Does the permeability of gravel river beds affect near‐bed hydrodynamics?

The permeability of river beds is an important control on hyporheic flow and the movement of fine sediment and solutes into and out of the bed. However, relatively little is known about the effect of bed permeability on overlying near‐bed flow dynamics, and thus on fluid advection at the sediment–water interface. This study provides the first quantification of this effect for water‐worked gravel beds. Laboratory experiments in a recirculating flume revealed that flows over permeable beds exhibit fundamental differences compared with flows over impermeable beds of the same topography. The turbulence over permeable beds is less intense, more organised and more efficient at momentum transfer because eddies are more coherent. Furthermore, turbulent kinetic energy is lower, meaning that less energy is extracted from the mean flow by this turbulence. Consequently, the double‐averaged velocity is higher and the bulk flow resistance is lower over permeable beds, and there is a difference in how momentum is conveyed from the overlying flow to the bed surface. The main implications of these results are three‐fold. First, local pressure gradients, and therefore rates of material transport, across the sediment–water interface are likely to differ between impermeable and permeable beds. Second, near‐bed and hyporheic flows are unlikely to be adequately predicted by numerical models that represent the bed as an impermeable boundary. Third, more sophisticated flow resistance models are required for coarse‐grained rivers that consider not only the bed surface but also the underlying permeable structure. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of bed permeability have critical implications for hyporheic exchange, fluvial sediment dynamics and benthic habitat availability. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Can the desert bloom? Lessons learned from the Israeli case

Despite the central management of Israel's water resources and the highly planned strategy for a sustainable water supply, Israel has twice faced an acute water crisis during the past decade. Although the visible problem is related to a lack of additional quantities of water, the deterioration of water quality appears to be endangering the future use of available water quantities as well. A long-term policy of ground water mining (translated to salt water encroachments), and irrigation with relatively saline water and recycled waste water, among other damage, account for this deterioration. Enhanced flushing of the salt and contaminant load from the aquifers (using various techniques) is proposed as a solution to the problem.     

Does pore water velocity affect the reaction rates of adsorptive solute transport in soils? Demonstration with pore-scale modelling

Modelling adsorptive solute transport in soils needs a number of parameters to describe its reaction kinetics and the values of these parameters are usually determined from batch and displacement experiments. Some experimental results reveal that when describing the adsorption as first-order kinetics, its associated reaction rates are not constants but vary with pore water velocity. Explanation of this varies but an independent verification of each explanation is difficult because simultaneously measuring the spatiotemporal distributions of dissolved and adsorbed solutes in soils is formidable. Pore-scale modelling could play an important role to address this gap and has received increased attention over the past few years. This paper investigated the transport of adsorptive solute in a simple porous medium using pore-scale modelling. Fluid flow through the void space of the medium was assumed to be laminar and in saturated condition, and solute transport consisted of advection and molecular diffusion; the sorption and desorption occurring at the fluid–solid interface were modelled as linear first-order kinetics. Based on the simulated spatiotemporal distribution of dissolved and adsorbed solutes at pore scale, volumetric-average reaction kinetics at macroscopic scale and its associated reactive parameters were measured. Both homogeneous adsorption where the reaction rates at microscopic scale are constant, and heterogeneous adsorption where the reaction rates vary from site to site, were investigated. The results indicate that, in contrast to previously thought, the macroscopic reaction rates directly measured from the pore-scale simulations do not change with pore velocity under both homogeneous and heterogeneous adsorptions. In particular, we found that for the homogeneous adsorption, the macroscopic adsorption remains first-order kinetic and can be described by constant reaction rates, regardless of flow rate; whilst for the heterogeneous adsorption, the macroscopic adsorption kinetics continues not to be affected by flow rate but is no longer first-order kinetics that can be described by constant reaction rates. We discuss how these findings could help explain some contrary literature reports over the dependence of reaction rates on pore water velocity.     

How do hydrologic modeling decisions affect the portrayal of climate change impacts?

