Short‐term stream water temperature observations permit rapid assessment of potential climate change impacts

Assessment of potential climate change impacts on stream water temperature (T_s) across large scales remains challenging for resource managers because energy exchange processes between the atmosphere and the stream environment are complex and uncertain, and few long‐term datasets are available to evaluate changes over time. In this study, we demonstrate how simple monthly linear regression models based on short‐term historical T_s observations and readily available interpolated air temperature (T_a) estimates can be used for rapid assessment of historical and future changes in T_s. Models were developed for 61 sites in the southeastern USA using ≥18 months of observations and were validated at sites with longer periods of record. The T_s models were then used to estimate temporal changes in T_s at each site using both historical estimates and future T_a projections. Results suggested that the linear regression models adequately explained the variability in T_s across sites, and the relationships between T_s and T_a remained consistent over 37 years. We estimated that most sites had increases in historical annual mean T_s between 1961 and 2010 (mean of +0.11 °C decade^?1). All 61 sites were projected to experience increases in T_s from 2011 to 2060 under the three climate projections evaluated (mean of +0.41 °C decade^?1). Several of the sites with the largest historical and future T_s changes were located in ecoregions home to temperature‐sensitive fish species. This methodology can be used by resource managers for rapid assessment of potential climate change impacts on stream water temperature. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of forest degradation on streamflow regime and runoff response to rainfall in the Garhwal Himalaya,Northwest India

Baseflows have declined for decades in the Lesser Himalaya but the causes are still debated. This paper compares variations in streamflow response over three years for two similar headwater catchments in northwest India with largely undisturbed (Arnigad) and highly degraded (Bansigad) oak forest. Hydrograph analysis suggested no catchment leakage, thereby allowing meaningful comparisons. The mean annual runoff coefficient for Arnigad was 54% (range 44–61%) against 62% (53–69%) at Bansigad. Despite greater total runoff Q_t (by 250 mm year^–1), baseflow at Bansigad ceased by March, but was perennial at Arnigad (making up 90% of Q_t vs. 51% at Bansigad). Arnigad storm flows, Q_s, were modest (8–11% of Q_t) and occurred mostly during monsoons (78–98%), while Q_s at Bansigad was 49% of Q_t and occurred also during post-monsoon seasons. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining soil water retention capacity after forest removal to maintain baseflow levels.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR D. Gerten     

Snowpack disrupts relationship between young water fraction and isotope amplitude ratio; approximately one fifth of mountain streamflow less than one year old

Previous “fraction of young water” (F_yw) estimates based on relative annual isotopic amplitudes in precipitation (A_p) and streamflow (A_s) produced low F_yw values in mountain catchments, which is contrary to extensive research that reports rapid water transmission in mountains. This study investigated this discrepancy by testing the effect of snow accumulation on the model that underpins the F_yw method. A Monte-Carlo analysis of simulations for 20,000 randomly-generated catchment model configurations used 10 years of precipitation inputs for the Upper Elbow River catchment in the Rocky Mountains (Alberta, Canada) to model discharge with and without snowpack storage of winter precipitation. Neither direct nor modified precipitation input produced a 1:1 relationship between A_s/A_p and F_yw, undermining the applicability of the original F_yw method in mountain watersheds with large seasonal snow accumulation. With snowpack-modified input a given A_s/A_p ratio corresponds to a range of F_yw values, which can still provide semi-quantitative information. In the small (435 km²) Elbow River catchment a F_yw range of 7–23% supports previous findings of rapid transmission in mountain catchments. Further analysis showed that the improved discharge prediction (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency > 0.9) correlates with higher F_yw values and demonstrated that the interannual shifts in δ¹⁸O can be used to estimate of new water (<1 year) fraction in winter streamflow, and the estimate of 20% for the Elbow River further supports rapid transmission in mountain catchments.     

