Shallow groundwater dynamics and its driving forces in extremely arid areas: a case study of the lower Heihe River in northwestern China

Shallow groundwater is an important source of water for the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems in arid environments, which necessitates a deeper understanding of its complex spatial and temporal dynamics driven by hydrological processes. This study explores the dominant hydrological processes that control the shallow groundwater dynamics in the Gobi Desert‐riparian‐oasis system of the lower Heihe River, a typical arid inland river basin located in northwestern China. The groundwater level and temperature were monitored in 14 shallow wells at 30‐min intervals during the 2010–2012 period. After combining this information with meteorological and hydrological data, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to understand the dynamic behaviour of the shallow groundwater system and to determine the dominant factors that control the groundwater flow processes. The results of the study indicate notably large temporal and spatial variations in both the groundwater level and temperature. Noticeable fluctuations in the groundwater level (0.5–1 m) and temperature (4–8 °C) were observed in the riparian zone, evidencing a clear river influence. In comparison, the groundwater fluctuations in the Gobi Desert were more stable (the annual variations of the water table were less than 0.5 m, and the water temperature varied by no more than 2 °C). Strong variations in the groundwater table (1.5–5.0 m/year) and temperature (1.5–6.5 °C), mainly caused by surface flood irrigation and groundwater pumping, were observed in the oasis area. The investigated sites were categorized into three types that reflect the dominant hydrological processes: (1) the riparian zone, dominated by riverbank filtration and groundwater evapotranspiration; (2) the Gobi Desert area, controlled by groundwater evaporation and lateral recharge; and (3) the oasis area, dominated by groundwater evapotranspiration as well as surface–groundwater interactions caused by human activities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

面向可持续发展的水—能源—粮食纽带关系系统解析及其研究框架

水资源、能源、粮食安全是实现可持续发展的重要支撑,与可持续发展各目标存在紧密联系。论文基于水—能源—粮食纽带关系(WEF nexus)系统相关的理论、方法与应用等最新研究成果,根据研究对象的时空尺度,考虑系统物质、能量、信息交换,重新解析了WEF nexus系统的定义与组成、内部相互作用过程、输入与输出、影响因素;阐明了气候变化对水、能源、粮食3个子系统及其纽带关系,以及不同类别人类活动对WEF nexus系统的正面和负面影响。进一步分析了水、能源、粮食与可持续发展目标的关联性,以“研究主题—学科理论—技术方法—实践应用”为主线,提出了面向可持续发展的WEF nexus系统研究框架及其3个核心研究内容：WEF nexus系统内部纽带关系和总体状态评估、系统变化的驱动因素识别和系统的外部性影响分析。最后,针对WEF nexus系统跨学科分析的需求,基于纽带关系的理论研究与应用不足的现状、系统时空边界的多样性特点,剖析了多学科交叉与融合研究的具体思路;提出了基于纽带关系的综合性分析指标与计算方法的研究设想;指出了多尺度研究成果耦合应用的必要性和方式。研究可为WEF nexus系统的基础理论...     

The impact of changing environments on the runoff regimes of the arid Heihe River basin, China

This study analyzed the inter- and inner-annual variations of discharge regimes in the upper and mid reaches of the Heihe River basin. These variations then correlated with temperature and precipitation variations in the area. The differences between the runoff regimes at the upper and mid reaches were compared, and the human impacts on discharge variations in the Heihe River were discussed. The results indicate that in the upper reaches, the long-term trends and periods of discharge and precipitation correlate well. In the mid reaches, the discharge and temperature trends correlate well, and the short discharge and precipitation periods correlate well. Precipitation increases would generate more runoff in both the upper and mid reaches, but the effects of temperature increases on discharge are different in the upper and mid reaches. Temperature increases would enhance the glacial ablation processes and increase runoff in the upper reaches. However, temperature increases would increase the evaporation and decrease runoff in the mid reaches. After the 1980s, higher temperature enhanced snow and glacial melt, and increasing precipitation increased the discharge in the upper reaches. Although increasing precipitation increased some discharge, great human activities caused a notable discharge decrease in the 1990s in the mid reaches, especially during the spring to autumn when large amounts of water resources were used for irrigation. In summary, both precipitation and temperature impact the availability of water resources in the study area, and active and effective adaptation strategies should be developed to improve the efficiency of water resource exploration and to prevent the desertification processes in the arid Heihe River basin.     

