A multi‐tracer approach to quantifying groundwater inflows to an upland river; assessing the influence of variable groundwater chemistry

Understanding the behaviour and variability of environmental tracers is important for their use in estimating groundwater discharge to rivers. This study utilizes a multi‐tracer approach to quantify groundwater discharge into a 27 km upland reach of the Gellibrand River in southwest Victoria, Australia. Ten sampling campaigns were conducted between March 2011 and June 2012, and the distribution of ²²²Rn activities, Cl and ³H concentrations imply the river receives substantial groundwater inflows. Mass balances based on ²²²Rn, Cl and ³H yield estimates of groundwater inflows that agree to within ± 12%, with cumulative inflows in individual campaigns ranging from 24 346 to 88 467 m³/day along the studied river section. Groundwater discharge accounts for between 10 and 50% of river flow dependent on the time of year, with a high proportion (>40 %) of groundwater sustaining summer flows. Groundwater inflow is largely governed by regional groundwater flowpaths; between 50 and 90% of total groundwater inflows occur along a narrow 5–10 km section where the river intersects the Eastern View Formation, a major regional aquifer. Groundwater ²²²Rn activities over the 16 month period were spatially heterogeneous across the catchment, ranging between 2000 Bq/m³ and 16 175 Bq/m³. Although groundwater ²²²Rn activities display temporal variation, spatial variation in groundwater ²²²Rn is a key control on ²²²Rn mass balances in river catchments where groundwater and river ²²²Rn activities are within an order of magnitude of each other. Calculated groundwater discharges vary from 8.4 to 15 m³/m/day when groundwater ²²²Rn activities are varied by ± 1 σ. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Saline wetlands related to groundwater flows from low permeability Tertiary formations in the Somontano area of Huesca,Spain

Presence of groundwater flow in the ‘Somontano de Huesca’ Area, derived from low‐permeability detrital Tertiary rocks, is considered. A groundwater flow model is constructed for these Tertiary rocks. This model explains both water flow through them and the chemical characteristics of the water. Groundwater flow has clear surface manifestations: it causes wetlands (which are called ‘paules’ in the area) with sodic waters, it produces saline, sodic or alkaline soils, and it produces modifies the chemical composition of rivers in Somontano. Irrigation has increased the volume of filtered water, especially in the interfluve areas, causing the extension of the wetlands in the valley thalwegs, and also the greater movement of salts has increased the problems of saline and/or sodic soils in the area. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A geometrical method for quantifying endmembers' fractions in three-component groundwater mixing

We present a new geometrical method capable of quantifying and illustrating the outcomes of a three-component mixing dynamics. In a three-component mixing scenario, classical algebraic equations and endmember mixing analysis (EMMA) can be used to quantify the contributions from each fraction. Three-component mixing of natural waters, either in an element–element plot or by using the EMMA mixing subspace is described by a triangular shaped distribution of sample points where each endmember is placed on an apex, while each side corresponds to the mixing function of the two endmembers placed at the apex, considering the third endmembers' contribution equal to zero. Along each side, the theoretical mixing fractions can be computed using mass balance equations. Samples with contributions from three endmembers will plot inside the triangle, while the homogeneous barycentric coordinate projections can be projected onto the three sides. The geochemistry observed in the mineralized Ferrarelle aquifer system (southern Italy) results from three-component mixing of groundwater, each with diagnostic geochemical compositions. The defined boundary conditions allow us to parameterize and validate the procedures for modelling mixing, including selection of suitable geochemical tracers.     

