Online publication of hydrology PhD dissertations

The first PhD thesis of the Department of Hydrology and geo-environmental Sciences was published in the early 1970's and another 10 dissertations were published before 1990. Below is a complete list of PhD dissertations resulting from research projects carried out by the Department of Hydrology and Geo-environmental Sciences. Some of the later dissertations are online available (adobe acrobat files), whereas other dissertations can be obtained from the Department free of cost. Please contact Anneke.Haak at falw.vu.nl by e-mail for more information. 

1972
T. Faber (1972). Regimes and regime-related basin properties of some Dutch small rivers. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 186 pp.

1973
G.S.J.P. van der Kamp (1973), Periodic flow of groundwater. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 122 pp.

1974
J.J. de Vries (1974). Groundwater flow systems and stream nets in the Netherlands. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit; Rodopi, Amsterdam, 226 p.

1976
T. J. Beukeboom (1976). The hydrology of the Frisian Islands. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 121 p.

1978
C.A.J. Appelo (1978). Aspects of mica-related clay minerals in hydrochemistry. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 75 p.

1979
H. Speelman (1979). Geology, hydrogeology and engineering geological features of the Serayu River Basin, PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 155 p.

1981
A.A. van de Griend (1981). A weather type hydrologic approach to runoff phenomena. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 199 p.

1983
This thesis deals with the hydrology and nutrient cycling of tropical plantation forest in Java. It includes information on rainfall interception, evaporation and stream runoff, as well as the associated fluxes of nutrients. This study formed the start of Sampurno's great hydrological research career in the tropics. Unfortunately, this thesis is not available online as it was printed in the early days of the computer age.    

L.A. Bruijnzeel (1983). Hydrological and Biogeochemical aspects of man-made forests in South-Central Java, Indonesia. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 249 p. 

1986
J. Boonstra (1986). Flow of wells in intrusive dikes. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 260 p.

W.K. Boehmer (1986). Flow of wells in intrusive dikes. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 260 pp.

1989
F.H. Kloosterman (1989). Groundwater flow systems in the Northern Coastal Lowlands of West- and Central Java, Indonesia, PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 298 p.

1990
M.R. Hendriks (1990). Rationalization of hydrological data. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 171 pp.

R. Allewijn (1990). Remote sensing and runoff modeling in Alpine area. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 276 pp.

1991
H.E. Beekman (1991). Ion chromatography of fresh- and seawater intrusion. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 201 pp.

1992
A. Gieske (1992). Dynamics of groundwater recharge: a case study in semi-arid eastern Botswana. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 289 pp.

Jasper Griffioen's thesis deals with the hydrochemical changes in aquifers following groundwater flow. Effects of flow were studied using a column technique for determining pore water composition and exchangeable cations. The impact of energy storage in groundwater on the carbonate chemistry forms part of this thesis and a multi-component cation exchange model was developped  
 
J. Griffioen (1992). Cation-exchange and carbonate chemistry in aquifers following groundwater flow. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 184 pp.

1993
In this thesis remote sensing is used to obtain information of water quality parameters. The study was carried out in the Vecht lakes in The Netherlands, where pollution was severe.

A.G. Dekker (1993). Detection of optical water quality parameters for eutrophic waters by high resolution remote sensing. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 222 pp.

P.J. Stuyfzand (1993). Hydrochemistry and hydrology of the coastal dune area of the Western Netherlands. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 366 pp.

1994
Pennisetum polystachyon grassland with Pinus caribaea pine plantation forests in the background at Nabou, Viti Levu, Fiji 

M.J. Waterloo (1994). From 1989 until 1995 studies were carried out in Fiji to quantify the impact of reforestation of Pennisteum polystachyon grassland with Pinus caribaea plantations on the hydrology and nutrient cycling. The pine plantations evaporated more water than grassland, reducing the amount of water available for urban water supply. Reforestation of grassland therefore affected water resources negatively, especially during the dry season. The nutrient studies indicated that there were no deficiencies to be expected within the first seven rotations. 

M.J. Waterloo (1994). Water and Nutrient Dynamics of Pinus caribaea plantation forests on former grassland soils in SW Viti Levu, Fiji. PhD dissertation Vrije Universiteit, 478 p.

Pine biomass study with Tora Temesi Rawaqa in the Oleolega catchment, Fiji, three years after replanting of the logged area in 1995

C. R. Meinardi (1994). Groundwater recharge and travel times in the sandy regions of the Netherlands. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 211 pp.



1995
S.W.M. Peters (1995). Energy and water balance modelling of a semi-arid area using remote sensing. PhD thesis Vrije universiteit, Amsterdam, 256 pp.

1996
Aljosja Hooijer conducted an ecologically oriented study of the Shannon Callows in Ireland. The thesis discusses the sedimentation history of the area, catchment hydrology, land use and the flooding system and water chemistry. The synthesis provides a clear picture of the ecohydrology of this wetland area      
 
A. Hooijer (1996). Floodplain hydrology. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 221 pp.

R.G.W. Venneker (1996). A distributed hydrological modelling concept for Alpine environments. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 142 pp.

