Velocity-discharge relationships in three lowland rivers

The use of different functional forms to describe the variation of velocity with discharge is explored for four cross-sections, nine short reaches (100-250 m), and three long reaches (2-7 km) in three lowland rivers in Lincolnshire. The traditional log-linear relationship applies to more than half the cases, the degree of correlation never falling below 0-9. Although probably more valid from a physical standpoint, the log-quadratic relationship-is only moderately successful, one problem being the position of the vertex relative to bankfull discharge. Alternative formulations based on a kinematic routing model and a partitioned log-linear model have restricted application. Rates of change of velocity with discharge are relatively high in these lowland rivers, not only at-a-station but also downstream. One explanation is that velocity becomes particularly sensitive to local slope and within-channel vegetation conditions as discharge decreases, resulting in rather low velocities at small discharges. Cross-sectional and reach-based results are compared for neighbouring stretches of river. Velocities in short reaches do not differ appreciably from those at nearby cross-sections or from those in long reaches with a length of less than 3 km. By integrating within-reach variability and avoiding the need to chose a representative cross-section, velocity measurement over short reaches is probably preferable to that at cross-sections as a basis for at-a-station hydraulic geometry.     

Abiotic predictors of fine sediment accumulation in lowland rivers

The delivery of excessive fine sediment (particles<2 mm in diameter) to rivers can cause serious deleterious effects to aquatic ecosystems and is widely acknowledged to be one of the leading contributors to the degradation of rivers globally.Despite advances in using biological methods as a proxy,physical measures remain an important method through which fine sediment can be quantified.The aim of this study was to provide further insights into the environmental variables controlling sediment ...     

The legacy of river channel modification in wadeable,lowland rivers: Exploring overdeep rivers in England

Many lowland fluvial systems are suspected to possess a morphological legacy from a long history of channel modifications as a consequence of limited energy and sediment supply to facilitate recovery. We explore the extent of such modifications using a regionally extensive dataset of physical habitat surveys compiled by non-specialist surveyors. Representative photographs for each surveyed site were used to quality check channel width, depth and bed grain size information derived from Modular River Physical (MoRPh) surveys. Following checking, 1659 surveys were retained for analysis from alluvial sites, almost entirely in England. The photographs were also inspected for evidence of clear ‘overdeepening’ that would preclude frequent overtopping of the lower bank top. Results indicated that almost one-third of the sites were overdeepened, that width-to-depth ratios defined using the active bed width showed stronger discrimination of overdeepening than bankfull width, that highly statistically significant identification of overdeepened channels was possible in channels up to 10 m wide and with only minimal differences attributable to channel bed materials. Stepwise regression analysis estimated relationships between channel width-to-depth ratios and channel size for overdeepened and non-overdeepened channels. We demonstrate that large data sets collected by numerous non-specialist surveyors can, with careful filtering, generate statistically robust results of geomorphological value over areas larger than is otherwise practicable. Furthermore, we reveal a notable legacy of overdeepening in the analysed lowland rivers, which presents a significant ‘hydromorphological’ management challenge.     

Ice regime of Transbaikalian rivers under changing climate

The results of studying the ice regime in Transbaikalian rivers and its dependence on climate change are given. The magnitudes of many-year changes in the dates begin and end of freeze-up period, its duration, and maximal ice thickness are determined. The dependence of major characteristics of ice regime on air temperature and river runoff is evaluated.     

Hydrological management strategies for the control of algal blooms in regulated lowland rivers

Reservoirs of lowland floodplain rivers with eutrophic backgrounds cause variations in the hydrological and hydraulic conditions of estuaries and low-dam reservoir areas, which can promote planktonic algae to proliferate and algal bloom outbreaks. Understanding the ecological effects of variations in hydrological and hydraulic processes in lowland rivers is important for algal bloom control. In this study, the middle and lower reaches of the Han River, China, a typical regulated lowland river with a eutrophic background, are selected. Based on the effect of hydrological and hydraulic variability on algal blooms, a hydrological management strategy for river algal bloom control is proposed. The results showed that (a) differences in river morphology and background nutrient levels cause significant differences in the critical threshold flow velocities for algal bloom outbreaks between natural river and low-dam reservoir sections; there is no uniform threshold flow velocity for algal bloom control. (b) There are significant differences in the river hydrological/hydraulic conditions between years with and without algal blooms. The average river flow, water level and velocity in years with algal blooms are significantly lower than those in years without algal blooms. (c) For different river sections where algal blooms occur and to meet the threshold flow velocities, the joint operation of cascade reservoirs and diversion projects is an effective method to prevent and control algal blooms in regulated lowland rivers. This study is expected to deepen our understanding of the ecological significance of special hydrological processes and guide algal bloom management in regulated lowland rivers.     