Combined effects of groundwater and aeolian processes in the formation of the northernmost closed saline depressions of Europe: north-east Spain

A genetic and evolutionary model is established for saline depressions in continental areas. These depressions are located in arid or subarid areas, and are developed on low permeability geological mediums (K<10 mm/day) with a lack of streams reaching the small lakes. The phenomenon of evaporation is fundamental, since it is the basic requirement for the presence or absence of a free water surface in the lake, and also for depression of the phreatic surface, which causes inflow of groundwater towards the lake. With these conditions, the proposed model includes the following stages: (i) initiation of the close depression; (ii) deepening of the depression; (iii) formation of the lake basin and the end of the deepening; and (iv) levelling and lateral extension of the lake basin. The combined effects of groundwater flows and aeolian action offer a coherent explanation for the origin and evolution both of the closed depressions found in the Ebro Valley, and of the salt lakes that subsequently form. The processes described form morphologies of oval shape with the main axis parallel to the direction of the wind, flat floors and evaporitic sedimentation, although they act on geological materials with different lithologies. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ice cover exists: A quick method to delineate groundwater inputs in running waters for cold and temperate regions

Groundwater can be important in regulating stream thermal regimes in cold, temperate regions, and as such, it can be a significant factor for aquatic biota habits and habitats. Groundwater typically remains at a constant temperature through time; that is, it is warmer than surface water in winter and cooler in summer. Further, small tributaries are often dominated by groundwater during low flows of winter and summer. We exploit these thermal patterns to identify and delineate tributary/groundwater inputs along a frozen river (ice‐on) using publically available satellite data, and we tested the findings against airborne, thermal infrared (TIR) data. We utilize a supervised maximum likelihood classification (sMLC) to identify possible groundwater inputs while the river is in a frozen state (kappa coefficient of 96.77 when compared with visually delineated possible groundwater inputs). We then compare sMLC‐identified possible groundwater inputs with TIR‐classified groundwater inputs, which confirmed that there was no statistical difference (χ² = .78), that is, confirming that groundwater inputs can be delineated in north temperate river systems using available satellite imagery of the system's frozen state. Our results also established the spatial extent and influence of possible groundwater inputs in two seasons. The thermal plumes were longer and narrower in winter; this is likely related to seasonal differences in dispersion regimes. We hypothesize that differences between summer and winter is related to either (a) tributaries that are modulated by shading in summer or (b) aquifer disconnection from the river in winter owing to frozen ground conditions and lack of aquifer recharge. This method of establishing tributary/groundwater inputs and contributions to surface water thermal regimes is relatively simple and can be useful for science and management as long as “ice cover exists”; that is, the system can achieve a frozen state.     

A novel approach for estimating karst groundwater recharge in mountainous regions and its application in Switzerland

A pragmatic and simple approach for estimating the groundwater recharge of karst aquifers in mountainous regions by extrapolation of the hydrological regimes of gauged and well‐documented systems is presented. Specific discharge rates are derived using annual precipitation and spring measurements by taking into account catchment size and elevation, which are assumed to be the dominant factors. Reference sites with high data reliability are used for calibration and regional extrapolation. This is performed with normalized values employing spatial precipitation deviations and correlation with the elevation of the catchment areas. A tiered step procedure provides minimum and maximum normalized gradients for the relationship between recharge quantity and elevation for karst regions. The normalized recharge can therefore be obtained and extrapolated for any location using the spatial precipitation variability to provide an estimate of annual groundwater recharge. The approach was applied to Switzerland (approximately 7500 km² of karst terrain situated between 200 and over 4000 m a.s.l.) using annual precipitation data from meteorological stations for the years 2000 to 2011. Results show that the average recharge rates of different Swiss karst domains range from 20 to 46 L/km²s, which corresponds to an infiltration ratio between 0.6 and 0.9 of total precipitation. Despite uncertainties inherent in the approach, these results provide a benchmark for renewable karst groundwater resources in Switzerland of about 8.4 km³/year. The approach can be applied to any other mountainous karst region, that is, where a clear relationship between elevation, precipitation and recharge can be assumed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A multi‐method field experiment to determine local groundwater flow in a glacier forefield

