Water transport and tracer mixing in volcanic ash soils at a tropical hillslope: A wet layered sloping sponge

Andosol soils formed in volcanic ash provide key hydrological services in montane environments. To unravel the subsurface water transport and tracer mixing in these soils we conducted a detailed characterization of soil properties and analyzed a 3-year data set of sub-hourly hydrometric and weekly stable isotope data collected at three locations along a steep hillslope. A weakly developed (52–61 cm depth), highly organic andic (Ah) horizon overlaying a mineral (C) horizon was identified, both showing relatively similar properties and subsurface flow dynamics along the hillslope. Soil moisture observations in the Ah horizon showed a fast responding (few hours) “rooted” layer to a depth of 15 cm, overlying a “perched” layer that remained near saturated year-round. The formation of the latter results from the high organic matter (33–42%) and clay (29–31%) content of the Ah horizon and an abrupt hydraulic conductivity reduction in this layer with respect to the rooted layer above. Isotopic signatures revealed that water resides within this soil horizon for short periods, both at the rooted (2 weeks) and perched (4 weeks) layer. A fast soil moisture reaction during rainfall events was also observed in the C horizon, with response times similar to those in the rooted layer. These results indicate that despite the perched layer, which helps sustain the water storage of the soil, a fast vertical mobilization of water through the entire soil profile occurs during rainfall events. The latter being the result of the fast transmissivity of hydraulic potentials through the porous matrix of the Andosols, as evidenced by the exponential shape of the water retention curves of the subsequent horizons. These findings demonstrate that the hydrological behavior of volcanic ash soils resembles that of a “layered sponge,” in which vertical flow paths dominate.     

A review of factors influencing the availability of dissolved oxygen to incubating salmonid embryos

Previous investigations into factors influencing incubation success of salmonid progeny have largely been limited to the development of empirical relationships between characteristics of the incubation environment and survival to emergence. It is suggested that adopting a process‐based approach to assessing incubation success aids identification of the precise causes of embryonic mortalities, and provides a robust framework for developing and implementing managerial responses. Identifying oxygen availability within the incubation environment as a limiting factor, a comprehensive review of trends in embryonic respiration, and processes influencing the flux of oxygenated water through gravel riverbeds is provided. The availability of oxygen to incubating salmonid embryos is dependent on the exchange of oxygenated water with the riverbed, and the ability of the riverbed gravel medium to transport this water at a rate and concentration appropriate to support embryonic respiratory requirements. Embryonic respiratory trends indicate that oxygen consumption varies with stage of development, ambient water temperature and oxygen availability. The flux of oxygenated water through the incubation environment is controlled by a complex interaction of intragravel and extragravel processes and factors. The processes driving the exchange of channel water with gravel riverbeds include bed topography, bed permeability, and surface roughness effects. The flux of oxygenated water through riverbed gravels is controlled by gravel permeability, coupling of surface–subsurface flow and oxygen demands imposed by materials infiltrating riverbed gravels. Temporally and spatially variable inputs of groundwater can also influence the oxygen concentration of interstitial water. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Peat porewater chloride concentration profiles in the Everglades during wet/dry cycles from January 1996 to June 1998: field measurements and theoretical analysis

Water quality is a key aspect of the Everglades Restoration Project, the largest water reclamation and ecosystem management project proposed in the United States. Movement of nutrients and contaminants to and from Everglades peat porewater could have important consequences for Everglades water quality and ecosystem restoration activities. In a study of Everglades porewater, we observed complex, seasonally variable peat porewater chloride concentration profiles at several locations. Analyses and interpretation of these changing peat porewater chloride concentration profiles identifies processes controlling conservative solute movement at the peat–surface water interface, that is, solutes whose transport is minimally affected by chemical and biological reactions. We examine, with an advection–diffusion model, how alternating wet and dry climatic conditions in the Florida Everglades mediate movement of chloride between peat porewater and marsh surface water. Changing surface water–chloride concentrations alter gradients at the interface between peat and overlying water and hence alter chloride flux across that interface. Surface water chloride concentrations at two frequently monitored sites vary with marsh water depth, and a transfer function was developed to describe daily marsh surface water chloride concentration as a function of marsh water depth. Model results demonstrate that porewater chloride concentrations are driven by changing surface water chloride concentrations, and a sensitivity analysis suggests that inclusion of advective transport in the model improves the agreement between the calculated and the observed chloride concentration profiles. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A stochastic model for 3-dimensional flow patterns in infiltration experiments