Five‐Year Soil Respiration Reflected Soil Quality Evolution in Different Forest and Grassland Vegetation Types in the Eastern Loess Plateau of China

Soil CO₂ efflux in forest and grassland over 5 years from 2005 to 2009 in a semiarid mountain area of the Loess plateau, China, was measured. The aim was to compare the soil respiration and its annual and inter‐annual responses to the changes in soil temperature and soil water content between the two vegetation types for observing soil quality evolution. The differences among the five study years were the annual precipitation (320.1, 370.5, 508.8, 341.6, and 567.4 mm in 2005–2009, respectively) and annual distribution. The results showed that the seasonal change of soil respiration in both vegetation types was similar and controlled by soil temperature and soil water content. The mean soil respiration across 5 years in the forest (3.78 ± 2.68 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1) was less than that in the grassland (4.04 ± 3.06 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1), and the difference was significant. The drought soil in summer depressed soil respiration substantially. The Q₁₀ value across 5‐year measurements was 2.89 and 2.94 for forest and grassland. When soil water content was between wilting point (WP) and field capacity (FC), the Q₁₀ in both types increased with increasing soil water content, and when soil water content dropped to below WP, soil respiration and the Q₁₀ decreased substantially. Although an exponential model was well fitted to predict the annual mean soil respiration for each single year data, it overestimated and underestimated soil respiration, respectively, in drought conditions and after rain for short periods of time during the year. The two‐variable models including temperature and water content variables could be well used to predict soil respiration for both types in all weather conditions. The models proposed are useful for understanding and predicting potential changes in the eastern part of Loess plateau in response to climate change.     

The behavior of specific sediment yield in different grain size fractions in the tributaries of the middle Yellow River as influenced by eolian and fluvial processes

Based on data from 35 stations on the tributaries of the Yellow River, annual specific sediment yield (Y_s) in eight grain size fractions has been related to basin‐averaged annual sand–dust storm days (D_ss) and annual precipitation (P_m) to reveal the influence of eolian and fluvial processes on specific sediment yield in different grain size fractions. The results show that Y_s in fine grain size fractions has the highest values in the areas dominated by the coupled wind–water process. From these areas to those dominated by the eolian process or to those dominated by the fluvial process, Y_s tends to decrease. For relatively coarse grain size fractions, Y_s has monotonic variation, i.e. with the increase in D_ss or the decrease in P_m, Y_s increases. This indicates that the sediment producing behavior for fine sediments is different from that for relatively coarse sediments. The results all show that Y_s for relatively coarse sediments depends on the eolian process more than on the fluvial process, and the coarser the sediment fractions the stronger the dependence of the Y_s on the eolian process. The Y_s–D_ss and Y_s–P_m curves for fine grain size fractions show some peaks and the fitted straight lines for Y_s–D_ss and Y_s–P_m relationships for relatively coarse grain size fractions show some breaks. Almost all these break points may be regarded as thresholds. These thresholds are all located in the areas dominated by the coupled wind–water process, indicating that these areas are sensitive for erosion and sediment production, to which more attention should be given for the purpose of erosion and sediment control. A number of regression equations were established, based which the effect of rainfall, sand–dust storms and surface material grain size on specific sediment yield can be assessed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of daily stream water temperatures with a Bayesian regression approach

Stream water temperature plays a significant role in aquatic ecosystems where it controls many important biological and physical processes. Reliable estimates of water temperature at the daily time step are critical in managing water resources. We developed a parsimonious piecewise Bayesian model for estimating daily stream water temperatures that account for temporal autocorrelation and both linear and nonlinear relationships with air temperature and discharge. The model was tested at 8 climatically different basins of the USA and at 34 sites within the mountainous Boise River Basin (Idaho, USA). The results show that the proposed model is robust with an average root mean square error of 1.25 °C and Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of 0.92 over a 2‐year period. Our approach can be used to predict historic daily stream water temperatures in any location using observed daily stream temperature and regional air temperature data.     

太湖有色溶解有机物对水体总吸收贡献的遥感估算

有色溶解有机物(CDOM)是决定自然水体水色的主要溶解物质,其吸光能力和光化降解产物对水体初级生产力和碳循环过程具有重要影响.以太湖为研究区,2004年10月、2008年10月、2010年4月和2011年1月和3月共5期实测数据,采集了333个有效样点,分析不同时期CDOM对水体总吸收的贡献,并利用遥感技术估算[a_CDOM/a_t](412).结果表明:不同时期[a_CDOM/a_t](412)均值变化明显,2011年[a_CDOM/a_t](412)的均值最大(0.369),高于所有样点[a_CDOM/a_t](412)均值(0.295±0.139);201004期的[a_CDOM/a_t](412)在0.046~0.455之间变化,其均值最小(0.236±0.108);200410和200810两期数据[a_CDOM/a_t](412)均值相差不大.竺山湾、梅梁湾与整个太湖相比,竺山湾[a_CDOM/a_t](412)均值较高,对太湖[a_CDOM/a_t](412)的贡献较大,而梅梁湾[a_CDOM/a_t](412)均值与整个太湖相差较小.利用多元线性模型估算[a_CDOM/a_t](412)精度较高(n=333,RMSE=34.60%).悬浮泥沙和浮游色素是影响[a_CDOM/a_t](412)遥感估算精度的主要原因,浮游色素的吸收造成[a_CDOM/a_t](412)的值被低估,而悬浮泥沙的吸收使得[a_CDOM/a_t](412)的值被高估,并且悬浮泥沙是影响CDOM吸收的主要原因.     

