Role of bedrock groundwater in the rainfall–runoff process in a small headwater catchment underlain by volcanic rock

The role of bedrock groundwater in rainfall–runoff processes is poorly understood. Hydrometric, tracer and subsurface water potential observations were conducted to study the role of bedrock groundwater and subsurface flow in the rainfall–runoff process in a small headwater catchment in Shiranui, Kumamoto prefecture, south‐west Japan. The catchment bedrock consists of a strongly weathered, fractured andesite layer and a relatively fresh continuous layer. Major chemical constituents and stable isotopic ratios of δ¹⁸O and δD were analysed for spring water, rainwater, soil water and bedrock groundwater. Temporal and spatial variation in SiO₂ showed that stream flow under the base flow condition was maintained by bedrock groundwater. Time series of three components of the rainstorm hydrograph (rainwater, soil water and bedrock groundwater) separated by end member mixing analysis showed that each component fluctuated during rainstorm, and their patterns and magnitudes differed between events. During a typical mid‐magnitude storm event, a delayed secondary runoff peak with 1·0 l s⁻¹ was caused by increase in the bedrock groundwater component, whereas during a large rainstorm event the bedrock groundwater component increased to ≈ 2·5 l s⁻¹. This research shows that the contribution of bedrock groundwater and soil water depends strongly on the location of the groundwater table, i.e. whether or not it rises above the soil–bedrock interface. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of upland land management on flooding: results from an improved pasture hillslope

In response to growing concern about impacts of upland agricultural land management on flood risk, an intensely instrumented experimental catchment has been established at Pontbren, a sheep‐farmed headwater catchment of the River Severn, UK. Primary aims are to develop understanding of the processes governing flood generation and the associated impacts of land management practices, and to bridge the gap between process understanding and ability to predict effects on downstream flooding. To achieve this, the experiment is designed to operate at plot (～100 m²), hillslope (～0·1 km²) and small catchment scale (～10 km²). Hillslope‐scale data, from an under‐drained, agriculturally ‘improved’ pasture, show that drain flow is a dominant runoff process. However, depending on antecedent moisture conditions, overland flow may exceed drain flow rates and can be an important contributor to peak flow runoff at the hillslope‐scale. Flow, soil tension data and tracer tests confirm the importance of macropores and presence of perched water tables under ‘normal’ wet conditions. Comparisons of pasture runoff with that from within a 10 year‐old tree shelterbelt show significantly reduced overland flow due to the presence of trees and/or absence of sheep. Comparisons of soil hydraulic properties show significant increases in hydraulic conductivity and saturated moisture content of soil under trees compared to adjacent improved pasture. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Near-surface water fluxes and their controls in a sloping heterogeneously layered volcanic soil beneath a supra-wet tropical montane cloud forest (NW Costa Rica)

Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) receive additional (‘occult’) inputs of water from fog and wind-driven rain. Together with the concomitant reduction in evaporative losses, this typically leads to high soil moisture levels (often approaching saturation) that are likely to promote rapid subsurface flow via macropores. Although TMCF make up an estimated 6.6% of all remaining montane tropical forest and occur mostly in steep headwater areas that are protected in the expectation of reduced downstream flooding, TMCF hillslope hydrological functioning has rarely been studied. To better understand the hydrological response of a supra-wet TMCF (net precipitation up to 6535 mm y⁻¹) on heterogeneously layered volcanic ash soils (Andosols), we examined temporal and spatial soil moisture dynamics and their contribution to shallow subsurface runoff and stormflow for a year (1 July 2003–30 June 2004) in a small headwater catchment on the Atlantic (windward) slope near Monteverde, NW Costa Rica. Particular attention was paid to the partitioning of water fluxes into lateral subsurface flow and vertical percolation. The presence of a gravelly layer (C-horizon) at ~25 cm depth of very high hydraulic conductivity (geometric mean: 502 mm h⁻¹) intercalated between two layers of much lower conductivity (7.5 and 15.7 mm h⁻¹ above and below, respectively), controlled both surface infiltration and delayed vertical water movement deeper into the soil profile. Soil water fluxes during rainfall were dominated by rapid lateral flow in the gravelly layer, particularly at high soil moisture levels. In turn, this lateral subsurface flow controlled the magnitude and timing of stormflow from the catchment. Stormflow amount increased rapidly once topsoil moisture content exceeded a threshold value of ~0.58 cm³ cm⁻³. Responses were not affected appreciably by rainfall intensity because soil hydraulic conductivities across the profile largely exceeded prevailing rainfall intensities.     