Modelling the 3-dimensional water flux at field scale is important for the design and the analysis of dye tracer experiments. Furthermore, it enables the estimation of the risk to groundwater by pollutants, and the visualisation and classification of flux patterns. A stochastic model is presented that allows for the modelling of a wide range of flow patterns in soils as they appear in dye tracer experiments. The leading idea is that infiltrating water runs along paths, not necessarily preferential ones, and water spreads into the soil uniformly from the paths into the matrix. The model is essentially based on a Poisson point process and three independent random fields. The point process defines the starting points of the paths at the surface. The values of two random fields determine the course of the paths. The third random field governs the depth of the infiltration front. As an extension of the model, we present two simulated examples for stratified soils.     

Comparisons of diffusive and advective fluxes of gas phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in unsaturated zones under natural conditions

Diffusive flux is traditionally treated as the dominant mechanism of gas transport in unsaturated zones under natural conditions, and advective flux is usually neglected. However, some researchers have found that pressure-driven and density-driven advective flux may also be significant under certain conditions. This article compares the diffusive, pressure-driven and density-driven advective fluxes of gas phase volatile organic compound (VOCs) in unsaturated zones under various natural conditions. The presence of a less or more permeable layer at ground surface in a layered unsaturated zone is investigated for its impact on the net contribution of advective and diffusive fluxes. Results show although the transient advective flux can be greater than the diffusive flux, under most of the field conditions the net contribution of the advective flux is one to three orders of magnitude less than the diffusive flux, and the influence of the density-driven flux is undetectable. The advective flux contributes comparably with the diffusive flux only when the gas-filled porosity is less than 0.05. The presence of a less permeable layer at ground surface slightly increases the total flux in the underlying layer, while the presence of a more permeable layer at ground surface significantly increases the total flux in it. When the magnitude of water table fluctuation is less than 1 cm, and the period is greater than 0.5 day, the fluctuation of the water table can be simulated by fixing the water table position and setting a fluctuating moving velocity at the water table.     

Geomorphic controls of perched groundwater interaction with natural ridge-top depressional wetlands

Geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) are commonly reported as having hardpan or low hydraulic conductivity units underneath that produce perched groundwater, which can sustain surface water levels independently of regional aquifer fluctuations. Despite the potential of GIW-perched aquifer systems to provide important hydrological and ecological functions such as groundwater storage and native amphibian habitat, little research has studied the hydrologic controls and dynamics of these systems. We compared several ridge-top depressional GIW-perched groundwater systems to investigate the role of watershed morphology on hydroregime and groundwater-surface water interaction. Ridge-top depressional wetlands in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky were chosen because they offer natural controls such as lack of apparent connection to surface water bodies, similar climate, and similar soils. Three wetlands with different topographic slopes and hillslope structures were mapped to distinguish key geomorphic parameters and monitored to characterize groundwater-surface water interaction. Wetlands with soil hummocks and low upland slopes transitioned from infiltration to groundwater discharge conditions in the spring and during storm events. The magnitude and duration of this transition fell along a continuum, where higher topographic slopes and steeper uplands produced comparably smaller and shorter head reversals. This demonstrates that ridge-top GIW-perched groundwater systems are largely sensitive to the runoff-recharge relationship in the upland area which can produce significant groundwater storage on a small-scale.     

