Seasonal and spatial dynamics of TDS and major ions in the Selenga River

The intra-annual and spatial dynamics of the major ion concentrations and TDS of Selenga River water (Russian segment) was analyzed. Water salinity was found to decrease in the open-channel period and in the downstream direction. The anthropogenic effect manifests itself not only in an increase in the concentration of reactive components with growing volume of discharged wastewaters, but also in changes in its annual distribution.     

Heavy Metals in the Water and Bottom Sediments of the Selenga River Delta

The overall concentration of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Mn, and Fe are determined in the water and bottom sediments of the Selenga River delta. The concentration of Cu, Pb, and Zn is found to decrease in the lower course of the river, at the delta outlet. The concentration of Mn and Fe is found to decrease in the downstream direction from the river's upper course along the investigated delta arms, whereas the concentration of Zn and Cr in certain arms exceeds their concentration in the upper section of the delta.     

Water chemistry and phytoplankton in water bodies in the Selenga River’s delta under ice cover

Results of comprehensive studies that were carried out during freezing period in the lower reaches of the Selenga River and in water bodies located within its delta revealed peculiarities of water chemistry, phytoplankton species composition, and the characteristic features of alga development. Quantitative assessment of algae is also presented.     

Assessment of runoff,water and sediment quality in the Selenga River basin aided by a web-based geoservice

The Selenga River is the main artery feeding Lake Baikal. It has a catchment of ~450000 km² in the boundary region between Northern Mongolia and Southern Siberia. Climate, land use and dynamic socioeconomic changes go along with rising water abstractions and contaminant loads originating from mining sites and urban wastewater. In the future, these pressures might have negative impacts on the ecosystems of Lake Baikal and the Selenga River Delta, which is an important wetland region in itself and forms the last geobiochemical barrier before the Selenga drains into Lake Baikal. The following study aims to assess current trends in hydrology and water quality in the Selenga-Baikal basin, identify their drivers and to set up models (WaterGAP3 framework and ECOMAG) for the prediction of future changes. Of particular relevance for hydrological and water quality changes in the recent past were climate and land use trends as well as contaminant influx from mining areas and urban settlements. In the near future, additional hydrological modifications due to the construction of dams and abstractions/water diversions from the Selenga’s Mongolian tributaries could lead to additional alterations.     

Space and time variations in concentrations of biogenic and organic matter and phytoplankton in the water of the Selenga River and its delta branches

Specific features of the concentration dynamics of biogenic substances, organic C, and phytoplankton in the lower reaches of the Selenga and its delta branch are identified. The quantitative and qualitative changes in these components are demonstrated for the conditions of extremely low water abundance. High correlation was shown to exist between variations of the concentrations of nitrate N, mineral P, and phytoplankton biomass.     

Two Experimental Methods to Determine the Speciation of Cadmium in Sediment from the River Neckar

The binding forms of Cd to an anaerobic sediment of low sulfide content from Lauffen reservoir (River Neckar, Germany) were studied using two different approaches, i. e. sequential extraction (modified from published protocols) and titrimetric study of the pH-dependent Cd release. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were applied to calculate both the release pattern of Cd during the titrations and the speciation of Cd within the single fractions of the extraction protocol. The calculations were based on measured sediment parameters such as hydrous ferric oxide (HFO), acid volatile sulfide, carbonate content and total Cd content, and the extractants (oxalate, acid etc.) used. The results of the two independent approaches coincided well in that they both assigned more than two thirds of the total Cd content to be adsorbed to organic matter. Cd bound as CdS is of little importance. Sequential extraction after a 3-month oxidation period at pH 7 revealed a shift of Cd from being mainly bound in stronger surface complexes with organic matter to being mainly bound in weaker surface complexes with organic matter and HFO, and thus becoming more bioavailable. This study suggests that the use of sequential extraction although being frequently criticized due to its operational character can be used to determine binding forms of metal ions if they are accompanied by 1) careful supporting experiments, 2) analysis of important sediment parameters, and 3) the use of thermodynamic equlibrium models which can help to understand Cd speciation within the extraction fractions.     

Natural and Human-Induced Variations in Water and Sediment Runoff in the Danube River Mouth

Long-term natural and human-induced variations in water and sediment runoff in the Danube Delta head were studied on the basis of analysis of an extremely long series of observations (1840–2002). A considerable reduction of sediment runoff in the second half of the 20th century related to sediment accumulation in reservoirs was revealed. It was found that human activities had an insignificant impact on the water runoff variations and the period of 1961–2002 turned out to be abnormally water-abundant.     

