Assessing hyporheic exchange and associated travel times by hydraulic, chemical, and isotopic monitoring at the Steinlach Test Site, Germany

First results of a multi-disciplinary hyporheic monitoring study are presented from the newly established Steinlach Test Site in Southern Germany. The site is located in a bend of the River Steinlach (mean discharge of 1.8 m³/s) underlain by an alluvial sandy gravel aquifer connected to the stream. The overall objective is a better understanding of hyporheic exchange processes at the site and their interrelations with microbial community dynamics and biochemical reactions at the stream–groundwater interface. The present paper focuses on the distribution of lateral hyporheic exchange fluxes and their associated travel times at the Steinlach Test Site. Water level dynamics in various piezometers correspond to the different domains of hydraulic conductivity in the shallow aquifer and confirms hyporheic exchange of infiltrated stream water across the test site. Hydrochemical compositions as well as increased damping of continuous time series of electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature at the respective piezometers confirmed the inferred distribution of hyporheic flowpaths. Mean travel times ranging from 0.5 days close to the stream to more than 8 days in the upstream part of the test site could be estimated from deconvolution of EC and δ¹⁸O–H₂O data. The travel times agree well with the presumed flowpaths. Mg/Ca ratios as well as model fits to the EC and δ¹⁸O data indicate the presence of an additional water component in the western part of the test site which most likely consists of hillslope water or groundwater. Based on the mean travel times, the total lateral hyporheic exchange flux at the site was estimated to be of the order of 1–2 L/s.     

Investigative approaches to determine exchange processes in the hyporheic zone of a low permeability riverbank

The hydraulic and hydrochemical interactions of surface water and groundwater in the riverbank of an alluvial stream in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg were investigated. Hydraulic conductivity in the riverbank is low and the aquifer is confined. Gauged surface-water levels and groundwater levels were recorded over several months to observe potential effluent and influent aquifer conditions. Water samples were taken under different hydraulic conditions in the stream and from three observation wells in the riverbank. Samples were analysed for inorganic parameters and selected dissolved pharmaceuticals. The recorded groundwater levels in the riverbank responded almost without delay to changes in stream stage, which is very dynamic. Frequent changes from effluent to influent aquifer conditions were observed. The analyses for selected ions and pharmaceuticals support the assumption that the pharmaceutical compounds enter the riverbank via the stream only. The chosen trace organics are therefore suitable as anthropogenic tracers for groundwater and surface-water interactions at this field site. They prove that water exchanges also take place in riverbanks even where the hydraulic conductivity is low and for this reason indicate the existence of a hyporheic zone in the investigated section of the stream.     

Investigating spatial variability of vertical water fluxes through the streambed in distinctive stream morphologies using temperature and head data

Investigating the interaction of groundwater and surface water is key to understanding the hyporheic processes. The vertical water fluxes through a streambed were determined using Darcian flux calculations and vertical sediment temperature profiles to assess the pattern and magnitude of groundwater/surface-water interaction in Beiluo River, China. Field measurements were taken in January 2015 at three different stream morphologies including a meander bend, an anabranching channel and a straight stream channel. Despite the differences of flux direction and magnitude, flux directions based on vertical temperature profiles are in good agreement with results from Darcian flux calculations at the anabranching channel, and the Kruskal-Wallis tests show no significant differences between the estimated upward fluxes based on the two methods at each site. Also, the upward fluxes based on the two methods show similar spatial distributions on the streambed, indicating (1) that higher water fluxes at the meander bend occur from the center of the channel towards the erosional bank, (2) that water fluxes at the anabranching channel are higher near the erosional bank and in the center of the channel, and (3) that in the straight channel, higher water fluxes appear from the center of the channel towards the depositional bank. It is noted that higher fluxes generally occur at certain locations with higher streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity (K _v) or where a higher vertical hydraulic gradient is observed. Moreover, differences of grain size, induced by stream morphology and contrasting erosional and depositional conditions, have significant effects on streambed K _v and water fluxes.     

