Thermal regime of the near-surface layer of a water body and its effect on the state of aquatic ecosystem

The thermal regime of the surface water layer in a water body is studied, and its effect on the mass and gas exchange in the water body-atmosphere system is examined by using a mesocosm as a microecosystem model.     

Quantifying anthropogenic influence on recent near-surface temperature change

We assess the extent to which observed large-scale changes in near-surface temperatures over the latter half of the twentieth century can be attributed to anthropogenic climate change as simulated by a range of climate models. The hypothesis that observed changes are entirely due to internal climate variability is rejected at a high confidence level independent of the climate model used to simulate either the anthropogenic signal or the internal variability. Where the relevant simulations are available, we also consider the alternative hypothesis that observed changes are due entirely to natural external influences, including solar variability and explosive volcanic activity. We allow for the possibility that feedback processes, other than those simulated by the models considered, may be amplifying the observed response to these natural influences by an unknown amount. Even allowing for this possibility, the hypothesis of no anthropogenic influence can be rejected at the 5% level in almost all cases. The influence of anthropogenic greenhouse gases emerges as a substantial contributor to recent observed climate change, with the estimated trend attributable to greenhouse forcing similar in magnitude to the total observed warming over the 20th century. Much greater uncertainty remains in the response to other external influences on climate, particularly the response to anthropogenic sulphate aerosols and to solar and volcanic forcing. Our results remain dependent on model-simulated signal patterns and internal variability, and would benefit considerably from a wider range of simulations, particularly of the responses to natural external forcing.     

长春地区地表温度日变、年变对地温测量的影响

通过实地观测试验,并采用傅里叶分析法进行理论分析,来研究长春地区地表温度日变、年变对地温测量的影响规律及影响深度,为在长春地区利用浅层地温测量方法研究地质问题提供重要参数信息.地温变化幅度随深度作指数衰减,衰减系数与地表温度周期、热扩散率有关.     

Heterogeneous water storage and thermal regime of supraglacial ponds on debris‐covered glaciers

The water storage and energy transfer roles of supraglacial ponds are poorly constrained, yet they are thought to be important components of debris‐covered glacier ablation budgets. We used an unmanned surface vessel (USV) to collect sonar depth measurements for 24 ponds to derive the first empirical relationship between their area and volume applicable to the size distribution of ponds commonly encountered on debris‐covered glaciers. Additionally, we instrumented nine ponds with thermistors and three with pressure transducers, characterizing their thermal regime and capturing three pond drainage events. The deepest and most irregularly‐shaped ponds were those associated with ice cliffs, which were connected to the surface or englacial hydrology network (maximum depth = 45.6 m), whereas hydrologically‐isolated ponds without ice cliffs were both more circular and shallower (maximum depth = 9.9 m). The englacial drainage of three ponds had the potential to melt ~100 ± 20 × 10³ kg to ~470 ± 90 × 10³ kg of glacier ice owing to the large volumes of stored water. Our observations of seasonal pond growth and drainage with their associated calculations of stored thermal energy have implications for glacier ice flow, the progressive enlargement and sudden collapse of englacial conduits, and the location of glacier ablation hot‐spots where ponds and ice cliffs interact. Additionally, the evolutionary trajectory of these ponds controls large proglacial lake formation in deglaciating environments. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of hydroelectrical development on the flow regime of the karstic river Cetina

The Cetina River is a typical karst watercourse in the deep and well‐developed Dinaric karst. The total length of the Cetina River open streamflow from its spring to the mouth is about 105 km. Estimated mean annual rainfall is 1380 mm. The Cetina catchment is built of Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous carbonate strata. The western part of the catchment by the Cetina River is referred to as the ‘direct’ or topographic catchment. It was defined based on surface morphologic forms, by connection between mountain chain peaks. This part of the catchment is almost entirely situated in the Republic of Croatia. The eastern part of the catchment is referred to as the ‘indirect’ catchment, and is mainly situated in Bosnia‐Herzegovina. Water from the ‘indirect’ catchment emerges from the western ‘direct’ catchment in numerous permanent and temporary karst springs. Since 1960, numerous hydrotechnical works have been carried out on the Cetina River and within its catchment. Five hydroelectric power plants (HEPPs), five reservoirs, and three long tunnels and pipelines have been built. Their operation has significantly altered the natural hydrological regime. The Cetina River is divided into two hydrological reaches. In the 65 km upstream, the hydrological regime was redistributed within the year: low flows had increased and high flows had decreased, although the mean annual discharge remained the same. Part of the Cetina watercourse downstream from the Pran?evi?i Reservoir lost the majority of its flow. The mean annual discharges dropped from 100 m³ s^?1 to less than 10 m³ s^?1 because of the Zaku?ac HEPP development. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in water table level influence solute transport in uniform porous media