Sediment transport at the network scale and its link to channel morphology in the braided Vjosa River system

In this article we apply the CASCADE network-scale sediment connectivity model to the Vjosa River in Albania. The Vjosa is one of the last unimpaired braided rivers in Europe and, at the same time, a data scarce environment, which limits our ability to model how this pristine river might respond to future human disturbance. To initialize the model, we use remotely sensed data and modeled hydrology from a regional model. We perform a reach-by-reach optimization of surface grain size distribution (GSD) and bedload transport capacity to ensure equilibrium conditions throughout the network. In order to account for the various sources of uncertainty in the calculation of transport capacity, we performed a global sensitivity analysis. The modeled GSD distributions generated by the sensitivity analysis generally match the six GSDs measured at different locations within the network. The modeled bedload sediment fluxes increase systematically downstream, and annual fluxes at the outlet of the Vjosa are well within an order of magnitude of fluxes derived from previous estimates of the annual suspended sediment load. We then use the modeled sediment fluxes as input to a set of theoretically derived functions that successfully discriminate between multi-thread and single-thread channel patterns. This finding provides additional validation of the model results by showing a clear connection between modeled sediment concentrations and observed river morphology. Finally, we observe that a reduction in sediment flux of about 50% (e.g., due to dams) would likely cause existing braided reaches to shift toward single thread morphology. The proposed method is widely applicable and opens a new avenue for application of network-scale sediment models that aid in the exploration of river stability to changes in water and sediment fluxes.     

Sediment dynamics and temporal variation of runoff in the Yom River,Thailand

The Yom River is one of the four major sediment sources to the Chao Phraya River in Thailand. Human activities and changes in climate over the past six decades may have affected the discharge and sediment load to some extent. In the current study, the river discharge and sediment characteristics in the mainstream of the Yom River were investigated using the field observation data from 2011 to 2013 and the historical river flow and sediment data from 1954 to 2014 at six hydrological stations operated by the Royal Irrigation Department of Thailand (RID). The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and double mass curve were used to analyze the sediment dynamics and temporal changes in the discharge of the Yom River. The results revealed that the sediment was mainly transported in suspension, and the bed-to-suspended sediment loads ratio varied between 0 and 0.05. The daily suspended sediment load (SSL) in the upper and middle basins had a strong correlation with the daily discharge and could be represented by power equations with coefficients of determination higher than 0.8. The daily suspended sediment load in the lower basin did not directly depend on the corresponding discharge because of the reduction in river slope and water diversion by irrigation projects. It also appeared that the river discharges and sediment loads were mainly influenced by climate variation (floods and droughts). Moreover, the average sediment transport of the upper, middle, and lower reaches were 0.57, 0.71, and 0.35 million t/y, respectively. The sediment load in the lower basin decreased more than 50% as a result of changes in the river gradient (from mountainous to floodplain areas). The results from sediment analysis also indicated that the construction of the Mae Yom Barrage, the longest diversion dam in Thailand, and land-use changes did not significantly affect the sediment load along the Yom River.     

Sediment pollution and its effect on fish through food chain in the Yangtze River

Suspended sediment adsorbs pollutants from flowing water in rivers and deposits onto the bed. However, the pollutants accumulated in the river bed sediment may affect the bio-community through food chain for a long period of time. To study the problem the concentration of heavy metals （Cr, Cd, Hg, Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb and As） in water, sediment, and fish/invertebrate were investigated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River during 2006-2007. The concentrations of heavy metals were 100-10,000 times higher in the sediment than in the water. Benthic invertebrates had relatively high concentrations of heavy metals in their tissues due to their proximity to contaminated sediments. Benthic invertivore fish had moderately high concentrations of heavy metals whereas phytoplanktivore fish, such as the silver carp, accumulated the lowest concentration of heavy metals. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Fe were higher than Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, and As in the tissue samples. The concentration of heavy metals was lower in the river sediments than in the lake sediments. Conversely, the concentration of heavy metals was higher in river water than in lake water. While a pollution event into a water body is often transitory, the effects of the pollutants may be long-lived due to their tendency to be absorbed in the sediments and then released into the food chain. The heavy metals were concentrated in the following order： bottom material 〉 demersal fish and benthic fauna 〉 middle-lower layer fish 〉 upper-middle layer fish 〉 water.     

Sediment regime and morphological processes in the Hong Ha (Red River) mouth area

Main features of sediment regime in the mouth area of the Hong Ha River (Red River), Vietnam, are discussed. As shown, the hydraulic engineering construction on the Da tributary resulted in a nearly two-fold decrease of river sediment yield. Sediment budget components at the river mouth were analyzed to establish that more than 90% of the sediment yield was detained in the delta branches and in the nearshore zone of the river mouth. Morphological processes in the Hong Ha River mouth area were characterized in detail including delta evolution during Holocene and the dynamics of its channel network, coastline, and mouth bars. Special attention was given to modern processes of delta progradation at the mouths of main branches and to wave erosion of other parts of the delta coastline. The causes for the intensification of this kind of erosion and change of the delta type in the late XX century are discussed.     

