Geoheritage values of consanguineous wetland suites on the Swan Coastal Plain,Western Australia

A wide range of wetland types occur on the Swan Coastal Plain of Western Australia. They vary from basins, and flats, to slopes and channels, and vary in size, shape, water characteristics, sediment types, stratigraphy, vegetation, origin, and maintenance processes. The wetlands range from large linear lakes to small round or irregular seasonally damp wetland basins to seasonally flooded flats, to seasonally flooded or permanently flowing channels. Salinity ranges from fresh to saline to hyposaline; and recharge mechanisms from perching of surface-water to wetting and inundation by groundwater, as determined by regional features such as geology, geomorphology, soils, climate and hydrology, and local physical/chemical processes. The Swan Coastal Plain presents a bewildering array, diversity, and complexity of wetlands, but patterns and ordering can be recognised if the wetlands are aggregated into natural groups. The wetlands, in fact, have been aggregated into natural groupings termed ‘consanguineous suites’, resulting in some 30 different formally named wetland suites related to geomorphic setting varying, for instance, from interdune depressions on a beach-ridge plain (the Becher Suite), to karst-formed linear lakes in limestone-ridge country (the Yanchep Suite), to irregular to round, semi-interconnected basins on a quartz sand subdued dune system (the Jandakot Suite), to linear and round basins formed along the hydrological contact between limestone and quartz sand (the Bibra Suite), among others. The variety of wetland types on the Swan Coastal Plain represents geodiversity that needs to be addressed in geoheritage assessments of the State of Western Australia. Further, as repositories of Holocene to Pleistocene sedimentary sequences, the wetlands present significant reservoirs of information on wetland history, climate changes, and hydrochemical history, and are templates on wetland maintenance and functioning, diagnostic for their geologic/geomorphic setting useful for management of wetlands in Western Australia, nationally, and globally. From a global perspective, the diversity and array of consanguineous suites of the Swan Coastal Plain is unique. An understated aspect of the approach in identifying consanguineous suites of wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain is that in their geological, geomorphological, and hydrological/hydrochemical setting they provide profound insights into gradual and uninterrupted wetland development, sedimentary filling and ecological functioning because, for a given east–west transect, they are located in the same climate setting but in different geologic/geomorphic and hydrochemical settings. They appear to be unrepresented globally, and therefore, in terms of geoheritage, are internationally significant.     

Prediction of seasonal water-table fluctuations in La Pampa and Buenos Aires, Argentina

The fluctuation of the water table east of La Pampa province and northwest of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, influences agricultural production in the region because it is closely related to the alternation of dry and wet periods. Sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies have been used as predictors to forecast atmospheric variables in different regions of the world. The objective of this work is to present a simple model to forecast seasonal rainfall using SST distribution in the Pacific Ocean as a predictor. Once the relationship between precipitation and water-table fluctuations was established, a methodology for the prediction of water-table fluctuations was developed. A good agreement between observed and predicted water-table fluctuations was found when estimating water-table fluctuations in the summer and autumn seasons. Electronic Publication     

松嫩平原湿地演变及其驱动因素分析

湿地是生态系统的重要组成部分,在维系区域生态安全中扮演着重要角色.利用1975、2000和2018年的Landsat遥感影像数据,获取3期湿地解译数据,采用动态度分析、差异性分析、转移矩阵等方法对近50年来松嫩平原地区湿地的时空变化特征进行分析,为研究和保护松嫩平原地区湿地生态系统提供一定的理论依据.研究表明：湿地面积由1975年的20 189.81 km2上升至2018年的29 456.79 km2,整体上呈增加的趋势,具体表现为1975—2000年天然湿地的大幅度下降和2000—2018年人工湿地的大规模增加.分析认为：蓄水工程、河道防洪堤和湿地围垦是天然湿地减少的主要因素;降水量变化、气温上升、蒸发量增加是天然湿地变化的次要因素;受经济效益为中心理念驱动,水田改扩建增加是人工湿地增加的主要因素.     

