Could surface roughness be a poor proxy for landslide age? Results from the Swabian Alb,Germany

The potential of surface roughness to quantify geomorphological landforms and processes has been enhanced with the availability of high‐resolution digital terrain models (DTM). Recent studies that attempt to identify landslide features with surface roughness have suggested that this measure of topographic heterogeneity may also be applied to estimate the relative age of landslides. This is a provisional study that explores the potential of this relationship by assessing the ability of surface roughness to act as a proxy for relative landslide age. The surface roughness for a set of 12 dated landslides in the Swabian Alb that occurred between 1789 and 1985 was calculated from a 1 m² spatial resolution LiDAR DTM with three algorithms: root‐mean‐square‐height (RMSH), standard deviation of slope (SDS), and direction cosine eigenvalue ratios (DCE). Scale‐dependence was analysed by calculating surface roughness for a range of moving window sizes (3 × 3, 5 × 5, 9 × 9 and 15 × 15), and surface roughness for each landslide was summarized by the median and upper quartile. Only weak correlations (best Spearman's rho 0.58) were present between landslide age and surface roughness. This correlation becomes weaker with increasing moving window size. Given weak observed associations and discussed challenges pertaining to the complexities of landslide morphology change over time, we currently find that surface roughness alone may not be justifiable to act as a proxy for landslide age for our study region. Furthermore, we recommend future studies should focus on addressing possible natural and anthropogenic factors such as land use change that may alter surface roughness. These studies may focus on one of the three roughness measures used here as they are strongly correlated. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of two methods for estimating the abundance, diversity and habitat preference of fluvial macroinvertebrates in contrasting habitats

In this research we evaluate the effects of the method used for estimating the potential surface available for benthic macroinvertebrates in macrophyte and unvegetated habitats on several metrics and habitat preference of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the upper catchment of the Henares River (Guadalajara, Central Spain). Three sampling sites were selected: a well-preserved stream (site A), a stream with no wood riparian vegetation (site B), and a straightened and deforested reach (site C). Two habitats were selected in each site: unvegetated habitat (i.e., substrata without macrophytes) and macrophyte habitat (i.e., substrata covered by macrophytes). In each habitat, six macroinvertebrate samples (including all macrophytes or mineral particles) were collected using a Hess sampler. Diversity and density of major families were referred to the surface of the Hess sampler (=Hess surface method) and to the actual surface of either mineral particles or macrophytes (=actual surface method). In general, for the actual surface method, biomass, richness, dominance, and diversity metrics were higher in the mineral habitat than in the macrophyte habitat. This trend was different for the Hess surface method. In general, densities turned out to be higher in the unvegetated habitat than in the macrophyte habitat when using the actual surface method, but the reverse occurred when using the Hess surface method. This fact is relevant for river biomonitoring, especially when reaches with different dominant substrates (macrophytes vs mineral) are compared using just one of the methods. It is concluded that the macrobenthic metrics and density values are influenced by the method used to estimate the potential available surface for aquatic macroinvertebrates.     

Determination of regional land surface heat fluxes over a heterogeneous landscape of the Jiddah area of Saudi Arabia by using Landsat‐7 ETM data

In this study, a parameterization method based on Landsat‐7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) data and field observations is presented and tested for deriving the regional land surface variables, vegetation variables and land surface heat fluxes over a heterogeneous landscape. As a case study, the method and two Landsat‐7 ETM images are applied to the Jiddah area of Saudi Arabia. The regional distribution maps of surface reflectance, normalized difference vegetation index, modified soil adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), vegetation coverage, leaf area index, surface temperature, net radiation flux, soil heat flux, sensible heat flux and latent heat flux have been determined over the Jiddah area. The derived results have been validated by using the ‘ground truth’. The results show that the more reasonable regional distributions of land surface variables (surface reflectance, surface temperature), vegetation variables (MSAVI and vegetation coverage), net radiation, soil heat flux and sensible heat flux can be obtained by using the method proposed in this study. Further improvement of the method is also discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Occurrence in Water and Waste Water of E. coli and Coliform Bacteria Carrying R-Plasmids Part 3: Plasmids Encoding Gentamicin,Trimethoprim or Streptothricin Resistance

