Algae Growth

Freshly molten and highly pure glacial water fills numerous crevices and lakes in Iceland. The water temperature throughout the year just above 0°C. Due to the cold and nutrient-poor water, there is little life. Various algae grow a few millimeters per year, making green films on the gray rock.

For scientific purposes SMT100 sensors by TRUEBNER were installed on site to measure the water temperature. Due to the very high measuring resolution of 0.01°C, even the smallest temperature variations in glacier water can be detected easily.


Moss

Mosses, lichens and fungi are an important and complex ecosystem in the forest. Specifically moss grows preferably at high moisture. In studies soil moisture and temperature are measured in the forest soil and the growth of mosses is investigated as a function of these parameters.

The SMT100 of TRUEBNER is perfectly suited for this task. The data of several sensors are recorded by a data logger TrueLog100. Due to the low power consumption continuous measurement periods of several years are feasible without battery replacement.


Lysimeter

Soil moisture is one of the most important parameters in agriculture. Depending on the plant type the root zone may extend up to 2 m depth. The Materialforschungs- und Prüfanstalt at the Bauhaus University Weimar develops appropriate measuremen systems together with the Thüringer Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft in Jena . At the lysimeter station Buttelstedt/Thüringen several measurement methods for point and profil soil moisture determination are investigated in long term field experiments.


Permafrost

In regions affected by seasonal and permanently frozen conditions soil moisture influences the thermal regime of the ground as well as its ice content, which is one of the main factors controlling the sensitivity of mountain permafrost to climate changes. Within a research project of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) several well established soil moisture monitoring techniques were combined with data from geophysical measurements to assess the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of soil moisture at three high elevation sites with different ground properties and thermal regimes.


Littoral Zone

An intact littoral zone is very important for the ecology of a water body. Many biological processes take place invisible under the earth's surface and depend on several factors including temperature and moisture.

The soil moisture sensor SMT100 of TRUEBNER in combination with the wireless data logger TrueLog100 is an excellent tool for permanent measurement of water content and temperature in the littoral zone and provides important parameters for scientific studies.


Inflitration

More and more areas are sealed by building constructions and roadways. Rainwater can not seep in and often the storm sewers are overloaded. For several years, pavement systems are thus increasingly called that allow for better rainwater percolation in the underground.

Leading universities and research institutions are dealing with the optimum design of pavement. The robust soil moisture sensor SMT100 of TRUEBNER is used to identifiy the percolation properties. This is an important contribution to environmental protection.