Cartography: visualization of spatial data (3rd ed.), by Menno-Jan Kraak and Ferjan Ormeling

Conventionally, a raster operation that needs to scan the entire image employs only one scanning order (i.e., single scanning order (SSO)), and the scan usually runs from upper left to lower right and row by row. We explore the idea of alternately applying multiple scanning orders (MSO) to raster operations that are based on the local direction, using the flow accumulation (FA) calculation as an example. We constructed several FA methods based on MSO, and compared them with those widely used methods. Our comparison includes experiments over digital elevation models (DEMs) of different landforms and DEMs of different resolutions. For each DEM, we calculated both single-direction FA (SD-FA) and multi-direction FA (MD-FA). In the theoretical aspect, we deducted the time complexity of an MSO sequential algorithm (MSOsq) for FA based on empirical equations in hydrology. Findings from the experiments include the following: (1) an MSO-based method is generally superior to its counterpart SSO-based method. (2) The advantage of MSO is more significant in the SD-FA calculation than in the MD-FA calculation. (3) For SD-FA, the best method among the compared methods is the one that combines the MSOsq and the depth-first algorithm. This method surpasses the commonly recommended dependency graph algorithm, in both speed and memory use. (4) The differences between the compared methods are not sensitive to specific landforms. (5) For SD-FA, the advantage of MSO-based methods is more obvious in a higher DEM resolution, but this does not apply to MD-FA.     

Complex internal architecture of a debris‐flow deposit revealed using ground‐penetrating radar,Cass, New Zealand

Previous research on debris‐flow deposit structure typically reports little to no visually discernible stratigraphy. The preliminary findings presented here provide evidence for more complex internal deposit architecture with inverse grading and subunits thought to reflect individual flow surges. Ground‐penetrating radar surveys, geospatial data and field observations are used to describe 10 subunits traceable over the 14 lateral radargrams imaging the lower 38 m of the deposit. Additional subunits are depicted further upslope in a longitudinal transect. As well as demonstrating the need for continued investigation of deposit architecture using non‐traditional techniques, these results may help improve future interpretations of post‐event deposits.     

A methodology for dealing with regional change in integrated water resources management

The paper presents a methodology on how to consistently deal with the future change and management options in integrated water resources management (IWRM). It is based on a conceptual framework with a five step procedure for the formulation and analysis of a so-called ‘parameterised regional futures’. Developing and testing the approach for IWRM is realised for the upper part of the Western Bug River catchment (Ukraine). Special attention is paid to scenarios of change covering climate and land use. The future regional climate is downscaled with the model CCLM. Land cover is projected after retrospective change detection and the derivation of prospective algorithms. Parameters of the interrelations between land use and the water cycle are tackled through using the concept of the model PWF-LU. The methodology is currently being tested to analyse the impacts of mid-term regional change and management options on the water cycle of the catchment.     

Unstructured-mesh modeling of the Congo river-to-sea continuum

With the second largest outflow in the world and one of the widest hydrological basins, the Congo River is of a major importance both locally and globally. However, relatively few studies have been conducted on its hydrology, as compared to other great rivers such as the Amazon, Nile, Yangtze, or Mississippi. The goal of this study is therefore to help fill this gap and provide the first high-resolution simulation of the Congo river-estuary-coastal sea continuum. To this end, we are using a discontinuous-Galerkin finite element marine model that solves the two-dimensional depth-averaged shallow water equations on an unstructured mesh. To ensure a smooth transition from river to coastal sea, we have considered a model that encompasses both hydrological and coastal ocean processes. An important difficulty in setting up this model was to find data to parameterize and validate it, as it is a rather remote and understudied area. Therefore, an important effort in this study has been to establish a methodology to take advantage of all the data sources available including nautical charts that had to be digitalized. The model surface elevation has then been validated with respect to an altimetric database. Model results suggest the existence of gyres in the vicinity of the river mouth that have never been documented before. The effect of those gyres on the Congo River dynamics has been further investigated by simulating the transport of Lagrangian particles and computing the water age.     