Before the introduction of gentamicin, trimethoprim, or streptothricins for therapeutic or ergotropic purposes in the GDR respective resistance plasmids could not be detected in enteric bacteria from sewage, surface water or clinical specimens, even if the selection was carried out on drug containing media. After a certain time of continuous drug application the rise of particular plasmids encoding gentamicin (IncM), trimethoprim (IncI5), or streptothricin resistance (IncW3) was observed much earlier in enteric bacteria from sewage, waste water and surface water than in bacteria from clinical sources. These observations were further supported by surveying other plasmid species encoding gentamicin (IncOF, IncD, IncC), trimethoprim (IncK, IncZ, IncFII, IncN, IncW3), or streptothricin (IncI2, IncX, IncFII, IncI1, IncS, IncN) resistance. They appeared also at first in bacteria from sewage and surface water, then, some time later, in bacteria from clinical sources. Therefore, one must admit a key position of sewage and surface water for the surveillance of infectious drug resistance.     

A dual-pass data assimilation scheme for estimating surface fluxes with FY3A-VIRR land surface temperature

In this work, a dual-pass data assimilation scheme is developed to improve predictions of surface flux. Pass 1 of the dual-pass data assimilation scheme optimizes the model vegetation parameters at the weekly temporal scale, and Pass 2 optimizes the soil moisture at the daily temporal scale. Based on ensemble Kalman filter(EnKF), the land surface temperature(LST) data derived from the new generation of Chinese meteorology satellite(FY3A-VIRR) are assimilated into common land model(CoLM) for the first time. Six sites, Daman, Guantao, Arou, BJ, Miyun and Jiyuan, are selected for the data assimilation experiments and include different climatological conditions. The results are compared with those from a dataset generated by a multi-scale surface flux observation system that includes an automatic weather station(AWS), eddy covariance(EC) and large aperture scintillometer(LAS). The results indicate that the dual-pass data assimilation scheme is able to reduce model uncertainties and improve predictions of surface flux with the assimilation of FY3A-VIRR LST data.     

SEDIMENT YIELD-SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY RELATIONSHIPS FOR SELECTED MISSISSIPPI SOILS

lINTRoDUCTlONMicrotopography,oftenreferredtoassurfaceroughness,isanimportantsurfacecharacteristicthatinvariouswaysaffectssoilerosionprocessesonuplandareas.Theconventionalviewisthatmicrotopographyincreasesthesurfacestoragecapacityandreducesrunoffvelocityofexcessrain(MitchellandJones,1978;Onstad,l984;BroughandJarrett,l992),thusdecreasingtheerosivepowerofrunoffandtheproductionofsediment(Cogo,l983;Hairsineetal.,l992).Fora"fixed"surfacesuchasapavement,themicrotopographyeffectisinvariantduring…     

Analysis of Endocrine Disrupting Steroids: Investigation of Their Release into the Environment and Their Behavior During Bank Filtration

A reliable and sensitive analytical method for the determination of estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), and the synthetic hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) has been established. Samples are concentrated using automated solid-phase extraction and analysis is performed by liquid chromatography with detection by tandem mass spectrometry. Recoveries of all analytes were between 93% and 107%, and limits of quantification (LOQs) between 0.1 and 0.4 ng/L for purified sewage, and surface, ground, and drinking water, and between 1 and 2 ng/L in case of raw sewage. For the investigation of estrogen release into the environment and its behavior during sewage and surface water treatment, and during ground water recharge, samples from municipal waste water treatment plants (WWTPs), a surface water treatment plant, a bank filtration site, and a ground water enrichment (GWE) pond were analyzed. El was found in the raw waste water with an average concentration of 157 ng/L, whereas E2 and EE2 were found with mean concentrations of only 18 and 9 ng/L, respectively. Sewage treatment by municipal WWTPs affected a removal of EE2 (76%), El (92%), and E2 (94%). In the investigated surface water of Berlin, only E1 could be detected at concentrations around or below 1 ng/L. E2 and EE2 were not present in the Berlin surface water above the LOQ of 0.2 ng/L, respectively. Surface water treatment also leads to a significant removal of E1 (> 80%). In the ground water samples from the GWE site near Lake Tegel, only a few samples contained detectable concentrations of E1. These samples were collected from a shallow monitoring well located very close to the bank of the pond. Even a short distance between the bank and observation wells led to concentrations of El below the LOQ showing the potential of ground water recharge systems for the retention of estrogenic steroids depending on the environmental setting.     

