Water Level Fluctuations in the Kuban River Delta over the Period of Many Years

Three areas with different trends in water level variations over the period of many years have been distinguished within the Kuban Delta. It was found that the eustatic level rise of the Sea of Azov and soil subsidence on the sea edge of the delta and in the lower reaches of the Protoka Branch were responsible for the noticeable rise in water levels. A considerable water level drop caused by the river runoff regulation and erosion of the lower pool of the Krasnodarskii Waterworks was recorded in the upper part of the delta; in the rest part of the delta, water levels dropped insignificantly, which was partially due to the impact of the tectonic uplift.     

Another Important Factor of Rising Sea Level: Soil Erosion

Global mean sea level is a sensitive factor of climate change. Global warming will contribute to worldwide sea‐level rise from thermal expansion of ocean water, melting of glaciers and polar ice. Consideration of global soil erosion, water vapor cycle, and hydraulic actions suggests that soil erosion is another important factor contributing to sea‐level rise in addition to global warming. Much terrestrial sediment flows into the rivers each year but cannot be replenished, resulting in land surface declines. Moreover, sediment flow into rivers and oceans contributes to rising sea level. Ecological protection measure was proposed to prevent rising sea levels caused by soil erosion. This commentary should be useful to attract attention on rising sea levels caused by soil erosion.     

长江三角洲地区全新世以来海面变化与古洪水发生关系探讨

通过对长江三角洲地区埋藏古树、泥炭、以及海相贝壳测年资料以及地方志、历史文献当中关于研究区洪灾事件记录的搜集、整理,研究结果表明,由于长江三角洲地区地势低平这一地貌特点,使得海面变化对于研究区洪灾的发生有着重要的影响.在长江中下游地区,海面的上升是导致冰后期长江河谷泥沙加积的主要原因,随着海面的上升和河床的抬高,长江中下游的水位也随之上升,从而导致长江洪水期排泄不畅,加重了洪灾的影响,加上长江三角洲地势低平,使海面变化成为长江三角洲地区洪灾发生的一个重要影响因子.同时,海面上升对长江水流的顶托作用也是加剧洪灾危害的一个重要原因.本文对于未来研究区洪水发生的预测,加强海岸带地区自然灾害的预防工作,减少生命财产的损失,具有一定的理论与实践意义.     

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.     

Identification of Pumping Influences in Long‐Term Water Level Fluctuations

Identification of the pumping influences at monitoring wells caused by spatially and temporally variable water supply pumping can be a challenging, yet an important hydrogeological task. The information that can be obtained can be critical for conceptualization of the hydrogeological conditions and indications of the zone of influence of the individual pumping wells. However, the pumping influences are often intermittent and small in magnitude with variable production rates from multiple pumping wells. While these difficulties may support an inclination to abandon the existing dataset and conduct a dedicated cross‐hole pumping test, that option can be challenging and expensive to coordinate and execute. This paper presents a method that utilizes a simple analytical modeling approach for analysis of a long‐term water level record utilizing an inverse modeling approach. The methodology allows the identification of pumping wells influencing the water level fluctuations. Thus, the analysis provides an efficient and cost‐effective alternative to designed and coordinated cross‐hole pumping tests. We apply this method on a dataset from the Los Alamos National Laboratory site. Our analysis also provides (1) an evaluation of the information content of the transient water level data; (2) indications of potential structures of the aquifer heterogeneity inhibiting or promoting pressure propagation; and (3) guidance for the development of more complicated models requiring detailed specification of the aquifer heterogeneity.     

Fluctuations of electrical conductivity as a natural tracer for bank filtration in a losing stream

A key parameter used in the assessment of bank filtration is the travel time of the infiltrated river water during the passage through groundwater. We analyze time series of electrical conductivity (EC) in the river and adjacent groundwater observation wells to investigate travel times of young hyporheic groundwater in adjoining channelized and restored sections of River Thur in North-East Switzerland. To quantify mixing ratios and mean residence times we perform cross-correlation analysis and non-parametric deconvolution of the EC time series. Measurements of radon-222 in the groundwater samples validate the calculated residence times. A simple relationship between travel time and distance to the river has not been observed. Therefore, we speculate that the lateral position and depth of the thalweg as well as the type of bank stabilization might control the infiltration processes in losing rivers. Diurnal oscillations of EC observed in the river and in nearby observation wells facilitate analyzing the temporal variation of infiltration. The diurnal oscillations are particularly pronounced in low flow situations, while the overall EC signal is dominated by individual high-flow events. Differences in travel times derived from diurnal and overall EC signals thus reflect different infiltration regimes.     

