2. Numerical Simulations of Water Flow and Solute Transport Applied to Acid Sulfate Soils

Field investigations of Rassam et al. in 2001 have highlighted the effects of infiltration, drainage, and evapotranspiration on the dynamics of water flow and solute transport in acid sulfate (AS) soils. In this work, HYDRUS-2D is adopted as the modeling tool to elucidate the trends observed in that field experiment. Hypothetical simulations have shown that the relative contribution of drains to lowering the water table is significant only when closely spaced drains are installed in coarse textured soils, evapotranspiration being the main driving force in all other cases. AS soils reaction products that are close to a drain are readily transportable during infiltration and early drainage, but those produced farther away from it near the midpoint between drains are only slowly transported during a prolonged drainage process. Simulating the field trial of Rassam et al. has shown that drain depth and evapotranspiration significantly affect solute fluxes exported to the ecosystem. Managing AS soils should target minimal drain depth and density. Partial or full lining of the drains should be considered as a management option for ameliorating the environmental hazards of AS soils.