Relating groundwater to seasonal wetlands in southeastern Wisconsin, USA

Historically, drier types of wetlands have been difficult to characterize and are not well researched. Nonetheless, they are considered to reflect the precipitation history with little, if any, regard for possible relation to groundwater. Two seasonal coastal wetland types (wet prairie, sedge meadow) were investigated during three growing seasons at three sites in the Lake Michigan Basin, Wisconsin, USA. The six seasonal wetlands were characterized using standard soil and vegetation techniques and groundwater measurements from the shallow and deep systems. They all met wetland hydrology criteria (e.g., water within 30 cm of land surface for 5% of the growing season) during the early portion of the growing season despite the lack of appreciable regional groundwater discharge into the wetland root zones. Although root-zone duration analyses did not fit a lognormal distribution previously noted in groundwater-dominated wetlands, they were able to discriminate between the plant communities and showed that wet prairie communities had shorter durations of continuous soil saturation than sedge meadow communities. These results demonstrate that the relative rates of groundwater outflows can be important for wetland hydrology and resulting wetland type. Thus, regional stresses to the shallow groundwater system such as pumping or low Great Lake levels can be expected to affect even drier wetland types.     

Relationship between precipitation and water-table fluctuation in a coastal dune aquifer: northeastern coast of the Buenos Aires province, Argentina

The water-table fluctuation (WTF) method is one of the most widely used means to estimate aquifer recharge. In the northeastern coast of the Buenos Aires province, Argentina, the geomorphological and climatic characteristics, as well as the presence of a shallow, homogeneous unconfined aquifer, make it possible to apply this methodology. The relationship between water-table fluctuations and precipitation in a humid climate, considering its seasonal variations, is assessed. Water tables were measured monthly between February 2008 and September 2010 in a monitoring network; rainfall data were analysed. The water table rises when the accumulated precipitation between measurements is more than 53?mm/month in the dry season and more than 97?mm/month in the rainy season. The index, relating water-table fluctuations and precipitation occurring between measurements, shows that values below 0 suggest no increase in the water reserves, whereas higher values entail an increase. In the study area, where there is a lack of historical data, finding out the relationship between water-table fluctuations and precipitation will constitute a tool for groundwater use and management, and set up an early warning system for dry periods. It could also be extrapolated to other regions with similar hydrological conditions lacking in data.     

Carolina Bay geoarchaeology and Holocene landscape evolution on the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina

Surface water on the mainly dry, upland interfluves of the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina occurs currently as a sporadic distribution of shallow ponds held within Carolina bays and other small, isolated basins. At seven bays on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site on the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, we investigated Holocene changes in bay morphology, ecology, and prehistoric human activity. At Flamingo Bay, we employed archaeological survey and testing, shovel and auger testing, sediment analysis, and ground-penetrating radar to document stratigraphy and chronology of the sand rim on the eastern side of the bay. Artifact assemblage indicate changes in intensity of human use of the bay. Radiocarbon dates from a sediment core establish time scales for depositional processes at the center of the basin. Ground-penetrating radar data from the other bays indicate that the stratigraphy of all seven bays is broadly similar. We conclude that: (1) Significant modification of the bays, including rim development and basin infilling, occurred during the Holocene; (2) ponds on the early Holocene landscape were larger and more permanent than at present; (3) early Holocene climate, as indicated by both depositional processes and human activity, was not characterized by prolonged periods of extremely dry conditions; and (4) fluvial-centric models of terminal Pleistocene—early Holocene human adaptations require revision to include intensive use of isolated upland ponds. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Rainfall, infiltration, and groundwater flow in a terraced slope of Valtellina (Northern Italy): field data and modelling

