1120430200010%
1331610205010%
Knowledge Area
133 - Pollution Prevention and Mitigation; 112 - Watershed Protection and Management; 102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships;

Subject Of Investigation
0330 - Wetland and riparian systems; 0210 - Water resources; 1610 - Pasture; 0199 - Soil and land, general; 0399 - Watersheds and river basins, general; 0430 - Climate;

Field Of Science
2050 - Hydrology; 2000 - Chemistry;
Goals / Objectives
The objectives of the project are twofold: (1) apply near-surface geophysical technologies in conjunction with conservative hydrologic tracing techniques to describe subsurface nutrient transfers from fields to drainage ways on the Delmarva Peninsula; (2) identify the spatial variation in soil properties and hydrologic conditions that increase the risk of subsurface nutrient transport and improve their representation in watershed models and nutrient site assessment tools.
Project Methods
This project will initiate a formal collaboration between the Near Surface Geophysics group at Rutgers University (Newark, NJ) and the USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit (University Park, PA) to apply near-surface geophysical technologies in the assessment of subsurface nutrient transport in ditch-drained agroecosystems on the Delmarva Peninsula. The team will work closely with colleagues from University of Delaware, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Virginia Tech to identify appropriate field sites on the Delmarva representing a range of drainage intensities, soil conditions, and nutrient levels. At each study site, the research team will conduct a series of experimental field trials using near-surface geophysics in conjunction with conservative hydrologic tracers to identify and describe subsurface flow pathways that connect nutrient sources in agricultural fields to drainage waters. Results from these trials will be used to improve the representation of subsurface nutrient transport pathways in watershed simulation models and nutrient site assessment tools that are commonly used to guide nutrient management across the Delmarva Peninsula.