Specific features of ice regime in rivers of the Northern Dvina basin

Variations in the characteristics of ice regime of rivers in the Northern Dvina basin over the last 125 years are analyzed. For the Northern Dvina lower course, potential changes in the dates of the appearance of floating ice and the breakup due to expected changes in the air temperature and the rate of streamflow in rivers are assessed. Special attention is paid to the factors that affect the formation of ice jams and their spatial and temporal variability. The prognostic relationship for the maximum ice-jam stage in the Sukhona River near the town of Velikii Ustyug is presented as an example.     

Oxygen regime of rivers in Volga,Ob, and Lena basins

A close negative correlation was found to exist between oxygen concentration in winter and the latitude in rivers in the basins of the Ob and Volga. This can be explained by an increase in the duration of the freeze-up period (during which oxygen is consumed for oxidation of organic matter (OM) in water and bottom sediments) in the direction from the south to the north, while the input from oxygen from the atmosphere and photosynthesis is practically zero. No inverse relationship was found to exist between dissolved oxygen and the latitude, because in rivers of mountain and semimountain types, typical of this basin, organic matter (OM) does not accumulate in bottom sediments and the conditions of atmospheric circulation are better than in lowland rivers. The magnitude of seasonal variations in oxygen in lowland rivers is greater than in mountain ones because of an abrupt drop in oxygen concentration in slowly flowing rivers in winter and the saturation of their water by oxygen from photosynthesis in summer.     

The regime of dissolved gases and organic matter in Selenga basin rivers

The gas regime and active reaction of water in Selenga basin rivers are analyzed. It is shown that, in the lower reaches of the Selenga and Uda rivers, which experience the highest anthropogenic impact, the minimal values of hydrogen index were recorded in under-ice period, while in the rivers of Chikoi, Khilok, Dzhida, and Temnik, during spring flood and summer freshets. The concentrations of organic substances are heterogeneous and vary widely under the effect of matter input with major tributaries and wastewater discharge from GOS. It has been established that the concentrations of readily oxidizable organic substances in 28–33% of the taken samples are above the established standards on maximal allowable concentrations in the period of open river channels. In spring and autumn, the organic matter in the rivers of the basin is mostly represented by soil terrigenous material.     

Quantifying seasonal export and retention of nutrients in West European lowland rivers at catchment scale

To set accurate critical values for the protection of lakes and coastal areas, it is crucial to know the seasonal variation of nutrient exports from rivers. This article presents an improved method for estimating export and in‐stream nutrient retention and its seasonal variation. For 13 lowland river catchments in Western Europe, inputs to surface water and exports were calculated on a monthly basis. The catchments varied in size (21 to 486 km²), while annual in‐stream retention ranged from 23 to 84% for N and 39 to 72% for P. A novel calculation method is presented that quantifies monthly exports from lowland rivers based on an annual load to the river system. Inputs in the calculation are annual emission to the surface waters, average monthly river discharge, average monthly water temperature and fraction of surface water area in the catchment. The method accounts for both seasonal variation of emission to the surface water and seasonal in‐stream retention. The agreement between calculated values and calibration data was high (N: r² = 0·93; p < 0·001 and P: r² = 0·81; p < 0·001). Validation of the model also showed good results with model efficiencies for the separate catchments ranging from 31 to 95% (average 76%). This indicates that exports of nitrogen and phosphorus on a monthly basis can be calculated with few input data for a range of West European lowland rivers. Further analysis showed that retention in summer is higher than that in winter, resulting in lower summer nutrient concentrations than that calculated with an average annual input. This implies that accurate evaluation of critical thresholds for eutrophication effects must account for seasonal variation in hydrology and nutrient loading. Our quantification method thus may improve the modelling of eutrophication effects in standing waters. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The geometry of propagating rifts

The kinematics of two different processes are investigated, both of which have been described as rift propagation. Courtillot uses this term to describe the change from distributed to localised extension which occurs during the early development of an ocean basin. The term localisation is instead used here to describe this process, to distinguish it from Hey's type of propagation. Localisation generally leads to rotation of the direction of magnetisation.To Hey propagation means the extension of a rift into the undeformed plate beyond a transform fault. Detail surveys of the Galapagos rift have shown that the propagating and failing rifts are not connected by a single transform fault, but by a zone which is undergoing shear. The principal deformation is simple shear, and the kinematics of this deformation are investigated in some detail. The strike of most of the lineations observed in the area can be produced by such deformation. The mode of extension on the propagating rift appears to be localised for some periods but to be distributed for others. Neither simple kinematic arguments nor stretching of the lithosphere with conservation of crust can account for the observed variations in water depth.     