End users face a range of subjective decisions when evaluating climate change impacts on hydrology, but the importance of these decisions is rarely assessed. In this paper, we evaluate the implications of hydrologic modelling choices on projected changes in the annual water balance, monthly simulated processes, and signature measures (i.e. metrics that quantify characteristics of the hydrologic catchment response) under a future climate scenario. To this end, we compare hydrologic changes computed with four different model structures – whose parameters have been obtained using a common calibration strategy – with hydrologic changes computed with a single model structure and parameter sets from multiple options for different calibration decisions (objective function, local optima, and calibration forcing dataset). Results show that both model structure selection and the parameter estimation strategy affect the direction and magnitude of projected changes in the annual water balance, and that the relative effects of these decisions are basin dependent. The analysis of monthly changes illustrates that parameter estimation strategies can provide similar or larger uncertainties in simulations of some hydrologic processes when compared with uncertainties coming from model choice. We found that the relative effects of modelling decisions on projected changes in catchment behaviour depend on the signature measure analysed. Furthermore, parameter sets with similar performance, but located in different regions of the parameter space, provide very different projections for future catchment behaviour. More generally, the results obtained in this study prompt the need to incorporate parametric uncertainty in multi‐model frameworks to avoid an over‐confident portrayal of climate change impacts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Does Manila clam cultivation affect habitats of the engineer species Lanice conchilega (Pallas, 1766)?

The major French site of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams and Reeves, 1850) cultivation is located in the Chausey Archipelago where the associated practices are highly mechanized: every steps of production are made with tractor-driven machinery. The Manila clam concessions are concentrated on Lanice conchilega (Pallas, 1766) bioherms, which are known to increase alpha-diversity and to locally modify sediment dynamics. This study focus on the impacts of Manila clam cultivation on (i) the natural populations of L. conchilega and on (ii) the structure of the associated benthic assemblages during the different steps of the farming production cycle. We found that the L. conchilega populations are significantly affected within the concessions where their total abundances drastically decrease, their spatial patterns are modified and the associated benthic assemblages are significantly altered. Our results are discussed in a context of a sustainable management of the Manila clam cultivation in coastal areas.     

Does Pumping Volume Affect the Concentration of Micropollutants in Groundwater Samples?

Information on concentrations of micropollutants (such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals) in most highly dynamic riverbank filtration (RBF) systems is lacking, in contrast to data on standard chemical parameters. Sampling protocols have thus far been based on the stabilization of standard chemical parameters in relatively pristine environments. To determine whether groundwater samples for micropollutant analysis can be taken at a similar pumping volume as samples for testing standard chemical parameters in both environments, three groundwater monitoring wells in an RBF system were sampled at two points in time (after pumping of 3 well volumes and after pumping of 15 well volumes). Micropollutant concentrations were not significantly different between the two sampling points; therefore, appropriate samples can be drawn after pumping 3 well volumes. For a specific microbiological parameter (leucin incorporation), a statistically significant difference was found.     

How does afforestation affect the hydrology of a blanket peatland? A modelling study

Over the last century, afforestation in Ireland has increased from 1% of the land area to 10%, with most plantations on upland drained blanket peatlands. This land use change is considered to have altered the hydrological response and water balance of upland catchments with implications for water resources. Because of the difficulty of observing these long‐term changes in the field, the aim of this study was to utilize a hydrological model to simulate the rainfall runoff processes of an existing pristine blanket peatland and then to simulate the hydrology of the peatland if it were drained and afforested. The hydrological rainfall runoff model (GEOtop) was calibrated and validated for an existing small (76 ha) pristine blanket peatland in the southwest of Ireland for the 2‐year period, 2007–2008. The current hydrological response of the pristine blanket peatland catchment with regard to streamflow and water table (WT) levels was captured well in the simulations. Two land use change scenarios of afforestation were also examined, (A) a young 10‐year‐old and (B) a semi‐mature 15‐year‐old Sitka Spruce forest. Scenario A produced similar streamflow dynamics to the pristine peatland, whereas total annual streamflow from Scenario B was 20% lower. For Scenarios A and B, on an annual average basis, the WT was drawn down by 16 and 20 cm below that observed in the pristine peatland, respectively. The maximum WT draw down in Scenario B was 61 cm and occurred in the summer months, resulting in a significant decrease in summer streamflow. Occasionally in the winter (following rainfall), the WT for Scenario B was just 2 cm lower than the pristine peatland, which when coupled with the drainage networks associated with afforestation led to higher peak streamflows. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding the reverse time migration backscattering: noise or signal?

Reverse time migration backscattered events are produced by the cross‐correlation between waves reflected from sharp interfaces (e.g., salt bodies). These events, along with head waves and diving waves, produce the so‐called reverse time migration artefacts, which are visible as low wavenumber energy on migrated images. Commonly, these events are seen as a drawback for the reverse time migration method because they obstruct the image of the geologic structure, which is the real objective for the process. In this paper, we perform numeric and theoretical analysis to understand the reverse time migration backscattering energy in conventional and extended images. We show that the reverse time migration backscattering contains a measure of the synchronization and focusing information between the source and receiver wavefields. We show that this synchronization and focusing information is sensitive to velocity errors; this implies that a correct velocity model produces reverse time migration backscattering with maximum energy. Therefore, before filtering the reverse time migration backscattered energy, we should try to obtain a model that maximizes it.     