We implemented multiple independent field techniques to determine the direction and velocity of groundwater flow at a specific stream reach in a glacier forefield. Time‐lapse experiments were conducted using two electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) lines installed in a cross pattern. A circular array of groundwater tubes was also installed to monitor groundwater flow via discrete salt injections. Both inter‐borehole and ERT results confirmed this stream section as a losing reach and enabled quantification of the flow direction. Both techniques yielded advection velocities varying between 5.7 and 21.8 m/day. Estimates of groundwater flow direction and velocity indicated that groundwater infiltrates from the stream nearby and not from the adjacent lateral moraine. Groundwater age estimated from radon concentration measurements supported this hypothesis. Despite uncertainties inherent to each of the methods deployed, the combination of multiple field techniques allowed drawing consistent conclusions about local groundwater flow. We thus regard our multi‐method approach as a reliable way to characterize the two‐dimensional groundwater flow at sites where more invasive groundwater investigation techniques are difficult to carry out and local heterogeneities can make single measurements unreliable. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field investigation of the groundwater contribution to baseflow in an urban stream from a Quaternary aquifer with a leaky base

Groundwater contributions to baseflow in Minnehaha Creek, a creek located in a highly developed watershed in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, from the watershed's Quaternary aquifer were quantified as part of an effort to manage low flow conditions in the creek. Considerable uncertainty exists with any single method used to quantify groundwater contributions to baseflow; therefore, a “weight of evidence” approach in which methods spanning multiple spatial scales was utilized. Analyses conducted at the watershed-scale (streamflow separation and stable isotope analyses) were corroborated with site-scale measurements (piezometer, seepage meter, and streambed temperature profiles) over a multi-year period to understand processes and conditions controlling connectivity between the stream, its shallow aquifer system and other flow sources. In the case of Minnehaha Creek, groundwater discharge was found to range from 6.2 to 23 mm year⁻¹, which represented only 5 to 11% of annual streamflow during the study period. From the weight of evidence, it is conjectured that regional-scale hydrogeological conditions control groundwater discharge in Minnehaha Creek. Implications of these results with regard to possible augmentation of baseflow by increasing groundwater recharge with infiltration of stormwater are discussed.     

Using hydrochemical tracers to assess impacts of unsewered urban catchments on hydrochemistry and nutrients in groundwater

We applied graphical methods and multivariate statistics to understand impacts of an unsewered slum catchment on nutrients and hydrochemistry of groundwater in Kampala, Uganda. Data were collected from 56 springs (groundwater), 22 surface water sites and 13 rain samples. Groundwater was acidic and dominated by Na, Cl and NO₃. These ions were strongly correlated, indicating pollution originating from wastewater infiltration from on‐site sanitation systems. Results also showed that rain, which was acidic, impacted on groundwater chemistry. Using Q‐mode hierarchical cluster analysis, we identified three distinct water quality groups. The first group had springs dominated by Ca‐Cl‐NO₃, low values of electrical conductivity (EC), pH and cations, and relatively high NO₃ values. These springs were shown to have originated from the acidic rains because their chemistry closely corresponded to ion concentrations that would occur from rainfall recharge, which was around 3.3 times concentrated by evaporation. The second group had springs dominated by Na‐K‐Cl‐NO₃ and Ca‐Cl‐NO₃, low pH but with higher values of EC, NO₃ and cations. We interpreted these as groundwater affected by both acid rain and infiltration of wastewater from urban areas. The third group had the highest EC values (average of 688 μS/cm), low pH and very high concentrations of NO₃ (average of 2.15 mmol/l) and cations. Since these springs were all located in slum areas, we interpreted them as groundwater affected by infiltration of wastewater from poorly sanitized slums areas. Surface water was slightly reducing and eutrophic because of wastewater effluents, but the contribution of groundwater to nutrients in surface water was minimal because o‐PO₄ was absent, whereas NO₃ was lost by denitification. Our findings suggest that groundwater chemistry in the catchment is strongly influenced by anthropogenic inputs derived from nitrogen‐containing rains and domestic wastewater. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A field demonstration of the entropy-weighted fuzzy DRASTIC method for groundwater vulnerability assessment