Changes in the water table level result in variable water saturation and variable hydrological fluxes at the interface between the unsaturated and saturated zone. This may influence the transport and fate of contaminants in the subsurface. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a decreasing and an increasing water table on solute transport. We conducted tracer experiments at downward flow conditions in laboratory columns filled with two different uniform porous media under static and transient flow conditions either increasing or decreasing the water table. Tracer breakthrough curves were simulated using a mobile–immobile transport model. The resulting transport parameters were compared to identify dominant transport processes. Changes in the water table level affected dispersivities and mobile water fractions depending on the direction of water table movement and the grain size of the porous media. In fine glass beads, the water flow velocity was similar to the decline rate of the water table, and the mobile water fraction was decreased compared with steady‐state saturated conditions. However, immobile water was negligible. In coarse glass beads, water flow was faster because of fingered flow in the unsaturated part, and the mobile water fraction was smaller than in the fine material. Here, a rising water table led to an even smaller mobile water fraction and increased solute spreading because of diffusive interaction with immobile water. We conclude that changes of the water table need to be considered to correctly simulate transport in the subsurface at the transition of the unsaturated–saturated zone. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

含水量和含盐量对粉质黏土热导率影响的试验研究

土壤传热性能作为地热资源开发的基础研究课题,近年来已经成为能源、工程、地球科学和地质学等领域的研究热点.然而有关盐渍黄土的热导率研究却很少被发表.针对关中地区地热资源开发的迫切需要,本研究借助瞬态平面热源法对黄土的热导率做了测量,得到了不同含水量(8％,10％,12％,14％,16％,18％)和不同含盐量(0％,2％,4％,6％)的黄土热导率数据.结合导热路径理论,双电层理论和"絮凝"现象对含水量和含盐量影响下的黄土热导率进行了讨论.获得了如下结论:(1)含水量的变化会引起黄土内部热量传导路径的变化,同时引起"液桥"现象对热量传递产生影响;(2) NaCl盐分对热导率的影响主要体现在对黄土颗粒周围双电层的改变,同时引起的"絮凝"作用会对导热路径产生不利影响进而降低黄土热导率;(3)总的来说,固-固传导,固-液传导和液-液传导作为三种典型的热量传导路径与黄土的含水量和舍盐量密切相关.     

Impact of heat advection on the thermal regime of roads built on permafrost

In northern regions, transportation infrastructure can experience severe structural damages due to permafrost degradation. Water infiltration and subsurface water flow under an embankment affect the energy balance of roadways and underlying permafrost. However, the quantification of the processes controlling these changes and a detailed investigation of their thermal impacts remain largely unknown due to a lack of available long-term embankment temperature data in permafrost regions. Here, we report observations of heat advection linked to surface water infiltration and subsurface flow based on a 9-year (from 2009 to 2017) thermal monitoring at an experimental road test site built on ice-rich permafrost conditions in southwestern Yukon, Canada. Our results show that snowmelt water infiltration in the spring rapidly increases temperature in the upper portion of the embankment. The earlier disappearance of snow deposited at the embankment slope increases the thawing period and the temperature gradient in the embankment compared with the natural ground. Infiltrated summer rainfall water lowered the near-surface temperatures and subsequently warmed embankment fill materials down to 3.6-m depth. Heat advection caused by the flow of subsurface water produced warming rates at depth in the embankment subgrade up to two orders of magnitude faster than by atmospheric warming (heat conduction). Subsurface water flow promoted permafrost thawing under the road embankment and led to an increase in active layer thickness. We conclude that the thermal stability of roadways along the Alaska Highway corridor is not maintainable in situations where water is flowing under the infrastructure unless mitigation techniques are used. Severe structural damages to the highway embankment are expected to occur in the next decade.     

