Environmental Measurement Laboratory

Abstract

Measurements are the the sole judge of scientific truth and provide access to unpredictable information, enabling the characterization and monitoring of complex terrestrial systems. Based on lectures and field- and laboratory training the students learn to apply modern methods to determine forest inventory parameters and to measure subsurface properties and processes.

Objective

The students will be able to: - explain measurement principles that are used for characterization of landscapes and terrestrial systems - select appropriate measurement methods and sampling design to quantify key variables and processes in the subsurface - deploy sensors in the field - interpret collected laboratory and field data and report main conclusions deduced from measurements

Content

1) Measurement Science, datalogging (Lecture) and sensor calibration: Data Logging, basic data logger programming; overview of soil sensor types and sensor calibration; including programming in the laboratory 2) Field installation of sensors and field experiment; data collection for a few days 3) Geophysical methods on Subsurface Characterization: Basic principles of ERT, GPR, and EM; 4) Demonstration and application of geophysical methods in the field; 5) Soil and Groundwater Direct Sampling (Lab): Soil physical sampling; profile characterization, disturbed and undisturbed soil sampling, direct-push geoprobe sampling; soil water content profiles and transects; 6) Field sample analysis in the lab (particle sizes, hydraulic conductivity, soil water retention) 7 & 8) Eddy covariance methods -Principles for field measurement of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and energy exchange between terrestrial surfaces and the atmosphere; Analysis of measured time series to determine evaporation rate and CO2-fluxes 9 & 10) Forest characterization/ inventory: Principles of LIDAR; structures and features of the tree crowns, size/volume of the leaf area tree positions and diameters at breast height 11 & 12) Ecohydrological and Soil Monitoring Networks: Data management for long term monitoring networks, soil structure and critical zone observatories 13) Analysis of soil and vegetation relationship at global scale using remote sensing data

Resources