Evapotranspiration is the sum of evaporation of water from soils and transpiration from plants. It is a crucial part of the water cycle and can be measured using lysimeters. However, lysimeters require high maintenance and operation costs; as such, evapotranspiration models are used for making predictions. Thus, the aim of the present study was to calibrate the Hydrus-1D to predict the water balance components of an evapotranspiration cover (in this case, a thin covering layer) for potash tailings piles. Further simulations were performed using different fine fraction proportions, soil textures and crop parameters. A high association between the calibrated and observed drainage of substrates was found, with a variation of 2.9% (approximately 13.6 mm).... |