Displacement and rectification of planetary fluids

Abstract

Laboratory experiments on the decay (spin-up) of fluid motion on the β-plane are compared with theory. Under weakly dissipative conditions, some particles conserve potential vorticity during the entire decay. We also study the rectified mean flow which is produced by the lateral Reynolds Stress when a low frequency force is applied to the planetary fluid. The possible connection of effects with oceanic phenomena is briefly discussed.     

Effects of the normal operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir on wetland inundation in Dongting Lake,China: a modelling study

Abstract

The operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is an important driver of the recent hydrological changes in the lowlands of Dongting Lake, China. Nevertheless, there has been no convincing study on the quantitative effects of the TGR regulation on the wetland inundation process. Here, the temporal and spatial patterns of the response of wetland inundation in Dongting Lake to the TGR regulation are addressed in detail using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, which can accurately reproduce the flooding and drying processes. The results show that temporal patterns of wetland inundation are altered by the TGR regulation, especially in the water pre-releasing period (May to early June) and the water storing period (late September to November). Spatially heterogeneous effects are also observed in Dongting Lake. These findings can help us to take measures at an early stage to effectively deal with the possible adverse effects of the normal operation of the TGR on Dongting Lake.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Porporato

Citation Lai, X., Jiang, J., and Huang, Q., 2013. Effects of the normal operation of Three Gorges Reservoir on wetland inundation in Dongting Lake, China: a modelling study. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (7), 1467–1477.     

Identifying synergies and trade-offs in the sustainability–security nexus: the case of the Israeli–Palestinian wastewater treatment regime

ABSTRACT

The literature on environmental security often stresses the complementarity between sustainability and broader security goals. Less emphasis has been placed on possible trade-offs between security objectives and aspects of sustainability. This study examines the conditions under which these synergies and trade-offs are likely to occur, and how the trade-offs can be reconciled, especially during times of peacebuilding. As a case study, we analyse the effect of Israeli security concerns on environmental infrastructure designed to treat wastewater in the West Bank. This study identifies several sustainability–security trade-offs: (1) economic—in which security concerns raise costs of wastewater infrastructure, thereby crowding-out other potentially productive investments; (2) equity—in which security concerns result in disproportionate exposure of populations to environmental hazards; and (3) environmental—in which security concerns increase ecological footprints. Yet, our case study also indicates that both sides used a variety of creative measures to reconcile these trade-offs.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis GUEST EDITOR K. Aggestam     

Galactic dynamo models without sharp boundaries

Abstract

A new numerical approach is introduced which allows investigation into the conditions for dynamogeneration of axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric large-scale magnetic field modes in galaxy models which are defined by axisymmetric distributions of the α-parameter, the angular velocity and the electrical conductivity. The velocity field is assumed to be localized, however, the common assumption of a sharp boundary of the conducting region is dropped.

The possible anisotropy of the α-tensor is taken into account. The critical dynamo numbers (excitation conditions) for different modes are obtained by a direct method. The required steady states are attained by the use of an artificial non-linearity.

Initial test calculations demonstrate the efficacy of this new concept.     

QUELQUES EXEMPLES D'APPLICATION DES MESURES DE RAYONNEMENT À LA DÉTERMINATION DE L'ÉVAPO-TRANSPIRATION EN CLIMAT TROPICAL

ABSTRACT

From data obtained at stations set up in Chad, the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville, stretching from the desert to the equatorial zone, it has been possible to compare measurements of evapotranspiration and of evaporation with results obtained by using the energy-balance method. Several difficulties arise in these comparisons since the scale of the measurements (small evaporating surfaces) is generally different from that of the climatic characteristics on which evaporation is dependent.

After proposing a model to resolve this problem and fitting the empirical coefficients of Penman's formula, the author has applied this formula to some results derived for stations in Congo-Brazzaville; the potential evapotranspiration calculated in this way is in good agreement with water balance data.

At these stations the evapotranspiration energy may be a constant percentage of global short-wave radiation.

Finally, the energy-balance method has been used at Brazzaville to measure the actual evapotranspiration over grass during the dry season. The result is that actual and potential evapotranspiration were found to be closely related.

These results indicate the importance of solar readiation in the field of hydrometeorology.     

