| Two separate federal agency research projects requested the monitoring of time series dynamics of hydrological phenomenon for subsequent modeling and analysis. This thesis reports on the development of low cost monitoring equipment and subsequent model development to simulate observations. Reengineering was performed to the circuit board on the HWS Data Logger (HWSDL), a publicly available and inexpensive instrument, to couple a new Sensym pressure transducer and a new Decagon Devices soil moisture probe to monitor soil moisture and water depth. Post calibration, the HWSDL was deployed to monitor soil moisture within Syracuse, NY's urbanized Meadowbrook Creek watershed and watertable depth within Onondaga County's Spafford Brook watershed. Simulation of the observed rainfall interception and soil moisture dynamics was performed using Visual Basic for Applications. Research supports hydrological monitoring with low cost coupled sensor-monitors and modeling with physically based infiltration and interception equations. Modification yielded a data logger capable of measuring and monitoring soil moisture with a resolution of .0281cm 3/cm3/logger unit and a ground water monitoring instrument with millimeter resolution while maintaining a water depth range of 3+ meters. |
