Jaefar et al. (2026) Numerical Simulation of Water Transfer in Unsaturated Soils: Evaluating the Effects of Temperature and Root Activity in Water Distribution

Identification

• Journal: Engineering headway
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-16
• Authors: Abderrahim Jaefar, R Nmila, Ibrahim Mrani
• DOI: 10.4028/p-ii8unm

Research Groups

• Abderrahim Jaefar, Rachid Nmila, and Ibrahim Mrani (Affiliated with Moroccan research institutions based on the publication context in Engineering Headway).

Short Summary

This study utilizes a finite element numerical model to analyze how soil temperature fluctuations and root activity influence water redistribution in unsaturated soils. The research demonstrates that thermal gradients significantly impact soil moisture levels and enhance root water uptake (RWU) rates.

Objective

• To theoretically and numerically evaluate the influence of temperature variations and dynamic root water uptake on water retention and redistribution in soils with variable saturation.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Soil profile simulations, with specific quantitative analysis focused on the top 0.2 m (20 cm) of the soil layer.
• Temporal Scale: Dynamic/Transient numerical simulations of soil-plant-atmosphere interactions.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Finite element model; HYDRUS (2D/3D) framework for simulating water flow in variably saturated media.
• Data sources: Numerical simulations integrating temperature-dependent hydraulic properties and dynamic root water uptake functions (based on the Feddes model).

Main Results

• A 10°C increase in soil temperature can reduce water content by up to 15% in the top 0.2 m of soil due to accelerated evapotranspiration and altered matric potential.
• Root water uptake (RWU) is highly sensitive to thermal conditions, showing an increase of approximately 20% under moderate warming, particularly in the upper soil layers.
• The study confirms a strong coupling between thermal gradients, root physiological function, and soil moisture distribution.

Contributions

• Provides a coupled numerical framework that integrates temperature-dependent hydraulic parameters with biological root activity.
• Enhances the predictive accuracy of soil-plant-atmosphere interaction models under changing climatic conditions.
• Offers quantitative insights for optimizing irrigation strategies and sustainable water management in agricultural ecosystems.

Funding

• Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Jaefar2026Numerical,
  author = {Jaefar, Abderrahim and Nmila, R and Mrani, Ibrahim},
  title = {Numerical Simulation of Water Transfer in Unsaturated Soils: Evaluating the Effects of Temperature and Root Activity in Water Distribution},
  journal = {Engineering headway},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.4028/p-ii8unm},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.4028/p-ii8unm}
}

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