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Vadose Zone Journal publishes cutting-edge interdisciplinary research on the critical unsaturated zone between the soil's upper layer and groundwater, advancing scientific understanding of water, solute, and heat transport processes. Covering topics from climate change impacts to biogeochemical transformations and contaminant remediation, the journal provides valuable insights for sustainable vadose zone management and supports science-based decision-making. Vadose Zone Journal is published on behalf of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA).
Vadose Zone Journal is ranked Number 1 in Best Earth Science Journals for Soil Science on Research.com.
Featured
Evaluating the efficacy of fractal models for soil water retention curve estimation from particle-size distribution for Hanford sediments
Remediation is a key part of the Hanford mission, one of the largest nuclear cleanup efforts in the world. In a new article by Shabani and Khaleel, the authors undertake a case study in which 138 samples from the Hanford site were evaluated using a soil water retention curve (SWRC). A unique aspect of the study was the fractal analysis of several highly gravelly (>2 mm) samples. The authors investigate the performance of two fractal models, Bird et al. and Hunt and Gee, in estimating SWRC from particle size distribution (PSD) data, with the aim of identifying a better fractal model for estimating SWRC from PSD data. Read more.
Browse Articles
A field calibration method that improves soil heat flux accuracy
- 19 May 2025
Core Ideas
- The effectiveness of a field calibration method to improve soil heat flux plate value was examined.
- Five days of field measurements were used for calibration.
- The calibration method performed quite well for 60- and 80-day evaluation periods.
- Performance was insensitive to soil moisture and the interval between calibration and evaluation.
- The relatively stable soil moisture and soil-plate contact enabled a good performance.
Dynamic soil water retention properties: Exploring the interplay of moisture states and soil structure dynamics in a compacted Andosol
- 9 May 2025
Core Ideas
- Soil water retention variability is temporally dynamic in agricultural grasslands.
- Aligning the process and observation scales is key to recognizing heterogeneous flows.
- Soil structure and water distribution dynamically shape soil water retention functions.
- Soil compaction decreases the diversity of possible scanning curves.
- The collapse of pore networks provokes extreme nonequilibrium relations.
Gaia: Complex systems prediction for time to adapt to climate shocks
- 4 May 2025
Core Ideas
- Relative stability of Earth's climate system is considered an emergent property of coupled ecosystems.
- We apply a spatiotemporal scaling relation for root growth to couple bacterial/fungal/vegetational response.
- We theoretically predict an absolute time scale to reach homeostasis.
- The predicted time is 33% larger than required for the biosphere to emerge from associated Paleozoic ice ages.
- We propose a basis for understanding the biosphere and critical zone.
Issue Information
- 1 May 2025
Graphical Abstract
On the cover: Soil surface intertwined with a delicate spiderweb, illustrating the complex interactions within the vadose zone—the unsaturated region above the groundwater table where soil moisture dynamics critically influence water storage, plant root access, and ecosystem function. Photo credit: Lindsey Anderson.
A novel design for continuous measurement of CO2 from deep remineralization of petrogenic organic carbon
- 29 April 2025
Core Ideas
- A novel design for in situ measurement of deep subsurface CO2 feasible for metamorphic terranes is proposed.
- The performance of the passive and active modes is evaluated.
- Different CO2 release patterns between subsurface texture zones suggest a dependence on geological context.
- Measurements conducted in the active mode overestimate the CO2 flux when compared to the passive mode.
- Global importance of petrogenic organic carbon oxidation in orogenic belts is emphasized.
Latest news
Soil Moisture Remote Sensing: State‐of‐the‐Science
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 1-9
- 26 January 2017
Modeling Soil Processes: Review, Key Challenges, and New Perspectives
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 1-57
- 13 May 2016
Developments and applications of the HYDRUS computer software packages since 2016
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 14 February 2024
Core Ideas
- An overview of the capabilities of the most recent Version 5 of HYDRUS.
- The description of the standard and nonstandard specialized HYDRUS add-on modules.
- A review of selected popular applications of the HYDRUS models.
- Description of new or improved upcoming HYDRUS add-on modules.
Current understanding of subsurface transport of micro‐ and nanoplastics in soil
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 4 February 2021
- 64
Sensing the electrical properties of roots: A review
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 8 December 2020
- 55
Dimensionality and scales of preferential flow in soils of Shale Hills hillslope simulated using HYDRUS
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 4 July 2024
- 35
Soil evaporation and its impact on salt accumulation in different landscapes under freeze–thaw conditions in an arid seasonal frozen region
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 3 February 2021
- 31
Time‐lapse geophysical assessment of agricultural practices on soil moisture dynamics
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 28 October 2020
- 36
Comparison of the performance of 22 models describing soil water retention curves from saturation to oven dryness
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 30 September 2020
- 20
Impact of biochar and lignite‐based amendments on microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soil
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 3 March 2021
- 20
3D mapping of soil organic carbon content and soil moisture with multiple geophysical sensors and machine learning
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 4 September 2020
- 24
Modeling tomato evapotranspiration and yield responses to salinity using different macroscopic reduction functions
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 30 September 2020
- 23
A global 1‐km downscaled SMAP soil moisture product based on thermal inertia theory
- Vadose Zone Journal
- 8 February 2022
- 18
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