Tritium and90Sr in North Atlantic surface water

Areal distributions and complete time histories since 1952 are presented of the tritium and⁹⁰Sr concentrations in North Atlantic surface water. The distributions are based on a compilation of measured North Atlantic surface water tritium concentrations which is part of this paper and includes hitherto unpublished measurements, and on available⁹⁰Sr compilations. To reconstruct the insufficiently represented early concentrations, a two-box North Atlantic mixing model with tropospheric input is employed, for which the input is specified (on relative scales), and which is fitted to the available surface water observations. This procedure gives a natural tritium concentration of 0.2 TU (±30%), and furthermore suggests that part of the old oceanic tritium and⁹⁰Sr measurements are high. The fit requires characteristic model mixing times of 2.5 years (exchange with an intermediate-depth reservoir about three times the size of the surface box) and 30 years (loss into the deep ocean), and a tritium/⁹⁰Sr input ratio of 310 Ci/Ci. The areal distributions and time histories can serve as boundary value data for evaluations of subsurface tritium and⁹⁰Sr measurements.     

洞庭湖支流枯水期表层水和沉积物中氯苯甲醚类化合物分布特征与生态风险

环境中的氯苯甲醚类化合物(chloroanisoles,CAs)主要来自于氯酚类化合物及其他结构相似的氯代烃.在我国洞庭湖血吸虫疫区,五氯酚作为灭螺剂施放对周围环境造成了CAs污染.运用气相色谱质谱联用方法测定洞庭湖支流(澧水、藕池河和沱江)表层水和沉积物中的CAs,并分析其分布特征与生态风险.结果显示:(1)水体是CAs的主要赋存介质.三支流表层水中CAs体现出显著差异性,污染水平由大到小为澧水藕池河沱江,三者总CAs浓度分别为18.94、8.83和4.14 ng/L;在3支流中沉积物中的总CAs无明显差异,分别为2.86、3.61和4.07 ng/g.(2)澧水表层水和沉积物中高氯取代CAs(三氯苯甲醚、四氯苯甲醚和五氯苯甲醚)为主要污染物(分别占73.75%和68.89%);藕池河表层水中低氯取代CAs(一氯苯甲醚和二氯苯甲醚)占比相对较高(48.59%),而沉积物中以高氯取代CAs为主(93.38%);沱江表层水和沉积物中占比较高的CAs为一氯苯甲醚,分别占28.26%和75.56%.(3)空间分布上,从上游到下游澧水表层水中CAs浓度呈现波动下降的趋势,而沉积物中呈上升趋势;藕池河表层水中CAs呈现波动下降的趋势,沉积物中无明显变化趋势;沱江表层水和沉积物中一氯苯甲醚呈波动上升趋势,其他CAs有波动但无明显趋势.(4)研究区水中的五氯苯甲醚浓度远低于报道的鱼类和无脊椎动物的五氯苯甲醚急性半数致死浓度,目前不会对水生生物造成太大影响,但其对人类健康和环境的潜在风险不可忽视.     