Water quality management in Singapore: the role of institutions,laws and regulations

Abstract

The paper analyses the legal and regulatory instruments for water quality management that have been set in place in Singapore for control of water pollution, and their evolution since the time of independence in 1965. The role of institutions in the strict implementation of the laws and regulations is also discussed, with special emphasis on the efficient inter-institutional coordination machinery that has made it possible. The analyses show that overall long-term planning and policy-making and a strong political will have been instrumental to give all aspects of water management high priority in the national agenda, thus directly supporting urban, industrial and commercial growth.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz     

A nonlinear stability analysis of convection in a generalized incompressible fluid

Abstract

We establish a nonlinear stability result for convection in a generalized incompressible fluid. Both numerical calculations and an asymptotic analysis are carried out. The linear and nonlinear results are shown to be very close in both cases, implying that the region of possible subcritical instabilities is very small.

During this work I was supported by a research studentship awarded by the Science and Engineering Council of the United Kingdom.     

Critical-level crossing of rossby-gravity wave-packets in a linear-shear,stratified flow

Abstract

The propagation of Rossby-gravity waves, which are of astronomical interest near the critical level (or corotation point), is considered in a linear-shear, exponentially stratified flow by means of a ray tracing method. It is shown, using the analytic solutions for the stream function, that for a Richardson number J > 1/4 a wave-packet can cross the critical level in a finite time. In the unstable stratified case (J < 0), it cannot cross the critical level for large |J| (J < 0), but may do so for some intermediate |J| values.

Based on the above results, the possible existence of the regular normal mode with a discrete point eigenvalue in the continuous spectrum is discussed for bounded systems.     

On the lamb frequencies of a spherical gaseous star

Abstract

It is pointed out that the Lamb frequencies which are known in the case of a plane isothermal atmosphere, exist locally in a spherical gaseous star. The isothermal atmosphere appears to be a limiting case in which the local frequencies become equal at all points of the layer, so that they give rise to frequencies of the global layer. This limiting case is made possible by the absence of curvature and of any variability in the velocity of sound.     

Estimation of the temporal autocorrelation structure by the collocation technique with an emphasis on soil moisture studies

Abstract

The collocation technique has become a popular tool in oceanography and hydrology for estimating the error variances of different data sources such as in situ sensors, models and remote sensing products. It is also possible to determine calibration constants, for example to account for an off-set between the data sources. So far, the temporal autocorrelation structure of the errors has not been studied, although it is known that it has detrimental effects on the results of the collocation technique, in particular when calibration constants are also determined. This paper shows how the (triple) collocation estimators can be adapted to retrieve the autocovariance functions; the statistical properties as well as the structural deficencies are described. The coupling between the autocorrelation of the error and the estimation of calibration constants is studied in detail, due to its importance for analysing temporal changes. In soil moisture applications, such time variations can be induced, for example, by seasonal changes in the vegetation cover, which affect both models and remote sensing products. The limitations of the proposed technique associated with these considerations are analysed using remote sensing and in situ soil moisture data. The variability of the inter-sensor calibration and the autocovariance are shown to be closely related to temporal patterns of the data.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Zwieback, S., Dorigo, W., and Wagner, W., 2013. Estimation of the temporal autocorrelation structure by the collocation technique with an emphasis on soil moisture studies. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (8), 1729–1747.     

Rainfall-triggered ordinary earthquakes in Taiwan: a statistical analysis

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the role of rainfall in triggering ordinary earthquakes that occurred before and after the major Chi-Chi earthquake (7.2 M_L) in central Taiwan on 21 September 1999. To test a possible mechanism, earthquake activities from January 1995 to July 2012 were examined. The Chi-square (χ²) test revealed a significant difference between the correlations of monthly accumulated rainfall values and earthquake activities before and after the Chi-Chi earthquake. This result is discussed in terms of changes in crustal conditions after the Chi-Chi earthquake. Two ordinary earthquakes that may have been associated with heavy rainfall after the Chi-Chi earthquake are identified.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Porporato

Citation Lin, J.-W., 2014. Rainfall-triggered ordinary earthquakes in Taiwan: a statistical analysis. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (5), 1074–1080.     

Design event selection in bivariate hydrological frequency analysis

Abstract

In the bivariate analysis of hydrological events, such as rainfall storms or flood hydrographs, the choice of an appropriate return period for structure design leads to infinite combinations of values of the related random variables (e.g. peak and volume in the analysis of floods). These combinations are generally not equivalent, from a practical point of view. In this paper, a methodology is proposed to identify a subset of the critical combinations set that includes a fixed and arbitrarily chosen percentage in probability of the events, on the basis of their probability of occurrence. Therefore, several combinations can be selected within the subset, taking into account the specific characteristic of the design problem, in order to evaluate the effects of different hydrological loads on a structure. The proposed method is applicable to any type of bivariate distribution, thus providing a simple but effective rule to narrow down the infinite possible choices for the hydrological design variables. In order to illustrate how the proposed methodology can be easily used in practice, it is applied to a study case in the context of bivariate flood frequency analysis.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor Sheng Yue

Citation Volpi, E. and Fiori, A., 2012. Design event selection in bivariate hydrological frequency analysis. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (8), 1506–1515.     