Alteration of the groundwater thermal regime caused by advection

ABSTRACT

Groundwater temperature at an arbitrary depth and at an arbitrary point is determined not only by heat transported by conduction but also by advection caused either by infiltration of rain, snowmelt or irrigated water, or by seepage from surface water bodies. Therefore, characteristic changes of groundwater temperature are observed in recharging and discharging areas within a groundwater flow system. The changes may be one-, two-, or three-dimensional, depending on individual situations. Since heat is a conservative quantity in the subsurface environment, groundwater temperature can be used as a tracer to reveal the regional structure of a groundwater flow system. A case study showing the importance of groundwater temperature in a regional groundwater survey is presented taking Nagaoka plain, Japan, as an example. The groundwater temperatures were measured in observation wells with diameters of 65 to 250 mm and depths of 20 m or more. Marked seasonal changes in temperature depth profiles showing advective effects in the horizontal direction from the Shinano River, and in the vertical direction from upper and lower aquifers, were observed. The temperature depth profiles were classified into six types. The distribution of these types does not contradict the regional structure of the groundwater flow system revealed by the potential distribution. As groundwater temperature is an easily measureable element in a hydrological survey, the method described in the present paper is appropriate for a field study in an uninstrumented groundwater basin.     

On the influence of bed roughness on saltation in inertial regime

In extreme tidal environment, occurrences of saltating pebbles have been observed. The ambition to instal hydrokinetic turbines in such environment requires knowledge on the presence of pebbles in saltation in the water column because they can damage the structures. An experimental study is realized in a free-surface flume with no slope and different bed roughnesses as in marine environment. With fast camera the trajectories of hundreds of spherical particles are analysed. Our study deals with saltation in the inertial regime (i.e., large Stokes number) over fixed beds with various roughnesses. In inertial regime, the bed roughness has more influence on the collision process and the trajectory of the particles than for non-inertial motion where viscous forces play a key role. Jump height and length increase with bed roughness, with height increasing quicker than length leading to a more vertical trajectory for higher bed roughness. The vertical restitution coefficient is shown to increase with bed roughness leading to higher jumps. The initiation of the motion is shown to depend on the bed roughness as well. Power laws of the excess shear stress are proposed for jump height and length, taking into account the bed roughness. The dataset and analysis proposed in this study is a key ingredient for developing quantitative models for particle transport.     

Air and water entrapment in the vicinity of the water table

A laboratory tank was used to study entrapment of water in coarse sand lenses above the water table and of air in coarse sand lenses below the water table. Monitoring of these experiments involved a combination of visual inspection, measurement of moisture content, and measurement of air/water pressure. The medium consisted of coarse sand lenses with various degrees of vertical connectivity embedded within a fine sand matrix. Experiments were performed under conditions of both drainage (from a fully saturated medium) and imbibition. Observations during drainage included: (1) water was trapped in the coarse sand zones above the water table at heights significantly greater than anticipated from consideration of capillary rise in the coarse sand; (2) rapid drainage of these same coarse zones occurred when air penetrated into these zones through the surrounding fine sands; and (3) prior to the time of penetration of the coarse sand by air, water pressure in the coarse zone dropped significantly below atmospheric pressure. Observations during imbibition included: (1) entrapment of air within coarse sands below the water table, (2) the pore fluids in these zones varied spatially from predominantly air to predominantly water, and (3) pressure in the trapped air phase was significantly greater than pressure in the water phase in the surrounding fine sand. Overall, these results demonstrated significant sensitivity to the geometry of the coarse sand inclusions, particularly the vertical connectivity of the coarse sand lens.     

