Changes In Water Volume Research Articles

Mechanisms of subglacial cavity filling in Glacier de Tête Rousse, French Alps

AbstractThe deadliest outburst flood from an englacial cavity occurred on Glacier de Tête Rousse in the Mont Blanc area, French Alps, in 1892. A subglacial reservoir was discovered in the same glacier in 2010 and drained artificially in 2010, 2011 and 2012 to protect the 3000 inhabitants downstream. The mechanism leading to the spontaneous refilling of the cavity following these pumping operations has been analyzed. For this purpose, the subglacial water volume changes between 2010 and 2013 were reconstructed. The size of the cavity following the pumping was found to have decreased from 53500 m3 in 2010 to 12 750 m3 in 2013. Creep and the partial collapse of the cavity roof explain a large part of the volume loss. Analysis of cavity filling showed a strong relationship between measured surface melting and the filling rate, with a time delay of 4–6 hours. A permanent input of 15 m3 d−1, not depending on surface melt, was also found. The meltwater and rain from the surface is conveyed to bedrock through crevasses and probably through a permeable layer of rock debris at the glacier bed. The drainage pathway permeability was estimated at 0.054 ms−1 from water discharge measurements and dye-tracing experiments.

Freeze-Thaw Performance and Moisture-Induced Damage Resistance of Base Course Stabilized with Slow Setting Bitumen Emulsion-Portland Cement Additives

Freeze-thaw (FT) cycles and moisture susceptibility are important factors influencing the geotechnical characteristics of soil-aggregates. Given the lack of published information on the behavior of cement-bitumen emulsion-treated base (CBETB) under environmental conditions, especially freezing and thawing, this study investigated the effects of these additives on the CBETB performance. The primary goal was to evaluate the resistance of CBETB to moisture damage by performing FT, Marshall conditioning, and AASHTO T-283 tests and to evaluate the long-term stripping susceptibility of CBETB while also predicting the liquid antistripping additives to assess the mixture’s durability and workability. Specimens were stabilized with Portland cement (0%–6%), bitumen emulsion (0%–5%), and Portland cement-bitumen emulsion mixtures and cured for 7 days, and their short- and long-term performances were studied. Evaluation results of both the Marshall stability ratio and the tensile strength ratio show that the additions of additives increase the resistance of the mixtures to moisture damage. Results of durability tests performed for determining the resistance of compacted specimens to repeated FT cycles indicate that the specimen with the 4% cement-3% bitumen emulsion mixture significantly improves water absorption, volume changes, and weight losses. This indicates the effectiveness of this additive as a road base stabilizer with excellent engineering properties for cold regions.

Change of lake area in the southeastern part of China’s Badain Jaran Sand Sea and its implications for recharge sources

Understanding the relationship between the changes in lake water volume and climate change can provide valuable information to the recharge sources of lake water. This is particularly true in arid areas such as the Badain Jaran Sand Sea, an ecologically sensitive area, where the recharge sources of lakes are heatedly debated. In this study, we determined the areas of 50 lakes (representing 70% of the total permanent lakes in this sand sea) in 1967, 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2010 by analyzing remote-sensing images using image processing and ArGIS software. In general, the total lake area decreased from 1967 to 1990, remained almost unchanged from 1990 to 2000, and increased from 2000 to 2010. Analysis of the relationship between these changes and the contemporaneous changes in annual mean temperature and annual precipitation in the surrounding areas suggests that temperature has significantly affected the lake area, but that the influence of precipitation was minor. These results tend to support the palaeo-water recharge hypothesis for lakes of the Badain Jaran Sand Sea, considering the fact that the distribution and area of lakes are closely related to precipitation and the size of mega-dunes, but the contemporaneous precipitation can hardly balance the lake water.