A) A. I. H. S. / A) I. A. S. H.

SUMMARY

Basing their studies on an extended Reynolds principle of similarity, the authors present in this paper a thorough theoretical investigation of the turbulent flow in pipes.

Making appropriate assumptions regarding the distribution of the turbulent apparent viscosity over the entire pipe diameter, the well-known discharge formulas, i. e. the resistance laws, of Prandtl-V. Kármán for the hydraulically smooth and the hydraulically rough region, and of Colebrook for the transition region—the accuracy of these being well established by measurements—can be clearly shown to be correct.

Thus it is also possible to determine the velocity distribution in the region near the wall for the hydraulically smooth region and the transition region, as well as for the hydraulically rough region.

The concept, that the flow with a fully developed roughness effect begins when the laminar boundary layer at the wall disappears can be seen to be in close agreement with the asssumptions made. The limits which were established for the hydraulically rough region and the transition region correspond well with the curve plotted by PRANDTL and the boundary curve of Rouse.     

Steady flow past an island with applications to Bermuda

Abstract

Temperature and salinity data from the vicinity of Bermuda reveal large vertical displacements of the isopycnals of over 100 m close to the island. A model based on the steady flow of an inviscid, stratified ocean past a circularily symmetric island on a rotating plane gives good qualitative agreement. The effects of island slope and nonlinearities are accounted for in a perturbation procedure.

In an anomalous area over the left slope of the island (looking downstream) large steps were observed in the temperature and salinity profiles. The theoretical flow is shown to have a minimum Richardson number in this region. In a quasi-empirical manner it is possible to compute a Richardson number profile from the observed density data. This procedure gives values very close to that needed for instability to be possible suggesting that instabilities promote mixing and the development of the observed layers.     

Regional models of flow-duration curves of perennial and intermittent streams and their use for calibrating the parameters of a rainfall–runoff model

Abstract

One of the main challenges faced by hydrologists and water engineers is the estimation of variables needed for water resources planning and management in ungauged river basins. To this end, techniques for transposing information, such as hydrological regional analyses, are widely employed. A method is presented for regionalizing flow-duration curves (FDCs) in perennial, intermittent and ephemeral rivers, based on the extended Burr XII probability distribution. This distribution shows great flexibility to fit data, with accurate reproduction of flow extremes. The performance analysis showed that, in general, the regional models are able to synthesize FDCs in ungauged basins, with a few possible drawbacks in the application of the method to intermittent and ephemeral rivers. In addition to the regional models, we summarize the experience of using synthetic FDCs for the indirect calibration of the Rio Grande rainfall–runoff model parameters in ungauged basins.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Costa, V., Fernandes, W., and Naghettini, M., 2013. Regional models of flow-duration curves of perennial and intermittent streams and their use for calibrating the parameters of a rainfall–runoff model. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (2), 262–277.     

UTILIZATION OF THE RESULTS FROM REPRESENTATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL BASINS WITH A VIEW TO THE MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES / Utilisation des résultats obtenus sur les bassins représentatifs et expérimentaux en vue de l'aménagement des ressources en eau

Abstract

The management of water resources requires knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of surface and groundwater resources, and an assessment of the influence of man on the hydrological regime.

For small water courses regional estimates can be made from representative basins which offer guidelines (1) for the computation of mean annual flow and in some cases for the determination of the statistical distribution of the annual flow; (2) for the computation of the 10-year flood maximum discharge and volume.

An example concerning the tropical African Sahel is given. From a general study of the daily precipitation, a simple rainfall/runoff model used on a daily basis and calibrated on data from representative basins, and also the direct comparison of results from 55 representative basins, statistical distribution curves were established for annual runoff based on mean annual precipitation and the geomorphological characteristics of the basins.

Another example concerning tropical Africa west of Congo presents a methodology for the computation of the 10-year flood (maximum discharge and volume).

The systematic study of 60 representative basins makes it possible to plot the runoff coefficient R/P as a function of basin climate, mean slope and soil permeability. Other curves are used to determine the time of rise and the base time of the hydrograph as a function of the basin area and the mean slope.