Influence of shear rate,organic matter content,pH and salinity on mud flocculation

The purpose of this paper is to establish a relation between a few measurable quantities (the so-called ζ potential, organic matter content, and shear rate) and the flocculation behavior of mud. The results obtained with small-scale flocculation experiments (mixing jar) are compared to results of large-scale experiments (settling column). The mud used for all experiments has been collected in October 2007 in the lower Western Schelde, near Antwerp, Belgium. From this study, it was found that the mean floc size and the Kolmogorov microscale vary in a similar way with the shear rate for suspensions with different pH and salt concentrations. The size of flocs at a given shear rate depends on the properties of the suspension, which affect the electrokinetic properties of the sediment; these can be described by means of the ζ potential. The main findings of this paper are: (1) In saline suspensions at pH = 8, the mean floc size increases when the salt concentration and the ζ potential increase. (2) For a given ζ potential, the mean floc size at low pH is larger than observed at pH = 8 for any added salt. (3) The mean floc size increases with increasing organic matter content. (4) Mud with no organic matter at pH = 8 and no added salt flocculates very little. The response of mud suspensions to variations in salinity and pH is similar to that of kaolinite. This suggests that a general trend can be established for different and complex types of clays and mud. This systematic study can therefore be used for further development of flocculation models.     

Imaging Pathways in Fractured Rock Using Three‐Dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography

Major challenges exist in delineating bedrock fracture zones because these cause abrupt changes in geological and hydrogeological properties over small distances. Borehole observations cannot sufficiently capture heterogeneity in these systems. Geophysical techniques offer the potential to image properties and processes in between boreholes. We used three‐dimensional cross borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in a 9 m (diameter) × 15 m well field to capture high‐resolution flow and transport processes in a fractured mudstone contaminated by chlorinated solvents, primarily trichloroethylene. Conductive (sodium bromide) and resistive (deionized water) injections were monitored in seven boreholes. Electrode arrays with isolation packers and fluid sampling ports were designed to enable acquisition of ERT measurements during pulsed tracer injections. Fracture zone locations and hydraulic pathways inferred from hydraulic head drawdown data were compared with electrical conductivity distributions from ERT measurements. Static ERT imaging has limited resolution to decipher individual fractures; however, these images showed alternating conductive and resistive zones, consistent with alternating laminated and massive mudstone units at the site. Tracer evolution and migration was clearly revealed in time‐lapse ERT images and supported by in situ borehole vertical apparent conductivity profiles collected during the pulsed tracer test. While water samples provided important local information at the extraction borehole, ERT delineated tracer migration over spatial scales capturing the primary hydrogeological heterogeneity controlling flow and transport. The fate of these tracer injections at this scale could not have been quantified using borehole logging and/or borehole sampling methods alone.     

Carbon pools in stream‐riparian corridors: legacy of disturbance along mountain streams of south‐eastern Wyoming

Streams and their accompanying riparian environments are intrinsic components of terrestrial carbon cycling. However, they have been understudied in terms of the magnitude of their storage components and the role of disturbance in determining carbon storage capacity. This study presents partial carbon budgets for stream‐riparian corridors along six study reaches in mountain headwater streams of southeast Wyoming to evaluate the impact of tie‐driving, a historic disturbance legacy, on contemporary carbon storage. Detailed measurements of biomass were collected for in‐stream components of carbon including fine and coarse particulate organic matter and in‐stream large wood. Biomass was also estimated for riparian components including standing trees (live and dead), regenerating conifers, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, downed wood, litter, and duff (partially decayed litter). Biomass was converted to carbon for all components and differences in storage were compared between tie‐driven and non‐driven reaches. Carbon content in riparian soils (to approximately 20 cm) was also measured. Twice the amount of carbon was stored in the riparian areas relative to the streams; most carbon was stored in standing trees (live and dead). While overall carbon storage within the riparian areas and streams were similar between disturbance conditions, the amount of carbon stored in large in‐stream wood and downed wood on the floodplain was significantly higher in systems that were not tie‐driven. The results of this study indicate that legacies of tie‐driving influence carbon storage within the region, while also capturing baseline estimates of carbon storage in the wake of recent bark beetle infestations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.