Mapping of the hyporheic zone around a tidal creek using a combination of borehole logging,borehole electrical tomography and cross-creek electrical imaging,New South Wales,Australia

A combination of electrical imaging carried out across a tidal creek and borehole electrical tomography between strings of electrodes installed in bores adjacent to the creek is used to establish the shape of the hyporheic zone beneath a tidal creek in a sand aquifer. The interpretations provided by the data inversions are checked against fluid electrical conductivity (EC) samples collected from bundled piezometers installed in the creek banks and from bulk EC measurements made using induction logs in bores on the creek banks. Extensive seepage into the base of the creek is identified from the electrical image and verified by independent measurements of hydraulic head and fluid EC. The Effective Medium Theory is used to derive values of fluid EC from bulk resistivity measurements obtained from the inversion process. The data show an extensive zone of mixing between seawater and rainwater recharge into the aquifer, with the shape of the hyporheic zone strongly influenced by regional groundwater discharge and the presence of a thin layer of cemented sands at a depth of 10 m. The combined interpretation demonstrates the importance of borehole control in the interpretation of electrical images measured from the surface over complex EC distributions. Electronic Publication     

Nitrate source and fate at the catchment scale of the Vibrata River and aquifer (central Italy): an analysis by integrating component approaches and nitrogen isotopes

The aim of this study is to apply an integrated approach to determine nitrate sources and fate in the alluvial aquifer of the River Vibrata (Abruzzi, central Italy) by coupling the Isotope and the Component approaches. Collected data include concentration and nitrogen isotope composition of groundwater samples from the alluvial aquifer and nitrogen loads arising from agricultural and non-agricultural sources. The adopted methodology identified synthetic fertilizers as main sources of nitrate in the Vibrata alluvial aquifer. At the catchment scale, two different zones have been identified: the Upper Valley, where infiltration to groundwater is dominant and nitrogen easily migrates into the aquifer; in this area, nitrate content in groundwater is stable and normally higher than EU requirements. Moreover, streamwaters are fed by groundwater with a nitrate content likely lowered by denitrification processes occurring in the hyporheic zone. In the Lower Valley, runoff processes dominate and the nitrate content in surface waters is higher. Nevertheless, groundwater is locally affected by denitrification that breaks down the nitrate content, which often reaches values consistent with law limits.     

左江中游岩溶峰林区河流交互带水化学特征与控制因素

岩溶交互带是连接岩溶含水层与地表河流的重要通道,对河流和地下水水质具有重要的保护作用。本研究选取左江中游岩溶峰林区河流交互带为研究对象,在丰水期(8月下旬)和平水期(10月下旬)对交互带内机井的水化学进行现场测试分析,并结合地下水流动系统理论探讨左江两侧岩溶交互带空间分布特征和控制因素。研究结果表明:左江水的电导率(EC)较小、Ca^2+、HCO3^-浓度较低,两岸机井中增高;pH、温度、DO的变化则相反,呈现出左江高,两岸机井中降低;交互带内形成了具有DO、pH值梯度、温度梯度、Ca^2+和HCO3^-梯度的混合区。左岸岩溶区补给径流面积大,地下水流动系统范围大,流线密集,岩溶十分发育,形成岩溶管道系统;右岸为左江包围的河间地块,地下水流动系统范围小,补给面积有限,流线稀疏,岩溶发育深度和强度受到限制。左江两岸不同规模的地下水流动系统导致两岸岩溶发育强度明显不同,造成河流交互带范围的巨大差异,左岸的范围大于1000m,而右岸的范围在200m以内,左岸是右岸的5倍以上。本研究有助于左江沿岸地下水的开发利用和水质保护。     

Evidence for structurally controlled recharge in the Blue Ridge Province,Virginia, USA