Abstract

Groundwater vulnerability assessment based on the DRASTIC index has been widely used since the 1980s to map potential risks of groundwater contamination. However, its applicability and usefulness are affected by two uncertain and subjective factors. One is the discretization of continuous input variables and the other is the assignment of different weights to the index variables. In this study, an entropy-weighted fuzzy-optimization approach was developed to augment and improve the classic DRASTIC method by reducing the uncertainties associated with variable discretization and weight assignment. The modified DRASTIC method was applied to a study site in Shandong, north China. The entropy-weighted fuzzy-optimization approach is shown to provide a more rigorous delineation of the relative vulnerability distribution. Meanwhile, the new approach does not require the use of more parameters. The results suggest that this approach significantly improves and enhances the ability of the classic DRASTIC method in a more systematic and rigorous way.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Yu, C., Zhang, B.X., Yao, Y.Y., Meng, F.H., and Zheng, C.M., 2012. A field demonstration of the entropy-weighted fuzzy DRASTIC method for groundwater vulnerability assessment. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (7), 1420–1432.     

Isotopic composition (δ18O and δD) of precipitation and groundwater in a semi‐arid,mountainous area (Guadiana Menor basin,Southeast Spain)

We characterize the precipitation and groundwater in a mountainous (peaks slightly above 3000 m a.s.l.), semi‐arid river basin in SE Spain in terms of the isotopes ¹⁸O and ²H. This basin, with an extension of about 7000 km², is an ideal site for such a study because fronts from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean converge here. Much of the land is farmed and irrigated both by groundwater and runoff water collected in reservoirs. A total of approximately 100 water samples from precipitation and 300 from groundwater have been analysed. To sample precipitation we set up a network of 39 stations at different altitudes (800–1700 m a.s.l.), with which we were able to collect the rain and snowfall from 29 separate events between July 2005 and April 2007 and take monthly samples during the periods of maximum recharge of the aquifers. To characterize the groundwater we set up a control network of 43 points (23 springs and 20 wells) to sample every 3 months the main aquifers and both the thermal and non‐thermal groundwater. We also sampled two shallow‐water sites (a reservoir and a river). The isotope composition of the precipitation forms a local meteoric water line (LMWL) characterized by the equation δD = 7·72δ¹⁸O + 9·90, with mean values for δ¹⁸O and δD of − 10·28‰ and − 69·33‰, respectively, and 12·9‰ for the d‐excess value. To correlate the isotope composition of the rainfall water with groundwater we calculated the weighted local meteoric water line (WLMWL), characterized by the equation δD = 7·40δ¹⁸O + 7·24, which takes into account the quantity of water precipitated during each event. These values of (dδD/dδ¹⁸O)< 8 and d‐excess (δD–8δ¹⁸O)< 10 in each curve bear witness to the ‘amount effect’, an effect which is more manifest between May and September, when the ground temperature is higher. Other effects noted in the basin were those of altitude and the continental influence. The isotopic compositions of the groundwater are represented by the equation δD = 4·79δ¹⁸O − 18·64. The groundwater is richer in heavy isotopes than the rainfall, with mean values of − 8·48‰ for δ¹⁸O and − 59·27‰ for δD. The isotope enrichment processes detected include a higher rate of evaporation from detrital aquifers than from carbonate ones, the effects of recharging aquifers from irrigation return flow and/or from reservoirs' leakage and enrichment in δ¹⁸O from thermal water. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of groundwater exchange for a large plains river in Colorado (USA)

