Streamflow generation in a headwater basin on the precambrian shield

Current conceptual runoff models hypothesize that stormflow generation on the Canadian Shield is a combination of subsurface stormflow and saturation overland flow. This concept was tested during spring runoff in a small (3.3 ha) headwater basin using: (1) isotopic and chemical hydrograph separation and (2) field mapping and direct tracing of saturated areas. Isotopic and chemical hydrograph separation indicated three runoff components: (1) pre-melt subsurface flow; (2) subsurface flow of new (event) water; and (3) direct precipitation on to saturated areas (DPS). During early thaw-freeze cycles, their relative contributions to total flow remained constant (65 per cent, 30 per cent, and 5 per cent respectively). It is hypothesized that lateral flow along the bedrock/mineral soil interface, possibly through macropores, supplied large volumes of subsurface flow (of both old and new water) rapidly to the stream channel. Much higher contributions of DPS were observed during an intensive rain-on-snow event (15 per cent of total flow). Mapping and direct tracing of saturated areas using lithium bromide, suggested that saturated area size was positively correlated to stream discharge but its response lagged behind that of discharge. These observations suggest that the runoff mechanisms, and hence the sources of stream flow, will vary depending on storm characteristics.     

Sources and sinks of nutrients in a New Zealand hill pasture catchment I. Stormflow generation

The processes of stormflow generation were studied in a hill pasture catchment near Hamilton, New Zealand. Although rainfall was relatively evenly distributed throughout the year, stormflow was highly seasonal and over 65 per cent occurred during the winter. Three main processes contributing to stormflow were identified which could be related to soil type and physiographic position. On gleyed soils derived from rhyolitic colluvium, saturation overland flow was the dominant process. Hydrographs from ‘Whipkey’ throughflow troughs also indicated that there was a subsurface response (saturated wedge) from this soil type. On steeper convex slopes, more permeable soils were derived from weathered greywacke. The presence of ephemeral springs on the hillslopes and direct observation during storm events indicated that storm runoff was generated as return flow from this soil. It was noted that nitrate concentrations from subsurface sources were 5–10 times higher than surface runoff. This difference in concentration was utilized in a chemical mixing equation which partitioned stormflow sources. This was compared with the stormflow predicted from rain falling on to saturated areas. There was good agreement between the two models for winter-spring events with respect to the volumes of surface runoff predicted, however the saturated areas model underestimated total stormflow. The results of the study are briefly discussed in terms of the potential for water quality management.     

The generation and redistribution of overland flow on a massive oxic soil in a eucalypt woodland within the semi-arid tropics of North Australia

There is a dearth of knowledge on the runoff processes of eucalypt woodland communities in the semi-arid tropics of Australia. The work was undertaken on a 100 m transect of a 0·8 degree hillslope typical of the ‘smooth plainlands’ of central-north Queensland. This paper introduces a new experimental design for measuring overland flow in such areas by way of a cascade system of unbounded runoff plots which allow the inputs and outputs between troughs to be calculated. Most storms generate overland flow. Time to overland flow ranges between 1 and 18 min where rain intensities are above 10mm hr⁻¹ and when the average detention storage of 3·6 mm is exceeded. The bare soil surfaces within the scattered grass understory control the runoff generation process through the temporal variability of field saturated hydraulic conductivity. The study demonstrated that overland flow is mainly redistributed over the freely-draining oxic soil. Some areas export more overland flow than they gain from upslope (runoff), others gain more overland flow than they export (runon). Over the study period only 2 per cent of total rain is transferred out of this 100 m transect as overland flow due to the short duration of storms, the relatively high soil permeability, and the low slope angle. The remainder adds to the large soil water store or deep drainage. The variability of runoff–runon over these ‘smooth plainlands’ highlights how results from bounded plots would be misleading in such areas.     

