Stable isotopes of water show deep seasonal recharge in northern bogs and fens

Ground water recharge is assumed to occur primarily at raised bog crests in northern peatlands, which are globally significant terrestrial carbon reservoirs. We synoptically surveyed vertical profiles of peat pore water δ¹⁸O and δ²H from a range of bog and fen landforms across the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands, northern Minnesota. Contrary to our expectations, we find that local‐scale recharge penetrates to not only the basal peat at topographically high bog crests but also transitional Sphagnum lawns and low‐lying fen water tracks. Surface landscape characteristics appear to control the isotopic composition of the deeper pore waters (depths ≥0.5 m), which are partitioned into discrete ranges of δ¹⁸O on the basis of landform type (mean ± standard deviation for bog crests = ?11.9 ± 0.4‰, lawns = ?10.6 ± 0.1‰, fen water tracks = ?8.8 ± 1.0‰). Fen water tracks have a shallow free‐water surface that is seasonally enriched by isotope fractionating evaporation, fingerprinting recharge to underlying pore waters at depths ≥3 m. Isotope mass balance calculations indicate on average 12% of the waters we sampled from the basal peat of the fen water tracks was lost to surface evaporation, which occurred prior to advection and dispersion into the underlying formation. These new data provide direct support for the hypothesis that methane production in deeper peat strata is fuelled by the downward transport of labile carbon substrates from the surface of northern peat basins. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hysteretic freezing characteristics of riparian peatlands in the Western Boreal Forest of Canada

Freezing characteristics were investigated for a sedge covered floating fen and spruce covered swamp located beside a shallow lake in the Western Boreal Forest of Canada. Thermal properties were measured in situ for one freeze‐thaw cycle, and for two freeze‐thaw cycles in laboratory columns. Thermal conductivity and liquid water content were related to a range of subsurface temperatures above and below the freezing thresholds, and clearly illustrate hysteresis between the freezing and thawing process. Thermal hysteresis occurs because of the large change in thermal conductivity between water and ice, high water content of the peat, and wide variation in pore sizes that govern ice formation. Field and laboratory results were combined to develop linear freezing functions, which were tested in a heat transfer model. For surface temperature boundary conditions, subsurface temperatures were simulated for the over‐winter period and compared with field measurements. Replication of the transient subsurface thermal regime required that freezing functions transition gradually from thawed to frozen state (spanning the ?0·25 to ?2 °C range) as opposed to a more abrupt step function. Subsurface temperatures indicate that the floating fen underwent complete phase change (from water to ice) and froze to approximately the same depth as lake ice thickness. Therefore, the floating fen peatland froze as a ‘shelf’ adjacent to the lake, whereas the spruce covered swamp had a higher capacity for thermal buffering, and subsurface freezing was both more gradual and limited in depth. These thermal properties, and the timing and duration of frozen state, are expected to control the interaction of water and nutrients between surface water and groundwater, which will be affected by changes in air temperature associated with global climate change. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Erosion and natural revegetation associated with surface land drains in upland peatlands

Open cut drains are the most frequently used drainage technique in peatlands and are common throughout the world. Land drains increase the drainage density and promote enhanced coupling of hillslope sediment sources with streams. They may be major sources of fine sediment to peatland stream systems but data on drain sediment production in peatlands are rare. Many drains are now being dammed by humans, yet some revegetate naturally. This paper presents a survey of the erosion and natural revegetation of peat drains related to variables such as slope, drainage area and shading. The paper also provides measured comparison of sediment flux from open drains, drains that have been blocked by peat dams, undisturbed subcatchments, and the catchment outlet. Natural infilling of drains was often found to occur on gentle slopes <4°. Drains on slopes <2° were rarely eroded, while drains on slopes >4° were rarely infilled. Nick‐point retreat at the confluence of drains was often observed. Revegetation of drains was uncommon where drains have been cut or incised into the underlying mineral substrate. Where the drain floor was peat‐based, revegetation was much more common. Revegetation of drain floors was affected by overhanging vegetation, which provided shading. Drain floors with less than 60% shading tended to have a greater vegetation cover than drains with 60–90% shading. However, drains that were almost totally shaded (>90%) had the greatest floor vegetation. The intact drains were found to be major sources of suspended sediment within the survey catchments, with 18·3% of the sediment originating from the unblocked drains which drained 7·3% of the area. The winter quarter of the year was more important than other seasons for producing suspended sediment, even though precipitation totals were not greatest during this period. Drains which had been dammed at intervals along their length using peat blocks had very low sediment yields. Even poorly dammed drains, where water could still flow along the full course of the drain, had 54 times less suspended sediment production than unblocked drains. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tilt measurements in western Canada