Seasonal rainfall–runoff relationships in a lowland forested watershed in the southeastern USA

Hydrological processes of lowland watersheds of the southern USA are not well understood compared to a hilly landscape due to their unique topography, soil compositions, and climate. This study describes the seasonal relationships between rainfall patterns and runoff (sum of storm flow and base flow) using 13 years (1964–1976) of rainfall and stream flow data for a low‐gradient, third‐order forested watershed. It was hypothesized that runoff–rainfall ratios (R/P) are smaller during the dry periods (summer and fall) and greater during the wet periods (winter and spring). We found a large seasonal variability in event R/P potentially due to differences in forest evapotranspiration that affected seasonal soil moisture conditions. Linear regression analysis results revealed a significant relationship between rainfall and runoff for wet (r² = 0·68; p < 0·01) and dry (r² = 0·19; p = 0·02) periods. Rainfall‐runoff relationships based on a 5‐day antecedent precipitation index (API) showed significant (r² = 0·39; p < 0·01) correspondence for wet but not (r² = 0·02; p = 0·56) for dry conditions. The same was true for rainfall‐runoff relationships based on 30‐day API (r² = 0·39; p < 0·01 for wet and r² = 0·00; p = 0·79 for dry). Stepwise regression analyses suggested that runoff was controlled mainly by rainfall amount and initial soil moisture conditions as represented by the initial flow rate of a storm event. Mean event R/P were higher for the wet period (R/P = 0·33), and the wet antecedent soil moisture condition based on 5‐day (R/P = 0·25) and 30‐day (R/P = 0·26) prior API than those for the dry period conditions. This study suggests that soil water status, i.e. antecedent soil moisture and groundwater table level, is important besides the rainfall to seasonal runoff generation in the coastal plain region with shallow soil argillic horizons. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How many rifts are there in West Africa?

The West African Rift System has, for the last ten years, been thought to consist of five interconnected rifts extending from the Gulf of Guinea deep into the heart of Africa. Careful re-examination of the geophysical evidence makes it quite clear that there are only three interconnected rifts in West Africa; the Lower Benue Rift which extends to the northeast from the Gulf of Guinea to a triple junction near Chum, and the Gongola and Yola Rifts which extend to the north and east, respectively, from the Chum triple junction. These three rifts opened during the earlier part of the Mesozoic and were subsequently filled with Cretaceous sediments. The evidence for two further rifts, the Ati Rift and the Fort Archambault Rift which were thought to extend to the northeast and southeast, respectively, from a triple junction at the eastern end of the Yola Rift, does not stand up to re-examination.The “Ati Rift” was thought to follow a major linear positive gravity anomaly which had been mapped beneath the Quaternary sediments of the Chad Basin. The main gravity anomaly is separated from the Yola Rift by over 300 km and is probably due to a linear body of basic volcanic or volcano-clastic rocks associated with a suture of Pan-African age. Within the gap, between the main anomaly and the Yola Rift, there are three localised positive anomalies which relate to a gabbro of Precambrian age, a band of dense meta-sediments within the Basement Complex and an acid igneous complex of Palaeogene age. The anomaly as a whole is therefore a sequence of unrelated anomalies, none of which are due to features of Mesozoic age.The “Fort Archambault Rift” was thought to follow a major linear negative gravity anomaly which has been mapped beneath the Quaternary sediments of the Chad Basin. To a large extent the negative anomaly overlies the fosse de Baké-Birao (Baké-Birao Basin) which is itself part of a far larger structure that extends, parallel to the southern margin of the West African Rift System, from Douala on the Gulf of Guinea to Birao near the C.A.R. frontier with Sudan. The Douala-Birao Structure may possibly be loosely related to the West African Rift System in that it would appear to be a compressional structure formed at the same time as the Coniacian-Santonian phase of folding which is observed in the West African rifts. However, the two structures are clearly separated from each other and are quite different in character and to a lesser extent in age.     