Exploring the interaction of surface roughness and slope gradient in controlling rates of soil loss from sloping farmland on the Loess Plateau of China

Surface roughness and slope gradient are two important factors influencing soil erosion. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of surface roughness and slope gradient in controlling soil loss from sloping farmland due to water erosion on the Loess Plateau, China. Following the surface features of sloping farmland in the plateau region, we manually prepared rough surfaces using four tillage practices (contour drilling, artificial digging, manual hoeing, and contour plowing), with a smooth surface as the control measure. Five slope gradients (3°, 5°, 10°, 15°, and 20°) and two rainfall intensities (60 and 90 mm/hr) were considered in the artificial rainfall simulation experiment. The results showed that the runoff volume and sediment yield increased with increasing slope gradient under the same tillage treatment. At gentle slope gradients (e.g., 3° and 5°), the increase in surface roughness prevented the runoff and sediment production, that is, the surface roughness reduced the positive effect of slope gradient on the runoff volume and sediment yield to a certain extent. At steep slope gradients, however, the enhancing effect of slope gradient on soil erosion gradually increased and surpassed the reduction effect of surface roughness. This study reveals the existence of a critical slope gradient that influences the interaction of surface roughness and slope gradient in controlling soil erosion on sloping farmland. If the slope gradient is equal to or less than the critical value, an increase in surface roughness would decrease soil erosion. Otherwise, the increase in surface roughness would be ineffective for preventing soil erosion. The critical slope gradient would be smaller under higher rainfall intensity. These findings are helpful for us to understand the process of soil erosion and relevant for supporting soil and water conservation in the Loess Plateau region of China.     

Climate-induced changes in surface runoff on the North-Eurasian plains during the late glacial and Holocene

Abandoned rivers (large paleochannels and meanders) are common on river floodplains and low terraces on the East European and West Siberian plains. They are 10–15 times greater in size than the present-day river channels. The large paleochannels are dated back to 11–15 thousand radiocarbon years B.P. (the Late Glacial period). Based on the hydraulic and morphometric relationships for present-day rivers and the method of paleogeographic analogs, the surface runoff during the Late Glacial period was quantitatively reconstructed by the morphometric parameters of large paleochannels. The reconstructed surface runoff exceeded the present values by 1.4 times on the northern mega-slope of the East European Plain (the Northern Dvina, Mezen, and Pechora river basins), by 2.3 times on its southern mega-slope (the Volga, Don, and Dnepr basins), and twofold in West Siberia (the Ob basin). The large surface runoff volumes can be explained by the landscape and climate conditions, including the high coefficients of runoff (due to the permafrost), the increased proportion (and, conceivably, the amount) of snowfall, and, hence, the respective increased intensity of spring floods. The transformation of large Late-Glacial paleorivers due to climate warming at the beginning of the Holocene is a likely scenario of the surface runoff development within the present-day permafrost zone at the ongoing human-induced climate warming. A general decrease in surface runoff and its more uniform intra-annual distribution would result in the reduced size of rivers in the middle Siberia, Yakutia, and northeastern Russia.     

Evaluation of Amendments to Control Phosphorus Losses in Runoff from Pig Slurry Applications to Land

If spread in excess of crop requirements, incidental phosphorus (P) losses from agriculture can lead to eutrophication of receiving waters. The use of amendments in targeted areas may help reduce the possibility of surface runoff of nutrients. The aim of this study was to identify amendments which may be effective in reducing incidental dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) losses in surface runoff from land applied pig slurry. For this purpose, the DRP losses under simulated conditions across the surface of intact grassland soil cores, loaded with unamended and amended slurry at a rate equivalent to 19 kg P ha^?1, were determined over a 30 h period. The effectiveness of the amendments at reducing DRP in overlying water were (in decreasing order): alum (86%), flue gas desulfurization by‐product (FGD) (74%), poly‐aluminum (Al) chloride (PAC) (73%), ferric chloride (71%), fly ash (58%), and lime (54%). FGD was the most costly of all the treatments (€7.64/m³ for 74% removal). Ranked in terms of feasibility, which takes into account effectiveness, cost, and other potential impediments to use, they were: alum, ferric chloride, PAC, fly ash, lime, and FGD.     