Pairs of short baselength mercury-level tiltmeters mounted on shallow piers coupled to sedimentary rocks have been used to monitor ground tilting at three inland locations in western Canada. Noise levels have been estimated over large Nyquist intervals to evaluate site conditions and for comparison with results observed in crystalline rocks at other locations. The results show that tilt noise patterns are similar for different locations, and that noise levels are higher for unconsolidated sediments. Tidal estimates for the principal lunar semidiurnal constituentM ₂ were obtained from the least noisy sections of the tilt series. Uncertainties in the estimated amplitudes for the record lengths considered range from 4 to 20% depending on location and azimuth. Comparison of the observedM ₂ tide with those predicted for an elastic Earth loaded by two different ocean configurations (Schwiderski or Parke) shows better agreement with the Schwiderski marine tidal model. Differences between observaton and theory suggest a strain-induced perturbation source.     

Identification of flood seasonality and drivers across Canada

Floods are the most frequently occurring natural hazard in Canada. An in-depth understanding of flood seasonality and its drivers at a national scale is essential. Here, a circular, statistics-based approach is implemented to understand the seasonality of annual-maximum floods (streamflow) and to identify their responsible drivers across Canada. Nearly 80% and 70% of flood events were found to occur during spring and summer in eastern and western watersheds across Canada, respectively. Flooding in the eastern and western watersheds was primarily driven by snowmelt and extreme precipitation, respectively. This observation suggests that increases in temperature have led to early spring snowmelt-induced floods throughout eastern Canada. Our results indicate that precipitation (snowmelt) variability can exert large controls on the magnitude of flood peaks in western (eastern) watersheds in Canada. Further, the nonstationarity of flood peaks is modelled to account for impact of the dynamic behaviour of the identified flood drivers on extreme-flood magnitude by using a cluster of 74 generalized additive models for location scale and shape models, which can capture both the linear and nonlinear characteristics of flood-peak changes and can model its dependence on external covariates. Using nonstationary frequency analysis, we find that increasing precipitation and snowmelt magnitudes directly resulted in a significant increase in 50-year streamflow. Our results highlight an east–west asymmetry in flood seasonality, indicating the existence of a climate signal in flood observations. The understating of flood seasonality and flood responses under the dynamic characteristics of precipitation and snowmelt extremes may facilitate the predictability of such events, which can aid in predicting and managing their impacts.     

Mountain hydrology of Canada and China: A case study in comparative hydrology

Comparative hydrology attempts to identify regions with similar environmental attributes and then compares the hydrological activities in these regions to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and exchange of techniques. As a case study, the mountainous regions of Canada and China were compared. Vertical zonation is a characteristic feature of such regions, generating contrasts in microclimate, vegetation, soil and the resultant hydrological responses. An increase in precipitation with altitude is modified by aspect and other local factors. In temperate and colder latitudes, snow and ice are important, especially at higher elevations. Both countries have conducted many hydrological studies on snow and glaciers, but evaporation in mountainous terrain merits more attention. Runoff from mountainous catchments is often generated by a range of processes including rainfall, snowmelt and glacier melt, and runoff response to water input tends to be rapid. This study identifies some of the strengths and weaknesses of our current knowledge of mountain hydrology in both countries, and suggests that a more comprehensive treatment of the subject will improve the prediction of the hydrological behaviour of such regions.     