Electromagnetic induction prediction of soil salinity and groundwater properties in a Tunisian Saharan oasis

Abstract

Electromagnetic induction measurements (EM) were taken in a saline gypsiferous soil of the Saharan-climate Fatnassa oasis (Tunisia) to predict the electrical conductivity of saturated soil extract (ECe) and shallow groundwater properties (depth, Dgw, and electrical conductivity, ECgw) using various models. The soil profile was sampled at 0.2 m depth intervals to 1.2 m for physical and chemical analysis. The best input to predict the log-transformed soil salinity (lnECe) in surface (0–0.2 m) soil was the EMh/EMv ratio. For the 0–0.6 m soil depth interval, the performance of multiple linear regression (MLR) models to predict lnECe was weaker using data collected over various seasons and years (R _a ² = 0.66 and MSE = 0.083 dS m^-1) as compared to those collected during the same period (R _a ² = 0.97, MSE = 0.007 dS m^-1). For similar seasonal conditions, for the Dgw–EMv relationship, R ² was 0.88 and the MSE was 0.02 m for Dgw prediction. For a validation subset, the R ² was 0.85 and the MSE was 0.03 m. Soil salinity was predicted more accurately when groundwater properties were used instead of soil moisture with EM variables as input in the MLR.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor K. Heal

Citation Bouksila, F., Persson, M., Bahri, A., and Berndtsson, R., 2012. Electromagnetic induction predictions of soil salinity and groundwater properties in a Tunisian Saharan oasis. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (7), 1473–1486.     

A coupled model for simulating surface water and groundwater interactions in coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands are characterized by strong, dynamic interactions between surface water and groundwater. This paper presents a coupled model that simulates interacting surface water and groundwater flow and solute transport processes in these wetlands. The coupled model is based on two existing (sub) models for surface water and groundwater, respectively: ELCIRC (a three‐dimensional (3‐D) finite‐volume/finite‐difference model for simulating shallow water flow and solute transport in rivers, estuaries and coastal seas) and SUTRA (a 3‐D finite‐element/finite‐difference model for simulating variably saturated, variable‐density fluid flow and solute transport in porous media). Both submodels, using compatible unstructured meshes, are coupled spatially at the common interface between the surface water and groundwater bodies. The surface water level and solute concentrations computed by the ELCIRC model are used to determine the boundary conditions of the SUTRA‐based groundwater model at the interface. In turn, the groundwater model provides water and solute fluxes as inputs for the continuity equations of surface water flow and solute transport to account for the mass exchange across the interface. Additionally, flux from the seepage face was routed instantaneously to the nearest surface water cell according to the local sediment surface slope. With an external coupling approach, these two submodels run in parallel using time steps of different sizes. The time step (Δt_g) for the groundwater model is set to be larger than that (Δt_s) used by the surface water model for computational efficiency: Δt_g = M × Δt_s where M is an integer greater than 1. Data exchange takes place between the two submodels through a common database at synchronized times (e.g. end of each Δt_g). The coupled model was validated against two previously reported experiments on surface water and groundwater interactions in coastal lagoons. The results suggest that the model represents well the interacting surface water and groundwater flow and solute transport processes in the lagoons. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐decadal water table manipulation alters peatland hydraulic structure and moisture retention