The influence of lithology on surface water sources

Understanding the temporal and spatial variability of water sources within a basin is vital to our ability to interpret hydrologic controls on biogeochemical processes and to manage water resources. Water stable isotopes can be used as a tool to determine geographic and seasonal sources of water at the basin scale. Previous studies in the Coastal Range of Oregon reported that the variation in the isotopic signatures of surface water did not conform to the commonly observed “elevation effect,” which exhibits a trend of increasing isotopic depletion with rising elevation. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate the mechanisms governing seasonal and spatial variations in the isotopic signature of surface waters within the Marys River Basin, located in the leeward side of the Oregon Coastal Range. Surface water and precipitation samples were collected every 2–3 weeks for isotopic analysis for 1 year. Our results confirmed the lack of elevational variation of surface water isotopes within this leeward basin. Although we find elevational variation in precipitation in the eastern portion of the watershed, this elevation effect is counteracted by rainout with distance from the Pacific coast. In addition, we found significant variation in surface water isotope values between catchments underlain predominantly by basalt or sandstone. The degree of separation was strongest during the summer when low flows reflect deeper groundwater sources. This indicates that baseflow within streams drained by each lithology is being supplied from two distinctly separate water sources. In addition, the flow of the Marys River is dominated by water originating from the sandstone water source, particularly during the low‐flow summer months. We interpreted that the difference in water source results from sandstone catchments having highly fractured geology or locally tipping to the east facilitating cross‐basin water exchange from the windward to the leeward side of the Coast Range. Our results challenge topographic derived watershed boundaries in permeable sedimentary rocks; highlighting the overwhelming importance of underlying geology.     

Hydrochemical regime components of Lena water

The concentrations of particulate and dissolved organic matter and mineral nutrients in the Lena River and its major tributaries are analyzed. The concentrations of these components are shown to be nonuniform and feature wide variations under the effect of matter input by major tributaries. The total fluxes of matter increase downstream the river in agreement with increasing water runoff. The effect of delta in matter accumulation is considered. The organic matter in the Lena was found to be represented mostly by soil terrigenous material.     

Quantification of peatland water storage capacity using the water table fluctuation method

Peat specific yield (S_Y) is an important parameter involved in many peatland hydrological functions such as flood attenuation, baseflow contribution to rivers, and maintaining groundwater levels in surficial aquifers. However, general knowledge on peatland water storage capacity is still very limited, due in part to the technical difficulties related to in situ measurements. The objectives of this study were to quantify vertical S_Y variations of water tables in peatlands using the water table fluctuation (WTF) method and to better understand the factors controlling peatland water storage capacity. The method was tested in five ombrotrophic peatlands located in the St. Lawrence Lowlands (southern Québec, Canada). In each peatland, water table wells were installed at three locations (up‐gradient, mid‐gradient, and down‐gradient). Near each well, a 1‐m long peat core (8 cm × 8 cm) was sampled, and subsamples were used to determine S_Y with standard gravitational drainage method. A larger peat sample (25 cm × 60 cm × 40 cm) was also collected in one peatland to estimate S_Y using a laboratory drainage method. In all sites, the mean water table depth ranged from 9 to 49 cm below the peat surface, with annual fluctuations varying between 15 and 29 cm for all locations. The WTF method produced similar results to the gravitational drainage experiments, with values ranging between 0.13 and 0.99 for the WTF method and between 0.01 and 0.95 for the gravitational drainage experiments. S_Y was found to rapidly decrease with depth within 20 cm, independently of the within‐site location and the mean annual water table depth. Dominant factors explaining S_Y variations were identified using analysis of variance. The most important factor was peatland site, followed by peat depth and seasonality. Variations in storage capacity considering site and seasonality followed regional effective growing degree days and evapotranspiration patterns. This work provides new data on spatial variations of peatland water storage capacity using an easily implemented method that requires only water table measurements and precipitation data.     

水样的处理方法对水氡观测影响的探讨

同一口井的水氡观测,对水样采取不同的处理方法,观测值出现不同的结果.为研究其变化机理,对水样采取急剧降温的处理,与日常恒温处理的观测值进行对比分析,得出水样的不同处理方法对水氡观测有直接的影响及其影响的机理.     