The aim of this work was to understand and reproduce the hydrological dynamics of a slope that is terraced by dry retaining walls. This approach will help to assess the influence of temporary groundwater perched tables, which can form at the area of contact between the backfill of the wall and the bedrock, on the wall’s stability. The study area is located in Valtellina (Northern Italy) near the village of Tresenda, which was affected by three debris flows that caused 18 casualties in 1983. In 2002, another event of the same type affected this area, but that event only caused the interruption of a major transport road. Direct observations of one of the three flows in 1983 and the reconstruction of 2002 indicated that the most probable triggering cause was the collapse of a dry retaining wall after its backfill was saturated. After field work was conducted to discover the principal hydrological and hydrogeological characteristics of the slope, numerical modelling was performed to determine under what conditions the soil will saturate, and therefore, when the collapse of a dry retaining wall might occur. First, a study of the interaction between pluviometric events and groundwater behaviour was conducted; then, modelling was performed using finite element analysis software that permits the calculation of groundwater flow both for completely and partially saturated conditions. The model was calibrated and validated using the hydrographs of the groundwater table recorded on site. It can be used as a predictive instrument for rainfall events of a given duration and return period.     

An approach to hydrogeological modeling of a large system of groundwater-fed lakes and wetlands in the Nebraska Sand Hills,USA

The feasibility of a hydrogeological modeling approach to simulate several thousand shallow groundwater-fed lakes and wetlands without explicitly considering their connection with groundwater is investigated at the regional scale (~40,000 km²) through an application in the semi-arid Nebraska Sand Hills (NSH), USA. Hydraulic heads are compared to local land-surface elevations from a digital elevation model (DEM) within a geographic information system to assess locations of lakes and wetlands. The water bodies are inferred where hydraulic heads exceed, or are above a certain depth below, the land surface. Numbers of lakes and/or wetlands are determined via image cluster analysis applied to the same 30-m grid as the DEM after interpolating both simulated and estimated heads. The regional water-table map was used for groundwater model calibration, considering MODIS-based net groundwater recharge data. Resulting values of simulated total baseflow to interior streams are within 1% of observed values. Locations, areas, and numbers of simulated lakes and wetlands are compared with Landsat 2005 survey data and with areas of lakes from a 1979–1980 Landsat survey and the National Hydrography Dataset. This simplified process-based modeling approach avoids the need for field-based morphology or water-budget data from individual lakes or wetlands, or determination of lake-groundwater exchanges, yet it reproduces observed lake-wetland characteristics at regional groundwater management scales. A better understanding of the NSH hydrogeology is attained, and the approach shows promise for use in simulations of groundwater-fed lake and wetland characteristics in other large groundwater systems.     

Stratigraphic evolution of an aeolian erg margin system: the Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, SE Utah, USA

The Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone of south‐east Utah is a predominantly aeolian succession that exhibits a complex spatial variation in sedimentary architecture which, in terms of palaeogeographic setting, reflects a transition from a dry erg centre, through a water table‐controlled aeolian‐dominated erg margin, to an outer erg margin subject to periodic fluvial incursion. The erg margin succession represents a wet aeolian system, accumulation of which was controlled by progressive water table rise coupled with ongoing dune migration and associated changes in the supply and availability of sediment for aeolian transport. Variation in the level of the water table relative to the depositional surface determined the nature of interdune sedimentary processes, and a range of dry, damp and wet (flooded) interdune elements is recognized. Variations in the geometry of these units reflect the original morphology and the migratory behaviour of spatially isolated dry interdune hollows in the erg centre, locally interconnected damp and/or wet interdune ponds in the aeolian‐dominated erg margin and fully interconnected, fluvially flooded interdune corridors in the outer erg margin. Relationships between aeolian dune and interdune units indicate that dry, damp and wet interdune sedimentation occurred synchronously with aeolian bedform migration. Temporal variation in the rates of water‐table rise and bedform migration determined the angle of climb of the erg margin succession, such that accumulation rates increased during periods of rapidly rising water table, whereas sediment bypassing (zero angle of climb) occurred in the aftermath of flood events in response to periods of elevated but temporarily static water table. During these periods in the outer erg margin, the expansion of fluvially flooded interdunes in front of non‐climbing but migrating dunes resulted in the amalgamation of laterally adjacent interdunes and the generation of regionally extensive bypass (flood) supersurfaces. A spectrum of genetic depositional models is envisaged that accounts for the complex spatial and temporal evolution of the Cedar Mesa erg margin succession.     