Geothermal gradients and heat flow in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin,Arctic Canada

Thermal gradients have been calculated and heat flow estimates made for 34 petroleum exploration wells along four regional profiles crossing the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin of northern Canada. The geothermal gradients vary from 22 mKm^–1 to 44 mKm^–1. Four sets of possible thermal conductivity values were used to calculate a range of heat flow values for each well. Generally low heat flow is observed in wells within the deeper portions of the basin and higher heat flow values occur in wells along the Aklavik Arch Complex which forms the southeastern margin of the basin.The contribution to heat flow by heat generation below the Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin fill sediments has been considered. The heat flow contribution from sub-Mesozoic sedimentary strata and underlying basement is highest along the basin-bounding Aklavik Arch Complex. The decrease in heat flow from below the basin fill sediments toward the basin depocenter may be related to basinward crustal thinning and corresponding reductions in intra-crustal radiogenic heat production.     

Trends in the timing and magnitude of floods in Canada

This study investigates trends in the timing and magnitude of seasonal maximum flood events across Canada. A new methodology for analyzing trends in the timing of flood events is developed that takes into account the directional character and multi-modality of flood occurrences. The methodology transforms the directional series of flood occurrences into new series by defining a new location of the origin. A test of flood seasonality (multi-modality) is then applied to identify dominant flood seasons. Floods from the dominant seasons are analyzed separately by a seasonal trend analysis. The Mann–Kendall test in conjunction with the method of pre-whitening is used in the trend analysis. Over 160 streamflow records from one common observation period are analyzed in watersheds with relatively pristine and stable land-use conditions. The results show weak signals of climate variability and/or change present in the timing of floods in Canada during the last three decades. Most of the significant trends in the timing of spring snowmelt floods are negative trends (earlier flood occurrence) found in the southern part of Canada. There are no significant trends identified in the timing of fall rainfall floods. However, the significance of the fall, rainfall-dominated flood season has been increasing in several analyzed watersheds. This may indicate increasing intensity of rainfall events during the recent years. Trends in the magnitude of floods are more pronounced than the trends in the timing of floods. Almost one fifth of all the analyzed stations show significant trends in the magnitude of snowmelt floods. Most of the significant trends are negative trends, suggesting decreasing magnitudes of snowmelt floods in Canada over the last three decades. Significant negative trends are found particularly in southern Ontario, northern Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. There are no significant trends in the magnitude of rainfall floods found in the analyzed streamflow records. The results support the outcomes of previous streamflow trend studies conducted in Canada.     

西加拿大波利尔平原地表水富营养化管理技术

Surface waters in western Canada often experience eutrophication-related problems with water quality, specifically high internal phosphorus loading rates and excessive phytoplankton and macrophyte production, that lead to water column anoxia and restricted fisheries habitat. A group of researchers from across Canada were involved for a seven-year period in cooperative programs for surface water quality management in western Canada, based at the University of Alberta. This paper summarises information on two techniques, hypolimnetic oxygenation and lime (Ca₂CO₃ and Ca(OH)₂) application, used in western Canada (specifically, the province of Alberta) to manage eutrophication in standing waters (lakes and reservoirs).     

Mercury and methylmercury biogeochemistry in a thawing permafrost wetland complex,Northwest Territories,Canada

In arctic and sub‐arctic environments, mercury (Hg), more specifically toxic methylmercury (MeHg), is of growing concern to local communities because of its accumulation in fish. In these regions, there is particular interest in the potential mobilization of atmospherically deposited Hg sequestered in permafrost that is thawing at unprecedented rates. Permafrost thaw and the resulting ground surface subsidence transforms forested peat plateaus into treeless and permafrost‐free thermokarst wetlands where inorganic Hg released from the thawed permafrost and draining from the surrounding peat plateaus may be transformed to MeHg. This study begins to characterize the spatial distribution of MeHg in a peat plateau–thermokarst wetland complex, a feature that prevails throughout the wetland‐dominated southern margin of thawing discontinuous permafrost in Canada's Northwest Territories. We measured pore water total Hg, MeHg, dissolved organic matter characteristics and general water chemistry parameters to evaluate the role of permafrost thaw on the pattern of water chemistry. A gradient in vegetation composition, water chemistry and dissolved organic matter characteristics followed a toposequence from the ombrotrophic bogs near the crest of the complex to poor fens at its downslope margins. We found that pore waters in poor fens contained elevated levels of MeHg, and the water draining from these features had dissolved MeHg concentrations 4.5 to 14.5 times higher than the water draining from the bogs. It was determined through analysis of historical aerial images that the poor fens in the toposequence had formed relatively recently (early 1970s) as a result of permafrost thaw. Differences between the fens and bogs are likely to be a result of their differences in groundwater function, and this suggests that permafrost thaw in this landscape can result in hotspots for Hg methylation that are hydrologically connected to downstream ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aquifer–peatland connectivity in southern Quebec (Canada)