MODELLING EXTREME SEA LEVELS DUE TO SEA LEVEL RISE AND STORM SURGE IN THE SETO INLAND SEA, JAPAN

The extreme sea level due to storm surge and future sea-level rise (SLR) in the year of 2050 and 2100 are estimated by using ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and extreme value analysis (EVA) with long-term sea level records in and around the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. Ensemble empirical mode decomposition, an adaptive data analysis method, can separate the tidal motions and the non-linear trend from the sea level records to reconstruct the storm surge levels, and then the reconstructed storm surge levels are applied to statistical model, EVA, to obtain the extreme storm surges at 95% confidence interval in the target return periods. The SLR trend at Tokuyama in the Seto Inland Sea obtained from EEMD is 3.58 mm/yr over 1993-2010, which is slightly larger than the recent altimetry-based global rate of 3.3 ± 0.4 mm/yr over 1993-2007. The resulting SLR in 2050 and 2100 estimated are 0.18 m and 0.49 m, respectively. The 30-, 50-, and 100-yr return levels at Tokuyama obtained by EVA are 1.30 m, 1.43 m and 1.64 m. Therefore, the extreme sea level in 2050 and 2100 due to future SLR and storm surge with 100-yr return level would be 1.82 m (1.35 m ~ 2.26 m with 95% confidence intervals) and 2.13 m (1.75 m ~ 3.10 m with 95% confidence intervals), respectively. The SLR is not only due to mass and volume changes of sea water, but also due to other factors such as local subsidence, river discharge and sediments, and vegetation effect. The non-linear trend of SLR, which is the residue from EEMD, can be regarded as a final consequential sea level after considering those factors and their nonlinearity. The combined EEMD-EVA method can be useful tool not only for the extreme sea level estimation under climate change, but also for many cases in coastal engineering and hydrology.

Effect of long-term osmotic loading culture on matrix synthesis from intervertebral disc cells.

The intervertebral disc is a highly hydrated tissue that acts to absorb and distribute large complex loads placed on the spine. Diurnal loading and disc degeneration causes significant changes in water volume and proteoglycan content, which alters the internal osmotic environment. Short-term osmotic loading alters disc cell gene expression; however, the long-term effect of osmotic loading on disc cell matrix synthesis is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of long-term osmotic loading on matrix turnover and proliferation by juvenile and adult cells from the nucleus pulposus (NP) and the cartilaginous endplate (EP). Matrix synthesis was evaluated using pellets and a 3D agarose system, which has been used for developing engineered tissues. Intervertebral discs were acquired from juvenile and adult cows. Cells were acquired through enzymatic digestion and expanded in culture. Pellets were formed through centrifugation, and constructs were created by encapsulating cells within 2% w/v agarose hydrogel. Pellets and constructs were cultured up to 42 days in chemically defined medium with the osmolality adjusted to 300, 400, or 500 mOsm/kg. EP cells were evaluated as a chondrocyte comparison to chondrocyte-like NP cells. Pellet and agarose cultures of juvenile NP and EP cells demonstrated similarities with respect to cell proliferation and functional mechanical properties. Cell proliferation decreased significantly with increased osmotic loading. The final compressive Young's modulus of juvenile NP cells was 10–40× greater than initial properties (i.e., day 0) and was greater than the final Young's modulus of adult NP and juvenile EP constructs. In juvenile NP constructs, there were no significant differences in GAG content with respect to osmotic loading. However, GAG synthesis and mechanical properties were greatest for the 400 mOsm/kg group in adult NP constructs. Taken together, the results presented here suggest a tradeoff between cell proliferation and matrix production under osmotic loading conditions. In conclusion, culturing disc cells in an osmotic environment that best mimics the healthy disc environment (400 mOsm/kg) may be ideal for balancing cell proliferation, matrix production, and mechanical properties of engineered disc tissues.

ENSO‐driven interhemispheric Pacific mass transports

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that ENSO's anomalous equatorial winds, including the observed southward shift of zonal winds that occurs around the event peak, can be reconstructed with the first two Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs) of equatorial region wind stresses. Using a high‐resolution ocean general circulation model, we investigate the effect of these two EOFs on changes in warm water volume (WWV), interhemispheric mass transports, and Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). Wind stress anomalies associated with the first EOF produce changes in WWV that are dynamically consistent with the conceptual recharge oscillator paradigm. The ITF is found to heavily damp these WWV changes, reducing their variance by half. Wind stress anomalies associated with the second EOF, which depicts the southward wind shift, are responsible for WWV changes that are of comparable magnitude to those driven by the first mode. The southward wind shift is also responsible for the majority of the observed interhemispheric upper ocean mass exchanges. These winds transfer mass between the Northern and the Southern Hemisphere during El Niño events. Whilst water is transferred in the opposite direction during La Niña events, the magnitude of this exchange is roughly half of that seen during El Niño events. Thus, the discharging of WWV during El Niño events is meridionally asymmetric, while the WWV recharging during a La Niña event is largely symmetric. The inclusion of the southward wind shift is also shown to allow ENSO to exchange mass with much higher latitudes than that allowed by the first EOF alone.