Water transport through Lake Kinneret sediments traced by tritium

The transport of water through the sediments of Lake Kinneret was estimated using tritium of fallout origin as a tracer. The calculation model takes into account the diffusion of the tracer and its decay, and allows for the advective flux through the sediment pores as a free parameter. The dependence of the interstitial diffusion constant on the porosity was assumed identical to that for chloride ions. Tritium profiles in nine cores were used for estimating the advective fluxes and velocities, by finding the best fit between data and model. Water advective fluxes of 3.4 g cm^?2 yr^?1 into the lake were found. This water flux is negligible in the hydrological balance of Lake Kinneret; but it carries along 7% of the unaccounted-for chloride input to the lake.     

Mechanisms and pathways of lateral flow on aspen‐forested,Luvisolic soils,Western Boreal Plains,Alberta, Canada

Rainfall simulation experiments by Redding and Devito ( 2008 , Hydrological Processes 23: 4287–4300) on two adjacent plots of contrasting antecedent soil moisture storage on an aspen‐forested hillslope on the Boreal Plain showed that lateral flow generation occurred only once large soil storage capacity was saturated combined with a minimum event precipitation of 15–20 mm. This paper extends the results of Redding and Devito ( 2008 , Hydrological Processes 23: 4287–4300) with detailed analysis of pore pressure, soil moisture and tracer data from the rainfall simulation experiments, which is used to identify lateral flow generation mechanisms and flow pathways. Lateral flow was not generated until soils were wet into the fine textured C horizon. Lateral flow occurred dominantly through the clay‐rich Bt horizon by way of root channels. Lateral flow during the largest event was dominated by event water, and precipitation intensity was critical in lateral flow generation. Lateral flow was initiated as preferential flow near the soil surface into root channels, followed by development of a perched water table at depth, which also interacted with preferential flow pathways to move water laterally by the transmissivity feedback mechanism. The results indicate that lateral flow generated by rainfall on these hillslopes is uncommon because of the generally high available soil moisture storage capacity and the low probability of rainfall events of sufficient magnitude and intensity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relative importance of advective heat transport and boundary layer decoupling in the melt dynamics of a patchy snow cover

For a patchy snow cover the advective heat transport and the near-surface boundary layer decoupling, which have an opposite effect on sensible heat transport onto the snow surface, are both expected to increase in magnitude. The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of locally developing atmospheric stratification over a discontinuous snow cover which can result in a decoupling from the warm atmosphere. We are particularly interested in the effect of boundary layer decoupling on the net sensible heat flux into the snow. We therefore applied local eddy flux measurements over snow patches at three different heights above the snow surface. We identified wind velocity, turbulence intensity, fetch distance and topographical curvature as the main factors driving the boundary layer depth and the efficiency of advective heat transport to contribute to snow ablation. The atmospheric decoupling is thus shown to be a key mechanism in snow patch survival.     

A low‐dimensional model of bedrock weathering and lateral flow coevolution in hillslopes: 1. Hydraulic theory of reactive transport

This is the first of a two‐part paper exploring the coevolution of bedrock weathering and lateral flow in hillslopes using a simple low‐dimensional model based on hydraulic groundwater theory (also known as Dupuit or Boussinesq theory). Here, we examine the effect of lateral flow on the downward fluxes of water and solutes through perched groundwater at steady state. We derive analytical expressions describing the decline in the downward flux rate with depth. Using these, we obtain analytical expressions for water age in a number of cases. The results show that when the permeability field is homogeneous, the spatial structure of water age depends qualitatively on a single dimensionless number, Hi. This number captures the relative contributions to the lateral hydraulic potential gradient of the relief of the lower‐most impermeable boundary (which may be below the weathering front within permeable or incipiently weathered bedrock) and the water table. A “scaled lateral symmetry” exists when Hi is low: age varies primarily in the vertical dimension, and variations in the horizontal dimension x almost disappear when the vertical dimension z is expressed as a fraction z/H(x) of the laterally flowing system thickness H(x). Taking advantage of this symmetry, we show how the lateral dimension of the advection–diffusion‐reaction equation can be collapsed, yielding a 1‐D vertical equation in which the advective flux downward declines with depth. The equation holds even when the permeability field is not homogeneous, as long as the variations in permeability have the same scaled lateral symmetry structure. This new 1‐D approximation is used in the accompanying paper to extend chemical weathering models derived for 1‐D columns to hillslope domains.     