In areas where peatlands are abundant, they are likely to play a significant role in the hydrological and hydrogeological dynamics of a watershed. Although individual case studies are reported in the literature, there is a large range of aquifer–peatland interactions and there is a need to understand the controls of these interactions. The objectives of this study were (1) to better understand aquifer–peatland connections and how these may be predicted by geology and geomorphic location and (2) to provide a variety of reference sites for glacial geological settings. Slope and depression peatlands were studied in the Abitibi‐Témiscamingue region and in the St. Lawrence Lowlands, two contrasting regions of southern Quebec. A total of 12 transects that span a shallow aquifer–peatland interface were instrumented with piezometers. Field investigations included peatland characterization, monthly water level monitoring, and continuous hydraulic head measurements with pressure transducers. The results indicate that 7 of the 12 transects receive groundwater from the surrounding shallow aquifer. At the peatland margin, four lateral flow patterns were identified and associated with slope peatlands (parallel inflow and divergent flow) and with depression peatlands (convergent flow and parallel outflow). Vertical hydraulic gradients suggest that water flows mainly downwards, i.e. from the peatland to the underlying mineral deposits. Vertical connectivity appears to decrease as the distance from the peatland margin increases. All of these exchanges are important components in the sustainability of peatland hydrogeological functions. The regional comparison of aquifer–peatland flow dynamics performed in this study provides a new set of referenced data for the assessment of aquifer–peatland connectivity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of soft clays on the response spectra for structures in eastern Canada

The 1990 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (Associate Committee of the National Building Code, National Research Council, Ottawa, 1990) makes a clear distinction between eastern and western Canada in terms of seismic acceleration and velocity zones. While it is well established that ground motions can be amplified significantly through loose clay deposits, no results are available that take into consideration the typical high frequency content of ground motions in eastern Canada. This paper develops ground amplification curves for clays having depths between 10 and 70 m excited by typical eastern Canadian ground motions scaled to two different values of peak horizontal accelerations. Simplified free-field spectral design curves, which could be used by structural designers, are proposed. The curves show that maximum spectral accelerations occur for structural periods between 0.2 and 0.5 s. In addition, soil depth does not appear to be an important parameter controlling the response of typical clay deposits in eastern Canada.     

Development of new spectral reflectance indices for the detection of lichens and mosses moisture content in the Hudson Bay Lowlands,Canada

Assessing moisture contents of lichens and mosses using ground‐based high‐spectral resolution spectrometers offers immense opportunities for a comprehensive monitoring of peatland moisture status by satellite/airborne imagery. This study investigates the impact of various moisture conditions of the lichens Cladina stellaris and Cladina rangiferina, and the mosses Dicranum elongatum and Tomenthypnum nitens on the spectral signatures obtained. Reflectance and moisture content measurements of these species were made in a laboratory setting, while maintaining the natural moisture conditions of the samples; once the moisture and spectral measurements were complete, the samples were returned to the field and placed in their natural setting, continuously receiving moisture from precipitation and groundwater and losing water through evaporation and drainage. Previously, we correlated the present spectral indices with the moisture contents of the above species, whereas the current study developed new species‐specific indices to improve the detection of the plants' moisture contents. The relationship between the plants' moisture content and the water table position was examined as well. It was found that the lichens are not responsive to variations in the water table position, whereas the mosses, specifically D. elongatum, are quite sensitive to changes in the water table position. Thus, the use of the mosses spectral indices may contribute to an indirect evaluation of the water table position. Overall, the results suggest that the unique spectral signatures of the above species can be detected by satellite and airborne imagery, whereas the mosses, can be used as indicators of peatlands moisture status. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimates of changes in design rainfall values for Canada