A stream tracer technique employing ionic tracers and specific conductance data applied to the Maimai catchment,New Zealand

The stream tracer technique and transient storage models (TSMs) have become common tools in stream solute and hyporheic exchange studies. The expense and logistics associated with water sample collection and analysis often results in limited temporal resolution of stream tracer breakthrough curves (BTCs). Samples are often collected without a priori or real‐time knowledge of BTC information, which can result in poor sample coverage of the critical shoulder (initial rise) and tail (post‐steady state fall) of the BTC. We illustrate the use of specific conductance (SC) measurements as a surrogate for conservative dissolved tracer (Br⁻) samples. The advantages of collecting SC data for use in the TSM are (1) cost, (2) ease of data collection, and (3) well‐defined breakthrough curves, which strengthen TSM parameter optimization. This method is based on developing an ion concentration (IC)–SC relationship from limited discrete tracer solute samples. SC data can be collected on a more frequent basis at no additional analysis cost. TSM simulations can then be run for the conservative tracer data derived from SC breakthrough curves and the IC–SC relationship. This technique was tested in a 120 m reach of stream (2–60 m subreaches) in the Maimai M15 catchment, New Zealand during baseflow recession. Dissolved LiBr was injected for 12·92 h, with Br⁻ as the conservative ion of interest. Four TSM simulations using the OTIS model are optimized using UCODE to fit (1) Br⁻ data derived from the Br⁻–SC relationship (n = 1307 observations at each of two stream sampling sites), (2) all stream Br⁻ data collected (n = 58 in upper reach, n = 60 in lower reach), (3) half of the stream Br⁻ data collected, and (4) 20 stream Br⁻ samples from each site. No two simulations resulted in the same optimal parameter values. Results suggest that the greater the frequency of observations, the greater the confidence in estimated parameter values. Br⁻–SC simulations resulted in the best overall model fits to the data, with the lowest calculated error variance of 6·37, narrowest 95% parameter estimate confidence intervals, and the highest correlation coefficient of 0·99 942, among the four simulations. This is largely due to the improved representation of the shoulder and tail of the BTC with this method. The IC–SC correlation method is robust in situations in which (1) changes in background SC data can be accounted for, and (2) the data used to define the IC–SC relationship are representative of the range of data collected. This method provides more efficient sample analysis, improved data resolution, and improved model results compared to the alternative stream tracer data gathering methods presented. Additionally, we describe a new parameterization of the cross‐sectional area of the stream during flow recession, as a function of discharge, based on a stream hydraulic geometry relationship. This variant of the OTIS model provides a more realistic representation of stream dynamics during unsteady discharge. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment and solute transport on soil slope under simultaneous influence of rainfall impact and scouring flow

Soil erosion and nutrient losses with surface runoff in the loess plateau in China cause severe soil quality degradation and water pollution. It is driven by both rainfall impact and runoff flow that usually take place simultaneously during a rainfall event. However, the interactive effect of these two processes on soil erosion has received limited attention. The objectives of this study were to better understand the mechanism of soil erosion, solute transport in runoff, and hydraulic characteristics of flow under the simultaneous influence of rainfall and shallow clear‐water flow scouring. Laboratory flume experiments with three rainfall intensities (0, 60, and 120 mm h⁻¹) and four scouring inflow rates (10, 20, 30, and 40 l min⁻¹) were conducted to evaluate their interactive effect on runoff. Results indicate that both rainfall intensity and scouring inflow rate play important roles on runoff formation, soil erosion, and solute transport in the surface runoff. A rainfall splash and water scouring interactive effect on the transport of sediment and solute in runoff were observed at the rainfall intensity of 60 mm h⁻¹ and scouring inflow rates of 20 l min⁻¹. Cumulative sediment mass loss (Ms) was found to be a linear function of cumulative runoff volume (Wr) for each treatment. Solute transport was also affected by both rainfall intensity and scouring inflow rate, and the decrease in bromide concentration in the runoff with time fitted to a power function well. Reynolds number (Re) was a key hydraulic parameter to determine erodability on loess slopes. The Darcy–Weisbach friction coefficients (f) decreased with the Reynolds numbers (Re), and the average soil and water loss rate (M_l) increased with the Reynolds numbers (Re) on loess slope for both scenarios with or without rainfall impact. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding changes in annual runoff following land use changes: a systematic data‐based approach

