Mechanism of wetting and river runoff in the east european plain

The general picture of wetting the East European Plain in 1966–1985 is established by studying the trajectories of more than 5000 cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere. The role of the Arctic High as a regulator of the paths of the Atlantic cyclones is established. It is shown that the majority of rivers of the East European Plain feature higher rate of streamflow in the years with the El Nino effect.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 108–114.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Babkin, Klige.     

Options of sustainable groundwater development in Beijing Plain,China

Overexploitation of groundwater resources has supported rapid social and economical developments in Beijing City in last 30 years. The newly constructed emergency well fields have saved Beijing from a critical water crisis caused by a long drought spell of eight consecutive years from 1999 to 2006. But this unsustainable development has resulted in serious consequences: discharges to rivers ceased, large number of pumping wells went dry, and land subsidence caused destruction of underground infrastructure. The completion of the middle route of South to North water transfer project to transfer water from Yangtze river to Beijing City by 2010 provides opportunity to reverse the trend of groundwater depletion and to achieve a long-term sustainable development of groundwater resources in Beijing Plain. Four options of groundwater development in Beijing Plain were formulated and assessed with a regional transient groundwater flow model. The business as usual scenario was used as a reference for the comparative analysis and indicates fast depletion of groundwater resources. The reduction of abstraction scenario has immediate and fast recovery of groundwater levels, especially at the cone of depression. The scenario of artificially enhanced groundwater recharge would replenish groundwater resources and maintain the capacity of present water supply well fields. The combined scenario of the reduction of abstraction and the increase of recharge could bring the aquifer systems into a new equilibrium state in 50 years. A hydrological sustainability of groundwater resources development could then be achieved in Beijing Plain.     

Regularities in the Formation of Groundwater Level Regime in Moscow Region

The need to study and take into account regularities in the formation of groundwater regime and runoff, especially in the context of current climate changes, is demonstrated. Typical plots of groundwater level regime, the dependence of the amplitudes of their variations and the major statistical parameters on the depth to groundwater, and histograms of the occurrence time of extreme positions of its level are shown. Long-term trends in precipitation and groundwater levels are established and their statistical significance is estimated. The presence of cyclicity in groundwater level regime is analyzed.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2005, pp. 399–405.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Yakimova.     

Multilevel Models in the Problems of River Water Quality Management

Comparative analysis is applied to different management methods (compulsion, inducement, persuasion) in two- or three-level dynamic hierarchic models of river water quality in the cases of point sources of pollutants. Conclusions regarding the effect of additional control levels on the behavior of the hierarchic system are made.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2005, pp. 504–511.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Ugol’nitskii, Usov.     

Seasonal Variability of the Distribution of Dissolved Forms of Biogenic Elements and Alkalinity in the Northern Dvina Mouth

The seasonal variability of the distribution of dissolved forms of mineral phosphorus and silicon and water alkalinity is studied in the Northern Dvina River mouth. The non-conservative behavior of mineral phosphorus and silicon (presumably caused by the biological consumption of these elements) and the conservative distribution of alkalinity are established. The conservative distribution of alkalinity makes it possible to use the relationship between the values of this parameter and the concentrations of chlorides for the analysis of the genetic structure of water in the desalinized part of the Baltic Sea.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2005, pp. 459–463.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Savenko, Shevchenko.     

Natural Tritium as an Indicator of Changes in the Vertical Structure of Caspian Sea Water Mass with Sea Level Variations

Analysis of changes in the vertical distribution of tritium in the Caspian Sea water mass in 1994–1996 led to a conclusion that the sea level fall that started in 1996 was accompanied by a rearrangement of the water mass steady hydrological structure characteristic of the high sea-level stand.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2005, pp. 406–409.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Brezgunov, Ferronskii.     

On Some Issues of Maintaining Water Quality and Self-Purification

Generalizations presented in this paper represent, in systematized form, the basic elements of the qualitative theory of water self-purification in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Recommendations are given for maintaining water quality and sustainable development of water resources. Results of experimental studies of the effect exerted by Triton X-100 and OMO synthetic detergent on mollusks Unio tumidus.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2005, pp. 337–346.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Ostroumov.     

Reconstruction of the paleohydrological conditions in the central Kola Peninsula in Holocene on the basis of diatom analysis of lacustrine and boggy deposits

Comprehensive analysis of Holocene lacustrine-alluvial and boggy sediments has been carried out for the western shore of Umbozero Lake. Fouling and paludification of near-shore shoals of the lake, as well as peat deposits formation on the first lake terrace and in paleodeltas were found to be typical of the end of Atlantic and the beginning of the Subborreal Period of Holocene. Variations in the peat accumulation rate during the Subboreal and Subatlantic periods (for the last 4500 years) have been analyzed. Such variations can reflect both annual fluctuations in the amount of precipitation and changes in the groundwater table, which is related to the Umbozero water level in the region.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 100–107.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Olyunina.     