Annual maximum rainfall data from 51 stations in Canada were analyzed for trends and changes by using the Mann–Kendall trend test and a bootstrap resampling approach, respectively. Rainfall data were analyzed for nine durations ranging from 5 min to 24 h. The data analyzed are typically used in the development of intensity‐duration‐frequency (IDF) curves, which are used for estimating design rainfall values that form an input for the design of critical water infrastructure. The results reveal more increasing than decreasing trends and changes in the data with more increasing changes and larger changes, noted for the longer rainfall durations. The results also indicate that a traditional trend test may not be sufficient when the interest is in identifying changes in design rainfall quantiles. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adaptation of the SNOWMAP algorithm for snow mapping over eastern Canada using Landsat-TM imagery

Abstract

The snow mapping algorithm SNOWMAP was adapted to Landsat-TM data and to the context of eastern Canada. Six Landsat-5 TM scenes were used. It was found that the original version of SNOWMAP greatly underestimates snow cover extent. The modification made to the original algorithm, by cancelling the minimum threshold of 0.1 on the NDVI value, allows gaps to be filled in. In addition, a spatial correction procedure applied to the modified SNOWMAP algorithm results improves snow detection under coniferous forests. Based on a limited data set of ground-based observations (only 40 sites were available), the modified SNOWMAP seems to perform better in snow detection than the original version of the algorithm. An application case is presented in order to demonstrate the relevance of the modified SNOWMAP results as a high spatial-resolution reference for the validation of historical snow maps derived from medium spatial-resolution satellite data.

Citation Chokmani, K., Dever, K., Bernier, M., Gauthier, Y. & Paquet, L.-M. (2010) Adaptation of the SNOWMAP algorithm for snow mapping over eastern Canada using Landsat-TM imagery. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(4), 649–660.     

洱海湖滨区蜻蜓物种多样性与环境影响因子关系初探

为探究洱海湖滨区环境因子与蜻蜓物种多样性之间的关系,2014年5月至2017年5月对洱海10个样点进行实地调查,记录植物20科46种,共采集蜻蜓11科22属28种1448个体,并对环境因子与蜻蜓多样性进行相关性分析.结果表明蜻蜓成虫多样性与植被丰富度、湿生植被覆盖度、挺水植被覆盖度和沉水植被覆盖度均呈正相关,与浮水植物覆盖度和人为干扰程度呈负相关;稚虫多样性与湖底底质和水体溶解氧呈正相关,并对结果进行了讨论.研究结果给洱海蜻蜓栖息地的保护及湖滨缓冲带生态修复提供了有益的参考和数据支持.     

Detailed gravity survey to help seismic microzonation: Mapping the thickness of unconsolidated deposits in Ottawa, Canada