Three-dimensional structure of the Laguna Salada Basin and its thermal regime

A comprehensive reinterpretation of the available gravity, magnetic, geothermal, geological and borehole information has been made of the Laguna Salada Basin to establish a 3D model of the basement and sedimentary infill. According to statistical spectral analysis, the residual gravity anomaly is due to sources with a mean regional depth of 2.8 km. The topography of the basement was obtained from a three‐dimensional inversion carried out in the wavenumber domain using an iterative scheme. The maximum density contrast of ?300 kg/m³ estimated from previous studies and the mean depth of 2.5 km finally constrained this inversion. The resulting model indicated that the sedimentary infill is up to 4.2 km thick at its deepest point. According to the gravity‐derived basement topography, the basin presents an asymmetry (i.e. it is of the half‐graben type). It is deeper to the east, where it is delimited from the Sierra Cucapah by a step fault. By contrast, the limit with the Sierra de Juarez is a gently sloping fault (i.e. a listric fault). The basement is not even, but it comprises a series of structural highs and lows. N–S to NW–SE and E–W to NE–SW faults delimit these structural units. The magnetic modelling was constrained by (i) the gravity‐derived basement topography; (ii) a Curie isotherm assumed to be between 7 km and 10 km; (iii) assuming induced magnetization only; (iv) the available geological and borehole information. The magnetic anomalies were interpreted successfully using the gravity‐derived basement/sedimentary interface as the top of the magnetic bodies (i.e. the magnetic modelling supports the gravity basement topography). An elongated N–S to NW–SE trending highly magnetized body running from south to north along the basin is observed to the west of the basin. This magnetic anomaly has no gravity signature. Such a feature can be interpreted as an intrusive body emplaced along a fault running through the Laguna Salada Basin. Treatment of the gravity and magnetic information (and of their horizontal gradients) with satellite image processing techniques highlighted lineaments on the basement gravity topography correlating with mapped faults. Based on all this information, we derived detailed geological models along four selected profiles to simulate numerically the heat and fluid flow in the basin. We used a finite‐difference scheme to solve the coupled Darcy and Fourier differential equations. According to our results, we have fluid flow in the sedimentary layers and a redistribution of heat flow from the basin axis toward its rims (Sierra de Juárez and Sierra Cucapah). Our model temperatures agree within an error of 4% with the observed temperature profiles measured at boreholes. Our heat‐flow determinations agree within an error of ±15% with extrapolated observations. The numerical and chemical analyses support the hypothesis of fluid circulation between the clay–lutite layer and the fractured granitic basement. Thermal modelling shows low heat‐flow values along the Laguna Salada Basin. Deep fluid circulation patterns were observed that redistribute such flow at depth. Two patterns were distinguished. One displays the heat flow increasing from the basin axis towards its borders (temperature increase of 20°C). The second pattern shows an increasing heat flow from south to north of the basin. Such behaviour is confirmed by the temperature measurements in the thermometric boreholes.     

The influence of trace amounts of water on the viscosity of rhyolites

 As a major volatile in volcanic systems, water has a significant influence on the rheological properties of silicic magmas. This is especially so at minor water contents relevant to the emplacement of silicic lavas. To investigate the influence of water on the viscosity of natural rhyolitic obsidians, a novel strategy has been adopted employing parallel-plate and micropenetration techniques. Viscosities have been determined on three types of material: (a) raw water-bearing obsidians; (b) remelted (1650  °C, 1 atm) degassed glasses of the obsidians; and (c) hydrothermally hydrated (1300  °C, 3 kbar) obsidians. Ten natural rhyolitic obsidians (peraluminous, calc-alkaline and peralkaline) were employed: seven originated from lava flows and contained <0.2 wt.% H₂O, two samples were F-rich from pyroclastic successions, and one was an obsidian cobble with 1.5 wt.% water also associated with pyroclastic units. Melt compositions and water contents were stable during viscometry. The measured decreases in activation energies of viscous flow and viscosity with small amounts of water are much greater than the Shaw calculation scheme predicts. In addition, a marked non-linear decrease in η exists with increasing water content. In contrast to the case for peralkaline rhyolites, 0.1–0.2 wt.% water decreases activation energies significantly (up to 30%) for calc-alkaline compositions. These results have important implications for the ease of near-surface degassing of silicic magmas during emplacement and permit the testing of calculational models for viscosity, largely based on synthetic systems. Received: 7 July 1997 / Accepted: 6 April 1998