RISE Program Faculty Mentor (program description and research labs)

International Workshop (coordinator) : PC-based Modeling of Water Flow and Contaminant Transport in the Vadose Zone and Groundwater (2004 program and photos)

Teaching Interests:
Surface and Subsurface Hydrology, Hydrogeology, GIS, Environmental Science, Soil Physics and Computer Applications. 

Courses taught and developed at CSU Fresno:

EES 004: Environmental Science (GE)
EES 117: Hydrogeology
EES 177: Quantitative Methods for Earth Science
EES 178: Geostatistics
EES 180: Computer Applications in Geology
EES 186: Earth Science Applications of GIS
EES 217T: Contaminant Hydrology (graduate)
EES 217T: Unsaturated Zone Hydrology (graduate)
EES 230: Contaminant Transport (graduate)
NSCI 115: Environmental Earth and Life Science
NSCI 115: Environmental Earth and Life Science (distance learning)
NSCI 115: Environmental Earth and Life Science (web-based)

Research Interests:
Fluid Mechanics in various geological formations including soils and rocks; Watershed Hydrology and Environmental Hydrgeology involving water and nutrient transport in the ecosystems, Iirrigation technology, Soil and water resources conservation and engineering. At present, I am conducting researches on measurement and modeling of water flow and nutrient transport in the upper Fresno River and upper San Joaqin River watersheds, measurement and modeling of unstable (finger) flow in soils, and enginering improvement of surface irrigation technologies using Sequentially Activated Micro-Flood Irrigation Systems..

Project Summaries:
Fresno River-Hensley Lake Water Quality Monitoring Project: California EPA (total funding $200,000, collaborating with ecologist Dr. Steve Blumenshine at CSUF and Central Sierra Watershed Committee). My responsibility is to develop GIS-based Nutrient Loading and Species Distribution Models that are capable of analyzing the fate and transport of nutrients and exotic species in the Fresno River watershed.  Using the water quality data collected by the team, chart and quantify the water quality and species distribution within the watershed. Identify watershed land uses associated with high nutrient loads using GIS. Determine threshold limits on algal growth inducers, alone and in combination with each other. Estimate the assimilative capacities of the Fresno River and Hensley Lake for these nutrients; identify areas in the watershed where nutrient input is highest, and attempt to determine whether the sources are point or non-point in nature.  Using the model, identify and analyze various possible reduction strategies.

Field Trip 3-9-2003 (PDF).

Field sampling Plan - air-photo and GIS (PDF)

Other project files (2008-09)

Measurement and modeling of Unstable Flow in Soils (collaborating with Dr. Jiri Simunek at UC Riverside and Dr. Atac Tuli at UC Davis. News Release). Based on our own and widely reported qualitative data of unstable flow in soils, we will conduct experimental, analytical and numerical simulation of unstable flow in the vadose zone, including development of new simulation models to be incorporated into existing models.

Selected Publications (with PDF files):