A simple modelling framework for assessing the response of ungauged catchments to land use change in South‐Western Australia is presented. The framework uses knowledge of transpiration losses from native vegetation and pasture and then partitions the ‘excess’ water (resulting from reduced transpiration after land use change) between runoff and deep storage. The simple partitioning is achieved by using soft information (satellite imagery, previous mapping and field assessment) to delimit the spread of the permanently saturated area close to the stream. Runoff is then assumed to increase in proportion to the saturated area, with the residual difference going to deep storage. The model parameters to describe the annual water yield are obtained a priori and no calibration to streamflow is required. We tested the model using gauged records over 25 years from paired catchment experiments in South‐Western Australia. Very good estimates of runoff were obtained from high rainfall (>1100 mm yr⁻¹) catchments (R² > 0·9) and for low rainfall (<900 mm yr⁻¹) catchments after clearing (R² = 0·96) but results were poorer (R² = 0·55) for an uncleared low rainfall catchment, although overall balances were reasonable. In the drier uncleared catchments, the within‐year distributions of rainfall may exert a substantial influence on runoff response that is not completely captured by the presented model. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rainfall intensity affects runoff responses in a semi-arid catchment

The source and hydrochemical makeup of a stream reflects the connectivity between rainfall, groundwater, the stream, and is reflected to water quantity and quality of the catchment. However, in a semi-arid, thick, loess covered catchment, temporal variation of stream source and event associated behaviours are lesser known. Thus, the isotopic and chemical hydrographs in a widely distributed, deep loess, semi-arid catchment of the northern Chinese Loess Plateau were characterized to determine the source and hydrochemical behaviours of the stream during intra-rainfall events. Rainfall and streamflow were sampled during six hydrologic events coupled with measurements of stream baseflow and groundwater. The deuterium isotope (²H), major ions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, Ca²⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Na⁺) were evaluated in water samples obtained during rainfall events. Temporal variation of ²H and Cl⁻ measured in the groundwater and stream baseflow prior to rainfall was similar; however, the isotope compositions of the streamflow fluctuated significantly and responded quickly to rainfall events, likely due to an infiltration excess, overland dominated surface runoff during torrential rainfall events. Time source separation using ²H demonstrated greater than 72% on average, the stream composition was event water during torrential rainfall events, with the proportion increasing with rainfall intensity. Solutes concentrations in the stream had loglinear relationships with stream discharge, with an outling anomaly with an example of an intra-rainfall event on Oct. 24, 2015. Stream Cl⁻ behaved nonconservative during rainfall events, temporal variation of Cl⁻ indicated a flush and washout at the onset of small rainfall events, a dilution but still high concentration pattern in high discharge and old water dominated in regression flow period. This study indicates rainfall intensity affects runoff responses in a semi-arid catchment, and the stored water in the thick, loess covered areas was less connected with stream runoff. Solute transport may threaten water quality in the area, requiring further analysis of the performance of the eco-restoration project.     

Tracer and hydrometric study of preferential flow in large undisturbed soil cores from the Georgia Piedmont,USA

We studied the temporal patterns of tracer throughput in the outflow of large (30 cm diameter by 38 cm long) undisturbed cores from the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia. Tracer breakthrough was affected by soil structure and rainfall intensity. Two rainfall intensities (20 and 40 mm hr⁻¹) for separate Cl⁻ and Br⁻ amended solutions were applied to two cores (one extracted from a hillslope soil and one extracted from a residual clay soil on the ridge). For both low and high rainfall intensity experiments, preferential flow occurred in the clay core, but not in the hillslope core. The preferential flow is attributed to well‐developed interpedal macrochannels that are commonly found in structured clay soils, characteristic of the ridge site. However, each rainfall intensity exceeded the matrix infiltration capacity at the top of the hillslope core, but did not exceed the matrix infiltration capacity at the middle and bottom of the hillslope core and at all levels in the clay core. Localized zones of saturation created when rainfall intensity exceeds the matrix infiltration capacity may cause water and tracer to overflow from the matrix into macrochannels, where preferential flow occurs to depth in otherwise unsaturated soil. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of overland flow variation and blue water production in a farmed semi-arid water harvesting catchment