An automated microinfiltrometer to measure small-scale soil water infiltration properties

Abstract We developed an automated miniature constant-head tension infiltrometer that measures very small infiltration rates at millimetre resolution with minimal demands on the operator. The infiltrometer is made of 2.9 mm internal radius glass tube, with an integrated bubbling tower to maintain constant negative head and a porous mesh tip to avoid air-entry. In the bubbling tower, bubble formation and release changes the electrical resistance between two electrodes at the air-inlet. Tests were conducted on repacked sieved sands, sandy loam soil and clay loam soil, packed to a soil bulk density ρd of 1200 kg m-3 or 1400 kg m-3 and tested either air-dried or at a water potential ψ of -50 kPa. The change in water volume in the infiltrometer had a linear relationship with the number of bubbles, allowing bubble rate to be converted to infiltration rate. Sorptivity measured with the infiltrometer was similar between replicates and showed expected differences from soil texture and ρd, varying from 0.15 ± 0.01 (s.e.) mm s-1/2 for 1400 kg m-3 clay loam at ψ = -50 kPa to 0.65 ± 0.06 mm s-1/2 for 1200 kg m-3 air dry sandy loam soil. An array of infiltrometers is currently being developed so many measurements can be taken simultaneously.

Application of Image Processing for Volume Measurement in Multistage Triaxial Tests

To investigate the unsaturated soil properties, the measurement of volume change is dealt with both water and air volume changes. It cannot be defined by using only the volume of water flown in out from the specimen as saturated soil. This paper presents the volume change measurement by using image processing (IP) from the series of consolidated undrained (CU) and constant water content (CW) tests for saturated and unsaturated conditions of soil, respectively. The results, obtained between IP and the cell liquid measurement considered movement of piston and the cell expansion effect with pressure including creep, are good corresponding except the specimen has an irregular deformation.

Effect of the Electrolyte Concentration and Substrate on Conducting Polymer Actuators

The effect of the electrolyte concentration (NaCl aqueous electrolyte) on the dimensional variations of films of polypyrrole doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonate PPy(DBS) on Pt and Au wires was studied. Any parallel reaction that occurs during the redox polymeric reaction that drives the mechanical actuation, as detected from the coulovoltammetric responses, was avoided by using Pt wires as substrate and controlling the potential limits, thus significantly increasing the actuator lifetime. The NaCl concentration of the electrolyte, when studied by cyclic voltammetry or chronoamperometry, has a strong effect on the performance as well. A maximum expansion was achieved in 0.3 M aqueous solution. The consumed oxidation and reduction charges control the fully reversible dimensional variations: PPy(DBS) films are faradaic polymeric motors. Parallel to the faradaic exchange of the cations, osmotic, electrophoretic, and structural changes play an important role for the water exchange and volume change of PPy(DBS).

Influence of light intensity, water volume and density in tadpoles raised in mesocosm experiments

The ability of an organism to produce different phenotypes under different environmental conditions is a common adaptation in nature. Biotic factors like competition, community structure and predation can influence the survival and time to metamorphosis in amphibians. However, abiotic factors such as the hydroperiod and light intensity can be as important as biotic ones. We examine the influence of abiotic (light, hydroperiod) and biotic (density) factors on the morphology, growth and development of Argenteohyla siemersi pederseni tadpoles. Our main goal was to determine whether the morphology, growth and development vary in relation to changes in water volume, light intensity and number of conspecifics. The experiment was conducted under mesocosm conditions. We used a randomized block design with a factorial combination of two densities of tadpoles, two volumes of water and two light intensity conditions. The main findings were as follows: (1) Tadpole morphology was significantly affected by density and water volume but not by light intensity. Tadpoles maintained at low density increased their tail length and tail depth, tadpoles exposed to low volumes of water increased their tail length and tail muscle depth; (2) The growth rate and development rate of tadpoles were significantly affected by the effects of volume of water and density. Tadpoles maintained at low densities and low volume of water showed a significant increase in growth and development rate; (3) The growth and development rates of tadpoles were significantly affected by the effect of light intensity. Tadpoles exposed to lower light intensity showed an increase in their growth and development rates.