Z. Duan (1996). Optimization modelling of a river-aquifer system with technical interventions: a case study for the Huangshui River and the coastal aquifer, Shandong, China. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 158 pp.

1997
C.S. Ting (1997). Groundwater resources evaluation and management for Pingtung Plain, Taiwan. PhD thesis Vrije universiteit, Amsterdam, 199 pp.

J.C. Herweijer (1997). Sedimentary heterogeneity and flow towards a well. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 277 pp.

J.A.C. Meekes (1997). High resolution seismic reflection techniques for subsurface models in groundwater hydrology. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 216 pp.

1998
E.T. Selaolo (1998). Tracer studies and groundwater recharge assessment in the eastern fringe of the Botswana kalahari. PhD. thesis Vrije Universiteit, 229 pp.

S.O. Los (1998). Linkages between global vegetation and climate; an analysis based on NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Data. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, 179 pp.

T.A. Tegaye (1998). The hydrogeological system of the lake district basin, central main Ethiopian Rift. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 259 pp.

1999
E. Purwanto (1999). Erosion, sediment transport and soil conservation in an upland agricultural catchment in West Java, Indonesia. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 219 pp.

J.C. Gehrels (1999). Groundwater level fluctuations: Separation of natural from anthropogenic influences and determination of groundwater recharge in the Veluwe area, the Netherlands. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, 269 pp.

N. Kukuric (1999). Development of a decision support system for groundwater pollution assessment. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 191 pp.

P. Wolski (1999). Application of reservoir modelling to hydrotopes identified by remote sensing. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 196 pp.

T.W. Hobma (1999). Ecohydrological basis for coastal zone management. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, 231 pp.

2000
This thesis is about groundwater flow in unconsolidated layered aquifers in the Netherlands. It discusses a stepwise development of multi-aquifer solutions, numerical aspects of modelling, transient well flow solutions for multi-layered aquifers and an presents some analytical solutions. The document listed below contains the introduction and a summary of the thesis.




J. Schellekens (2000). Hydrological processes in a humid tropical rain forest: a combined experimental and modelling approach. PhD dissertation, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 172 p.     
   
C.J. Hemker (2000).Groundwater flow in layered aquifers. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, 143 pp.

This thesis by Ben Gouweleeuw investigates the interaction between land use change, climate variability and the regional hydrology in a semi-arid are in Central Spain. The study has used passive microwave monitoring to investigate spatial variation in soil moisture and produced a model.  
 
B.T. Gouweleeuw (2000). Satellite passive microwave surface moisture monitoring. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 184 p.

R.L.L.J. Hafkenscheid (2000). Hydrology and biochemistry of tropical montane rainforests of contrasting stature in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 302 pp.

2001
This thesis deals with the development of the atmospheric boundary layer over a heterogenous landscape in the Netherlands. It investigates the surface fluxes and how these can be spatially averaged. The research area included a swampy area, a deciduous forest and agricultural land. 

J.P.L. Vermeulen (2001). The atmospheric boundary layer over a heterogenous vegetated landscape. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, 164 p.

M.J. van Bracht (2001). Made to measure: Information requirements and groundwater level monitoring networks. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit, 211 pp.

2002
M.K. van der Molen (2002). Meteorological impacts of land use change in the maritime tropics. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 262 p.

Following gradual deforestation of uplands for rain-fed cropping, the Indonesian island of Java has experienced severe soil erosion and sediment problems downstream for more than two centuries. A research project was initiated in 1994 to identify the main reasons for the persistence of land degradation in Java's now mostly bench-terraced agricultural uplands. Field measurements were made to modify, develop and test models describing various physical processes involved in runoff and sediment generation and transport. This study shows how an up to four-fold reduction in hillside erosion rates can be achieved through improved agricultural management.   

 
A.I.J.M. van Dijk (2002). Water and sediment dynamics in bench-terraced agricultural steeplands in West Java, Indonesia. PhD thesis. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 370 p.

The thesis of Koos Groen shows how the chemical composition of coastal and offshore groundwater has been influenced by marine transgressions and regressions. Because of these changes in sealevel and particular groundwater flow patterns, fresh or brackish water is available in aquifers that are now below the sea. This study was done in Surinam.  
 
J. Groen (2002). The effects of transgressions and regressions on coastal and offshore groundwater: A case study of Suriname and generic studies into groundwater flow systems, salinity patterns and paleogroundwater.

2003
R.A.M. de Jeu (2003). This thesis describes the development of  a global soil moisture, soil temperature and vegetation database using historical satellite observations. The link below can be used to download the dissertation. 

R.A.M. de Jeu (2003) Retrieval of Land Surface Parameters using Passive Microwave Remote Sensing. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 122 p.