Sediment mobility and bed armoring in the St Clair River: insights from hydrodynamic modeling

The lake levels in Lake Michigan‐Huron have recently fallen to near historical lows, as has the elevation difference between Lake Michigan‐Huron compared to Lake Erie. This decline in lake levels has the potential to cause detrimental impacts on the lake ecosystems, together with social and economic impacts on communities in the entire Great Lakes region. Results from past work suggest that morphological changes in the St Clair River, which is the only natural outlet for Lake Michigan‐Huron, could be an appreciable factor in the recent trends of lake level decline. A key research question is whether bed erosion within the river has caused an increase in water conveyance, therefore, contributed to the falling lake level. In this paper, a numerical modeling approach with field data is used to investigate the possibility of sediment movement in the St Clair River and assess the likelihood of morphological change under the current flow regime. A two‐dimensional numerical model was used to study flow structure, bed shear stress, and sediment mobility/armoring over a range of flow discharges. Boundary conditions for the numerical model were provided by detailed field measurements that included high‐resolution bathymetry and three‐dimensional flow velocities. The results indicate that, without considering other effects, under the current range of flow conditions, the shear stresses produced by the river flow are too low to transport most of the coarse bed sediment within the reach and are too low to cause substantial bed erosion or bed scour. However, the detailed maps of the bed show mobile bedforms in the upper St Clair River that are indicative of sediment transport. Relatively high shear stresses near a constriction at the upstream end of the river and at channel bends could cause local scour and deposition. Ship‐induced propeller wake erosion also is a likely cause of sediment movement in the entire reach. Other factors that may promote sediment movement, such as ice cover and dredging in the lower river, require further investigation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of the Variation Characteristics of Runoff and Sediment in the Yellow River Within 70 Years

Water Resources - The characteristics of the runoff and sediment in the Yellow River were analysed and predicted Based on measured data of from 1951 to 2017. Initially, the phase characteristics of...     

Sediment budget and riverbed deformation in the uppermost part of the lower Yangtze River,China

The Yangtze River(YR), similar to most large rivers in the world, has experienced significant changes in its depositional environment due to anthropogenic disturbances and climatic influences in recent decades. However, knowledge of how the river channel and bed deformation respond to these changes in the uppermost part of the lower YR, a 200-km-long branched channel, is limited. In the current study,historical bathymetric data collected from 1992 to 2013 and high-resolution multibeam echo sound...     

长江中下游地区湖泊现代沉积硅藻分布基本特征

首次对长江中下游地区45个湖泊表层沉积硅藻进行了分析．根据硅藻多属种百分含量在总磷浓度和营养梯度上的分布规律以及硅藻数据的降维对应分析(DCA)结果表明,硅藻组合响应于湖泊营养态的变化,尤其是当水体接近于富营养态时,硅藻组合出现迅速转变,即以附生、附生浮游、浮游和底栖种类的多生态型的硅藻组合迅速被富营养浮游种为优势的组合取代．由此提出当Cyclostephanos、Stephanodiscus等种类和Cyclotella meneghiniana、C.atomus组合出现可以预警湖泊水体富营养的发生．另外,硅藻组合还能很好地指示草型和藻型湖泊的特征,可望成为有效判识湖泊生态类型的工具．     

青海湖热力状况的模拟与未来情景之研究

运用基于湖泊热量收支与湍流扩散的湖泊热力学模型模拟了青海湖近３０年来湖水热力状况,内容包括湖泊水面温度,温度沿深度的垂直分布,冬季结冰与融冰的起迄时间,冰盖厚度;积雪深度与天数等。在此基础上,运用４个ＧＣＭｓ模型输出的ＣＯ２倍增情景下该地区的气候状况,评价了湖泊热力状况在未来的可能变化情况。     

金沙江下游梯级水库泥沙淤积和坝下河道冲刷规律

金沙江下游4个梯级水电站总装机容量相当于两座三峡水库,是“西电东送”中部地区的源头工程,工程效益发挥对经济社会发展意义重大。2012年以来,向家坝、溪洛渡、乌东德和白鹤滩电站等陆续蓄水运行,层层拦截金沙江的泥沙,2013—2020年向家坝出库年输沙量均值下降至152万t,减幅超过99%。大量泥沙淤积在梯级水库内,同时向家坝以下河道发生长距离冲刷。本文以自金沙江下游工程筹建以来的观测资料为基础,针对梯级水库的泥沙淤积和坝下游河道冲刷规律开展研究,结果表明:金沙江下游四个梯级电站自建成运行至2020年底,累计淤积泥沙约5.98亿m³,其中溪洛渡库区淤积量占比达92.5%,2013-2020年溪洛渡和向家坝水库排沙比分别为2.64%和22.2%,其水库泥沙主要淤积在常年回水区的干流河道内,以死库容内淤积为主,侵占有效库容的比例小于1.3%。金沙江下游库区干流河道的峡谷特征明显,淤积多表现为主河槽的平铺式淤高。溪洛渡和向家坝库区淤积的泥沙沿程分选特征明显,越靠近坝前,中数粒径减小、细颗粒泥沙沙量百分数增加,极细颗粒泥沙会在库区一定范围内大量沉积。向家坝下游河床普遍冲刷,但...     

Sediment dynamics in the mudbank of the Yangtze River Estuary under regime shift of source and sink

The southeastern portion of the Yangtze River Estuary (or Yangtze Estuary) was considered to be the deposition center and the mudbank of the Yangtze River Delta.As the fluvial sediment supply began to decline in the 1980s and the reduction accelerated after the completion of the Three Gorge Dam in 2003,more fluvial sediment was trapped decreasing the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) environment in the river mouth area.Moreover,the accretion rate of the mudbank has slowed down in recent dec...