Evaluation of Structural Shrinkage on Freeze-Dried Fruits by Image Analysis: Effect of Relative Humidity and Heat Treatment

Stability of many dehydrated systems is related to the formation of a glass during drying. Highly porous materials, such as those prepared by freeze-drying are susceptible to shrinkage post-drying when stored at not optimal conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of structural shrinkage on freeze-dried fruits through image analysis in relation to relative humidity (RH) and heat treatment. Freeze-dried fruits were humidified between 11 and 84 % RH at 25 °C for 14 days, and then stored at 45 °C. Sugar and water content, thermal transitions, and volume changes were determined. The shrinkage degree of fresh, lyophilized, humidified, and heat-treated samples was assessed by image analysis. The freeze-drying process did not produce important changes on fruits volume. At low RH values (11–22 % RH), the reduction of the cylinders volume was lower than 15 %. The maximum shrinkage values at each RH were attained in the initial period of humidification (first and second days), and then shrinkage rate decreased markedly, reaching a nearly constant value. The shrinkage degree increased with the increase in RH, reaching values up to 60 % volume reduction. During heat treatment, the volume reduction was less than 10 %. The shrinkage degree was limited by the structural characteristics of the fruits. The structural changes were strongly influenced by variables such as water content, glass transition temperatures, and storage time. In this work, the degree of shrinkage could be followed by image analysis and the use of a mechanical modeling software.

Analysis of changes in the volume of water in the Halčianske reservoir caused by erosion as a basis for watershed management

The paper deals with changes in water volumes contained in the Halčiansky water reservoir as a result of sedimentation and aggradation of bed loads and wash loads to the area of a water reservoir by the influence of erosive activity of tributaries in the watershed. The results of a comparison of two 3D models, one for the year 1908, created from historic documentation, and the other for year 2010, created from collection of data in the field, have shown a reduction in the volume of water totaling 35,874 m3, which represents the volume of sediments accumulated over the period of 102 years. Modern surveying technology and numerical modeling of the selected watershed surface area have been used for the determination of the changes in water volume. Analysis of secondary landscape structures, slope and empirical knowledge were performed in basin areas prone to erosion, in order to further the understanding of factors contributing to the erosion of the material. Water management, forestry, agriculture and population level, build-up of the area have all been identified as contributing elements, alongside other factors.

A study on automatic optimal operation of a pump for solar domestic hot water system

The objective of this research is to determine optimal control variables of a collector pump placed on a collector loop to improve the performance of a solar domestic hot water system. A mathematical model of the system is developed to predict its operating performance under real weather conditions at Jeju Island, South Korea. The optimum control variables of the collector loop are investigated based on the relationship between the useful heat gain of the solar collector and the electricity consumption of the collector pump. In addition, the effects of various parameters such as solar collector area, initial water temperature, and volume of storage tank are analyzed. The results of the simulation showed that the optimum variable flow rate was determined at m=0.05ΔTAc/60(kg/s) (Kv=0.05). At this value, the useful heat gain of the solar collector Qu increased by about 1.54% while the electricity consumption of the collector pump Ep sharply decreased to 65.6% when the constant flow was replaced by the variable flow for the collector loop. Furthermore, the system performance is significantly affected by the change of initial water temperature and volume of the storage tank, as well as the collector area.

The excluded volume effect induced by poly(ethylene glycol) modulates the motility of actin filaments interacting with myosin

To examine the motility of actomyosin complexes in the presence of high concentrations of polymers, we investigated the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) on the sliding velocities of actin filaments and regulated thin filaments on myosin molecules in the presence of ATP. Increased concentrations and relative molecular masses of poly(ethylene glycol) decreased the sliding velocities of actin and regulated thin filaments. The decreased ratio of velocity in regulated thin filaments at - log[Ca(2+) ] of 4 was higher than that of actin filaments. Furthermore, in the absence of Ca(2+) , regulated thin filaments were moderately motile in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol). The excluded volume change (∆V), defined as the change in water volume surrounding actomyosin during the interactions, was estimated by determining the relationship between osmotic pressure exerted by poly(ethylene glycol) and the decreased ratio of the velocities in the presence and absence of poly(ethylene glycol). The ∆V increased up to 3.7 × 10(5) Å(3) as the Mr range of poly(ethylene glycol) was increased up to 20,000. Moreover, the ∆V for regulated thin filaments was approximately two-fold higher than that of actin filaments. This finding suggests that differences in the conformation of filaments according to whether troponin-tropomyosin complexes lie on actin filaments alter the ∆V during interactions of actomyosin complexes and influence motility.

