Research interests
PHYSICAL SOIL HYDROLOGICAL MODELLER
MAIN RESEARCH FOCUS
- SOIL PHYSICS: development of physically based soil pedotransfer functions and cheap/fast methods to derive accurate hydraulic properties that are integrated into S-map or used for precision agriculture;
- HYDROLOGICAL MODELLING: formulating parsimenous physically based soil–plant–water interactions models;
- SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMING: writing open source models to derive soil properties and the hydrological response;
- CALIBRATING MODELS: developing algorithms to derive, from observations, unique fluxes and parameters that can be physically interpreted;
Keywords: Hydrological modelling, Soil physics, Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer models; Groundwater recharge; Semi-physical pedotransfer functions; Reducing non-uniqueness of inverted hydraulic parameters; Multiobjective calibrations; Uncertainty analysis.
REASERCH INTERST
I am a senior vadose zone hydrological scientist, modeller and software developer with more than 22 years of experience performing research in a variety of international laboratories. I specialised in the fields of soil physics and hydrological modelling with a specific interest in software development. My current work is focused on improving the digital soil database, (S-map: https://smap.landcareresearch.co.nz/) which provides the soil’s physical hydraulic properties. This physical soil hydrological property database in which I have a leading role is termed “Smap-Hydro”. I also develop protocols where soil information is collected cost-effectively. The data is then automatically processed using user-friendly tools (AquaPore-ToolKit) conceived and developed under my management to obtain soil hydraulic properties. These parameters can then be assimilated into the parsimonious physically based agro-hydrological models HyPix of my authorship, or in other similar models. One of my plans is to incorporate HyPix into a precision irrigation platform by utilizing hydrogeophysics allowing us to derive soil hydraulic properties and their spatial distribution. I develop my research in the AquaPore platform by collaborating with 8 laboratories in New Zealand, as well as internationall
My interest is the development of protocols where soil information is collected cost-effectively and where the data is then automatically processed with the open-source user-friendly AquaPore-ToolKit developed in collaboration with international collaborators (Univ. of Lyon, Strasbourg & Granada) to obtain soil hydraulic properties. These parameters can then be assimilated into parsimonious physically based agro-hydrological model such as HyPix, of authorship. HyPix, which is as straightforward to run as a bucket model could be incorporated into a precision irrigation platform which automatically assimilates real-time climate and sensor data. HyPix could make complex decisions on irrigation/nutrient applications to meet the criteria of profitability and reduce environmental impacts. By using this protocol, farmers will enable to operate physical HyPix models for decision-making on sustainable water management. HyPix could be adapted to be highly customizable and will operate with limited or comprehensive data sets alike but will produce an output of different accuracy. HyPix infrastructure could be designed in collaboration with farmers by using co-learning methods to enable experienced farmers/researchers to incorporate their expert knowledge. The proposed four research pillars are described below:
(a) Mapping cost-effectively physical soil hydraulic parameters describing matrix and macropores by combining low-cost easily obtainable input data from emerging technologies guided by in-field, multi-depth real-time soil moisture sensor, and geophysics exploration.
(b) Improvement of parsimonious physical agro-hydrological models, requiring minimal input data without compromising the accuracy of the model outputs. The gridded model could provide support for the best management practices by providing real-time deficit irrigation/effluent prescription map rate and nutrient application for optimum crop productivity by avoiding denitrification (reduction in GHG emissions) and carbon depletion, plant stress, loss of water, and nutrients due to drainage risks.
(c) Monitoring soil health is performed by deriving meaningful physical soil hydraulic parameters which can precisely track the evolution of hydraulic properties on soil biota, organic matter, tillage practices, animal disturbances, freezing thawing, swollen and shrinking due to changes in water content, and changing climate.
(d) Perform cost-benefit analysis to make decisions on how much information/investment is required to increase profitability while minimising environmental impacts. As the AquaPore-ToolKit can operate with a wide range of data, cost-benefit analysis would enable to provide answers to (i) Derive the minimal number of measurement points (depending on soil heterogeneity) and determine which techniques of measuring hydraulic parameters (having different cost-accuracy) will be synergized; (ii) Suggest which cultivars/forest will be best planted to adapt to the local soil and be resilient to climate change.