Modelling the impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed,Minnesota, USA

Abstract

Tile drainage influences infiltration and surface runoff and is thus an important factor in the erosion process. Tile drainage reduces surface runoff, but questions abound on its influence on sediment transport through its dense network and into the stream network. The impact of subsurface tiling on upland erosion rates in the Le Sueur River watershed, USA, was assessed using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model. Six different scenarios of tile drainage with varying drainage coefficient and management type (no till and autumn mulch-till) were evaluated. The mean annual surface runoff depth, soil loss rate and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) for croplands, based on a 30-year simulation for the watershed with untiled autumn mulch-till (Scenario 1), were estimated to be 83.5 mm, 0.27 kg/m² and 86.7%, respectively; on no-till management systems (Scenario 4), the respective results were 72.3 mm, 0.06 kg/m² and 88.2%. Tile drains reduced surface runoff, soil loss and SDR estimates for Scenario 1 by, on average, 14.5, 8.1 and 7.9%, respectively; and for Scenario 4 by an estimated 31.5, 22.1 and 20.2%, respectively. The impact of tile drains on surface runoff, soil loss and SDR was greater under the no-till management system than under the autumn mulch-till management system. Comparison of WEPP outputs with those of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) showed differences between the two methods.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Maalim, F.K. and Melesse. A.M., 2013. Modelling impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed in Minnesota, USA. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 570–586.     

Multiscale analysis of vegetation surface fluxes: from seconds to years

The variability in land surface heat (H), water vapor (LE), and CO₂ (or net ecosystem exchange, NEE) fluxes was investigated at scales ranging from fractions of seconds to years using eddy-covariance flux measurements above a pine forest. Because these fluxes significantly vary at all these time scales and because large gaps in the record are unavoidable in such experiments, standard Fourier expansion methods for computing the spectral and cospectral statistical properties were not possible. Instead, orthonormal wavelet transformations are proposed and used. The are ideal at resolving process variability with respect to both scale and time and are able to isolate and remove the effects of missing data (or gaps) from spectral and cospectral calculations. Using the spectra, we demonstrated unique aspects in three appropriate ranges of time scales: turbulent time scales (fractions of seconds to minutes), meteorological time scales (hour to weeks), and seasonal to interannual time scales corresponding to climate and vegetation dynamics. We have shown that: (1) existing turbulence theories describe the short time scales well, (2) coupled physiological and transport models (e.g. CANVEG) reproduce the wavelet spectral characteristics of all three land surface fluxes for meteorological time scales, and (3) seasonal dynamics in vegetation physiology and structure inject strong correlations between land surface fluxes and forcing variables at monthly to seasonal time scales. The broad implications of this study center on the possibility of developing low-dimensional models of land surface water, energy, and carbon exchange. If the bulk of the flux variability is dominated by a narrow band or bands of modes, and these modes “resonate” with key state and forcing variables, then low-dimensional models may relate these forcing and state variables to NEE and LE.     

Breakdown of boundary layers: (i) on moving surfaces; (ii) in semi-similar unsteady flow; (iii) in fully unsteady flow

Abstract

The breakdown and separation or reattachment of boundary layers adjoining a mainstream are studied in the three related situations (i)-(iii) of the title. For (i) the classical steady boundary layer generally admits a logarithmic singularity in the displacement when breakdown occurs on a downstream-moving surface whereas the corresponding singularity for an upstream-moving surface can be logarithmic or of minus-one-sixth form. Conversely, the breakdown can be delayed to the onset of zero mainstream flow, in which case the displacement singularity is again logarithmic. In certain flows these singularities prove to be removable locally, yielding a breakaway separation or reattachment and including the first known successes of a classical strategy in describing large-scale separation. Other flows, by contrast, require an interactive strategy. Again, even on a fixed surface a breakdown different from Goldstein's can be produced if there is a moving section of surface further upstream. The application to (ii), semi-similar unsteady boundary layers, e.g. near an impulsively started wedge-like trailing edge, then follows readily and predicts analogous forms of singularity. The corresponding singularity in displacement predicted for fully unsteady classical boundary layers, (iii), occurs within a finite time and, like (i) (usually) and (ii), a three-tiered breakdown is involved at first. Subsequently interaction comes into play. Comparisons with numerical and/or earlier work are noted. In all three situations (i)-(iii), although the dynamics involved near breakdown, separation or reattachment are predominantly inviscid, the presence of small viscosity is of significance in enforcing smoothness of the local velocity profiles.     