Complete daily water budget information was assembled for a 105 km segment of the South Platte River in the plains region below Denver, CO, for the period 1983–1993. The data were used in testing the possibility that dependence of alluvial exchange mechanisms on stage height, as shown by models of alluvial exchange, allows alluvial exchange to be predicted continuously over a given reach through use of statistical information on river discharge. The study segment was divided into an upper and a lower reach; daily alluvial exchanges for each reach were estimated by the method of residuals. The two reaches show small (15%) but statistically significant annual differences in rates of exchange. For each reach, there is a seasonal pattern (2·5‐fold oscillation) in alluvial discharge to the channel, reflecting seasonality in recharge of the alluvium by irrigation. At discharges up to 40 m³/s (82nd percentile), alluvial discharge to the channel occurs at a rate independent of river discharge. Above 40 m³/s, net alluvial discharge into the channel is progressively reduced; at 60 m³/s (92nd percentile) there is no net alluvial exchange. At still higher river discharges, water is lost to the alluvium through bank storage at a rate that is linearly related to the logarithm of discharge. Annually, alluvial discharge accounts for 15–18% of water entering the study segment, and alluvial recharge through bank storage accounts for 2–4% of water leaving the segment. Alluvial recharge through bank storage at the highest discharges can, however, exceed low‐flow alluvial discharge rates by five‐fold over short intervals. Even though daily alluvial exchanges vary widely, they can be estimated at r² values above 80% on the basis of reach, season, and river discharge. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using multiple‐variable indicator kriging to assess groundwater quality for irrigation in the aquifers of the Choushui River alluvial fan

This work attempted to locate clean and safe groundwater for irrigation use in the Choushui River alluvial fan. Multiple‐variable indicator kriging (MVIK) was adopted to evaluate numerous hydrochemical parameters for a standard of water quality for irrigation in Taiwan. Many hydrochemical parameters in groundwater were distinguished into three main categories—salinity/sodium hazard, nitrogen hazard and heavy metal hazard. Safe and potential hazardous regions of groundwater for irrigation were delineated according to different probabilities estimated by MVIK. The probabilistic results of the classifications gave an opportunity to explore the spatial uncertainty of the hazards and helped government administrators establish a sound policy associated with the development and management of groundwater resources. Analysis of the results indicate that the central distal‐fan and mid‐fan aquifers are the best places to extract clean and safe groundwater for irrigation, and the deep aquifer (exceeding 200 m depth) has wider regions with clean and safe groundwater for irrigation than shallow aquifers. The northern and southern aquifers, with multiple hazards, limit groundwater use for irrigation. Although the proximal‐fan aquifer is a zone of groundwater recharge, the high nitrogen content seriously affects the environment and is not suitable for irrigation use. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A large weighing lysimeter for evapotranspiration and soil‐water–groundwater exchange studies

A large weighing lysimeter was installed at Yucheng Comprehensive Experimental Station, north China, for evapotranspiration and soil‐water–groundwater exchange studies. Features of the lysimeter include the following: (i) mass resolution equivalent to 0·016 mm of water to accurately and simultaneously determine hourly evapotranspiration, surface evaporation and groundwater recharge; (ii) a surface area of 3·14 m² and a soil profile depth of 5·0 m to permit normal plant development, soil‐water extraction, soil‐water–groundwater exchanges, and fluctuations of groundwater level; (iii) a special supply–drainage system to simulate field conditions of groundwater within the lysimeter; (iv) a soil mass of about 30 Mg, including both unsaturated and saturated loam. The soil consists mainly of mealy sand and light loam. Monitoring the vegetated lysimeter during the growing period of winter wheat, from October 1998 through to June 1999, indicated that during the period groundwater evaporation contributed 16·6% of total evapotranspiration for a water‐table depth from 1·6 m to 2·4 m below ground surface. Too much irrigation reduced the amount of upward water flow from the groundwater table, and caused deep percolation to the groundwater. Data from neutron probe and tensiometers suggest that soil‐water‐content profiles and soil‐water‐potential profiles were strongly affected by shallow groundwater. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Complementary use of dating and hydrochemical tools to assess mixing processes involving centenarian groundwater in a geologically complex alpine karst aquifer