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez, J., (2023). Bimodal Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity Derived from Water Retention Parameters by Accounting for Clay‒Water Interactions: Deriving a Plausible Set of Hydraulic Parameters. Submitted to Environmental Modelling & Software
de Melo, M.L.A., de Jong van Lier Q., Rogerio C., Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez, J. Markus Pahlow (2023). Sensitivity analysis of land and water productivities predicted with an empirical and a process-based root water uptake model, Journal of Hydrology, HYDROL-S-23-02900
Rasoulzadeh A., Bezaatpour J., Azizi Mobaser J., Fernández-Gálvez, J., Pollacco, J.A.P. (2023) Half-century Review and Advances on Closed-form Soil Water Retention Curves: Introducing History Catena, CATENA21717
Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez, J., Rajanayaka, C., Zammit, S.C., Ackerer, P., Belfort, B., Lassabatere, L., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., Lilburne, L., Carrick, S., Peltzer, D.A., (2022b). Multistep optimization of HyPix model for flexible vertical scaling of soil hydraulic parameters. Environmental Modelling & Software 156, 105472.
Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernandez-Galvez, J., Ackerer, P., Belfort, B., Lassabatere, L., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., Rajanayaka, C., Lilburne, L., Carrick, S., Peltzer, D.A., (2022c). HyPix: 1D physically based hydrological model with novel adaptive time-stepping management and smoothing dynamic criterion for controlling Newton-Raphson step. Environ. Modell. Softw. 153, 105386
Lassabatere, L., Peyneau, P.-E., Yilmaz, D., Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez, J., Latorre, B., Moret-Fernández, D., Di Prima, S., Rahmati, M., Stewart, R.D., Abou Najm, M., Hammecker, C., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., (2021a). Mixed formulation for an easy and robust numerical computation of sorptivity. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 27, 895–915. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-895-2023
Lassabatere, L., Peyneau, P.-E., Yilmaz, D., Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez, J., Latorre, B., Moret-Fernández, D., Hammecker, C., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., (2021b). A scaling procedure for straightforward computation of sorptivity. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 22.
Vogeler, I., Carrick, S., Lilburne, L., Cichota, R., Pollacco, J.A.P. and Fernández-Gálvez, J. (2021c). How important is the description of soil unsaturated hydraulic conductivity values for simulating soil saturation level, drainage and pasture yield? Journal of Hydrology 598, 126257
Fernández-Gálvez, J., Pollacco, J.A.P., Lilburne, L., McNeill, S., Carrick, S., Lassabatere, L., Angulo-Jaramillo, R. (2021d). Deriving physical and unique bimodal soil Kosugi hydraulic parameters from inverse modelling. Advances in Water Resources 153, 103933
Pollacco J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez J., Carrick S. (2019a). Improved prediction of water retention curves for fine texture soils using an intergranular mixing particle size distribution model. Journal of Hydrology 584: 124597
Fernández-Gálvez, J., Pollacco, J.A.P., Lassabatere, L., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., Carrick, S., (2019b). A general Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters method predicting hydraulic parameters of any unimodal water retention and hydraulic conductivity curves: Application to the Kosugi soil hydraulic model without using particle size distribution data. Advances in Water Resources 129, 118–130.
Pollacco, JAP, Webb, T., McNeill, S., Hu, W., Carrick, S., Hewitt, A., Lilburne, L.: Saturated hydraulic conductivity model computed from bimodal water retention curves for a range of New Zealand soils, (2017). Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 2725-2737
Pollacco J.A.P., Mohanty B.P., Efstratiadis A., (2013a) Weighted Objective Function Selector Algorithm for Parameter Estimation of SVAT Models with Remote Sensing Data. Water Resources Research, 49, doi: 10.1002/wrcr.20554
Pollacco J.A.P., Nasta P., Ugdale J.M., Angulo-Jaramillo R., Lassabatere L., Mohanty B.P., Romano N., (2013b). Reduction of feasible parameter space of the inverted soil hydraulic parameters sets for Kosugi model. Soil science, Volume 178, Issue 6.