A peatland complex disturbed by berm construction in the 1950s was used to examine the long‐term impact of water table (WT) manipulation on peatland hydraulic properties and moisture retention at three adjacent sites with increasing depth to WT (WET, INTermediate reference and DRY). Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) was found to decrease with depth by several orders of magnitude over a depth of 1–1.5 m at all sites. The depth dependence of WT response to rainfall was similar across sites: WT response increased from 1 : 1 at the surface, to 5 : 1 at 50 cm depth. While surface specific yield (S_y) values were similar across all sites, it decreased with depth at a rate of 0.014 cm^?1 in hollows and 0.007 cm^?1 in hummocks. Bulk density (ρ_b) exhibited similar depth‐dependent trends as S_y and explains a high amount of variance (r² > 0.69) in moisture retention across a range of pore water pressures (?15 to ?500 cm H₂O). Because of higher ρ_b, hollow peat had greater moisture retention, where site effects were minimal. However, the estimated residual water content for surface Sphagnum samples, while on average lower in hummocks (0.082 m³ m^?3) versus hollows (0.087 m³ m^?3), increased from WET (0.058 m³ m^?3) to INT (0.088 m³ m^?3) to DRY (0.108 m³ m^?3) which has important implications for moisture stress under conditions of persistent WT drawdown. Given the potential importance of microtopographic succession for altering peatland hydraulic structure, our findings point to the need for a better understanding of what controls the relative height and proportional coverage of hummocks in relation to long‐term disturbance‐response dynamics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating water fluxes in the critical zone using water stable isotope approaches in the Groundnut and Ferlo basins of Senegal

Sustainable water management in semi-arid agriculture practices requires quantitative knowledge of water fluxes within the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system. Therefore, we used stable-isotope approaches to evaluate evaporation (E_a), transpiration (T_a), and groundwater recharge (R) at sites in Senegal's Groundnut basin and Ferlo Valley pasture region during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons of 2021. The approaches were based upon (i) the isothermal evaporation model (for quantifying E_a); (ii) water and isotope mass balances (to partition E_a and T_a for groundnut and pasture); and (iii) the piston displacement method (for estimating R). E_a losses derived from the isothermal evaporation model corresponded primarily to Stage II evaporation, and ranged from 0.02 to 0.09 mm d⁻¹ in the Groundnut basin, versus 0.02–0.11 mm d⁻¹ in Ferlo. At the groundnut site, E_a rates ranged from 0.01 to 0.69 mm d⁻¹; T_a was in the range 0.55–2.29 mm d⁻¹; and the T_a/ET_a ratio was 74%–90%. At the pasture site, the ranges were 0.02–0.39 mm d⁻¹ for E_a; 0.9–1.69 mm d⁻¹ for T_a; and 62–90% for T_a/ET_a. The ET_a value derived for the groundnut site via the isotope approach was similar to those from eddy covariance measurements, and also to the results from the previous validated HYDRUS-1D model. However, the HYDRUS-1D model gave a lower T_a/ET_a ratio (23.2%). The computed groundwater recharge for the groundnut site amounted to less than 2% of the local annual precipitation. Recommendations are made regarding protocols for preventing changes to isotopic compositions of water in samples that are collected in remote arid regions, but must be analysed days later. The article ends with suggestions for studies to follow up on evidence that local aquifers are being recharged via preferential pathways.     

Runoff modelling at two field slopes: use of in situ measurements of air permeability to characterize spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity

The time required at a field site to obtain a few measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) will allow for many measurements of soil air permeability (k_a). This study investigates if k_a measured in situ (k_{a, in situ}) can be a substitute for measurement of K_s in relation to infiltration and surface runoff modelling. Measurements of k_{a, in situ} were carried out in two small agricultural catchments. A spatial correlation of the log‐transformed values existed having a range of approximately 100 m. A predictive relationship between K_s and k_a measured on 100‐cm³ soil samples in the laboratory was derived for one of the field slopes and showed good agreement with an earlier suggested predictive K_s–k_a relationship. In situ measurements of K_s and k_a suggested that the predictive relationships also could be used at larger scale. The K_s–k_a relationships together with the k_{a, in situ} data were applied in a distributed surface runoff (DSR) model, simulating a high‐intensity rainfall event. The DSR simulation results were highly dependent on whether the geometric average of k_{a, in situ} or kriged values of k_{a, in situ} was used as model input. When increasing the resolution of K_s in the DSR model, a limit of 30–40 m was found for both field slopes. Below this limit, the simulated runoff and hydrograph peaks were independent of resolution scale. If only a few randomly chosen values of K_s were used to represent the spatial variation within the field slope, very large deviations in repeated DSR simulation results were obtained, both with respect to peak height and hydrograph shape. In contrast, when using many predicted K_s values based on a K_s–k_a relationship and measured k_{a, in situ} data, the DSR model generally captured the correct hydrograph shape although simulations were sensitive to the chosen K_s–k_a relationship. As massive measurement efforts normally will be required to obtain a satisfactory representation of the spatial variability in K_s, the use of k_{a, in situ} to assess spatial variability in K_s appears a promising alternative. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elevation-dependent changes in reference evapotranspiration due to climate change