耦合湿地模块的流域水文模型模拟效率评价

耦合湿地模块的流域水文模型是开展流域湿地变化的水文效应及其水文功能评估的有效工具,其模拟效率直接关系到模拟精度和应用价值。选取中国湿地主要分布区之一的嫩江流域,利用PHYSITEL/HYDROTEL模型平台,构建孤立湿地和河滨湿地模块并与流域水文模型耦合,并从拟合优度指数和模拟效率角度评价了耦合湿地模块的流域水文模型模拟效率。结果表明,耦合湿地模块的流域水文模型,拟合和验证期间模型的拟合度指数均有所提高,嫩江富拉尔基和大赉水文站控制流域的Nash-Sutcliffe系数和克林效率系数平均提高了3.08%和4.64%,均方根误差和相对偏差平均降低了12.72%和55.93%,且整个研究时段模拟结果的流量指数总体更接近于观测的径流数据。可见,耦合湿地模块的流域水文模型可提高水文过程模拟精度,更好地定量评估湿地水文功能,为流域水资源精准调控与湿地修复保护提供重要支撑。     

Simulation of the hydrogeologic effects of oil-shale mining on the neighbouring wetland water balance: case study in north-eastern Estonia

The water balance of wetlands plays an integral role in their function. Developments adjacent to wetlands can affect their water balance through impacts on groundwater flow and increased discharge in the area, and they can cause lowering of the wetland water table. A 430 km² area was selected for groundwater modelling to asses the effect of underground mining on the water balance of wetlands in north-eastern Estonia. A nature conservation area (encompassing Selisoo bog) is within 3 km of an underground oil-shale mine. Two future mining scenarios with different areal extents of mining were modeled and compared to the present situation. Results show that the vertical hydraulic conductivity of the subsurface is of critical importance to potential wetland dewatering as a result of mining. Significant impact on the Selisoo bog water balance will be caused by the approaching mine but there will be only minor additional impacts from mining directly below the bog. The major impact will arise before that stage, when the underground mine extension reaches the border of the nature conservation area; since the restriction of activities in this area relates to the ground surface, the conservation area’s border is not sufficiently protective in relation to underground development.     

松嫩平原湿地分布变化与影响因素分析

近20年来松嫩平原生态环境发生了巨大变化,湿地退化加剧是生态环境变化的重要表现之一.利用1986年（TM）和2001年（ETM）卫星遥感影像数据和RS-GIS集成技术,对松嫩平原湿地的现状和变化趋势进行了量化分析.结果表明,在过去的15年中,松嫩平原湿地面积减少了658 042 hm²,减少了38.81%.平均每年减少43 869 hm²,年均减少速率2.59%.其中地表水体减少127 429 hm²,减少了22.81%;沼泽减少530 612 hm²,减少了46.67%.降水减少,蒸发加大,水资源开发过大以及过度放牧、围垦湿地是湿地退化的主要原因.     

Sedimentation and recent history of a freshwater wetland in a semi-arid environment: Loboi Swamp, Kenya, East Africa