• Li, He-li, Huai-en Li,Wen-juan Shi, and Zhi Wang, Research of Finger Flow in Porous Media - Summary and Perspective, Soils (in press), 2007.
• Yu, Xinxiao, Derong Su, Yuan Tian, and Zhi Wang. Performance of the ridge-furrow rain harvesting system in semiarid regions of China. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (in Review), 2006.
• Kim, S.B., H.S. On, D.J. Kim, W. A. Jury , and Z. Wang. Determination of bromacil transport as a function of water and carbon content in soils. Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part B, 42, 529–537, 2007.
• Wang, Z. Watershed Monitoring and Hydrologic Simulation using GIS (front page abstract), CSU Geospatial Review, Vol. 4 , Spring 2006. CSU Fresno News Release August 6, 2006
• Javaux, M., Z. Wang, J. Feyen, D.E. Elrick, and M. Vanclooster. Correction to ‘‘Prediction of fingering in porous media", Water Resources Research, Vol. 41, No. 4, W04005, doi:10.1029/2004WR003831, 2005.
• Wang, Z. BookReview: Seepage in Soils – Principles and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Vadose Zone Journal, 3:728-729, 2004.
• Wang, Z., W.A. Jury, A. Tuli, and D.J. Kim. Unstable flow during redistribution: Controlling factors and practical implications. Vadose Zone Journal, 3: 549-559, 2004.
• Wang, Z, A. Tuli, and W.A. Jury. Unstable flow during redistribution in homogeneous soil, Vadose Zone Journal, 2: 52-60. 2003.
• Jury, W.A., Z. Wang, and A. Tuli. A conceptual model of unstable flow in unsaturated soil during redistribution, Vadose Zone Journal, 2: 61-67. 2003.
• Wang, Z., L. Wu, T. Harter, J. Lu and W.A. Jury. A field study of unstable preferential flow during soil water redistribution. Water Resources Research. Vol. 39 (4): 1075, doi:10.1029/2001WR000903. 2003.
• Wang, Z., A. Chang, L. Wu, and D. Crowley. Assessing the soil quality of long-term reclaimed wastewater-irrigated cropland. Geoderma, 114: 261-278, doi:10.1016/S0016-7061(03)00044-2. 2003.
• Wang, Z, J. Lu, L. Wu, T. Harter, and W.A. Jury. Visualizing preferential flow in field soils using ammonium carbonate and a pH indicator, Soil Science Society of America Journal , 66, 347-351. 2002.
• Wang, J., B. Fu, Y. Qiu, L. Chen, and  Z. Wang. Geostatistical analysis of soil moisture variability on Da Nangou catchment of the loess plateau, China. Environmental Geology, 41: 113-120. 2001.
• Jury, W. A., and Z. Wang.Unresolved Problems in vadose zone hydrology and contaminant transport. In Dynamics of Fluids in Fractured Rock, AGU Geophysical Monograph 122, edited by B. Faybishenko, P. A. Witherspoon and S. M. Benson. pp. 67-72. 2000.
• Wang, Z., L. Wu, and Q. J. Wu.Water-entry value as an alternative indicator of soil water repellency and wettability, Journal of Hydrology, 231-232: 76-83. 2000.
• Wang, Z., Q.J. Wu, L. Wu, C.J. Ritsema, L.W. Dekker and J. Feyen. Effects of soil water repellency on infiltration rate and flow instability. Journal of Hydrology, 231-232:265-276. 2000.
• Zerihun, D., J. Feyen, J. M. Reddy and Z. Wang. Minimum cost design of furrow irrigation systems. Transactions of the ASAE, 42(4): 945-955. 1999.
• Wang, Z., Jan Feyen, and D.E. Elrick.Prediction of Fingering in porous media. Water Resources Research, 34: 2183-2190. 1998.
• Wang, Z., Jan Feyen and C. J. Ritsema. Susceptibility and predictability of conditions for preferential flow. Water Resources Research, 34: 2169-2182. 1998.
• Wang, Z., J. Feyen, M. Th. van Genuchten and D. R. Nielsen. Air entrapment effects on infiltration rate and flow instability. Water Resources Research, 34(2): 213-222. 1998.
• Wang, Z., J. Feyen, D. R. Nielsen and M. Th. van Genuchten. Two-phase flow infiltration equations accounting for air entrapment effects. Water Resources Research, 33(12): 2759-2768. 1997.
• Zerihun, D, Z. Wang, J. Feyen and J. M. Reddy. Empirical functions for dependent furrow irrigation parameters. 2: Applications, Irrigation Science, 17:121-126. 1997.
• Zerihun, D., Z. Wang, S. Rimal, J. Feyen and  J. M. Reddy, Analysis of surface irrigation performance terms and indices. Agricultural Water Management, 34:25-46. 1997.
• Wang Z.,  D. Zerihun, and J. Feyen, General irrigation efficiency for field water management. Agricultural Water Management , 30(2): 123-132. 1996.
• Wang, Z., J. M. Reddy and J. Feyen. Improved 0-1 programming model for optimal flow scheduling in irrigation canals, Irrigation and Drainage Systems, 9: 105-116. 1995.

Graduate Students:

Complete CV (PDF file)