In this study, measurements of gravity were made to map and model the thickness of Quaternary deposits (sand and clay) overlying Ordovician limestones in a suburb of Ottawa (Orléans, Ontario). Because ground motion amplification is partly related to the thickness of unconsolidated deposits, this work helps refine the assessment of the earthquake damage potential of the area. It also helps the mapping of clay basins, which can locally exceed 100 m in thickness, where ground motion amplification can occur. Previous work, including well log data and seismic methods, have yielded a wealth of information on near-surface geology in Orléans, thereby providing the necessary constraints to test the applicability of gravity modeling in other locations where other methods cannot always be used. Some 104 gravity stations were occupied in an 8 × 12 km test area in the Orléans. Stations were accurately located with differential GPS that provided centimetric accuracy in elevation. Densities of the unconsolidated Quaternary deposits (Champlain Sea clay) determined on core samples and densities determined on limestone samples from outcrops were used to constrain models of the clay layer overlying the higher density bedrock formations (limestone). The gravity anomaly map delineates areas where clay basins attain > 100 m depth. Assuming a realistic density for the Champlain Sea clays (1.9-2.1 g/cm³), the thickness over the higher density bedrock formations (Ordovician carbonate rocks) was modeled and compared with well logs and two seismic reflection profiles. The models match quite well with the information determined from well logs and seismic methods. It was found that gravity and the thickness of unconsolidated deposits are correlated but the uncertainties in both data sets preclude the definition of a direct correlation between the two. We propose that gravity measurements at a local scale be used as an inexpensive means of mapping the thickness of unconsolidated deposits in low-density urban areas. To obtain meaningful results, three conditions must exist. Firstly, elevations of gravity stations must be measured accurately using differential GPS; secondly, that the regional gravity field must be well defined, and thirdly, that the local geology be simple enough to be realistically represented with a two-layer model.     

Climatic effects on ice phenology and ice-jam flooding of the Athabasca River in western Canada

ABSTRACT

In cold region environments, any alteration in the hydro-climatic regime can have profound impacts on river ice processes. This paper studies the implications of hydro-climatic trends on river ice processes, particularly on the freeze-up and ice-cover breakup along the Athabasca River in Fort McMurray in western Canada, which is an area very prone to ice-jam flooding. Using a stochastic approach in a one-dimensional hydrodynamic river ice model, a relationship between overbank flow and breakup discharge is established. Furthermore, the likelihood of ice-jam flooding in the future (2041–2070 period) is assessed by forcing a hydrological model with meteorological inputs from the Canadian regional climate model driven by two atmospheric–ocean general circulation climate models. Our results show that the probability of ice-jam flooding for the town of Fort McMurray in the future will be lower, but extreme ice-jam flood events are still probable.     

Empirical relationships between diversity of invertebrate communities and altitude in rivers: Application to biomonitoring

The relationships between the diversity of invertebrate communities and the altitude of sampling sites were analysed in 438 benthic samples, collected between 1982 and 1991, in 56 rivers of western Switzerland. Diversity, estimated from total number of taxa (genus or family) and from number of taxa intolerant of pollution, was positively correlated with increasing altitude. In contrast, density of human population and the level of organic pollution were negatively correlated with increasing altitude. Therefore, the upstream increase of invertebrate diversity was attributed to the decrease of human population which is the main source of organic pollution. In this study, altitude was used, instead of organic pollution, to predict diversity. Empirical relationships between diversity and altitude were applied to surveys of water quality to describe the general altitudinal pattern characteristic for each region and to single out anomalous sites and rivers. In addition, changes in the altitudinal patterns of diversity can be used to monitor the recovery of rivers from pollution.     

Patterns of dissolved organic matter in subarctic peatlands

Samples of water from poor to very rich fens in the Schefferville region of subarctic Quebec revealed strong spatial and temporal variations in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ranging from 2 to 40 mg 1^?1. Concentrations of DOC tend to increase during the summer and decrease in the autumn, at most sites, which probably reflects increased plant tissue decomposition and higher rates of evapotranspiration. Principal components analysis revealed that DOC is strongly associated with Fe, NO^?₃-N and NO^?₂-N, but essentially independent of other chemical properties of the peat water, such as pH, Ca, Mg, K, P, and NH⁺₄-N. Based on observed concentrations of DOC and estimates of summer runoff (June to September), export of DOC from four peatlands ranges from 1·1 to 4·9 gCm^?2, with the lowest values for peatlands underlain by dolomite. Molecular weight fractionation of four samples revealed significant differences in the dissolved organic matter (DOM), with the largest fractions (GF/C to 10 000 nmw) being dominant in the more acid samples. The ratio of absorbance at 400 and 600 nm wavelengths (E₄:E₆) has been used as a simple indicator of differences in DOM type, ranging from 3 to 15. There is a strong seasonal pattern of increasing E₄:E₆ ratio during the summer at many sites, though this ratio is essentially independent of other chemical properties of peat waters.