Loboi Swamp is a 1·5 km² freshwater wetland situated near the equator in the Kenya Rift Valley. The climate is semi‐arid: precipitation is ≈ 700 mm year^?1, and evapotranspiration is ≈ 2500 mm year^?1. Some of the wetland water is currently used for irrigation. An interdisciplinary study was conducted on the geology, hydrology, pedology and biology of the wetland to determine its origin and history and to assess its longevity under present hydrological conditions. Sedimentary records from two piston cores (1·8 and 4 m long) indicate that the present wetland developed during the late Holocene on a low‐relief alluvial plain. Floodplain deposits (sandy silts) are capped with wetland sediments (organic‐rich clay and peat), which began to form at ≈ 700 BP. The swamp is dominated by Typha domingensis Pers. (≈ 80%) and floating Cyperus papyrus L. (20%). It is fed by warm springs (T ≈ 35 °C; pH ≈ 6·4–6·9) emanating from grid faults of the rift floor. Water compositions suggest that sources are dominated by shallow meteoric water, with little contribution from deeper geothermal fluids. Siderite concretions in the floodplain silts reflect the Fe‐reducing conditions that developed as the surface became submerged beneath the water table. The pollen record captured both local and more regional vegetation, showing the prevailing dry rift valley climate despite development of the wetter conditions on the valley floor. The diatom record also suggests a dramatic change in local hydrology. The combined biological records of this semi‐arid wetland indicate an abrupt change to wetter conditions, most probably as a result of a regional change in climate. Rift tectonics provided accommodation space, maintained the wetland at or below the water table and enabled spring recharge. The size of the modern wetland has been reduced by about 60% since 1969, which suggests that the system may now be under hydrological stress due to anthropogenic impacts from land‐use change.     

The Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) fluvial–aeolian systems of the southern Neuquén Basin, Argentina

The Kimmeridgian Quebrada del Sapo Formation in the southernmost Neuquén Basin in Argentina represents a succession up to 40 m thick of coarse- to fine-grained fluvial deposits overlain by aeolian deposits. These fluvial–aeolian deposits reflect a significant palaeogeographic change in the basin and are related to a major, tectonically enhanced, relative sea-level fall. The fluvial section is dominated by braided-channel, fine-grained ephemeral, and sheetflood deposits. Aeolian facies are dominated by dune deposits, with minor sandsheet and interdune units. Changes in the nature of both fluvial and aeolian sedimentation within the studied area suggest a regional variability of accommodation/sediment supply conditions. The regional changes of the aeolian succession likely reflect different relative positions within a major erg. In the upwind margin of the erg, a shallow water table promoted water-lain sedimentation in interdune areas, whereas in the central parts of the erg, dry sediment accumulation took place above the regional water-table level. The vertical transition observed in the Quebrada del Sapo Formation, from fluvial to aeolian deposits, may be the result of a local climatic change to drier conditions due to the development of a climatic barrier imposed by growth of a magmatic arc to the west. Alternatively, the vertical transition could be related to a lowering of the water table associated with the compartmentalization of the basin during a period of low sea level.     

Rainfall and irrigation controls on groundwater rise and salinity risk in the Ord River Irrigation Area,northern Australia

Groundwater beneath the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) in northern Australia has risen in elevation by 10–20 m during the past 40 years with attendant concerns about water logging and soil salinization. Persistent groundwater accession has been attributed to excessive irrigation and surface water leakage; however, analysis of daily water-table records from the past 10 years yielded a contrary result. On a seasonal basis, water-table elevation typically fell during irrigation (dry) seasons and rose during fallow (wet) seasons, conflicting with the conventional view that irrigation and not rainfall must be the dominant control on groundwater accession. Previous investigations of unexpectedly large infiltration losses through the cracking clay soils provide a plausible explanation for the apparent conundrum. Because rainfall is uncontrolled and occurs independently of the soil moisture condition, there is greater opportunity for incipient ponding and rapid infiltration through preferred flow pathways. In contrast, irrigation is scheduled when needed and applications are stopped after soil wetting is achieved. Contemporary groundwater management in the ORIA is focused on improving irrigation efficiency during dry seasons but additional opportunities may exist to improve groundwater conditions and salinity risk through giving equal attention to the wet-season water balance.     