Assessing fertilization success of the coral Montipora capitata under copper exposure: Does the night of spawning matter?

Metal pollution is a major threat in tropical areas due to increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities along coastlines. Unfortunately there are very few toxicological studies that assess the effects of metals on marine organisms in tropical areas. To help fill this gap, this study investigated how Cu alters the fertilization success of the coral Montipora capitata over several nights of spawning. Results indicate that gametes of M. capitata are sensitive to Cu pollution, with EC₅₀ after 3 h ranging from 16.6 to 31.7 μg l^?1. Moreover, the sensitivity of the gametes to Cu toxicity was influenced by the night of spawning during which fertilization experiments were performed. This result likely reflected changes in the quality of gamete over the spawning period.     

Potential effect of sedimentary iron-phosphorus accumulation on frequent algal bloom in the Pearl River Estuary

Based on laboratory culture of harmful alga on iron and phosphorus uptake, and the study of accu-mulation of iron-phosphorus in cores and release of iron and phosphorus from surficial sediments collected in the Pearl River Estuary, the reasons of the high frequency of phytoplankton bloom therein are discussed. The results show that Fe starvation can make algal growth rate slow down and the peak of cell number decrease. Fe and P contents in algal cell bear a significant correlation and the molar ratio of P:Fe is ~356:1, suggesting that algal uptake of Fe and P is synergistic. Total Fe and total P in sediments are positively correlated and Fe-P is the main species of inorganic sedimentary P. Through continuous leaching with agitation, 34.26%―80.21% of exchangeable P and 4.04%―22.52% of ex-changeable Fe are released from surficial sediments, implying that the accumulation of Fe-P in sedi-ments is available for providing nutrients (P and essential Fe) for the demand of phytoplankton bloom. These factors might be responsible for a higher frequency of red tides than other marine regions.     

The sustainability of drinking water supply in rural China: Does the provision of drinking water investment mismatch the demand of residents?

It is doubted that the top down nature of investment planning may lead to mismatches between drinking water investment and the demands of local residents in rural China. Statistical and econometric analysis based on data of 2020 rural households from five Chinese provinces from 1998 to 2011 are used to illustrate the linkage between demand for drinking water investment and construction of drinking water projects. Household's demand significantly affects drinking water projects implemented by upper level governments and implemented jointly, but is not significant in explaining the projects implemented by village. There is evidence to suggest that the demands of local leaders override those of households in the implementation of drinking water projects provided by village in the early stage of 2005–2008. The situation improves in the latter stage of 2008–2011when the village level participatory bodies begin to provide opportunities for households to voice their preferences on public goods investment. The results of this study imply that it is important to explore appropriate regulations and policies that enabling local cadres to better meet local demands of their communities to ensure the sustainability of rural drinking water supply.     

Analysis and application of pseudo-offset method in the converted-wave prestack time migration

Pseudo-offset migration （POM） is a new method for prestack time migration of converted waves that improves on equivalent-offset migration （EOM）. The mapping of POM is different than EOM but the purpose of the two methods is to map the input samples to the common conversion scatter point （CCSP） gathers. This paper introduces the principles of the two migration methods and model parameter sensitivity tests for both POM and EOM. At large offset-to-depth ratios the hyperbolic approximation, the three-term approximation and the double square root （DSR） equation are used to NMO-correct the mapped POM gathers to obtain more accurate migration velocities. These equations were derived and calculated by small pseudo offset. POM is then used to image complex structure and prestack time migration.     

Constraining the stepwise migration of the eastern Tibetan Plateau margin by apatite fission track thermochronology

Granites sampled from Garzê-Litang thrust, Longmen Shan thrust, Garzê and Litang strike-slip faults in the eastern Tibetan Plateau have been analyzed with apatite fission track thermochronological method in this study. The measured fission track apparent ages, combined with the simulated annealing mod- eling of the thermal history, have been used to reconstruct the thermal evolutionary histories of the samples and interpret the active history of the thrusts and faults in these areas. Thermal history mod- eling shows that earlier tectonic cooling occurred in the Garzê-Litang thrust in Miocene (~20―16 Ma) whereas the later cooling occurred mainly in the Longmen Shan thrust since ~5 Ma. Our study sug- gests that the margin of eastern Tibetan Plateau was extended by stages: through strike-slip faults deformations and related thrusts, the upper crust formed the Garzê-Litang margin in the Miocene epoch and then moved to the Longmen Shan margin since ~5 Ma. During this process, the deformations of different phases in the eastern Tibetan Plateau were absorbed by the thrusts within them and conse- quently the tectonic events of long-distance slip and extrusion up to hundreds of kilometers have not been found.     