Upgrading agriculture in semi-arid areas and ensuring its sustainability require an optimal management of rainfall partition between blue and green waters in the farmed water harvesting catchment. The main objective of this study is to analyze the influence of heterogeneous land use on the spatial and temporal variation of rainfall partitioning and blue water production within a typical farmed catchment located in north-eastern Tunisia. The catchment has an area of 2.6 km² and comprises at its outlet a dam, which retains the runoff water in a reservoir. Overland flow and soil water balance components were monitored during two cropping seasons (2000/2001 and 2001/2002) on a network of eleven plots of 2 m² each with different land use and soil characteristics. The hydrological balances of both the catchment and reservoir have been monitored since 1994.Observed data showed a very large temporal and spatial variability of overland flow within the catchment reflecting the great importance of total rainfall as well as land use. During the 2001/2002 season the results showed a large variation of the number of observed runoff events, from 27 to 39, and of the annual overland flow depths, from 8 mm (under vineyard on calcaric cambisols) up to 43 mm (under shrubs-pasture on haplic regosols), between the plots. The annual runoff amounts were moderate; they always corresponded to less than 15% of the annual rainfall amount whatever the observation scale. It was also observed that changes in land use in years with similar rainfall could lead to significant differences in blue water flow. An attempt for predicting the overland flow by the general linear regression approach showed an r² of 31%, the predictors used are the class of soil infiltration capacity, the initial moisture saturation ratio of the soil surface layer and the total rainfall amounts.These experimental results indicate that the variation in land use in a semi-arid catchment is a main factor of variation in soil surface conditions and explain the major role played by the former on hydrological behavior of the upstream area and on rainfall partition between overland flow and infiltration. Therefore, to predict the water harvesting capacities in terms of blue water production of a farmed catchment in semi-arid areas it seems essential to consider precisely its land use and its temporal evolution related to management practices.     

Linking metrics of hydrological function and transit times to landscape controls in a heterogeneous mesoscale catchment

Long‐term river flow data and one year of isotopic tracer data in a nested 749 km² catchment were analysed conjunctively to evaluate the relationships between hydrometric statistics, transit times, and catchment characteristics. The catchment comprised two distinct geomorphic provinces; upland headwaters draining glaciated landscapes underlain by crystalline geology and lowland headwaters draining a major regional sandstone aquifer. In the uplands, flow regimes were ‘flashy’ with high runoff coefficients for storm hydrographs, steep recession curves and strong nonlinearity in event responses. In the lowlands, runoff coefficients were low, recessions less steep, and event responses more linear. Flow data from the catchment outfall showing damping of these extremes, but was most strongly influenced by the upland headwaters where precipitation was highest. The damping of variability in stable water isotopes between precipitation inputs and streamflow outputs reflected this; with upland tributaries least damped and lowland tributaries most damped. Attempts to quantify the mean transit times of the sampling points met with mixed success; partly reflecting the short run (1 year) of data, but mainly as a result of the marked damping in lowland sites. As a consequence, MTT estimates can only be said to be in the order of a few years in upland sites, but are probably decadal or greater in lowland tributaries. Again, the catchment outfall averages these extremes, but is more similar to the upland headwaters. Despite the difficulties in quantifying MTTs, it is clear that they, like the hydrological response, primarily reflect the dominant control of catchment soil cover, which in turn is determined by geology and glacial history. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hillslope hydrology in tropical rainforest steeplands in Brunei