Variations in the Caspian Sea Level in the Historic Epoch

Reconstruction of variations in the Caspian Sea level is proposed based on the results of investigations of deposits in the Agrakhan sand bar and bays (or former bays) of the eastern sea coast. The history of sedimentation in particular regions is reconstructed by the radiocarbon dating. Generalized data on the age of deposits are used to construct the most likely temporal course of variations in the sea level within the historic epoch.     

Long-Term Water Level Variations in the Kiliya Branch of the Danube Delta

Water level variations in the Kiliya Branch of the Danube Delta over the period of 40 years (1958–1997) were analyzed. These level variations were subdivided into three components related to long-term variations of the share of the branch runoff and its redistribution within a year resulting from the Danube flow regulation; subsidence of deltaic deposits; and backup caused by the rising Black Sea level. It was revealed that, during the low-flow period, this backup had propagated to the river mouth at a distance of 160 km.     

A Nonlinear Model of Level Variations in the Caspian Sea

A new thermophysical mechanism of the Caspian Sea level variations is proposed. The mechanism incorporates the effect exerted on the dynamics of the water budget of the Caspian Sea by the nonlinear dependence of the evaporation rate on the moistening of the basin.     

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.     

中国海域地震区划及关键问题研究

国家重点研发计划项目《海域地震区划关键技术研究》已实施3年,进入项目结题阶段,已形成海域地震区划方法与技术体系,研究成果为即将开展的中国海域地震区划图编制工作提供技术支撑.项目组分析和探讨了海域地震区划研究基础与存在的问题,结合所关注的关键科学和技术问题,介绍和分析了主要研究成果和进展,包括海域断裂活动性探测和地震构造...     

南海岛礁场地地震稳定性研究中的关键问题探讨

目前我国针对陆域地区的建筑物和构筑物已建立了比较完备的抗震设计理论和技术体系,但对于海洋工程的抗震研究工作开展得不充分,尤其是海洋岛礁场地的地震反应分析尚属空白。伴随着近年来我国南海地区的迅速开发建设,有必要对南海岛礁的地震危险性分析和抗震设计展开研究。介绍南海岛礁场地的特殊工程地质条件和地震活动性特征,通过比较目前国内外常用的场地地震反应分析方法,针对岛礁这一特殊工程地质体,提出岛礁场地地震反应分析中需要考虑的四个显著因素,包括(1)南海岛礁体的特殊地形;(2)南海岛礁特殊的岩土工程材料;(3)海水-岛礁体动力相互作用;(4)南海地区海底输入地震动的确定,并探讨解决这些问题的思路。为分析地震作用下岛礁场地的稳定性、场地反应分析提供研究思路,同时为南海岛礁建设中的地震危险性分析提供参考。     

Monitoring Sea Level in the Coastal Zone with Satellite Altimetry and Tide Gauges

We examine the issue of sustained measurements of sea level in the coastal zone, first by summarizing the long-term observations from tide gauges, then showing how those are now complemented by improved satellite altimetry products in the coastal ocean. We present some of the progresses in coastal altimetry, both from dedicated reprocessing of the radar waveforms and from the development of improved corrections for the atmospheric effects. This trend towards better altimetric data at the coast comes also from technological innovations such as Ka-band altimetry and SAR altimetry, and we discuss the advantages deriving from the AltiKa Ka-band altimeter and the SIRAL altimeter on CryoSat-2 that can be operated in SAR mode. A case study along the UK coast demonstrates the good agreement between coastal altimetry and tide gauge observations, with root mean square differences as low as 4 cm at many stations, allowing the characterization of the annual cycle of sea level along the UK coasts. Finally, we examine the evolution of the sea level trend from the open to the coastal ocean along the western coast of Africa, comparing standard and coastally improved products. Different products give different sea level trend profiles, so the recommendation is that additional efforts are needed to study sea level trends in the coastal zone from past and present satellite altimeters. Further improvements are expected from more refined processing and screening of data, but in particular from the constant improvements in the geophysical corrections.     

Recent Changes in Land Water Storage and its Contribution to Sea Level Variations

Sea level rise is generally attributed to increased ocean heat content and increased rates glacier and ice melt. However, human transformations of Earth’s surface have impacted water exchange between land, atmosphere, and ocean, ultimately affecting global sea level variations. Impoundment of water in reservoirs and artificial lakes has reduced the outflow of water to the sea, while river runoff has increased due to groundwater mining, wetland and endorheic lake storage losses, and deforestation. In addition, climate-driven changes in land water stores can have a large impact on global sea level variations over decadal timescales. Here, we review each component of negative and positive land water contribution separately in order to highlight and understand recent changes in land water contribution to sea level variations.     