Physical and geophysical data collected at a fractured-rock research site in the Blue Ridge Province of Virginia, USA indicate that recharge rates to a fractured-rock aquifer are controlled by a small-scale thrust fault associated with regional thrust faulting. Recharge rates appear to be correlated to spatial variation in the hydraulic conductivity of the regolith, which has been influenced by weathering rates and the metamorphic and structural history of the underlying parent material. The angle of dip of the thrust-fault shear zone and the fracturing within the crystalline rock adjacent to the fault plane appear to serve as geologic controls that preferentially direct infiltrated meteoric water to a deeper confined fractured-rock aquifer. In-situ analysis of electrical resistivity, matric potential and moisture content shows two distinctly different recharge processes which are spatially correlated with the structure of the shallow subsurface (regolith overlying the vertically oriented shear zone and regolith overlying the thrust-fault hanging wall), and which have strong temporal correlations with the dynamics of the underlying saturated conditions. Recharge flux within the regolith overlying the vertically oriented shear zone is strongly controlled by the orientation and areal extent of the thrust-fault shear zone, highlighting the importance of accurate delineation of recharge areas in crystalline rock aquifer systems.     

河道潜流交换水动力过程现场监测研究进展

河道潜流带是河水与地下水交互作用的关键过渡区,具有高度的动态性和敏感性,频繁的水力交换易引发其内部的生物地球化学反应,并对河流生态安全产生重要影响。为提高河道潜流交换水动力监测结果的真实性和有效性,介绍渗流、水压、溶质、温度等监测方法及其适用性,归纳河床和河岸的监测点布设参数和不同监测手段的数据采集频率,系统总结河段、河床及河岸的潜流交换理论与计算方法,探讨导致潜流监测结果不确定的因素。针对现有监测方法的不足和未来研究的发展方向,提出今后需加强多方法联合监测和多技术集成的应用,开展河岸侧向潜流监测及不确定性分析等工作,为潜流带水文-生物地球化学过程耦合机制研究提供可靠数据。     

River–groundwater connectivity in a karst system,Wellington, New South Wales,Australia

The characterization of river–aquifer connectivity in karst environments is difficult due to the presence of conduits and caves. This work demonstrates how geophysical imaging combined with hydrogeological data can improve the conceptualization of surface-water and groundwater interactions in karst terrains. The objective of this study is to understand the association between the Bell River and karst-alluvial aquifer at Wellington, Australia. River and groundwater levels were continuously monitored, and electrical resistivity imaging and water quality surveys conducted. Two-dimensional resistivity imaging mapped the transition between the alluvium and karst. This is important for highlighting the proximity of the saturated alluvial sediments to the water-filled caves and conduits. In the unsaturated zone the resistivity imaging differentiated between air- and sediment-filled karst features, and in the saturated zone it mapped the location of possible water- and sediment-filled caves. Groundwater levels are dynamic and respond quickly to changes in the river stage, implying that there is a strong hydraulic connection, and that the river is losing and recharging the adjacent aquifer. Groundwater extractions (1,370 ML, megalitres, annually) from the alluvial aquifer can cause the groundwater level to fall by as much as 1.5 m in a year. However, when the Bell River flows after significant rainfall in the upper catchment, river-leakage rapidly recharges the alluvial and karst aquifers. This work demonstrates that in complex hydrogeological settings, the combined use of geophysical imaging, hydrograph analysis and geochemical measurements provide insights on the local karst hydrology and groundwater processes, which will enable better water-resource and karst management.     

