[Experiment and numerical simulation of percolation control using evapotranspirative landfill cover system]

An Evapotranspirative Landfill Cover (ET Landfill Cover) is a simple and economical percolation control system that involves a monolithic soil layer with a vegetative cover.Percolation control in an ET cover system relies on the storage of moisture within the cover soils during precipitation events and subsequently returns it to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration. Percolation control experiments of a bare soil cover and 5 different ET covers were implemented in comprehensive experimental station of water environment of Wuhan University and the water balance calculation of each cover system was conducted, the results shown that the ET cover of 60 cm loamy soil layer with shrub was the most effective among the 6 experimental disposals. However, the experiments demonstrated 60 cm thick of soil layer was not enough to prevent percolation during rainy season and keep the shrub alive during drought season without irrigation. So the Hydrus 2D was selected to simulate the soil water movement in ET covers with different cover thicknesses, the simulations shown that the optimal ET cover in Wuhan area should be 120-140 cm loamy soil layer with shrub.