Formation of fish kills and anaerobic conditions in the Sea of Azov

Results of field observations and numerical modeling of hydrogen sulfide pollution of the Sea of Azov in 2001 are presented.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2005, pp. 171–183.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Debolskaya, Yakushev, Sukhinov.     

Brackish marshes erode twice as fast as saline marshes in the Mississippi Delta region

Marsh soil properties vary drastically across estuarine salinity gradients, which can affect soil strength and, consequently, marsh edge erodibility. Here, we quantify how marsh erosion differs between saline and brackish marshes of the Mississippi Delta. We analyzed long-term (1932–2015) maps of marsh loss and developed an algorithm to distinguish edge erosion from interior loss. We found that the edge erosion rate remains nearly constant at decadal timescales, whereas interior loss varies by more than 100%. On average, roughly half of marsh loss can be attributed to edge erosion, the other half to interior loss. Based on data from 42 cores, brackish marsh soils had a lower bulk density (0.17 vs. 0.27 g/cm³), a higher organic content (43% vs. 26%), a lower shear strength (2.0 vs. 2.5 kPa), and a lower shear strength in the root layer (13.8 vs. 20.7 kPa) than saline marsh soils. We then modified an existing marsh edge erosion model by including a salinity-dependent erodibility. By calibrating the erodibility with the observed retreat rates, we found that the brackish marsh is two to three times more erodible than the saline marshes. Overall, this model advances the ability to simulate estuarine systems as a whole, thus transcending the salinity boundaries often used in compartmentalized marsh models.     

Influence of Seasonal Variations in Sea Level on the Salinity Regime of a Coastal Groundwater–Fed Wetland

Seasonal variations in sea level are often neglected in studies of coastal aquifers; however, they may have important controls on processes such as submarine groundwater discharge, sea water intrusion, and groundwater discharge to coastal springs and wetlands. We investigated seasonal variations in salinity in a groundwater‐fed coastal wetland (the RAMSAR listed Piccaninnie Ponds in South Australia) and found that salinity peaked during winter, coincident with seasonal sea level peaks. Closer examination of salinity variations revealed a relationship between changes in sea level and changes in salinity, indicating that sea level–driven movement of the fresh water‐sea water interface influences the salinity of discharging groundwater in the wetland. Moreover, the seasonal control of sea level on wetland salinity seems to override the influence of seasonal recharge. A two‐dimensional variable density model helped validate this conceptual model of coastal groundwater discharge by showing that fluctuations in groundwater salinity in a coastal aquifer can be driven by a seasonal coastal boundary condition in spite of seasonal recharge/discharge dynamics. Because seasonal variations in sea level and coastal wetlands are ubiquitous throughout the world, these findings have important implications for monitoring and management of coastal groundwater–dependent ecosystems.     

Changes in the Dead Sea Level and their Impacts on the Surrounding Groundwater Bodies

In this paper the reaction of the salt‐/freshwater interface due to the changes in the Dead Sea level are elaborated at in details by using the inflows into the Dead Sea, the outflows due to evaporation losses and artificial discharges, and the hydrographic registrations of the Dead Sea level. The analyses show that the interface seaward migration resulted in a groundwater discharge of around 423 Mio m³ per meter drop in the level of the Dead Sea in the period 1994–1998 and of around 525 Mio m³/m in the period 1930–1937. The additional amount of groundwater joining the Dead Sea due to the interface seaward migration was 51 Mio m³ per one square kilometer of shrinkage in the area of the Dead Sea in the period 1930–1937 and 91 Mio m³/km² in the period 1994–1998. The riparian states of the Dead Sea are nowadays loosing 370 Mio m³/a of freshwater to the Dead Sea through the interface readjustment mechanisms as a result of their over exploitation of waters which formerly fed the Dead Sea.     

Probabilistic Regularities in Setup Variations in the Level of a Large Inland Water Body: Case Study of the Caspian Sea

The results of probabilistic analysis of data on setup level variations collected during long-term observations at all gages along the Caspian Sea coast are discussed. A procedure for evaluating low-probability sea level extremes is proposed. Estimates are given for the probabilities of outstanding setups in the Caspian Sea and the Sea of Azov.