Comprehensive evaluation of continental surface water quality

Two main groups of methods used for comprehensive evaluation of continental surface water quality are analyzed. A new method of comprehensive evaluation of the degree of continental surface water contamination, developed by the authors of this paper based on a combination of the differentiated and comprehensive approaches, is described in detail.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 61–69.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Nikanorov, Yemelyanova.     

A technique for evaluating flow parameters in water bodies with a highly heterogeneous depth

A method is proposed for calculating the hydrodynamic parameters of flows in water bodies with shallow and deep zones. Calculation of flow parameters in the Sea of Azov is given as an example.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 55–60.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Chikin.     

Distribution and Activity of Bacteriobenthos in the Upper Volga Reservoirs

Regularities of bacteria distribution in the bottom sediments of the Upper Volga reservoirs are studied. Human-induced changes in the structure and activity of bacteriobenthos communities occurring in water body areas adjacent to towns and settlements are described. Reservoir zones subject to long-term human impact are distinguished.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2005, pp. 489–499.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Kosolapov, Krylova, Kopylov.     

Analysis of formation factors of groundwater natural resources in platform territories

The formation of the fresh groundwater natural resources of the platform territories is analyzed. It is shown that within the artesian areas of platforms, the formation of the fresh groundwater natural resources is governed by the following main factors: the climatic conditions of the territory; the geological-structural features of the basin, substantially different in its peripheral and central parts; the structure of the zone of intense water exchange; the type of the water-bearing rocks and the character of the spatial variability of their hydraulic parameters; the aeration zone composition; the specific features of interaction between the groundwater and the hydrographic network and micro-relief of the territory. It is emphasized that the formation of the fresh groundwater natural resources within the hydrogeological massifs is governed not only by the physical-geographical conditions, but by the geological-structural factors as well. The formation and distribution of groundwater resources are governed by numerous natural and anthropogenic factors [11]. The combination of these factors and the significance of each factor are not constant but considerably vary in space, depending on the physical-geographical, geological, and hydrogeological conditions.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2005, pp. 146–153.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Vsevolozhskii, Kochetkova.     

Oil products in bottom sediments of water bodies in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Concentration of oil hydrocarbons in the bottom sediments of water bodies in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug has been analyzed. Statistical methods have been used to confirm the dependence of contamination level on the frequency of accidents in oil fields. Areas with heavily contaminated bottom sediments have been singled out.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 85–89.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Moskovchenko.     

Statistical assessment of relationships between water flow in a river and water turbidity in water intakes

Probability distributions of water flow and its turbidity after passing through water intake structures are considered. Heavy tails with a power distribution are shown to exist. These distributions are used to find the dependence between water turbidity at the inlet to the water station and water flow in the river. Quantiles of these distributions are estimated to characterize the levels of water flow and turbidity with a given exceedance probability.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2005, pp. 196–204.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Dolgonosov, Korchagin.     

On Wind Profiles over Developing Wind Wave in the Water-Air Interface

The results of studying the vertical profile of wind velocity and the vortex-formation mechanism in the atmospheric layer immediately adjacent to the water surface under the condition of developing wind wave are considered. Materials of field and laboratory experiments are used.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2005, pp. 295–300.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Anisimova, Pokazeev, Soboleva, A. Speranskaya, O. Speranskaya.     

The environmental conditions of the sheksna reservoir: Assessment based on microbiological investigations

The results of integrated microbiological studies of the Sheksna Reservoir are presented. The environmental conditions of its water and soil, which are exposed to diverse anthropogenic impact, are assessed. Parts of the reservoir with persistent anthropogenic pollution, which are environmentally unfavorable in terms of the state of silt microflora, are recognized.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 70–78.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Dzyuban.     

Surge variations in water level in the Danube mouth

The regularities of surge-induced water level variations in the Danube mouth are considered. The recurrence of level rises and drops in the near-shore mouth zone is evaluated. The regularities of the propagation of surge-induced level variations into the delta and over the near-delta reach of the Danube are established. The magnitude of positive and negative surges in the delta and the extent of their propagation are shown to depend on the surge phenomena in the offshore zone and the Danube water discharge.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 35–47.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Isupova, Mikhailov, Morozov.     

Geoenvironmental problems of recreational use of the Ivankovo Reservoir

Methodical principles of recreational studies of reservoirs are discussed. The impact of main types of recreational water use on water quality is revealed using the Ivankovo Reservoir as an example.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 115–122.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Lantsova, Grigoreva, Tikhomirov.     

A Nonlinear Model of Contaminant Transformations in an Aquatic Environment

A nonlinear model of the decomposition of a multicomponent contaminant is developed with allowance made for the distribution of components over their reactivity. Model application is illustrated by the analysis of published empirical data on organic matter biodegradation in water column and bottom sediments, in an activated-sludge bioreactor, and the biological absorption and enzymatic destruction of organic matter by macrophytes. Photodestruction, chemical destruction, and sedimentation are also considered. The nonlinear model is compared with a first-order reaction equation.__________Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2005, pp. 322–336.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Dolgonosov, Gubernatorova.