lysimeter

hydrological instrument

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June 30, 2026

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A lysimeter is a hydrological instrument used to measure the percolation of water through soil and to determine the soluble constituents removed in drainage. It is a device that helps in understanding the water cycle close to the land surface, a key aspect of hydrology.12

Hydrology studies the movement of water from the atmosphere to the land surface and its subsequent loss through evaporation, transpiration, or flow. Lysimeters are crucial for accurately measuring actual evapotranspiration, which is the combined process of evaporation and transpiration from the land surface and vegetation. By precisely evaluating the different components of the water balance within a lysimeter, evapotranspiration can be calculated by subtraction. This provides valuable data for understanding soil moisture, water movement, and nutrient leaching.21

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hydrologic sciences
Evapotranspiration
…of several metres across) called lysimeters, evaluate the different components of the water balance precisely, and calculate the evapotranspiration by subtraction. A similar technique is often employed at the catchment scale, although the measurement of the other components of the water balance is then necessarily less precise.
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…of several metres across) called lysimeters, evaluate the different components of the water balance precisely, and calculate the evapotranspiration by subtraction. A similar technique is often employed at the catchment scale, although the measurement of the other components of the water balance is then necessarily less precise.
Read More