Pollacco, J.A.P., Mohanty B.P., (2012). Uncertainties of Water Fluxes in Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer Models: Inverting Surface Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration Retrieved from Remote Sensing. Vadose Zone Journal, Volume 11, Issue 3, 11
Pollacco J.A.P., Angulo-Jaramillo R., (2009). A Linking Test that investigates the feasibility of inverse modelling: application to a simple rainfall interception model for Mt. Gambier, southeast South Australia. Hydrological Processes, Volume 23, Issue 14, Pages: 2023-2032
Pollacco J.A.P. (2008a) A generally applicable pedotransfer function that estimates field capacity and permanent wilting point. Canadian Journal of soil science, Volume 88, Issue 5, Pages 761–774.
Pollacco J.A.P., Saugier B., Angulo-Jaramillo R., Braud I., (2008b). A Linking Test that establishes if groundwater recharge can be determined by optimising vegetation parameters against soil moisture. Annals of Forest Science, Volume 65, Issue 7, 702.
Pollacco J.A.P., Ugdale J.M., Saugier B., Angulo-Jaramillo R., Braud I., (2008c). A Linking Test to reduce the number of hydraulic parameters necessary to simulate groundwater recharge in unsaturated soils. Advances in Water Resources, Volume 31, Issue 2, Pages 355-369.
Balland V., Pollacco J.A.P., Arp P., (2008d). Modelling soil hydraulic properties for a wide range of soil conditions. Ecological modelling, Volume 219, Issues 3-4, Pages 300-316.
Peer-Reviewed Reports
Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez J., (2022i) Theoretical correction of the hydraulic parameters of SMAP-HYDRO for rock fragments, Landcare Research Contract Report in preparation, New Zealand
Giltrap, D.L., Pollacco, J.A.P., Graham, S., Carrick, S., Lilburne, L., Tavernet, J.P., (2023). Multi-layer soil hydrology modelling in overseer. In: Diverse solutions for efficient land, water and nutrient use. (Eds. C.L. Christensen, D.J. Horne and R. Singh). Report No. 35. Farmed Landscapes Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. http://flrc.massey.ac.nz/publications.html.
Pollacco J.A.P., Webb T, (2022ii). Validating Smap-Hydro predictions of soil moisture and drainage fluxes for a set of contrasting S-map soils and NIWA field data, Landcare Research Contract Report LC4201, New Zealand
Giltrap D.G., Pollacco J.A.P., Graham S., Carrick S., Lilburne L., (2022iii). Multi-layer soil hydrology modelling in OVERSEER, Landcare Research Contract Report LC4191, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., Webb T, Lilburne L, Vickers S (2022iv). S-map soil parameters for Soil & Water Assessment Tool SWAT catchment model. Landcare Research Contract Report LC4156 for Waikato Regional Council, New Zealand
Abha Sood, Linda Lilburne, Sam Carrick, Yang Yang, Raghav Srinivasan, Pollacco J.A.P., Alan Porteous, Improving the New Zealand Drought Index (2021i). Report for Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand
Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez J., Lilburne L., Carrick S., McNeill S., Rajanayaka C., Zammit, S.C., Belfort B., Ackerer P., Lassabatere L., Angulo-Jaramillo R. (2021iii). Deriving stress-free physical soil hydraulic properties cheaply and accurately. New Zealand Society of Soil Science news.
Pollacco, J.A.P., Fernández-Gálvez J., Lilburne L., Carrick S., McNeill S., Peltzer D.A., Belfort B., Ackerer P., Lassabatere L., Angulo-Jaramillo R., Zammit, S.C., Rajanayaka C. (2021iv). AquaPore-Toolkit - An international collaborative effort to efficiently derive soil hydraulic properties. New Zealand Soil Science Society of New Zealand News.
