| Abstract: | ABSTRACT: Two types of rapid water table responses to rain were observed in a northern Michigan peatland. The first, called the Lisse effect, occurred during rains of high intensity when the infiltrating water acted as a tightly closing lid that forced the water table to rise to the level required to compensate for the pressure increase. The second, called the Wieringermeer effect, was a rapid rise of the water table to the surface due to the conversion of capillary to phreatic water and was always followed by an equally rapid decline after cessation of the rainfall. We simulated these phenomena in the laboratory and estimated the critical parameters that determine their occurrence. The recognition of the importance of the capillary fringe is essential in evaluating the role of wetlands in flood control and in wastewater treatment. |