Foundation conditions of buildings in undermined areas: An example of evaluation

Evaluation of a set of individual geological and petrophysical parameters is necessary in many geoscientific studies or those with constructional purposes. However, correlation and mutual evaluation of these parameters are very complicated. Our methodology, which is part of the expert evaluation, is based on compilation of four significant effects: local subsurface geology, groundwater table (and accumulation of surface water), deformation of the surface due to mining (subsidence), and landslides. Different values of specified significances were assigned to all four selected effects. The class of foundation conditions was selected according to the summary of values of specified significances for a given point. This value describes how the selected parameters influence vibration effect on the surface and resistance of buildings to this seismic loading. The pilot map of foundation conditions, which was elaborated as part of the evaluation of Stonava area in 2008, is presented.     

Simulated effect of a forest road on near‐surface hydrologic response and slope stability

Forest management practices often result in significant changes to hydrologic and geomorphic responses at or near the earth's surface. A well‐known, but not fully tested, hypothesis in hillslope hydrology[sol ]geomorphology is that a near‐surface permeability contrast, caused by the surface compaction associated with forest roads, can result in diverted subsurface flow paths that produce increased up‐slope pore pressures and slope failure. The forest road focused on in this study is located in a steep forested, zero‐order catchment within the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (Oregon). A three‐phase modelling effort was employed to test the aforementioned hypothesis: (i) two‐dimensional (vertical slice), steady‐state, heterogeneous, saturated subsurface flow simulations at the watershed scale for establishing the boundary conditions for the catchment‐scale boundary‐value problem in (ii); (ii) two‐dimensional (vertical slice), transient, heterogeneous, variably saturated subsurface flow simulations at the catchment scale for estimating near‐surface hydrologic response and pore pressure distributions; and (iii) slope stability analyses, using the infinite slope approach, driven by the pore pressure distributions simulated in (ii), for assessing the impact of the forest road. Both observed and hypothetical rainfall events are used to drive the catchment‐scale simulations. The results reported here support the hypothesis that a forest road can have an effect on slope stability. The permeability contrast associated with the forest road in this study led to a simulated altering of slope‐parallel subsurface flow with increased pore pressures up‐slope of the road and, for a large rainfall event, a slope failure prediction. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface waves on MHD tangential discontinuities: case for moderate to low plasma-β values

Variation of phase speed of the magnetoacoustic surface waves on a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), tangential discontinuity (TD) is examined against the variation of Alfvén speeds on opposite sides of the discontinuity with the acoustic speeds remaining constant. The discontinuous thermal profile of the plasma is employed to classify various surface wavemodes. The existence conditions for the surface waves manifest themselves through the appearance of critical values for various parameters restricting the propagation of such waves on the TD. The limiting situation of extremely low-β plasmas is studied to improve upon earlier results based on simplified calculations. Theoretical understanding of the basic structure of surface waves is then applied to specific observations of discontinuities in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) to arrive at simple estimates of phase speed of the surface waves on such discontinuities that may be tested in further observations.     

Suppression of seismic surface waves based on adaptive weighted super-virtual interferometry

For land seismic surveys, the surface waves are the dominant noises that mask the effective signals on seismograms. The conventional methods isolate surface waves from the effective signals by the differences in frequencies or apparent velocities, but may not perform well when these differences are not obvious. Since the original seismic interferometry can only predict inter-receiver surface waves, we propose the use of super-virtual interferometry (SVI), which is a totally data-driven method, to predict shot-to-receiver surface waves, since this method relieves the limitation that a real shot should collocate with one of the receivers for adaptive subtraction. We further develop the adaptive weighted SVI (AWSVI) to improve the prediction of dispersive surface waves, which may be generated from heterogeneous media at the near surface. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of AWSVI to predict dispersive surface waves and its applicability to the complex near surface. The application of AWSVI on the field data from a land survey in the east of China improves the suppression of the residual surface waves compared to the conventional methods.