SIMWASER model as a tool for the assessment of soil water balance

The objectives of our study were to apply, test and to present the ability of the deterministic simulation model SIMWASER computing soil-water balance components. Two case studies for the assessment of percolation losses from irrigated carrots to deep groundwater at Obersiebenbrunn in the Marchfeld (Austria) and ground water recharge and capillary rise from shallow groundwater in grass lysimeters at Berlin-Dahlem (Germany) are presented to demonstrate the performance of the model by a comparison between measured and simulated results from the field experiments. At Obersiebenbrunn, simulated percolation and evapotranspiration were 183 and 629 mm, while the respective measured values amounted to 198 and 635 mm. In Berlin-Dahlem simulated capillary rise and evapotranspiration were -122 and 458 mm, whereas the measurement showed -155 and 454 mm. These results showed the SIMWASER method as a good applicable tool to demonstrate and study plant - soil - water relationships as well as influence of land use, especially on ground water recharge.