Integrating hydraulic conductivity with biogeochemical gradients and microbial activity along river–groundwater exchange zones in a subtropical stream

The pervious lateral bars (parafluvial zone) and beds (hyporheic zone), where stream water and groundwater exchange, are dynamic sites of hydrological and biological retention. The significance of these biogeochemical ‘hotspots’ to stream and groundwater metabolism is largely controlled by filtration capacity, defined as the extent to which subsurface flowpaths and matrix hydraulic conductivity modify water characteristics. Where hydraulic conductivity is high, gradients in biogeochemistry and microbial activity along subsurface flowpaths were hypothesized to be less marked than where hydraulic conductivity is low. This hypothesis was tested in two riffles and gravel bars in an Australian subtropical stream. At one site, gradients in chemical and microbial variables along flowpaths were associated with reduced hydraulic conductivity, longer water residence time and reduced filtration capacity compared with the second site where filtration capacity was greater and longitudinal biogeochemical trends were dampened. These results imply that factors affecting the sediment matrix in this subtropical stream can alter filtration capacity, interstitial microbial activity and biogeochemical gradients along subsurface flowpaths. This hydroecological approach also indicates potential for a simple field technique to estimate filtration capacity and predict the prevailing hyporheic gradients in microbial activity and biogeochemical processing efficiency, with significant implications for stream ecosystem function.     

The dependence of stream depletion by seasonal pumping on various hydraulic characteristics and engineering factors

Compensation pumping is used to alleviate deficiencies in streamflow discharge during dry seasons. Short-term groundwater pumping can use aquifer storage instead of catchment-zone water until the drawdown reaches the edge of the stream. The capacitance is a complex, dimensionless parameter of an aquifer system that defines the delayed effect on streamflow when there is groundwater pumping. This parameter is a function of aquifer hydraulic characteristics, pumping time, and distance between the well and stream edge; the latter can involve stream leakance and vertical leakance of an associated aquitard. Three typical hydraulic cases of combined water systems (major catchment-zone wells close to the stream and compensation pumping wells) were classified depending on their capacitance structure (i.e. the relationship between surface water and groundwater): (1) perfect hydraulic connection between the stream and aquifer; (2) imperfect hydraulic connection between the stream and aquifer; and (3) essentially imperfect hydraulic connection between the stream and the underlying confined aquifer. The impact of various hydraulic characteristics and engineering factors on stream depletion was examined by conceptual and numerical modeling. To predict the suitability and efficiency of a combined water system application, regression tests were undertaken on unit stream depletion and capacitance, and power dependencies were defined.     

Geological controls and effects of floodplain asymmetry on river–groundwater interactions in the southeastern Coastal Plain, USA

Channel sediment and alluvial aquifer hydraulic properties exert a major control on river–groundwater interactions. Channels and floodplains are often asymmetrical, resulting in differences in sediment hydraulic properties across the river. Floodplain asymmetry is common along Coastal Plain rivers in South Carolina and North Carolina, USA. The Tar River, North Carolina, has an asymmetrical valley. The study objective was to characterize the effects of floodplain asymmetry and geological controls on river–groundwater interactions. Floodplain and river channel sediments adjacent to the river were characterized with split spoon cores and hand auger samples along a 22-km reach. Hydrogeology was characterized with 38 piezometers and water level recorders in and adjacent to the river. Ground penetrating radar was used to define the shallow stratigraphy. Channel sediments were significantly different between the north and south sides of the river. Hydraulic conductivity and groundwater inputs were greater on the side of the river (north) that contained more permeable fluvial deposits. Groundwater chemistry (δ¹⁸O, specific conductance) data also suggested greater exchange between surface water and groundwater on the north side of the river channel. A conceptual hydrogeological model illustrates that groundwater movement and contaminant transport to the river differs across the channel due to asymmetrical geology.     