The Food and Agriculture Organizations' (FAO) Penman–Monteith reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) is a crucial index in the research of water and energy balance. Temporal and spatial variations in ET₀ from 1981–2017 were investigated in the Hengduan Mountains, China_. The results showed a change point around the year 2000 in ET₀ series. ET₀ decreased and increased significantly by +3.200 mm/year (p < 0.01) from 1981–2000 and by +4.109 mm/year (p < 0.01) from 2001–2017, respectively. The contribution analysis shows that the positive significant contribution of air temperature (TA) was offset by negative effects of decreases in downward shortwave radiation (R_s) and wind speed (WS) and an increase in actual vapour pressure (e_a), causing the decrease in ET₀ from 1981 to 2000. WS was the largest contributing factor for the decrease in ET₀ from 1981 to 2000 during spring, winter and annually, while R_s and e_a were the largest negative contributors in summer and autumn, respectively. An increase in TA was responsible for the increase in ET₀ in all seasons except winter and the annual scale in 2001–2017. The sensitivity analysis shows that ET₀ was most sensitive to TA, and WS was the least sensitive variable. The trends of ET₀ increased with elevation; we denote this as the elevation-dependence of ET₀ changes. The elevation-dependence was also noted for the trends of WS and e_a, with higher elevations showing larger changes in WS and lower changes in e_a. Besides, the sensitivities of TA, R_s and e_a decreased with elevation, while that of WS increased slightly with elevation. A comprehensive investigation into the trends of climatic drivers and their sensitivities revealed complex trends of the contributions of climatic variables on ET₀ with elevation, with no uniform trend existed in seasons. The results will contribute to our understanding of the response of ET₀ to climate change in a mountainous area, and provide a guideline for the water resources management under climate change.     

Pan evaporation modelling and changing attribution analysis on the Tibetan Plateau (1970–2012)

Pan evaporation (E_p) is an important indicator of water and energy and the decline of E_p has been reported in many regions over the last decades. The climate and E_p are dependent on each other. In this study, the temporal trends of E_p and main E_p drivers, namely mean air temperature (T_a), wind speed (u), global solar radiation (R_s), net long‐wave radiation(R_nl) and vapour pressure deficit (D) from 1970 to 2012, were calculated on the basis of 26 meteorological stations on the Tibetan Plateau. The arithmetic average of E_p from 26 stations decreased with the rate of ?11.91 mm a^?2; the trends of R_s, R_nl, T_a, u and D were ?1.434 w m^?2 decade^?1, 0.2511 w m^?2 decade^?1, 0.3590°C decade^?1, ?0.2376 m s^?1 decade^?1 and 9.523 Pa decade^?1, respectively. The diffuse irradiance is an essential parameter to model E_p and quantify the contribution of climatic factors to changing E_p. 60 724 observations of R_s and diffuse solar irradiance (R_d) from seven of the 26 stations were used to develop the correlation between the diffuse fraction (R_d/R_s), and the clearness index (R_s/R_o). On the basis of the estimation of the diffuse component of R_s and climatic data, we modified the PenPan model to estimate Chinese micro‐pan evaporation (E_p) and assess the attribution of E_p dynamics using partial derivatives. The results showed that there was a good agreement between the observed and calculated daily E_p values. The observed decrease in E_p was mostly due to declining wind speed (?13.7 mm a^?2) with some contributions from decreasing solar irradiance (?3.1 mm a^?2); and the increase of temperature had a large positive effect (4.55 mm a^?2) in total whilst the increase of R_nl had insignificant effect (0.35 mm a^?2) on E_p rates. The change of E_p is the net result of all the climatic variables. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating daily inflows of large lakes using a water‐balance‐based runoff coefficient scaling approach