Incorporating intensity bounds for assessing the seismic safety of structures: Does it matter?

The closed‐form solution for assessing the proportion of the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance as a function of integration limits is introduced, in order to study whether or not the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance is overestimated if the lower and(or) upper integration limit of the risk equation are(is) not selected in a physically consistent manner. Simple formulas for assessing the threshold value of the lower and upper integration limits are also derived. These formulas can be used to quickly assess the significant range of ground motion intensity that affects the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance. It is shown that the threshold values of the integration limits depend on the median intensity causing a limit‐state, the corresponding dispersion and the slope of the hazard curve in the log domain. For several reinforced concrete buildings located in a region with moderate seismicity, it is demonstrated that the mean annual frequency of collapse can be significantly overestimated when assessed by integrating the risk equation over the entire range of ground motion intensity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Does the Actual Drop in Dead Sea Level Reflect the Development of Water Sources Within its Drainage Basin?

As a part of Jordan’s efforts to quantify the effect of the Dead Sea level decline on the precious groundwater resources of the surrounding aquifers, the authors analyzed the historic or predevelopment inflows and outflows of the Dead Sea basin and the resulting water balance which included precipitation, evaporation, surface‐ and groundwaters. The predevelopment situation was taken as the point of departure for the sake of this study. Furthermore, the present situation was analyzed in an attempt to quantify the groundwater inflows into the Dead Sea as a result of drop in the Dead Sea level. The groundwater component and the corresponding saltwater/freshwater interface were taken as the variables to balance the levels of the sea that would have been reached without the contribution of the uncontrolled groundwater inflows as a result of the salt/freshwater interface seaward migration. The present day water balance that includes all the water diversion projects from all riparians indicates serious declines in the Dead Sea level. The effects of the present day level declines on the fresh groundwater/saltwater interface indicate that considerable amounts of groundwater are driven into the Sea as a result of the seaward migration of the freshwater/saline water interface.     

Physical drivers of pelagic sargassum bloom interannual variability in the Central West Atlantic over 2010–2020

Ocean Dynamics - Since 2011, unprecedented pelagic sargassum seaweed blooms have occurred across the tropical North Atlantic, with severe socioeconomic impacts for coastal populations. To...     

What determines the volume of the oceans?

The volume of Earth's oceans may be determined by a dynamic mechanism involving exchange of water between the crust and the mantle. Fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges are currently submerged to a depth at which the pressure is close to the critical pressure for seawater. This ensures optimal convective heat transport and, hence, maximal penetration of hydrothermal circulation along the ridge axes. The oceanic crust is hydrated to a depth of a kilometer or more and can therefore carry a substantial flux of water to the upper mantle when it is subducted. The current ingassing rate of water by this process is probably at least sufficient to balance the outgassing rate. If the oceans were shallower, as they may have been in the distant past, convective heat transport would be reduced and the depth of hydrothermal penetration and crustal hydration would decrease. Outgassing would exceed ingassing and ocean volume would increase. The system is self-stabilizing as long as the depth of the oceans does not exceed its present value. This mechanism could explain why continental freeboard has remained approximately constant since the Archean despite probable increases in continental area.     

Channel incision by headcut migration: Reconnection of the Colorado River to its estuary and the Gulf of California during the floods of 1979–1988

The macrotidal Colorado River Delta at the northern end of the Gulf of California in Mexico is hydrologically complex. We review historical accounts, data, field notes and photographs to evaluate the hydrological processes active on the delta prior to the advent of upstream dams. We also employ satellite imagery as well as recent LIDAR data to illustrate the critical role played by headcut erosion in restoring the river's fluvial/tidewater connection during the 1979–1988 floods. Prior to human manipulation, the river's contribution of fresh water to the Gulf was periodically interrupted by natural overflowing, avulsing, and flooding into the sub-sea level Salton Sink on the north slope of the delta plain. River flow south towards the Gulf was also subject to occasional overflow into Laguna Salada, another sub-sea level basin. In the mid-20th century, the Delta was disconnected from its fluvial supply following installation of upstream dams and reservoirs. A tidal sediment obstruction developed in the estuary channel, forming a final barrier to fluvial connectivity. Release of Colorado River floodwaters into Mexico between 1979 and 1988 provided a natural experiment on the hydrological response of a long-disconnected macrotidal delta to restoration of fluvial supply.