The experimental basin is a good tool for the assessment of the influence of man on hydrological parameters. An example shows the influence of land use on the regression between annual precipitation and annual runoff.     

Rainfall downscaling in time: theoretical and empirical comparison between multifractal and Hurst-Kolmogorov discrete random cascades

Abstract

During recent decades, intensive research has focused on techniques capable of generating rainfall time series at a fine time scale that are (fully or partially) consistent with a given series at a coarser time scale. Here we theoretically investigate the consequences on the ensemble statistical behaviour caused by the structure of a simple and widely-used approach of stochastic downscaling for rainfall time series, the discrete Multiplicative Random Cascade. We show that synthetic rainfall time series generated by these cascade models correspond to a stochastic process which is non-stationary, because its temporal autocorrelation structure depends on the position in time in an undesirable manner. Then, we propose and theoretically analyse an alternative downscaling approach based on the Hurst-Kolmogorov process, which is equally simple but is stationary. Finally, we provide Monte Carlo experiments which validate our theoretical results.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Lombardo, F., Volpi, E., and Koutsoyiannis, D., 2012. Rainfall downscaling in time: theoretical and empirical comparison between multifractal and Hurst-Kolmogorov discrete random cascades. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (6), 1052–1066.     

Non-stationary frequency analysis of heavy rainfall events in southern France

Abstract

Heavy rainfall events often occur in southern French Mediterranean regions during the autumn, leading to catastrophic flood events. A non-stationary peaks-over-threshold (POT) model with climatic covariates for these heavy rainfall events is developed herein. A regional sample of events exceeding the threshold of 100 mm/d is built using daily precipitation data recorded at 44 stations over the period 1958–2008. The POT model combines a Poisson distribution for the occurrence and a generalized Pareto distribution for the magnitude of the heavy rainfall events. The selected covariates are the seasonal occurrence of southern circulation patterns for the Poisson distribution parameter, and monthly air temperature for the generalized Pareto distribution scale parameter. According to the deviance test, the non-stationary model provides a better fit to the data than a classical stationary model. Such a model incorporating climatic covariates instead of time allows one to re-evaluate the risk of extreme precipitation on a monthly and seasonal basis, and can also be used with climate model outputs to produce future scenarios. Existing scenarios of the future changes projected for the covariates included in the model are tested to evaluate the possible future changes on extreme precipitation quantiles in the study area.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor K. Hamed

Citation Tramblay, Y., Neppel, L., Carreau, J., and Najib, K., 2013. Non-stationary frequency analysis of heavy rainfall events in southern France. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (2), 280–294.     

Neural network prediction of bed material load transport

Abstract

Bed material load, which comprises bed load and suspended load, has been extensively studied in the past few decades and many equations have been developed, but they differ from each other in derivation and form. If a process can be related to various flow conditions on a general basis, a proper understanding of bed material load movement can be ascertained. As the process is extremely complex, obtaining a deterministic or analytical form of it is too difficult. Neural network modelling, which is particularly useful in modelling processes about which knowledge of the physics is limited, is presented here as a complimentary tool for modelling bed material load transport. The developed model demonstrated a superior performance compared to other traditional methods based on different statistical criteria, such as the coefficient of determination, Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient and discrepancy ratio. The significance of the different input parameters has been analysed in the present work to understand the influence of these parameters on the transport process.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Kumar, B., 2012. Neural network prediction of bed material load transport. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (5), 956–966.     

OBSERVATION OF SEDIMENT LOAD IN THE RIVER WITH THE THILTMETER (WITH THE TILTMETER OF ZÖLLNER SUSPENSION

SUMMARY

One of the most important factors for the study of various problems of river-improvement and river-utilization is the measurement of amount of sand and gravels transported by water.

However, to this date, no definite methods of the measurement have been discovered. The author found a new method of this measurement using a tiltmeter (with horizontal pendulum of Zöllner suspension).

Applying this method, it is able to measure sediment load (bed load and suspended load) both at the time of low-water and flood. Also through this method, it is possible to observe and self-register variation of the rate of sediment transportation continuously in such a case as other methods are not useful.

The test observation at Sukumo-gawa, Hakone-machi, Ashigara-gun, Kanagawa-pref, from September 1953 to November 1954 performed by the author of this articel was successful.

Thus, this method has been put in practical use at upper stream of Katashina-gawa in Tone-river system, Gumma-pref, since July 1956.