Daily river inflow time series are highly valuable for water resources and water environment management of large lakes. However, the availability of continuous inflow data for large lakes is still relatively limited, especially for large lakes situated within humid plain regions with tens or even hundreds of tributaries. In this study, we choose the fifth largest freshwater Lake Chaohu in China as our study area to introduce a new approach to reconstruct historical daily inflows at ungauged subcatchments of large lakes. This approach makes use of water level, lake surface rainfall, evaporation from the lake, and catchment rainfall observations. Rainfall–runoff relationship at a reference catchment was analysed to select rainfall input and estimate run‐off coefficient firstly, and the run‐off coefficient was then transferred to ungauged subcatchments to initially estimate daily inflows. Run‐off coefficient was scaled to adjust daily inflows at ungauged subcatchments according to water balance of the lake. This approach was evaluated using sparsely measured inflows at eight subcatchments of Lake Chaohu and compared with the commonly used drainage area ratio method. Results suggest that the inflow time series reconstructed from this approach consistent well to corresponding observations, with mean R² and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values of 0.69 and 0.6, respectively. This approach outperforms drainage area ratio method in terms of mean R² and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values. Accuracy of this approach holds well when the number of water‐level station being used decreased from four to one.     

Spatio‐temporal distribution of actual evapotranspiration in the Indus Basin Irrigation System

Strategic planning of optimal water use requires an accurate assessment of actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) to understand the environmental and hydrological processes of the world's largest contiguous irrigation networks, including the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) in Pakistan. The Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) has been used successfully for accurate estimations of ET_a in different river basins throughout the world. In this study, we examined the application of SEBS using publically available remote sensing data to assess spatial variations in water consumption and to map water stress from daily to annual scales in the IBIS. Ground‐based ET_a was calculated by the advection‐aridity method, from nine meteorological sites, and used to evaluate the intra‐annual seasonality in the hydrological year 2009–2010. In comparison with the advection‐aridity, SEBS computed daily ET_a was slightly underestimated with a bias of ?0.15 mm day^?1 during the kharif (wet; April–September) season, and it was overestimated with a bias of 0.23 mm day^?1 in the rabi (dry; October–March) season. Monthly values of the ET_a estimated by SEBS were significantly (P < 0.05) controlled by mean air temperature and rainfall, among other climatological variables (relative humidity, sunshine hours and wind speed). Because of the seasonal (kharif and rabi) differences in the water and energy budget in the huge canal command areas of the IBIS, ET_a and rainfall were positively correlated in the kharif season and were negatively correlated during the rabi season. In addition, analysis of the evaporation process showed that mixed‐cropping and rice–wheat dominated areas had lower and higher water consumption rates, respectively, in comparison with other cropping systems in the basin. Basin areas under water stress were identified by means of spatial variations in the relative evapotranspiration, which had an average value of 0.59 and 0.42 during the kharif and the rabi seasons, respectively. The hydrological parameters used in this study provide useful information for understanding hydrological processes at different spatial and temporal scales. Results of this study further suggest that the SEBS is useful for evaluation of water resources in semi‐arid to arid regions over longer periods, if the data inputs are carefully handled. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Atmospheric Concentrations and Phase Partitioning of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Izmir,Turkey

Ambient air polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) samples were collected at a suburban (n = 63) and at an urban site (n = 14) in Izmir, Turkey. Average gas‐phase total PAH (∑₁₄PAH) concentrations were 23.5 ng m^?3 for suburban and 109.7 ng m^?3 for urban sites while average particle‐phase total PAH concentrations were 12.3 and 34.5 ng m^?3 for suburban and urban sites, respectively. Higher ambient PAH concentrations were measured in the gas‐phase and ∑₁₄PAH concentrations were dominated by lower molecular weight PAHs. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the meteorological parameters were effective on ambient PAH concentrations. Emission sources of particle‐phase PAHs were investigated using a diagnostic plot of fluorene (FLN)/(fluorine + pyrene; PY) versus indeno[1,2,3‐cd]PY/(indeno[1,2,3‐cd]PY + benzo[g,h,i]perylene) and several diagnostic ratios. These approaches have indicated that traffic emissions (petroleum combustion) were the dominant PAH sources at both sites for summer and winter seasons. Experimental gas–particle partition coefficients (K_P) were compared to the predictions of octanol–air (K_OA) and soot–air (K_SA) partition coefficient models. The correlations between experimental and modeled K_P values were significant (r² = 0.79 and 0.94 for suburban and urban sites, respectively, p < 0.01). Octanol‐based absorptive partitioning model predicted lower partition coefficients especially for relatively volatile PAHs. However, overall there was a relatively good agreement between the measured K_P and soot‐based model predictions.     