Heat tracing to determine spatial patterns of hyporheic exchange across a river transect

Significant spatial variability of water fluxes may exist at the water-sediment interface in river channels and has great influence on a variety of water issues. Understanding the complicated flow systems controlling the flux exchanges along an entire river is often limited due to averaging of parameters or the small number of discrete point measurements usually used. This study investigated the spatial pattern of the hyporheic flux exchange across a river transect in China, using the heat tracing approach. This was done with measurements of temperature at high spatial resolution during a 64-h monitoring period and using the data to identify the spatial pattern of the hyporheic exchange flux with the aid of a one-dimensional conduction-advection-dispersion model (VFLUX). The threshold of neutral exchange was considered as 126 L m^?2 d^?1 in this study and the heat tracing results showed that the change patterns of vertical hyporheic flux varied with buried depth along the river transect; however, the hyporheic flux was not simply controlled by the streambed hydraulic conductivity and water depth in the river transect. Also, lateral flow dominated the hyporheic process within the shallow high-permeability streambed, while the vertical flow was dominant in the deep low-permeability streambed. The spatial pattern of hyporheic exchange across the river transect was naturally controlled by the heterogeneity of the streambed and the bedform of the stream cross-section. Consequently, a two-dimensional conceptual illustration of the hyporheic process across the river transect is proposed, which could be applicable to river transects of similar conditions.     

水位变化影响下的河水-地下水侧向交互带地球化学动态

为了解不同水位变化影响下的河水与地下水侧向交互带地球化学特征动态,以重庆市马鞍溪为研究对象,选取丰水期向枯水期过渡的10-12月为研究期,对河水、地下水及交互带的水位、水温、溶解氧（DO）、pH值、电导率（EC）进行监测,结合对水体主要离子浓度的分析。结果表明,随枯水期到来,侧向交互带水位发生较大变化,交互带与河水间的水位梯度缩小,河水入渗动力逐渐减弱。水位的变化及入渗水温的降低,使交互带微生物活动减弱,pH值上升且变幅减小,DO上升。在其影响下,交互带EC下降,变幅减小,交互带对NO₃-、SO₄2-的净化能力降低,对Mn、Zn等重金属固定能力增强。通过分析交互带地球化学特征的变化,可推断出随马鞍溪枯水期的到来,侧向交互带边界由距河岸30~50 cm移动至距河岸30 cm以内。     

The hydrogeology of the Condamine River Alluvial Aquifer,Australia: a critical assessment

The Condamine plain is an important agricultural zone in Australia with prominent irrigated cotton and grain crops. About one third of the irrigation water is pumped from the shallow alluvial aquifer, causing gross aquifer depletion over time. Over the last few decades, various hydrological, hydrochemical, and geological aspects of this aquifer and the overlying floodplain (including soil properties) have been investigated and used to construct the conceptual understanding and numerical models for management of this resource. Yet, the water balance of the aquifer is still far from resolved, and the geological contact between the alluvial sediments and underlying bedrock is yet to be categorically defined, to mention two major uncertainties. This report collates up-to-date knowledge of different disciplines, critically evaluates the accepted hydrogeological conventions, highlights key knowledge gaps, and suggests strategies for future research. Among recommendations are (1) development of numerical flow and solute transport models for the natural (i.e. pre-developed) period, (2) analysis of groundwater for isotopic composition and presence of pesticides, CFCs and PPCPs, and (3) use of stochastic approaches to characterize the hydraulic properties of the alluvial sediments. These and other proposed measures are relevant also to other alluvial aquifers which suffer from similar fundamental uncertainties.     

Tracing stream leakage towards an alluvial aquifer in a mountain basin using environmental isotopes

Stream–aquifer relationships in mountain basins are of great relevance because they control the water balance and, with it, the amount of resources (whether surface water or ground water) available for ecological and human demands. In this paper, this relationship is studied using environmental isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δD) to identify the occurrence of stream recharge in the Arbúcies River basin (NE Spain). Isotopic data from 51 natural springs define the local altitudinal gradient. This function is weighted by the proportional area above each point, given by the hypsometric curve, in order to estimate the isotopic stream water content as the contribution of runoff from incremental elevations. Stream water isotopes from two surveys are compared with hypsometrically averaged isotopic values to check for the appropriateness of this approach. Results show that it is more suitable when subsurface flows from surface formations, such as alluvial deposits, are the main contributors to stream discharge than when it derives from a single rainfall event. The characterization of stream isotope values is used as a key factor in identifying stream leakage to an unconfined alluvial aquifer in the lower reach of the Arbúcies River.     