Characterization of sub‐daily thermal regime in alpine rivers: quantification of alterations induced by hydropeaking

The thermal regime of rivers is threatened by anthropogenic stresses at a large variety of timescales. We focus on sub‐daily thermal alterations induced by the release of hypolimnetic water for hydropower production (thermopeaking). We analyse the thermal signal focusing on the following characteristics that are potentially affected by hypolimnetic releases: (i) sub‐daily thermal rate of change and (ii) oscillation frequencies contained in the thermal signal. Through a proper scaling, we derive two dimensionless at‐a‐station indicators to compare alterations among stations with different locations and physiographic characteristics of the basins. Then we analyse the data from two different thermal datasets (Italy/Switzerland) for a total of 48 stations with 10 min time resolution of temperature data. The stations are grouped according to the absence of upstream hydropeaking releases (29 stations, reference group) and the existence of upstream hydropeaking, hence potentially impacted by thermopeaking (19 stations, altered group). Using a simple statistical approach, based on a non‐parametric definition of outliers, we identify the range of variability of the two indicators for the reference, unaltered group. This range measures the ‘natural’ sub‐daily thermal variability of the proposed indicators. Finally, we investigate the seasonality effects on the two proposed indicators and it results, that sub‐daily alterations mostly occur during summer. The two indicators represent a novel tool for the assessment of river thermal regime alterations and can be easily included in existing methodologies to assess river quality. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In situ measurements of fine sediment infiltration (FSI) in gravel-bed rivers with a hydropeaking flow regime

The overpresence of fine sediment and fine sediment infiltration (FSI) in the aquatic environment of rivers are of increasing importance due to their limiting effects on habitat quality and use. The habitats of both macroinvertebrates and fish, especially spawning sites, can be negatively affected. More recently, hydropeaking has been mentioned as a driving factor in fine sediment dynamics and FSI in gravel-bed rivers. The primary aim of the present study was to quantify FSI in the vertical stratigraphy of alpine rivers with hydropeaking flow regimes in order to identify possible differences in FSI between the permanently wetted area (during base and peak flows) and the so-called dewatering areas, which are only inundated during peak flows. Moreover, we assessed whether the discharge ratio between base and peak flow is able to explain the magnitude of FSI. To address these aims, freeze-core samples were taken in eight different alpine river catchments. The results showed significant differences in the vertical stratification of FSI between the permanently wetted area during base flow and the dewatering sites. Surface clogging occurred only in the dewatering areas, with decreasing percentages of fine sediments associated with increasing core depths. In contrast, permanently wetted areas contained little or no fine sediment concentrations on the surface of the river bed. Furthermore, no statistical relationship was observed between the magnitude of hydropeaking and the sampled FSI rate. A repeated survey of FSI in the gravel matrix revealed the importance of de-clogging caused by flooding and the importance of FSI in the aquatic environment, especially in the initial stages of riparian vegetation establishment. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Seasonal and year-to-year dynamics of phytoplankton in connection with the level regime of the Kuibyshev Reservoir

The results of long-term observations are used to analyze the seasonal and year-to-year variations of the abundance and biomass of planktonic algae in connection with the seasonal dynamics of water level in the Kuibyshev Reservoir. The dynamics of level regime in the reservoir in combination with climate conditions are a determining factor for phytoplankton development. The adverse effects of eutrophication (in particular, water blooming) can be reduced by maintaining an optimal water level in the reservoir—not below the normal water level (53 m BS) in the summer.     

Seasonal flows of international British Columbia-Alaska rivers: The nonlinear influence of ocean-atmosphere circulation patterns

The northern portion of the Pacific coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) is one of the least anthropogenically modified regions on earth and remains in many respects a frontier area to science. Rivers crossing the northern PCTR, which is also an international boundary region between British Columbia, Canada and Alaska, USA, deliver large freshwater and biogeochemical fluxes to the Gulf of Alaska and establish linkages between coastal and continental ecosystems. We evaluate interannual flow variability in three transboundary PCTR watersheds in response to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Arctic Oscillation (AO), and North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO). Historical hydroclimatic datasets from both Canada and the USA are analyzed using an up-to-date methodological suite accommodating both seasonally transient and highly nonlinear teleconnections. We find that streamflow teleconnections occur over particular seasonal windows reflecting the intersection of specific atmospheric and terrestrial hydrologic processes. The strongest signal is a snowmelt-driven flow timing shift resulting from ENSO- and PDO-associated temperature anomalies. Autumn rainfall runoff is also modulated by these climate modes, and a glacier-mediated teleconnection contributes to a late-summer ENSO-flow association. Teleconnections between AO and freshet flows reflect corresponding temperature and precipitation anomalies. A coherent NPGO signal is not clearly evident in streamflow. Linear and monotonically nonlinear teleconnections were widely identified, with less evidence for the parabolic effects that can play an important role elsewhere. The streamflow teleconnections did not vary greatly between hydrometric stations, presumably reflecting broad similarities in watershed characteristics. These results establish a regional foundation for both transboundary water management and studies of long-term hydroclimatic and environmental change.     

