2025/10/10 by Bonan Li, Matthias Sprenger, Briana M. Wyatt +12 · 1 voice · 6 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Engineering · Environmental Science · #Climate change #Ecohydrology #Groundwater #Groundwater recharge #Hydrology (agriculture) #Moisture #Soil Moisture and Remote Sensing #Soil and Unsaturated Flow #Soil erosion and sediment transport #Streamflow #Water content
paper · pdf · doi:10.1029/2025gl118045
published in Geophysical Research Letters 52(19) (American Geophysical Union)
openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex publication_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract Preferential flow (PF) in soil causes the rapid transport of water, nutrients, and contaminants into the subsurface, influencing groundwater recharge and streamflow. Data scarcity has hindered the quantification of PF occurrence and the identification of its drivers across diverse ecoregions. We address this gap by analyzing high‐frequency, multi‐depth soil moisture data across 17 ecoregions in the USA, using ∼1,500 sensors at 40 sites. We discovered that PF is widespread, with sites experiencing PF in up to 60% of rainfall events ≥2 mm. Multiple approaches consistently show that PF is more likely to occur with increased peak rainfall intensity, finer textured material, low soil moisture variability, humid climate, and higher net primary productivity. This suggests that PF patterns could shift with projected climate changes, increasing uncertainty in predictions of groundwater recharge, water quality, and streamflow generation.