B.M. van Breukelen (2003). The objective of this study was to enhance our knowledge on the natural attenuation of pollutants in ground water plumes derived from landfill leachates. A combination of biogeochemical process analysis, microbial ecological research and hydrochemical modelling has been carried out to investigate the fate of pollutant at a landfill site in Brabant, The Netherlands.   

B.M. van Breukelen (2003). Natural Attenuation of Landfill Leachate: a Combined Biogeochemical Process Analysis and Microbial Ecology Approach. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 154 p.

V.F. Bense (2003). The aim of the study is to improve our understanding of the impact of fault zones on groundwater flow in unconsolidated sediments. The focus is on on the groundwater flow in the Roer Valley Rift System, located in the southeastern parts of the Netherlands and adjacent areas in Germany. In this sedimentary basin, the aquifer system is formed by fluvial and marine sediments of Quaternary and Tertiary age. The unconsolidated sediments in the study area are cut by active normal faults, of which the most important are the Peel Boundary Fault Zone and the Feldbiss Fault Zone.  
  
V.F. Bense (2003). The hydraulic properties of faults in unconsolidated sediments and their impact on groundwater flow. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 144 p. 

This thesis from Elmer van den Berg (e-mail: eh_vdberg@hotmail.com) presents experimental research on the anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity from pore-scale to bed-scale by integrating sedimentological information and characterization of hydraulic conductivity at several length scales (thin section analysis, permeameter measurements, slug tests and a pumping test). Anisotropy in hydraulic conductivity in sedimentary aquifers is caused by spatial / temporal variability in (post-)depositional processes and plays an important role in controlling migration paths of contaminants through aquifers.  
   
 E.H van den Berg (2003): The impact of primary sedimentary structures on groundwater flow: a multi-scale sedimentological and hydrogeological study in unconsolidated eolian dune deposits. PhD thesis Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 186 pp.     
 
2004 
The primary objective of this thesis is to develop quantitative understanding of the processes that caused salinization of groundwater in the coastal area of the Netherlands1 during the Holocene under natural conditions.   
   
V.E.A. Post (2004). Groundwater salinization processes in the coastal area of the Netherlands due to transgressions during the Holocene. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 138 p. 

2005 
Friso Holwerda has quantified the water and energy balances of rain forest and montane forest in Puerto Rico. His study also included quantification of the impact of horizontal precipitation (fog) on the water balance. This plays a major role when forests are located above the cloud base on mountains. A major focus was also placed on determining the interception losses for these forests.  
   
 F. Holwerda (2005). Water and energy budgets of rain forests along an elevational gradient under maritime tropical conditions. PhD Thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 168 p. 

2006
 
Ana Maria Garavito Rojas has studied the osmotic properties of clay-rich sedimentary deposits under field conditions. She developed techniques to do in-situ measurements of the osmotic properties and also developed a model that could simulate her field observations in compacted and non-compacted clays.   
 
A.M.F. Garavito Rojas. Chemical osmosis in clayey sediments. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2006. 

2007 
Obokile Obakeng looked in detail at the soil moiture dynamics and evapotranspiration in an arid zone on the fringe of the Botswana Kalahari desert. The main research objective was to see if tree roots could explore deep groundwater. Tracers, sapflow and stable isotopes were used to study the evapotranspiration of the trees.   

O.T. Obakeng. Soil moisture dynamics and evapotranspiration at the fringe of the Botswana Kalahari. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 2007. 


Saskia Keesstra has studied the hydrology, erosion and sediment deposition in the Dragonja River valley, in SW Slovenia. The area was under agriculture until shortly after the end of World War II. When the war ended part of the population moved to Italy, abandoning their fields. Natural regeneration of forest vegetation on these fields changed the hydrology and river morphology significantly. 
S.D. Keesstra. The effects of natural reforestation on the hydrology, river morphology and sediment budget of the Dragonja River, SW Slovenia. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 2006. 188 p. 

Glenda Garcia Santos has studied the hydrology of a cloud forest on the island of La Gomera, Canary Islands. The focus was on soil water repellency, quantifying fog inputs into the water balance and evapotranspiration losses.  
 
G. Garcia Santos. An ecohydrological and soils study in a montane cloud forest in the National Park of Garajonay, La Gomera. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 2007. 186 p. 

Christiaan van der Tol has studied how climate and environment factors can influence the development different forest types in the Dragonja River valley In SW Slovenia. The study used four plots with different aspects, forest composition and micro-climate to quantify ecohydrological characteristics, transpiration (sapflow method), photosynthetic capacity, stable isotope ratios, etc. Plant physiological models were used to be able to predict what the optimum characteristics would be for a forest developing on a slope with a given aspect.   


C. van der Tol. Climatic constraints on carbon assimilation and transpiration of sub-Mediterranean forests. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands, February 2007.