Seasonal variations in groundwater upwelling zones in a Danish lowland stream analyzed using Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS)

The distribution of groundwater inflows in a stream reach plays a major role in controlling the stream temperature, a vital component shaping the riverine ecosystem. In this study, the Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system was installed in a small Danish lowland stream, Elverdamsåen, to assess the seasonal dynamics of groundwater inflow zones using high spatial (1 m) and temporal (3 minutes) resolution of water temperature measurements. Four simple criteria consisting of 30 min average temperature at 16:00, mean and standard deviation of diurnal temperatures, and the day–night temperature difference were applied to three DTS datasets representing stream temperature responses to the variable meteorological and hydrological conditions prevailing in summer, winter and spring. The standard deviation criterion was useful to identify groundwater discharge zones in summer and spring conditions, while the mean temperature criterion was better for the winter conditions. In total, 20 interactions were identified from the DTS datasets representing summer, 16 in winter and 19 in spring, albeit with only two interactions contributing in all three seasons. Higher baseflow to streamflow ratio, antecedent precipitation and presence of fractured clayey till in the stream reach were deemed as the vital factors causing apparent seasonal variation in the locations of upwelling zones, prompting use of DTS not only in preconceived scenarios of large diurnal temperature change but rather a long‐term deployment covering variable meteorological and hydrological scenarios. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inter-catchment comparison of flow regime between the Hailiutu and Huangfuchuan rivers in the semi-arid Erdos Plateau,Northwest China

Abstract

Two river catchments, the Huangfuchuan and the Hailiutu, located in the same climate zone in the Erdos Plateau, China, have distinctly different flow regimes. This study systematically compared differences between the flow regimes of these two catchments using several statistical methods, and analysed the possible causes. The variations in yearly, monthly and daily mean discharges were found to be much greater in the Huangfuchuan catchment than in the Hailiutu catchment. Preliminary analysis indicated that these differences are not caused by changes in climate, but are instead attributable to differences in geology, geomorphology, hydrological processes and human interventions. In the Hailiutu catchment, the dominant groundwater contribution maintains stationary daily and monthly river discharges, while shifts in yearly mean discharges were closely associated with the expansion or reduction of crop area. In the Huangfuchuan catchment, the dominant direct rainfall–runoff process generates flashier daily and monthly river discharges, while the decrease of yearly mean discharges is caused mainly by the construction of check dams. These findings have significant implications for water resource management and the implementation of proper soil and water conservation measures in the middle reach of the Yellow River Basin of China.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor Y. Gyasi-Agyei     

新疆艾比湖主要入湖河流同位素及水化学特征的季节变化

通过野外调查取样和室内测试分析,利用水文化学以及氢氧稳定同位素技术,分析艾比湖主要入湖河流氢氧同位素及水化学的组成特征,并探讨其季节性变化.结果表明：地表水水质指标高值多出现于博乐市、温泉市和精河县及艾比湖湿地附近,主要污染为水体富营养化、工矿业污染以及有机质污染,其污染程度夏、秋季高于春、冬季.河水的δ¹⁸O与δ²H存在明显的线性关系,其相关指数为夏季（R²=0.99） > 春季（R²=0.98） > 秋季（R²=0.96） > 冬季（R²=0.90）,均沿当地大气降水线分布,受西北干旱区强烈的蒸发作用影响,各季节河流斜率均小于8,氘过量参数值多为正值.博尔塔拉河与精河地表水体δ¹⁸O值整体上表现为沿流程逐渐偏正的趋势,博尔塔拉河水体氢氧同位素与高程相关指数表现为春季（R²=0.70） > 冬季（R²=0.57） > 夏季（R²=0.45） > 秋季（R²=0.30）,精河因其海拔差异不大,流程简短,与高程相关性低.博尔塔拉河和精河氢氧同位素与氯化物、硫酸盐、五日生物需氧量等指标间存在相关性,且在夏、秋季最大,相关系数R>0.75,与总磷、Cu²⁺、色度、浊度等指标基本都不显著相关,相关系数R<0.25.