Modeling surface and ground water mixing in the hyporheic zone using MODFLOW and MT3D

We used a three-dimensional MODFLOW model, paired with MT3D, to simulate hyporheic zones around debris dams and meanders along a semi-arid stream. MT3D simulates both advective transport and sink/source mixing of solutes, in contrast to particle tracking (e.g. MODPATH), which only considers advection. We delineated the hydrochemically active hyporheic zone based on a new definition, specifically as near-stream subsurface zones receiving a minimum of 10% surface water within a 10-day travel time. Modeling results indicate that movement of surface water into the hyporheic zone is predominantly an advective process. We show that debris dams are a key driver of surface water into the subsurface along the experimental reach, causing the largest flux rates of water across the streambed and creating hyporheic zones with up to twice the cross-sectional area of other hyporheic zones. Hyporheic exchange was also found in highly sinuous segments of the experimental reach, but flux rates are lower and the cross-sectional areas of these zones are generally smaller. Our modeling approach simulated surface and ground water mixing in the hyporheic zone, and thus provides numerical approximations that are more comparable to field-based observations of surface–groundwater exchange than standard particle-tracking simulations.     

Infiltration and solute transport under a seasonal wetland: bromide tracer experiments in Saskatoon,Canada

In the northern glaciated plain of North America, the duration of surface water in seasonal wetlands is strongly influenced by the rate of infiltration and evaporation. Infiltration also plays important roles in nutrient exchange at the sediment–water interface and groundwater recharge under wetlands. A whole‐wetland bromide tracer experiment was conducted in Saskatchewan, Canada to evaluate infiltration and solute transport processes. Bromide concentrations of surface water, groundwater, sediment pore water and plant tissues were monitored as the pond water‐level gradually dropped until there was no surface water. Hydraulic head gradients showed strong lateral flow from under the wetland to the treed riparian zone during the growing season. The bromide mass balance analysis showed that in early spring, almost 50% of water loss from the wetland was by infiltration, and it increased to about 70% in summer as plants in and around the wetland started to transpire more actively. The infiltration contributed to recharging the shallow, local groundwater under the wetland, but much of it was taken up by trees without recharging the deeper groundwater system. Emergent plants growing in the wetlands incorporated some bromide, but overall uptake of bromide by vegetation was less than 10% of the amount initially released. After one summer, most of the subsurface bromide was found within 40–80 cm of the soil surface. However, some bromide penetrated as deep as 2–3 m, presumably owing to preferential flow pathways provided by root holes or fractures. Copyright © 2004 Crown in the Right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling regional effects of artificial groundwater recharge in a multilayer aquifer characterized by perched water tables

This paper presents an approach to estimate the effects of a managed recharge experiment in a multilayer aquifer characterized by the presence of perched water tables in the Medina del Campo groundwater body, Douro basin, central Spain. A numerical model was developed to evaluate the effect of artificial recharge on the shallow sector of a regional-scale aquifer and on formerly active wetlands. The model was developed in the Visual MODFLOW Pro v.2011.1 environment in order to represent and analyse the regional impact of this artificial recharge event. Results suggest that the assumption of a single perched system may prove useful in regional contexts where data is limited. From a study site perspective, managed recharge is observed to increase shallow storage along the riverbanks, which is considered valuable for environmental purposes. However, downstream wetlands are unlikely to experience a significant recovery. Furthermore, only a small percentage of artificial recharge is expected to reach the deep regional aquifer. This method can be exported to settings characterized by the presence of perched aquifers and associated groundwater dependent ecosystems.     