Water retention properties of the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone

A possible option for the disposal of high level long lived radioactive waste is to store the waste in galleries excavated at great depth in clays or claystones. In such conditions, the walls of the galleries will be successively subjected to desaturation induced by ventilation followed by resaturation once the galleries are closed. Partial saturation also affects laboratory samples, due to the added effects of coring, transportation, storage and trimming. In this study, a series of tests was conducted to investigate the water retention properties of the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone (in which the ANDRA Underground research laboratory in France has been excavated) under drying/wetting cycles so as to provide a complete description of the changes in water content, volume and degree of saturation from the as-provided state. The results show that water content changes between 3% (at 150MPa of suction) and 12% at zero suction, with a shrinkage of 1.4% (at 150MPa of suction) and a 7% swelling at zero suction. The data obtained complete existing data by defining the initial state with respect to the main drying and wetting paths and by providing volume changes along the suction cycles. Hysteresis effects are also evidenced. Irreversible volume changes are assumed to be due to micro-crack generation and incomplete recovery. The changes in degree of saturation with respect to water content appeared to be reversible, an important fact to consider when simulating volume changes in COx.

Analysis of seasonal change in paddy soil structure based on the elasto-plastic deformation model

Paddy soil, puddled and submerged for a few months every year, shows remarkable shrinkage when it dries, but cannot swell up to its original volume when it is submerged again. Such volumetric change induces desiccation cracks, which significantly affect the hydrological behavior of paddy fields. The present study aimed to reveal the basic behavior of cyclic shrinkage and swelling of clayey paddy soil with regard to water management during cultivation and precipitation in the fallow season. The study also aimed to examine the applicability of the elasto-plastic deformation model to the temporal changes in water retention and volume change of paddy soil. Undisturbed soil samples from a clayey experimental paddy were taken repeatedly from the top soil and hardpan layers in a rice monoculture paddy field and a rotationally cropped paddy field, both having clayey soil. Sampling was performed three times a year from July 2005 to April 2007: 1) at the end of two months of continuous flooding after puddling, 2) after drying by the release of poding water, and 3) after the wet fallow period in winter. The samples were subject to measurement of Water Retention Characteristics (WRCs) by multiple saturation and dehydration treatment in the laboratory. The samples were saturated first and dehydrated at 3.1, 10, 20, 40 and 80 kPa in a pressure chamber. They were then saturated again and dehydrated at 3.1 and 80 kPa. From the difference in the retained water at 3.1 kPa of suction between the first and second dehydration, the amount of pore volume subject to irreversible volumetric shrinkage was evaluated. The amount of water retained by puddled soil decreased irreversibly due to desiccation, which can be attributed to the plastic deformation of the pores. The water reduction due to drying was higher in the rice monoculture paddy field than in the rotationally cultivated paddy field. However, the continuous wet conditions after harvest induced restoration of 23% to 78% of the pores that evaluated as having been plastically compressed. These observations revealed the limitation of applying the elasto-plastic model to temporal changes in paddy soil structure. The mechanisms which cause time-dependency in shrinkage and swelling should be studied to obtain effective control of the mechanical and hydrological behavior of paddy soil. Application of alternative mechanical models that take into account the time-dependent behavior should also be explored.

Modelling water retention and volume change behaviours of unsaturated soils in non-isothermal conditions

This study presents a simple approach to modelling the effect of temperature on the soil–water retention curves (SWRCs) of deformable soils and takes into consideration the following two aspects: (1) the effect of temperature on the liquid–gas interfacial tension and (2) temperature-induced deformation of the soil skeleton. The first aspect, the temperature effect, can be modelled using an equation proposed by Grant and Salehzadeh [18], but the second aspect is generally neglected in the literature. To quantify the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) deformation of unsaturated soils (i.e., the second aspect mentioned above), a simple volume change equation, referred to as the non-isothermal SFG volumetric equation, is proposed on the basis of the original SFG framework [37]. A three-dimensional THM yield surface in the space of net mean stress, suction and temperature is presented here. The proposed volume change equation is integrated into the non-isothermal SWRC by means of a simple hydro-mechanical coupling law [38]. The performance of the non-isothermal SFG volumetric equation and the non-isothermal SWRC equation is investigated through several numerical examples. A number of experimental results reported in the literature are employed to confirm the validity of the proposed non-isothermal SFG volume change equation and the non-isothermal SWRC equation.