Many remaining areas of tropical rainforest in south‐east Asia are located on landscapes dominated by deep valleys and very steep slopes. Now that logging activities are extending into these steeplands, it is essential to understand how the natural rainforest system behaves if any kind of realistic assessment of the effects of such disturbance is to be made. This paper examines the hydrological behaviour of an undisturbed rainforest system on steep topography in the Temburong District of Brunei, north‐west Borneo. The physical and hydrological properties of the regolith material are generally typical of tropical residual soils. The regolith has a clay texture and a low dry bulk density beneath a superficial litter/organic horizon. The infiltration capacity of the surface soil was several hundred mm h⁻¹. That of the exposed mineral subsoil was an order of magnitude less, similar to the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_sat) of around 180 mm h⁻¹ at a depth of 150 cm. There was no indication that K_sat reduced with depth except very near the bedrock interface. Soil tensions were measured using a two‐dimensional array of tensiometers on a 30° slope. During dry season conditions, infiltrating rain‐water contributes to soil moisture, and drying of the soil is dominated by transpiration losses. During wet season conditions, perched water tables quickly develop during heavy rainfall, giving rise to the rapid production of return flow in ephemeral channels. No infiltration excess or saturation overland flow was observed on hillslopes away from channel margins. Subsurface storm flow combined with return flow produce stream flow hydrographs with high peak discharges and very short lag times. Storm event runoff coefficients are estimated to be as high as 40%. It is concluded that the most distinctive feature of the hydrology of this ‘steepland rainforest’ is the extremely ‘flashy’ nature of the catchment runoff regime produced by the combination of thin but very permeable regolith on steep slopes. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Base flow separation for soil erosion simulation in a granitic forested headwater catchment using a process-based model,GeoWEPP

Distributed erosion models, which simulate the physical processes of water flow and soil erosion, are effective for predicting soil erosion in forested catchments. Although subsurface flow through multiple pathways is dominant for runoff generation in forested headwater catchments, the process-based erosion model, Geo-spatial interface for Water Erosion Prediction Project(Geo WEPP), does not have an adequate subsurface component for the simulation of hillslope water flow. In the current study, t...     

FLOW SEPARATION IN UNDISTURBED SOIL USING MULTIPLE ANIONIC TRACERS. PART 2. STEADY-STATE CORE-SCALE RAINFALL AND RETURN FLOWS AND DETERMINATION OF DISPERSION PARAMETERS

A series of experiments designed to study the separation of flow components from two large undisturbed cores under steady-state rainfall (downward) and return (upward) flows under near-saturated conditions is summarized. The experiments were conducted on soil columns collected from Lancaster University and the Slapton Wood catchment, Devon. The use of the relatively conservative tracers, potassium bromide, o-(trifluoromethyl)benzoic acid and 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid and a combination of application rates made it possible to quantify the different sources of water contributing to the discharge hydrographs. There is significant retention of tracer within the cores, despite the application of several pore volumes of water. The use of steady flow conditions allowed the determination of dispersion coefficients, dispersivity and proportion of ‘mobile’ water content parameters of the advection–dispersion equation. It was found that there were significant differences between the dispersivities at different flow-rates under upward and downward flux conditions and that in the undisturbed cores studied here the apparent proportions of mobile pore water ranged between 0.33 and 1.0, with an apparently complex relationship to flux rate. Prediction of transport in undisturbed soil remains problematic and tracer experiments will continue to be needed to provide a fundamental understanding of the complex flow processes involved.     

Vertical soil water movement in a tropical rainforest catchment in northeast queensland

In a tropical rainforest catchment, shallow piezometers respond almost instantaneously to rainfall, but the dominant ground water recharge mechanisms are not well understood. To improve understanding, the downward movement of soil water on a runoff plot was traced using tritiated water injected at 0·20 m below the surface which marks the lower boundary of active subsurface storm flow. The tritium pulse was translated slowly down the profile, apparently dominated by interstitial piston flow on the lines described by Zimmermann's theoretical model. This recharge mechanism accounted for about 35 per cent of rainfall or 50 per cent of throughfall. The pulse's advance may have also been delayed by the upward movement of soil water indicated by the distribution of hydraulic potential under different hydrological conditions. The result was an increase in soil water transit time particularly below 1·0 m. There was also evidence in the tracer profiles for rapid by-pass flow but the volumes concerned could not be quantified in this experiment.     

Response time and water origin in a steep nested catchment in the Italian Dolomites

