Abstract
In the vegetation root zone, infiltration (Inf) parts in two directions with distinct Earth-system functions. One goes up as evapotranspiration (E + Tr), returning Inf to the atmosphere (short-circuiting) and affecting short-term weather/climate and the carbon cycle. The other goes down as deep drainage (DD), flushing the regolith, mobilizing nutrients/contaminates and dissolved minerals into aquifers and rivers, eventually reaching the ocean (long-circuiting) thus regulating global biogeochemical cycles and long-term climate. We ask, what is the modern-day global structure in short- vs. long-circuiting? What forces and feedbacks create such structures? Synthesizing site-studies aided by global modeling, we found that: (i) long-circuiting prevails in evenly wet climates, in well-drained landscapes with a deep vadose zone, in substrates with deep conduits, and with plant biomass below natural equilibrium; (ii) soil B-horizons, via geochemical and vegetation feedbacks, enhance short-circuiting, while deep rock fractures enable long-circuiting even in dry climates; (iii) in dry climate/season and in uplands, plant roots follow Inf into deep vadose zone to tap wet-season Inf; (iv) plant water-use reinforces shallow Inf, reducing DD and regolith flushing in dry and season-dry climates; (v) where short-circuiting prevails, a dry soil zone separates modern surface processes from fossil groundwater; and (vi) the E + Tr supply depth, regolith flushing rate, and groundwater residence time vary greatly across the land, arising from multiscale drivers/feedbacks among climate, drainage, substrate, and biomass. These findings link site-based process discoveries to Earth-system level structures and functions of water belowground, shedding light on where/when/how the infiltrated rain influences the atmosphere above or the ocean downstream.