Palaeogeographic reconstruction of Minchin palaeolake system, South America: The influence of astronomical forcing

Current palaeoclimatic reconstructions for the Río de la Plata region during the latest Pleistocene (30,000–10,000 yr BP) propose dry conditions, with rainfall at the Last Glacial Maximum amounting to one-third of today's precipitation. Despite the consequential low primary productivity inferred, an impressive megafauna existed in the area at that time. Here we explore the influence of the flooding from a huge extinct system of water bodies in the Andean Altiplano as a likely source for wet regimes that might have increased the primary productivity and, hence, the vast number of megaherbivores. The system was reconstructed using specifically combined software resources, including Insola, Global Mapper v13, Surfer and Matlab. Changes in water volume and area covered were related to climatic change, assessed through a model of astronomical forcing that describes the changes in insolation at the top of the atmosphere in the last 50,000 yr BP. The model was validated by comparing its results with several proxies (CH4, CO2, D, 18O) from dated cores taken from the ice covering Antarctic lakes Vostok and EPICA Dome C. It is concluded that the Altiplano Lake system drained towards the southeast in the rainy seasons and that it must have been a major source of water for the Paraná-Plata Basin, consequently enhancing primary productivity within it.

Application of Multi-Sensor Satellite Data to Observe Water Storage Variations

In this study we apply geometric and gravimetric observations from various Earth observation satellites in order to estimate the variability in a lake with respect to its geometrical extent and water storage. Our test case is the Aral Sea, located in the arid zone of central Asia. Due to the diversion of its primary inlet rivers for irrigation purposes the lake suffered a devastating decline until its south eastern part had almost dried out in 2009. The study is focused on the period of the satellite gravity field mission GRACE from 2002 onwards. We present the change of the lake's surface extent based on optical remote sensing data from Landsat images that were analyzed for spring and autumn each year. Height variations of the lake surface were computed from multi-mission satellite altimetry. Both the surface extent and the water stage of the lake reached an absolute minimum in autumn 2009. However in 2010 a clear reversal of the negative trend of the previous years is visible. A geometrical intersection of the water level with a digital elevation model allows for estimating water volume changes. The resulting volume changes are subsequently analyzed with respect to satellite-based estimates of mass variations observed by GRACE. The results reveal that water storage variations in the Aral Sea are indeed the principal contributor to the GRACE signal of mass variations in this region. The different observations from all missions agree very well with respect to their temporal behavior.

Water storage change estimation from in situ shrinkage measurements of clay soils

Abstract. The objective of this study is to assess the applicability of clay soil elevation change measurements to estimate soil water storage changes, using a simplified approach. We measured moisture contents in aggregates by EC-5 sensors, and in multiple aggregate and inter-aggregate spaces (bulk soil) by CS616 sensors. In a long dry period, the assumption of constant isotropic shrinkage proved invalid and a soil moisture dependant geometry factor was applied. The relative overestimation made by assuming constant isotropic shrinkage in the linear (basic) shrinkage phase was 26.4% (17.5 mm) for the actively shrinking layer between 0 and 60 cm. Aggregate-scale water storage and volume change revealed a linear relation for layers ≥ 30 cm depth. The range of basic shrinkage in the bulk soil was limited by delayed drying of deep soil layers, and maximum water loss in the structural shrinkage phase was 40% of total water loss in the 0–60 cm layer, and over 60% in deeper layers. In the dry period, fitted slopes of the ΔV–ΔW relationship ranged from 0.41 to 0.56 (EC-5) and 0.42 to 0.55 (CS616). Under a dynamic drying and wetting regime, slopes ranged from 0.21 to 0.38 (EC-5) and 0.22 to 0.36 (CS616). Alternating shrinkage and incomplete swelling resulted in limited volume change relative to water storage change. The slope of the ΔV–ΔW relationship depended on the drying regime, measurement scale and combined effect of different soil layers. Therefore, solely relying on surface level elevation changes to infer soil water storage changes will lead to large underestimations. Recent and future developments might provide a basis for application of shrinkage relations to field situations, but in situ observations will be required to do so.