Pollacco J.A.P., Poggio M (2018i). Report on the Precision Agriculture workshop in Montpellier, France, 22–26 October 2018, & the Dumont d’Urville French partnership 2018/2019 New Zealand/ France
Pollacco J.A.P., Shirley V. (2017i). Deriving Green–Ampt, Clapp and Hornberger, Brooks and Corey, and saturated hydraulic conductivity parameters from S-map 3D data, Landcare Research Contract Report LC3046, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P. (2017ii). An unsaturated hydraulic conductivity pedotransfer function computed from bimodal soil-water characteristic curves, Landcare Research Contract Report LC2726, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., (2016i). Literature review of hydrological processes of soils with rock fragments, Landcare Research Contract Report LC27688, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., (2016ii). Preliminary literature review of different hydrological models for preferential flow, Landcare Research Contract Report LC2651, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., Hedley C., Mcneill S. (2016iii). Linking field measurements of soil moisture to S-map information Landcare Research Contract Report LC2652, New Zealand
Manderson A., Lilburne L., Hewitt A., Pollacco J.A.P., Carrick S. (2016iv). Recommendations and interim soils data to support the development of a national freshwater reporting model, Landcare Research Contract Report LC2403, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., McNeill S. (2016v). Selecting a modelling approach: A comparison of physically based and bucket one-dimensional models Landcare Research Contract Report LC2666, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P. (2015i). Assessing soil vulnerability to ponding using the physically based HyWat model. Landcare Research Contract Report LC2411 for Landcare Research New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., (2015ii). Comparison of a single layer bucket model with a layered physically based model Landcare Research Contract Report LC2405, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., (2015iii). Integrating Soil Data into New Zealand Hydrological Models – results of a user survey, Landcare Research Contract Report LC2403, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., (2015iv). Interpreting indicators to quantify soil physical qualities indexes, Landcare Sluri Report 682206 2004 LC2408, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., Carolyn H. (2015v). Quantifying Improvements made by Variable Rate, Landcare Research Contract Report LC2408, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., Linda R., Lilburne, Trevor H. Webb, David M. Wheeler (2014i). Preliminary assessment and review of soil parameters in OVERSEER® 6, Landcare Research Contract Report: LC2002, New Zealand
Pollacco J.A.P., Angulo-Jaramillo R., Delolme C., Goutaland D., Perrodin Y., Winiarski T., Barraud S., Lipeme-Kouyi G., Malard F., Mermillod-Blondin F., (2008i). Elaboration of a global system to evaluate the transfer of contaminants in stormwater infiltration basin constructed in glacio fluvial deposits in urban areas (French) financed by the Zone Atelier of the Basin of the Rhone for the water Agency of the Rhone-Mediterranean and Corsica, pp 85, France
AQUAPORE-TOOLKIT SOFTWARE
S Intergranular Mixing Particle size distribution module: derives unimodal hydraulic parameters by using particle size distribution (Pollacco et al., 2019a);
S General Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters module: derives the unimodal hydraulic parameters from single ring infiltration experiments (Fernández-Gálvez et al., 2019b);
S Sorptivity module: a novel computation of sorptivity used in the General Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters method (Lassabatere et al., 2021a, 2021b);
S Saturated hydraulic conductivity module derived from unimodal and bimodal characteristic curve θ(ψ) (Pollacco et al., 2017, 2013b);
S Inverse module inverts hydraulic parameters from soil moisture time series (Pollacco et al., 2022b);
S Reduce non-uniqueness module which inverts physical bimodal soil Kosugi hydraulic parameters (Fernández-Gálvez et al., 2021d) derived from the laboratory or indirectly obtained from soil moisture time series, as described in (Pollacco et al., 2022b).
Lumped rainfall-runoff model
Conceptual soil moisture accounting rainfall-runoff model, CRRM, which improves runoff forecasts within a multi-objective framework. CRRM model riparian zone and hydrophobicity which depends on the antecedent wetness conditions (dry or wet). The model includes bypass flow models and river routines (MATLAB with GUI).
Qualifications
Newcastle Upon Tyne
PhD Hydrological Modelling
2005