Environmental dating tracers (³H, ³He, ⁴He, CFC-12, CFC-11, and SF₆) and the natural spring response (hydrochemistry, water temperature, and hydrodynamics) were jointly used to assess mixing processes and to characterize groundwater flow in a relatively small carbonate aquifer with complex geology in southern Spain. Results evidence a marked karst behaviour of some temporary outlets, with sharp and rapid responses to precipitation events, while some perennial springs show buffer and delayed variations with respect to recharge periods. The general geochemical evolution shows a pattern, from higher to lower altitudes, in which mineralization and the Mg/Ca ratio rise, evidencing longer water–rock interaction. The large SF₆ concentrations in groundwater suggest terrigenic production, whereas CFC-11 values are affected by sorption or degradation. The groundwater age in the perennial springs—as deduced from CFC-12 and ³H/³He—points to mean residence times of several decades, although the large amount of radiogenic ⁴He in samples indicate a contribution of old groundwater (free of ³H and CFC-12). Lumped parameter models and shape-free models were created based on ³H, tritiogenic ³He, CFC-12, and radiogenic ⁴He data in order to interpret the age distribution of the samples. Results evidence the existence of two mixing components, with an old fraction ranging between 160 and 220 years in age. The correlation of physicochemical parameters with some dating parameters, derived from the mixing models, serves to explain the hydrogeochemical processes occurring within the system. Altogether, long residence times are shown to be possible in small alpine systems with a clearly karst behaviour if the geological setting features highly tectonized media including units with diverse hydrogeological characteristics. These findings highlight the importance of applying different approaches, including groundwater dating techniques, when studying such groundwater flow regimes.     

A multi‐storage groundwater concept for the SWAT model to emphasize nonlinear groundwater dynamics in lowland catchments

Hydrological models are useful tools to analyze present and future conditions of water quantity and quality. The integrated modelling of water and nutrients needs an adequate representation of the different discharge components. In common with many lowlands, groundwater contribution to the discharge in the North German lowlands is a key factor for a reasonable representation of the water balance, especially in low flow periods. Several studies revealed that the widely used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model performs poorly for low flow periods. This paper deals with the extension of the groundwater module of the SWAT model to enhance low flow representation. The current two‐storage concept of SWAT was further developed to a three‐storage concept. This was realized due to modification of the groundwater module by splitting the active groundwater storage into a fast and a slow contributing aquifer. The results of this study show that the groundwater module with three storages leads to a good prediction of the overall discharge especially for the recession limbs and the low flow periods. The improved performance is reflected in the signature measures for the mid‐segment (percent bias ?2.4% vs ?15.9%) and the low segment (percent bias 14.8% vs 46.8%) of the flow duration curve. The three‐storage groundwater module is more process oriented than the original version due to the introduction of a fast and a slow groundwater flow component. The three‐storage version includes a modular approach, because groundwater storages can be activated or deactivated independently for subbasin and hydrological response unit level. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of CHADFDM satellite-based input dataset for the groundwater recharge estimation in arid and data scarce regions

Aquifer natural recharge estimations are a prerequisite for understanding hydrologic systems and sustainable water resources management. As meteorological data series collection is difficult in arid and semiarid areas, satellite products have recently become an alternative for water resources studies. A daily groundwater recharge estimation in the NW part of the Lake Chad Basin, using a soil–plant-atmosphere model (VisualBALAN), from ground- and satellite-based meteorological input dataset for non-irrigated and irrigated land and for the 2005–2014 period is presented. Average annual values were 284 mm and 30°C for precipitation and temperature in ground-based gauge stations. For the satellite-model-based Lake Chad Basin Flood and Drought Monitor System platform (CHADFDM), average annual precipitation and temperature were 417 mm and 29°C, respectively. Uncertainties derived from satellite data measurement could account for the rainfall difference. The estimated mean annual aquifer recharge was always higher from satellite- than ground-based data, with differences up to 46% for dryland and 23% in irrigated areas. Recharge response to rainfall events was very variable and results were very sensitive to: wilting point, field capacity and curve number for runoff estimation. Obtained results provide plausible recharge values beyond the uncertainty related to data input and modelling approach. This work prevents on the important deviations in recharge estimation from weighted-ensemble satellite-based data, informing in decision making to both stakeholders and policy makers.     