Isotopic and geochemical characterization of salinization in the shallow aquifers of a reclaimed subsiding zone: The southern Venice Lagoon coastland

The coastal plain bordering the southern Venice Lagoon is a reclaimed lowland characterized by high subsidence rate, and ground level and water-table depth below sea level. In this agricultural region, where the surface hydrologic network is entirely artificially controlled by irrigation/drainage canals, salinization problems have long been encountered in soils and groundwaters. Here we use isotopic and geochemical tracers to improve our understanding of the origin of salinization and mineralization of the semi-confined aquifer (0–40 m), and the freshwater inputs to this hydrological system. Water samples have been collected at different seasons in the coastal Adriatic Sea, lagoon, rivers and irrigation canals, as well as in the semi-confined aquifer at depths between 12 and 35 m (14 boreholes), and in the first confined aquifer (three boreholes drilled between 40 and 80 m depth). Stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δD) and conductivity profiles show that direct saline intrusion from the sea or the lagoon is observed only in a restricted coastal strip, while brackish groundwaters are found over the entire topographic and piezometric depression in the centre of the study area. Fresh groundwaters are found only in the most western zone. The sharp isotopic contrast between the western and central regions suggests disconnected hydrological circulations between these two parts of the shallow aquifer. The border between these two regions also corresponds to the limits of the most strongly subsiding zone.Our results can be interpreted in terms of a four end-member mixing scheme, involving (1) marine water from the lagoon or the open sea, (2) alpine and pre-alpine regional recharge waters carried either by the main rivers Adige, Bacchiglione and Brenta (irrigation waters) or by the regional groundwater circulation, (3) local precipitation, and (4) evaporated waters infiltrated from the surface. Infiltration from the surface is also revealed by the stratification of the electrical conductivity profiles, showing that the brackish groundwaters are overlain by a shallow layer of less saline water all over the central depression. In the first confined aquifer, the groundwaters have isotopic compositions similar to the deep groundwaters of the Venetian confined aquifers (40–400 m depth). The isotopic data and the Br/Cl ratio show that the origin of the salinization of the phreatic aquifer can be ascribed to seawater intrusion alone, with no indication of the involvement of deep brines (identified at 450 m depth) in the process.The chemical composition of the saline and brackish groundwaters is characterized by an excess of sodium and a deficit of calcium compared to conservative mixing between fresh groundwaters and seawater. This suggests that the phreatic aquifer is progressively freshening, as a consequence of the beneficial influence of the extensive irrigation/drainage network, including raised canals acting as a hydraulic barrier along the coast. This freshening tendency may have been lasting since the reclamation in the mid-twentieth century, and has probably been accelerated by the ban on groundwater abstraction since the 1970s.     

Spatiotemporal variability in hydrochemistry of shallow groundwater in a small pre‐alpine catchment: The importance of landscape elements

Topography and landscape characteristics affect the storage and release of water and, thus, groundwater dynamics and chemistry. Quantification of catchment scale variability in groundwater chemistry and groundwater dynamics may therefore help to delineate different groundwater types and improve our understanding of which parts of the catchment contribute to streamflow. We sampled shallow groundwater from 34 to 47 wells and streamflow at seven locations in a 20‐ha steep mountainous catchment in the Swiss pre‐Alps, during nine baseflow snapshot campaigns. The spatial variability in electrical conductivity, stable water isotopic composition, and major and trace ion concentrations was large and for almost all parameters larger than the temporal variability. Concentrations of copper, zinc, and lead were highest at sites that were relatively dry, whereas concentrations of manganese and iron were highest at sites that had persistent shallow groundwater levels. The major cation and anion concentrations were only weakly correlated to individual topographic or hydrodynamic characteristics. However, we could distinguish four shallow groundwater types based on differences from the catchment average concentrations: riparian zone‐like groundwater, hillslopes and areas with small upslope contributing areas, deeper groundwater, and sites characterized by high magnesium and sulfate concentrations that likely reflect different bedrock material. Baseflow was not an equal mixture of the different groundwater types. For the majority of the campaigns, baseflow chemistry most strongly resembled riparian‐like groundwater for all but one subcatchment. However, the similarity to the hillslope‐type groundwater was larger shortly after snowmelt, reflecting differences in hydrologic connectivity. We expect that similar groundwater types can be found in other catchments with steep hillslopes and wet areas with shallow groundwater levels and recommend sampling of groundwater from all landscape elements to understand groundwater chemistry and groundwater contributions to streamflow.