In this study, we investigate the surface flow time of rise in response to rainfall and snowmelt events at different spatial scales and the main sources originating channel runoff and spring water in a steep nested headwater catchment (Rio Vauz, Italian Dolomites), characterized by a marked elevation gradient. We monitored precipitation at different elevations and measured water stage/streamflow at the outlet of two rocky subcatchments of the same size, representative of the upper part of the catchment dominated by outcropping bedrock, at the outlet of a soil‐mantled and vegetated subcatchment of similar size but different morphology, and at the outlet of the main catchment. Hydrometric data are coupled with stable isotopes and electrical conductivity sampled from different water sources during five years, and used as tracers in end‐member mixing analysis, application of two component mixing models and analysis of the slope of the dual‐isotope regression line. Results reveal that times of rise are slightly shorter for the two rocky subcatchments, particularly for snowmelt and mixed rainfall/snowmelt events, compared to the soil‐mantled catchment and the entire Rio Vauz Catchment. The highly‐variable tracer signature of the different water sources reflects the geomorphological and geological complexity of the study area. The principal end‐members for channel runoff and spring water are identified in rainfall and snowmelt, which are the dominant water sources in the rocky upper part of the study catchment, and soil water and shallow groundwater, which play a relevant role in originating baseflow and spring water in the soil‐mantled and vegetated lower part of the catchment. Particularly, snowmelt contributes up to 64 ± 8% to spring water in the concave upper parts of the catchment and up to 62 ± 11% to channel runoff in the lower part of the catchment. These results offer new experimental evidences on how Dolomitic catchments capture and store rain water and meltwater, releasing it through a complex network of surface and subsurface flow pathways, and allow for the construction of a preliminary conceptual model on water transmission in snowmelt‐dominated catchments featuring marked elevation gradients.     

Using hydrogeochemical signatures of stream water to assess pathways for rainfall events: towards a predictive model

Thanks to its simple division into agricultural and forestry land use, the Corbeira catchment (Galicia, Spain) is used as a case study to build a predictive model using hydrogeochemical signatures. Stream data acquired under recessional flow conditions over a one year period were obtained from a sampling station near the downstream end of the catchment, and using principal component analysis, it is shown that some of the analytical parameters are covariant, and some are negatively correlated. These findings support inferences about the pathways of rainfall in the catchment. Specific signatures may be associated with the dominant hydrological source, either surface runoff or subsurface waters: additionally, the dominant land use in that part of the catchment, where the flow originated, can also be predicted. The dominant runoff shows a strong covariance between suspended solids (SS) and particulate phosphorus (PP), with a clear negative correlation with pH. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) data are associated with this covariant set when these compounds are available in the soils in question. Dissolved phosphorus, total organic nitrogen and dissolved nitrates are also associated with the same covariant set when the runoff flows through areas of extensive agricultural use. The SS ? PP covariance is less significant at lower flows. Typical base flow regimes show a significant covariance between salinity and pH, with a marked negative correlation with SS ? PP set, confirming the dominance of subsurface waters in the baseflow, as expected. Seasonally divergent DOC ? SS behaviour proves to be a useful tracer for rainfall regimes. The DOC trend shows a sinusoidal annual variation in amplitude, determined by the rainfall regime. As a result, flow from the catchment is dominated by surface water whenever there is synchronicity between the peaks of DOC and SS. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new interpretation of kinematic stormflow generation

The paper reviews a number of possible fast and slow hydrological flow mechanisms to account for rapid runoff generation within a catchment. A new interpretation of the kinematic wave process is proposed which develops some of these concepts to explain rapid subsurface flow from a watershed. Evidence for the process is provided by the results from a laboratory soil core experiment and an investigation of the hydrology of a Dartmoor hillslope. A tension response was monitored in the soil core in which pressure waves were propagated downwards and expelled water from the base. The transmission of the wave down the core was considerably faster than the movement of a chloride tracer. The concept of this kinematic wave process and associated water flux was then extended to the Dartmoor watershed. Raindrops reaching the wet soil surface caused pressure waves to travel laterally downslope. During large rainstorms, the hillslope became hydrologically highly connected and the pressure waves forced existing water from seepage faces into the saturated area adjacent to the stream, contributing substantially to the stream discharge. A kinematic contributing area was defined, as determined by both rainfall–runoff ratios and geostatistical analyses of hillslope soil moisture contents, which extended over at least 65% of the catchment area. This kinematic wave theory is consistent with results of translatory flow and macropore flow models, and stable isotope field studies of ‘old/new’ water. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ressi experimental catchment: Ecohydrological research in the Italian pre-Alps