水库诱发地震地下水监测网建设的若干问题探讨

根据国内外已发生的水库诱发地震的基本特点,结合三峡工程诱发地震地下水监测网与金沙江下游水电工程地下水监测网建设的经验及我国地震地下水动态观测网建设与运行中得到的科学认识,探讨了水库诱发地震的地下水监测井网建设中的布网区及其范围、观测井间距确定、观测井位置选择、观测含水层选择与观测井深度和结构设计等若干技术问题.     

A BTOP model to extend TOPMODEL for distributed hydrological simulation of large basins

Topography is a dominant factor in hillslope hydrology. TOPMODEL, which uses a topographical index derived from a simplified steady state assumption of mass balance and empirical equations of motion over a hillslope, has many advantages in this respect. Its use has been demonstrated in many small basins (catchment areas of the order of 2–500 km²) but not in large basins (catchment areas of the order of 10 000–100 000 km²). The objective of this paper is to introduce the Block‐wise TOPMODEL (BTOP) as an extension of the TOPMODEL concept in a grid based framework for distributed hydrological simulation of large river basins. This extension was made by redefining the topographical index by using an effective contributing area af(a) (0?f(a)?1) per unit grid cell area instead of the upstream catchment area per unit contour length and introducing a concept of mean groundwater travel distance. Further the transmissivity parameter T₀ was replaced by a groundwater dischargeability D which can provide a link between hill slope hydrology and macro hydrology. The BTOP model uses all the original TOPMODEL equations in their basic form. The BTOP model has been used as the core hydrological module of an integrated distributed hydrological model YHyM with advanced modules of precipitation, evapotranspiration, flow routing etc. Although the model has been successfully applied to many catchments around the world since 1999, there has not been a comprehensive theoretical basis presented in such applications. In this paper, an attempt is made to address this issue highlighted with an example application using the Mekong basin. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A coupled model for simulating surface water and groundwater interactions in coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands are characterized by strong, dynamic interactions between surface water and groundwater. This paper presents a coupled model that simulates interacting surface water and groundwater flow and solute transport processes in these wetlands. The coupled model is based on two existing (sub) models for surface water and groundwater, respectively: ELCIRC (a three‐dimensional (3‐D) finite‐volume/finite‐difference model for simulating shallow water flow and solute transport in rivers, estuaries and coastal seas) and SUTRA (a 3‐D finite‐element/finite‐difference model for simulating variably saturated, variable‐density fluid flow and solute transport in porous media). Both submodels, using compatible unstructured meshes, are coupled spatially at the common interface between the surface water and groundwater bodies. The surface water level and solute concentrations computed by the ELCIRC model are used to determine the boundary conditions of the SUTRA‐based groundwater model at the interface. In turn, the groundwater model provides water and solute fluxes as inputs for the continuity equations of surface water flow and solute transport to account for the mass exchange across the interface. Additionally, flux from the seepage face was routed instantaneously to the nearest surface water cell according to the local sediment surface slope. With an external coupling approach, these two submodels run in parallel using time steps of different sizes. The time step (Δt_g) for the groundwater model is set to be larger than that (Δt_s) used by the surface water model for computational efficiency: Δt_g = M × Δt_s where M is an integer greater than 1. Data exchange takes place between the two submodels through a common database at synchronized times (e.g. end of each Δt_g). The coupled model was validated against two previously reported experiments on surface water and groundwater interactions in coastal lagoons. The results suggest that the model represents well the interacting surface water and groundwater flow and solute transport processes in the lagoons. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.