水位变化条件下粘性土渗流特征试验研究

开采孔隙承压含水系统,引起含水层水头下降。通常认为相邻含水层一经出现水头差,便会有通过粘性土层的越流渗透。但在粘性土两侧含水层出现水头差初期,粘性土内部水头降低缓慢,并伴随有释水压密过程。笔者采用多用途饱水粘性土固结和渗透试验装置,对不同岩性的粘性土原状样进行了释水、吸水与越流发展过程之间关系的试验。试验表明,含水层水位升、降变化,首先引起相邻粘性土吸水回弹或释水压密,而后出现粘性土吸水或与释水越流并存阶段,越流的出现,明显滞后于含水层水头变化,当吸水或释水过程结束后,越流渗透达到稳定。越流滞后时间与土的固结程度有关,笔者采用一维固结理论提出了计算越流滞后时间的方法。     

河床地形影响潜流交换作用的数值分析

选取对潜流交换具有重要影响的河床地形作为主要研究内容,采用数值模拟(MODFLOW程序)的方法研究在河床横剖面地形不均匀的条件下,潜流交换量的空间分布以及地下水流场的演变机制。结果表明:在河床地形起伏不均的情况下,潜流交换量更易发生在河道的深水区域;地下水流向受河床地形影响较小;近河床界面处的地下水流速受地形起伏影响剧烈,深水区域的地下水流速远大于浅水区地下水流速;通过与现场试验结果对比分析,得出河床地形起伏是引起潜流带渗透系数非均质现象的重要原因之一。     

Influence of streambed hydraulic conductivity on solute exchange with the hyporheic zone

A conservative solute tracer experiment was conducted in Indian Creek, a small urban stream in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to investigate the role of subsurface properties on the exchange between streamwater and the hyporheic zone (subsurface surrounding the stream). Sodium Bromide (NaBr) was used as a conservative tracer, and it was monitored in the surface water at two stations and in the upper bed sediments (shallow hyporheic zone extending from 7.5 to 10 cm below the streambed). The hydraulic conductivity (K) of the upper bed sediments and the lower bed sediments (10–12.5 cm below the streambed) was measured in situ. High tracer concentrations were observed in the upper layer at locations where the hydraulic conductivity of the upper layer was larger than that of the lower layer. Low concentrations in the upper layer were observed in the converse case. A statistically significant relationship between the mass retained in the upper layer and the difference of K values between layers was observed.     

Suspended sediments in the Kharaa River catchment (Mongolia) and its impact on hyporheic zone functions

A previous study investigating the ecological status of the Kharaa River in Northern Mongolia reported fine-grained sediments as being a major stress factor causing adverse impacts on the benthic ecology. However, the source of these sediments within the catchment as well as the specific impact on hyporheic zone functions in the Kharaa River remained unclear. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to investigate the underlying source–receptor system and implement an integrated monitoring approach. Suspended sediment sources within the Kharaa catchment were identified by using extensive spatially distributed sediment sampling and geochemical and isotope fingerprinting methods. On the receptor side, the ecological implications across a gradient of fine-grained sediment influx were analyzed using a distinct hyporheic zone monitoring scheme at three representative river reaches along the Kharaa River. Results of suspended sediment source monitoring show that during snowmelt runoff, riverbank and gully erosion were the dominant sources. During the summer period, upland erosion contributed a substantial share of suspended sediment. Fine-grained sediment influx proved to be the cause of habitat loss in the hyporheic zone and benthic oxygen production limitation. This combined catchment and in-stream monitoring approach will allow for a better understanding and spatially explicit analysis of the interactions of suspended sediment transport and hyporheic zone functioning. This information has built the basis for a coupled modeling framework that will help to develop efficient management measures within the Kharaa River basin with special emphasis on rapidly changing land-use and climatic conditions.