A simple two‐parameter model for scaling hillslope surface runoff

The objective of this research was to develop and parameterise a physically justified yet low‐parameter model to quantify observed changes in surface runoff ratios with hillslope length. The approach starts with the assumption that a unit of rainfall‐excess runoff generated at a point is a fraction β of precipitation P (m) which travels some variable distance down a slope before reinfiltrating, depending on the local rainfall, climate, soils, etc. If this random distance travelled Y is represented by a distribution, then a survival function will describe the probability of this unit of runoff travelling further than some distance x (m). The total amount of per unit width runoff Q (m²) flowing across the lower boundary of a slope of length λ (m) may be considered the sum of all the proportions of the units of rainfall excess runoff integrated from the lower boundary x = 0 to the upper boundary x = λ of the slope. Using these assumptions we derive a model Q(λ) = βPμλ/(μ + λ), (μ > 0, 0 ≤ β ≤ 1, λ ≥ 0) that describes the change in surface runoff with slope length, where μ (m) is the mean of the random variable Y. Dividing both sides of this equation by Pλ yields a simple two‐parameter equation for the dimensionless hillslope runoff ratio Q_h(λ) = βμ/(μ + λ). The model was parameterised with new rainfall and runoff data collected from three replicates of bounded 2 m wide plots of four different lengths (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 m) for 2 years from a forested SE Australian site, and with 32 slope length–runoff data sets from 12 other published studies undertaken between 1934 and 2010. Using the parameterised model resulted in a Nash and Sutcliffe statistic between observed and predicted runoff ratio (for all data sets combined) of 0.93, compared with –2.1 when the runoff ratio was fixed at the value measured from the shortest plot. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of LNAPL saturation in fine sand using time-domain reflectometry / Estimation de la saturation en LPNAL dans du sable fin grâce à la réflectométrie en domaine temporel

Abstract

Abstract Recently, substantial progress has been made in detection and observation of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in the subsurface using different experimental techniques. However, there is still a lack of appropriate direct methods to measure the saturation of NAPL (θ_NAPL). This paper provides a guide for estimating θ_NAPL and water content (θ _w ) in unsaturated and saturated sand based on direct measurements of soil dielectric constant (K_a ) and electrical conductivity (σ _a ) using time domain reflectometry (TDR). The results show that the previously used dielectric mixing model fails to predict θ_NAPL in the case of a four-phase system. A new methodology is suggested and exemplified by showing that the measured K_a gives accurate estimation of θ_NAPL for a three-phase system while in a four-phase system, both θ _a and K_a need to be measured. The results show that using the suggested methodology, accurate predictions of θ _w (R ² = 0.9998) and θ_NAPL lower than 0.20 m³ m^-3 (average R ² = 0.9756) are possible.     

Soil water content and salinity determination using different dielectric methods in saline gypsiferous soil / Détermination de la teneur en eau et de la salinité de sols salins gypseux à l'aide de différentes méthodes diélectriques

Abstract

Measurements of dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity were taken in a saline gypsiferous soil collected from southern Tunisia. Both time domain reflectometry (TDR) and the new WET sensor based on frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) were used. Seven different moistening solutions were used with electrical conductivities of 0.0053–14 dS m^?1. Different models for describing the observed relationships between dielectric permittivity (K _a ) and water content (θ), and bulk electrical conductivity (EC _a ) and pore water electrical conductivity (EC _p ) were tested and evaluated. The commonly used K _a –θ models by Topp et al. (1980) and Ledieu et al. (1986) cannot be recommended for the WET sensor. With these models, the RMSE and the mean relative error of the predicted θ were about 0.04 m³ m^?3 and 19% for TDR and 0.08 m³ m^?3 and 54% for WET sensor measurements, respectively. Using the Hilhorst (2000) model for EC _p predictions, the RMSE was 1.16 dS m^?1 and 4.15 dS m^?1 using TDR and the WET sensor, respectively. The WET sensor could give similar accuracy to TDR if calibrated values of the soil parameter were used instead of standard values.