Masterarbeiten / Master thesis topics

Frühere Diplomarbeiten  / Finished diploma theses: Diploma Theses .

Groundwater model of Broye: Effects of irrigation withdrawals on the environment

(1 Student/in 1 student, Supervisor: Danielle Tendall / Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kinzelbach)

Thematic fields: Groundwater modelling, Environmental impacts, Irrigation

Institute, Groups:

Environmental Engineering IfU, Groundwater and Hydromechanics (GWH) & Ecological Systems Design (ESD).

Context: Climate change is predicted to cause a future increase in irrigation in Switzerland. In parallel, summer river flows may decrease with the shrinking of glacier storage. Groundwater remains a potential source of water for irrigation: however, it is unclear which impacts an increased groundwater use would have on the environment, in particular on plants and aquatic ecosystems. Water availability for other users (industrial, domestic) may also be affected, possibly leading to use conflicts.

Objectives:

The goal of this project is to develop a model of the groundwater system of a case study region in Switzerland (the Broye catchment), in order to identify the effects of potential water withdrawals for irrigation on the groundwater-surface water system. This can then serve to identify related potential environmental impacts. The project will use the modelling software package Processing Modflow.

Relevance:

The results are expected to be used within the Swiss National Science Foundation Project “NFP 61 - AGWAM”, on the topic of water management in agriculture, and environmental impacts of water use in agriculture under climate change. It will be done in close collaboration with ongoing PhD research.

Profile of candidate:

Major in hydrogeology, water resources engineering or other environmental/geology disciplines. Knowledge in numerical groundwater modelling is required (e.g. course Groundwater II).

Knowledge of french is an advantage (case study region is in the french-speaking part of Switzerland, some documentation is in french).

Contact: danielle.tendall@art.admin.ch, kinzelbach@ifu.baug.ethz.ch

Computing lake water balances by remote sensing: Example Lake Bostan, Xinjiang, China

(1 student, Supervisor: Dr. Haijing Wang)

Using satellite images the variation of lake areas can be followed in time. The lake area is responsible for the amount of evaporation. Together with data on the lake level, storage or destorage of water over time can be computed. Together with inflow- and outflow-data the evaporation can be determined. These rates are to be compared to evaporation rates directly determined from remote sensing images by the SEBI method or from the Penman-Monteith equation. The example to be treated here is Lake Bostan in Xinjiang, China.

Solarenergiebetriebene Tropfbewässerung in Mali / Solar-energy driven drip irrigation in Mali

(1 student, Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kinzelbach)

Eine Schweizer Firma liefert mobile Solarenergieeinheiten zum Betrieb von Grundwasserpumpen nach Mali. Mit dem so geförderten Wasser werden Felder mithilfe der Tropfbewässerung bewässert. In dem Masterprojekt sollen einige dieser Felder mit konventionell bewirtschafteten Feldern hinsichtlich Wasserverbrauch, Ertrag, Kosten, Arbeitsinputs u.ä. vergleichen werden. Letztlich interessiert die Frage, wieviel Subventionen notwendig sind, um die neue Technologie bei derzeitigen Preisen zu etablieren.

A Swiss firm is selling mobile solar energy units for the powering of groundwater pumps to Mali. The groundwater pumped in this fashion is used in drip irrigation of crops. In a master project some of the fields operated with the new technology should be compared with conventionally managed fields with respect to water use, yield, costs, work input etc.. In the end the question is to be answered at what level of subventions the new technology can be introduced into the market at present prices.

Measuring and Modelling nitrate leaching

(1 student, supervisor: Daniel Braun)

Background: At the research station Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon (ART), a new lysimeter station is in operation since spring 2009. The setup includes 72 lysimeter, 12 of which are equipped with a weighing system that makes them appropriate for computation of evapotranspiration (ET). These 12 gravitation lysimeter are additionally equipped with temperature sensors, tensiometers and FDR sensors at four different depths in the ground. The main goal of the research station is to study the nitrate leaching from agriculture. The 72 lysimeters do have three different soil types and are managed with different strategies for optimizing the harvest as well as the ecological performance. In spring 2010 a master thesis has been done on comparing the measured evapotranspiration with different evapotranspiration models. One product of this thesis was the program LysiLAB which prepares the experimental data of the lysimeter station to a consistent data set, this dataset in conjunction with additional lab data will be the basis for the present work.

Focus: The goal of the thesis is to systematically test different nitrogen simulation models, which includes the biological as well as transport processes. A special focus will be to assess the sensitivity of different experimental parameters including the temperature, which could rise in future due to the global warming. In addition also simplified models for nitrogen leaching will be tested, which can be used for nitrate studies in hydrological catchments with only scarce date bases. The results of the thesis should support the future management of the lysimeter station in data handling and eventually also gives indication for improved experimental strategies in future.

Specific information: This research will be performed in close collaboration with the department of water protection and nutrient and pollutant flows from the research station Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon (Volker Prasuhn, Dr. Walter Richner). Office space with computer will be provided.

Simlation des Langzeitverhaltens von Erdwärmespeichern (Beispiel ETH Hönggerberg)

(1 student, supervisor: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kinzelbach)

Im Rahmen von Energiesparmassnahmen werden Erdwärmesonden immer populärer. Zwei Probleme werden noch relativ wenig betrachtet. Das eine ist die potentielle gegenseitige Beeinflussung von Wärmesonden und das andere die Langzeitwirksamkeit. Nur wenn sich mit der Zeit ein quasi-stationärer Zustand ausbildet bei dem die Entnahmetemperatur nicht zu gering ist, ist die Installation nachhaltig. Eine Verbesserung ergibt sich, wenn im Sommer Wärme gespeichert und im Winter Wärme entnommen wird. Im Idealfall von gleichem Wärme- und Kälteanfall geht das System sehr schnell in einen stabilen periodischen Endzustand. Am Beispiel des für den Campus ETH Hönggerberg im Bau befindlichen Wärme/Kältespeichers soll die Langzeitentwicklung von Wärme- bzw. Kältezonen in 3 Dimensionen simuliert und beurteilt werden.

Kontaktpersonen / Contact persons

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kinzelbach,
+41-1-633 30 66
+41-1-633 10 61
kinzelbach@ifu.baug.ethz.ch
Institut für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften (IfU),
HIL G 37.3
ETH-Hönggerberg,
CH-8093 Zürich

Dr. Beat Lüthi,
+41-1-633 30 68
+41-1-633 10 61
luethi@ifu.baug.ethz.ch
Institut für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften (IfU),
HIL G 37.1
ETH-Hönggerberg,
CH-8093 Zürich

Salvador Peña,
+41-1-633 30 74
+41-1-633 10 61
pena@ifu.baug.ethz.ch
Institut für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften (IfU),
HIL G 33.3
ETH-Hönggerberg,
CH-8093 Zürich

Dr. Matthias Willmann,
+41-1-633 76 59
+41-1-633 10 61
willmann@ifu.baug.ethz.ch
Institut für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften (IfU),
HIL G G35.2
ETH-Hönggerberg,
CH-8093 Zürich

Daniel Braun,
+41-1-633 24 54
+41-1-633 10 61
braun@stab.baug.ethz.ch
Institut für Umweltingenieurwissenschaften (IfU),
HIF C 23.3
ETH-Hönggerberg,
CH-8093 Zürich