Towards hydrological and geochemical understanding of an ephemeral palustrine perched water table “wetland” (Lanseria Gneiss,Midrand, South Africa)

Wetland delineation is commonly based on terrain unit, soil form, soil wetness and vegetation indicators which along with the shallow groundwater or proximate surface water are often absent in many ephemeral inland South African areas due to, for instance, prolonged dry periods (seasons to years) which mask these indicators, as well as disruption of surface materials due to construction, agricultural activities and field fires. Furthermore, many “wetlands” in South Africa comply with the four indicators, but the notable absent requirement for wetlands is missing, namely the shallow groundwater table, as many of these systems form in hillslope seeps, catenas or from perched water tables. A 200-m-long excavation through one such a system is being studied in Midrand (Gauteng, South Africa). The site is underlain by Lanseria Gneiss and is waterlogged after long and intense periods of intense rainfall. Frequent downslope soil profiling, horizon-specific laboratory analyses for grading and Atterberg Limits, X-Ray Diffraction and X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy data are interpreted together with soil percolation tests to generate a conceptual model of the system. The results are discussed in terms of the need to consider these temporary systems that do not have a shallow groundwater table and that are not in direct contact with surface drainage features as a possible special type of wetlands, notably in arid regions where they play a very important role in biodiversity and should, therefore, be protected.     

Water quality variability and eutrophic state in wet and dry years in wetlands of the semiarid and arid regions

Wetland ecosystems are particularly vulnerable due to flow of nutrients from the surrounding watershed. The study was performed in the Shadegan wetland, a Ramsar-listed wetland located in the south-west of Iran at the head of the Persian Gulf. The wetland plays a significant hydrological and ecological role in the natural functioning of the northern Gulf. The proposed wetland has different water quality characteristics in wet and dry years of study during 1994–2006. To determine the variables, sampling was carried seasonally for each year at six stations. The results indicate that wetland in wet years had high concentrations of nitrate and silicate, leading to oligo–meso eutrophic conditions. Wetland in dry years had high phosphate concentrations, resulting in meso-eutrophic conditions. Forcing functions, such as climatic patterns, water residence time, reduce runoff and increasing density of wastewaters from the surrounding urban, agricultural and industrial area are probably the main variables that explain the observed patterns.     

Using ion and isotope characterization to design a frame of protection of a wetland system (Massif Central,France)

The bio-diversity (vegetation and fauna) of peatlands, like all wetland ecosystems, is very fragile as it requires specific wet conditions. Over the past 20 years, increasing efforts have been made to restore degraded wetlands, to re-create new wetlands where they were lost, and to sustainably manage for multiple benefits. However, actions to restore and preserve wetlands require an in-depth knowledge of the water cycle in the system. We used chemical and multi-isotopic approaches, combined with hydrological tools (measuring potentiometric levels and spring discharge), for tracing the water and dissolved-element fluxes in the Narces de la Sauvetat peatland (Central France) and for better understanding of water budget components involved in this ecosystem. This multi-pronged approach clearly demonstrated its effectiveness for improving our understanding of the hydrological functioning of this wetland ecosystem. The two main results are that: (1) The water volume flowing out of the peatland through the Fouragettes stream is often negligible; and (2) At least three strong groundwater fluxes with distinct chemical and isotopic signatures supply water to the peatland. This new understanding will help decision makers maintain the water balance of the peatland, which is essential for the preservation of this fragile ecosystem.     

Salt water intrusion in the coastal aquifer of the southern Po Plain, Italy

Saltwater has invaded the coastal aquifer along the southern Adriatic coast of the Po Plain in Italy. The topography, morphology and land use of the region is complex: rivers, canals, wetlands, lagoons, urban, industrial and agricultural areas and tourist establishments all coexist in a small area. Water table and iso-salinity maps show that in four study areas (Ancona-Bellocchio, Marina Romea, San Vitale Forest, Cervia) out of five, the water tables are below sea level and saltwater has replaced freshwater in the aquifer. The fifth area (Classe Forest) has a relatively pristine freshwater aquifer thanks to an average water-table height of 2 m above sea level, a lower hydraulic conductivity (< 7.7 m/day) and a continuous dune system along the coast. Only in this area is the topography high enough to maintain freshwater heads that can counteract saltwater intrusion according to the Ghyben-Herzberg principle. Furthermore, the climate, with an average yearly precipitation of 606 mm and an average temperature of 14.4°C, allows for little recharge of the aquifer. Ongoing subsidence, encroachment of sea water along rivers and canals, as well as drainage from agricultural land also enhance the salinization process.