Floodplain effects on the transport of dissolved and colloidal trace elements in the East Pearl River,Mississippi

Substantial work suggests that floodplain wetlands could play a role in modifying fluvial fluxes of dissolved and colloidal trace elements. Yet, few studies have directly addressed this issue. We examined trace elements in the East Pearl River (Mississippi or Louisiana, USA), which is surrounded by wetlands that are temporally more or less connected to the river depending on river stage. Dissolved and colloidal trace element samples, along with ancillary data, including dissolved organic carbon and nutrients, were collected during eight surveys of this system at different flow stages from November 2007 to September 2008. Hydrology of the system is complex due to seasonal changes in water sources as well as potential inputs from the floodplain wetlands and the hyporheic zone. We therefore considered effects including nonconservative mixing of water sources, saltwater intrusion, and floodplain wetland flux requirements needed to support observed downstream concentration changes. During moderately high discharge, fluxes of many elements (e.g., Cd, Fe, Mn, and Zn) increased downstream by 20% or more, with inputs from the floodplain wetlands as the apparent source. At the highest discharge, however, wetland inputs to the river may have been rate‐limited (i.e., the wetland source was flushed faster than biogeochemical processes could regenerate dissolved or colloidal material). At low discharge, other effects, including saltwater intrusion and hyporheic zone interactions, are important. Both redox processes and organic ligands (or dissolved organic carbon), along with the supply of wetland inputs (or removal) relative to river fluxes, appear to be key factors determining floodplain wetland effects. While the behavior of some elements suggests they were dominantly affected by redox processes (Mn and V) or by organic complexation (dissolved Fe and light rare earths), other elements were affected by more than one process in ways that remain obscure (Cu). Overall our results are broadly consistent with previous field, laboratory, and modeling studies and suggest that a better understanding of the sources and transformations of Fe is a key area for future research.     

Evidence for Instantaneous Oxygen-Limited Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Vapors in the Subsurface

Petroleum hydrocarbon vapors biodegrade aerobically in the subsurface. Depth profiles of petroleum hydrocarbon vapor and oxygen concentrations from seven locations in sandy and clay soils across four states of Australia are summarized. The data are evaluated to support a simple model of biodegradation that can be used to assess hydrocarbon vapors migrating toward built environments. Multilevel samplers and probes that allow near‐continuous monitoring of oxygen and total volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were used to determine concentration depth profiles and changes over time. Collation of all data across all sites showed distinct separation of oxygen from hydrocarbon vapors, and that most oxygen and hydrocarbon concentration profiles were linear or near linear with depth. The low detection limit on the oxygen probe data and because it is an in situ measurement strengthened the case that little or no overlapping of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapor concentration profiles occurred, and that indeed oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors were largely only coincident near the location where they both decreased to zero. First‐order biodegradation rates determined from all depth profiles were generally lower than other published rates. With lower biodegradation rates, the overlapping of depth profiles might be expected, and yet such overlapping was not observed. A model of rapid (instantaneous) reaction of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors compared to diffusive transport processes is shown to explain the important aspects of the 13 depth profiles. The model is simply based on the ratio of diffusion coefficients of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors, the ratio of the maximum concentrations of oxygen and hydrocarbon vapors, the depth to the maximum hydrocarbon source concentration, and the stoichiometry coefficient. Whilst simple, the model offers the potential to incorporate aerobic biodegradation into an oxygen‐limited flux‐reduction approach for vapor intrusion assessments of petroleum hydrocarbon compounds.     