Ressi is a small (2.4 ha) forested catchment located in the Italian pre-Alps. The site became an experimental catchment to investigate the water fluxes in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum and the impact of vegetation on runoff generation in 2012. The elevation of the catchment ranges from 598 to 721 m a.s.l. and the climate is humid temperate. The bedrock consists of rhyolites and dacites; the soil is a Cambisol. The catchment is covered by a dense forest, dominated by beech, chestnut, maple, and hazel trees. The field set up includes measurements of the rainfall in an open area, streamflow at the outlet, soil moisture at various depths and locations, and depth to water table in six piezometers at a 5- or 10-min interval. Samples of precipitation, stream water, shallow groundwater and soil water are collected monthly for tracer analysis (stable isotopes (²H and ¹⁸O), electrical conductivity and major ions), and during selected rainfall–runoff events to determine the contribution of the various sources to runoff. Since 2017, soil and plant water samples have been collected to determine the sources of tree transpiration. Data collected in the period 2012–2016 are publicly available. Data collection is ongoing, and the data set is expected to be updated on an annual basis to include the most recent measurements.     

Effectivity of dissolved SF6 tracer for clarification of rainfall–runoff processes in a forested headwater catchment

Understanding rainfall‐runoff processes is crucial for prevention and prediction of water‐related natural disasters. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) is a potential tracer, but few researches have applied it for rainfall‐runoff process studies. We observed multiple tracers including SF₆ in spring water at 1‐ to 2‐hr intervals during rainstorm events to investigate the effectivity of SF₆ tracer in rainfall–runoff studies through the clarification of rainfall–runoff process. The target spring is a perennial spring in a forested headwater catchment with an area of 0.045 km² in Fukushima, Japan. The relationship between the SF₆ concentration in spring water and the spring discharge volume was negative trend; the SF₆ concentration in spring water becomes low as the spring discharge volume increases especially during rainstorms. The hydrograph separation using SF₆ and chloride ion tracers was applied for determining the contribution of principal sources on rainfall–runoff water. It suggested more than 60% contribution of bedrock groundwater at the rainfall peak and high percentage contribution continued even in the hydrograph recession phase. Based on observed low SF₆ concentration in groundwater after heavy rainfall, the replacement of groundwater near the spring with bedrock groundwater is indicated as a mechanism for water discharge with low SF₆ concentration during rainfall events. Consequently, rainstorm events play an important role as triggers in discharging water stored in the deeper subsurface area. In addition, SF₆ tracer is concluded as one of the strongest tracers for examining rainfall–runoff process studies. And, therefore, this study provided new insights into the dynamics of groundwater and its responses to rainfall in terms of SF₆ concentration variance in water in headwater regions.     

Spatially distributed tracer‐aided modelling to explore water and isotope transport,storage and mixing in a pristine,humid tropical catchment

Rapidly transforming headwater catchments in the humid tropics provide important resources for drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, and ecosystem connectivity. However, such resources for downstream use remain unstudied. To improve understanding of the behaviour and influence of pristine rainforests on water and tracer fluxes, we adapted the relatively parsimonious, spatially distributed tracer‐aided rainfall–runoff (STARR) model using event‐based stable isotope data for the 3.2‐km² San Lorencito catchment in Costa Rica. STARR was used to simulate rainforest interception of water and stable isotopes, which showed a significant isotopic enrichment in throughfall compared with gross rainfall. Acceptable concurrent simulations of discharge (Kling–Gupta efficiency [KGE] ~0.8) and stable isotopes in stream water (KGE ~0.6) at high spatial (10 m) and temporal (hourly) resolution indicated a rapidly responding system. Around 90% of average annual streamflow (2,099 mm) was composed of quick, near‐surface runoff components, whereas only ~10% originated from groundwater in deeper layers. Simulated actual evapotranspiration (ET) from interception and soil storage were low (~420 mm/year) due to high relative humidity (average 96%) and cloud cover limiting radiation inputs. Modelling suggested a highly variable groundwater storage (~10 to 500 mm) in this steep, fractured volcanic catchment that sustains dry season baseflows. This groundwater is concentrated in riparian areas as an alluvial–colluvial aquifer connected to the stream. This was supported by rainfall–runoff isotope simulations, showing a “flashy” stream response to rainfall with only a moderate damping effect and a constant isotope signature from deeper groundwater (~400‐mm additional mixing volume) during baseflow. The work serves as a first attempt to apply a spatially distributed tracer‐aided model to a tropical rainforest environment exploring the hydrological functioning of a steep, fractured‐volcanic catchment. We also highlight limitations and propose a roadmap for future data collection and spatially distributed tracer‐aided model development in tropical headwater catchments.