Hydrologic connectivity and threshold behavior of hillslopes with fragipans and soil pipe networks

Many concepts have been proposed to explain hydrologic connectivity of hillslopes with streams. Hydrologic connectivity is most often defined by qualitative assessment of spatial patterns in perched water tables or soil moisture on hillslopes without a direct linkage to water flow from hillslopes to streams. This form of hydrologic connectivity may not explain the hydrologic response of catchments that have network(s) of preferential flow paths, for example, soil pipes, which can provide intrinsic connectivity between hillslopes and streams. Duplex soils are known for developing perched water tables on hillslopes and fostering lateral flows, but the connectivity of localized perched water tables on hillslopes with soil pipes has not been fully established. The objectives of this study were to characterize pipeflow dynamics during storm events, the relationships between perched water tables on hillslopes and pipeflows, and their threshold behaviour. Two well‐characterized catchments in loess soil with a fragipan were selected for study because they contain multiple, laterally extensive (over 100 m) soil pipe networks. Hillslopes were instrumented with shallow wells adjacent to the soil pipes, and the wells and pipe collapse features were equipped with pressure transducers. Perched water tables developed on hillslopes during a wetting up period (October–December) and became well connected spatially across hillslope positions throughout the high flow period (January–March). The water table was not spatially connected on hillslopes during the drying out (April–June) and low flow (July–September) periods. Even when perched water tables were not well‐connected, water flowing through soil pipes provided hydrologic connectivity between upper hillslopes and catchment outlets. Correlations between soil pipeflow and perched water tables depended on the size and location of soil pipes. The threshold relationship between available soil‐moisture index plus storm precipitation and pipeflow was dependent on the season and strongest during dry periods and not high‐flow seasons. This study demonstrated that soil pipes serve as a catchment backbone of preferential flow paths that provide intrinsic connectivity between upper hillslopes and streams.     

Modeling nitrogen–carbon cycling and oxygen consumption in bottom sediments

A model framework is presented for simulating nitrogen and carbon cycling at the sediment–water interface, and predicting oxygen consumption by oxidation reactions inside the sediments. Based on conservation of mass and invoking simplifying assumptions, a coupled system of diffusive–reactive partial differential equations is formulated for two-layer conceptual model of aerobic–anaerobic sediments. Oxidation reactions are modeled as first-order rate processes and nitrate is assumed to be consumed entirely in the anoxic portion of the sediments. The sediments are delineated into a thin oxygenated surface layer whose thickness is equal to the oxygen penetration depth, and a lower, but much thicker anoxic layer. The sediments are separated from the overlying water column by a relatively thin boundary layer through which mass transfer is diffusion controlled. Transient solutions are derived using the method of Laplace transform and Green’s function, which relate pore-water concentrations of the constituents to their concentrations in the bulk water and to the flux of decomposable settling organic matter. Steady-state pore-water concentrations are also obtained including expressions for the extent of methane saturation zone and methane gas flux. A relationship relating the sediment oxygen demand (SOD) to bulk water oxygen is derived using the two-film concept, which in combination with the depth-integrated solutions forms the basis for predicting the extent of oxygen penetration in the sediment. Iterative procedure and simplification thereof are proposed to estimate the extent of methane saturation zone and thickness of the aerobic layer as functions of time. Sensitivity of steady-state solutions to key parameters illustrates sediment processes interactions and synergistic effects. Simulations indicate that for a relatively thin diffusive boundary layer, d, oxygen uptake is limited by biochemical processes inside the sediments, whereas for a thick boundary layer oxygen transfer through the diffusive boundary layer is limiting. The results show an almost linear relationship between steady-state sediment oxygen demand and bulk water oxygen. For small d methane and nitrogen fluxes are sediment controlled, whereas for large d they are controlled by diffusional transfer through the boundary layer. It is shown that the two-layer model solution converges to the one-layer model (anaerobic layer) solution as the thickness of the oxygenated layer approaches zero, and that the transient solutions approach asymptotically their corresponding steady-state solutions.     

Solute transport and water content measurements in clay soils using time domain reflectometry

Abstract

Clayey and saline soils have been shown to be problematic for time domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements. This study presents some of these problems and discusses solutions to them. Thirteen solute transport experiments were carried out in three undisturbed soil columns of swelling clay soil from Tunisia, labelled S1, S2, and S3 respectively. The columns were collected at three different physiographical regions within a catchment. Water fluxes ranged from 1.2 to 7.2 cm day^?1. The large solute transport heterogeneity and large tailing indicated that preferential flow was most pronounced in S1. The preferential flow took place in voids between structural elements and in wormholes. In S3, preferential flow was also evident, but not to the same extent as in S1. In S2, the solute transport was more uniform with little preferential flow. The heterogeneity of the solute transport increased with the water flux in S1 and to a smaller extent in S3, whereas it remained constant in S2. In a previous dye experiment in the field, preferential flow in cracks was observed at those sites where S1 and S3 were collected. In the column experiments, preferential flow in these cracks was less due to the higher initial water content compared to the dye experiments, indicating that the desiccation cracks were closed by the swelling clay.     

Soil frost effects on soil water and runoff dynamics along a boreal forest transect: 1. Field investigations

To determine how soil frost changes flowpaths of runoff water along a hillslope, a transect consisting of four soil profiles directed towards a small stream in a mature forest stand was investigated at Svartberget, near Vindeln in northern Sweden. Soil temperature, unfrozen water content, groundwater level and snow depth were investigated along the transect, which started at the riparian peat, and extended 30 m upslope into mineral soils. The two, more organic‐rich profiles closest to the stream had higher water retention and wetter autumn conditions than the sandy mineral soils further upslope. The organic content of the soil influenced the variation in frost along the transect. The first winter (1995–96) had abnormally low snow precipitation, which gave a deep frost down to 40–80 cm, whereas the two following winters had frost depths of 5–20 cm. During winter 1995–96, the two organic profiles close to the stream had a shallower frost depth than the mineral soil profile higher upslope, but a considerably larger amount of frozen water. The fraction of water that did not freeze despite several minus degrees in the soil was 5–7 vol.% in the mineral soil and 10–15 vol.% in the organic soil. From the measurements there were no signs of perched water tables during any of the three snowmelt periods, which would have been strong evidence for changed water flowpaths due to soil frost. When shallow soil layers became saturated during snowmelt, especially in 1997 and 1998, it was because of rising groundwater levels. Several rain on frozen ground events during spring 1996 resulted in little runoff, since most of the rain either froze in the soil or filled up the soil water storage. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methane in the hyporheic zone of a small lowland stream (Sitka, Czech Republic)

Methane concentrations and selected chemical parameters in interstitial water were examined along subsurface flowpath in two subsystems (hyporheic and parafluvial sediments) in the Sitka stream, Czech Republic. Interstitial methane concentrations exhibited a distinct spatial pattern. In the hyporheic downwelling zone where the sediments are relatively well oxygenated due to high hydrologic exchange with the surface water, low interstitial methane concentrations, averaging 9.3 μg CH₄/l, were found. In contrast, upwelling sediments and parafluvial sediments (active channel sediments lateral to the wetted channel) had significantly higher methane concentrations (p < 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively), averaging 43.2 μg CH₄/l and 160.5 μg CH₄/l, respectively. Dissolved oxygen was the highest where surface water entered hyporheic/parafluvial sediments and decreased with water residence time in the sediments (p < 0.01). Nitrate concentrations decreased along the flowpath and were significantly lower at downstream end of the riffle (p < 0.001). Sulfate concentrations also show a slight decline with the water residence time, but differences were not significant. Effect of both nitrate and sulfate on methanogenesis is also discussed. The interstitial methane concentration significantly increased with surface water temperature (p < 0.001) and was negatively correlated with redox potential (p < 0.01) and dissolved oxygen (p < 0.05).