Impacts of environmental flow controls on the water table and groundwater chemistry in the Ejina Delta,northwestern China

The impacts of environmental flow controls on the water table and chemistry of groundwater in the Ejina Delta, an arid inland river basin in northwest China, were investigated with field observations in 2001 and 2009. The results indicate that the shallow groundwater level rose by 0–2 m in the upper reaches of the east tributary of the Heihe River and in the areas of Saihantaolai—Dalaikubu during the period of environmental flow controls. The chemical constituents of the groundwater show a distinct spatial heterogeneity with the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the groundwater increasing from the periphery towards the depocenter of the Ejina Basin. In addition, the rate of groundwater cycling in the south of the Ejina Delta increased, and the mineralization of groundwater declined, while the overall mineralization and salinity increased in the northern regions, especially in the depocenter of the Ejina Basin. Since shallow groundwater is important to the ecology of arid regions, and because understanding the changes in the shallow groundwater environment (groundwater level and hydrochemistry) in response to environmental flow controls is essential for the sustainable improvement of the ecological environment, the results of this paper can be used as a reference for watershed water resources planning and management to help maintain the health and proper function of rivers in arid regions.     

静水条件下冰冻泥沙水下休止角的试验研究

为研究冰冻泥沙在静水中融化后休止角的变化规律以及不同环境中泥沙休止角的差异,采用粒径为0～1 mm、1～2 mm、2～4 mm的泥沙试样,进行了风干泥沙在空气中的休止角、无冰泥沙以及冰冻泥沙水下休止角试验。试验结果表明：对于同一粒径范围的泥沙,风干沙在空气中的休止角最大,冰冻泥沙水下休止角次之,无冰泥沙水下休止角最小,三种试验情景中休止角均随泥沙粒径的增大而增大;泥沙水下休止角与风干沙在空气中休止角的差异,主要与水对泥沙的润滑作用以及泥沙在不同介质中的有效容重系数有关;泥沙在水下受到冰的影响表现为局部泥沙颗粒滑动,这更有利于斜坡上泥沙的堆积,相对于无冰泥沙而言,冰的存在使泥沙水下休止角增大。     

内蒙古赛罕塔拉煤田地质特征及其聚煤规律研究

二连盆地群是内蒙古自治区最大的一个晚中生代盆地群,都呼木盆地是其中之一富煤盆地,含煤层位于白垩纪彦花组第五段,煤层的煤质为中灰、中高硫、高发热量、低磷—中磷低氯的褐煤,受好来-锡林呼都格断裂控制形成的赛罕塔拉煤田,自然分割成了若干个规模不等的聚煤盆地。盆地边缘地区岩浆岩发育,以华力西中晚期、燕山早期侵入岩为主,岩性从超基性—酸性,一般呈岩基产出。煤层形成于漫流为主的沉积组合类型和浅水重力流和泥炭沼泽沉积物为主的沉积相。沉积环境对富煤带展布起控制作用,该区主要聚煤作用发生在盆地发育的晚期,富煤带在控盆断裂的西北一侧2～4km附近。     

体应变仪受水井抽水的影响分析

农村生活及春季农田灌溉等所需水源大部分通过抽取地下水解决,而水井抽水直接影响体应变观测。为此,就3种情况下体应变资料受水井抽水的影响进行分析,可为台站人员排除体应变的干扰因素、获得准确的数据资料提供帮助。     

内蒙古西部一次沙尘暴环流背景和动力机制分析

利用相关资料对2009年4月23日内蒙古西部地区发生的沙尘暴天气的环流形势及动力机制进行分析。分析表明:强冷空气活动是本次沙尘暴天气发生的主要原因;造成本次沙尘暴的高空系统是斜压性很强的蒙古横槽及槽后的偏北急流,地面系统是强烈发展的蒙古气旋;从动力机制来看,沙尘暴发生时,由于高层辐合、低层辐散而形成的强烈下沉运动,使得高空偏北急流带的动量下传到地面,中低层波动发展形成的次级环流使动量下传效率更高。高空蒙古横槽南压、转竖是冷空气爆发南下的关键,高空偏北急流带以及与急流出口区相对应的地面蒙古气旋的强烈发展是形成沙尘暴的必要条件,地面冷锋后气压梯度的持续加强会加剧冷空气爆发的速度,强烈的高层辐合、低层辐散使得沙尘暴形成的可能性更大。     

钻孔环境在钻孔地形变观测中的作用

正式提出了钻孔环境问题,它对于钻孔形变仪器的安装顺利与否,资料质量好坏,资料的使用价值等,有着重大的影响。对钻孔环境的内涵作了初步的讨论,如钻孔的倾斜,钻孔的畸变,钻孔穿过破碎带和裂隙及钻孔的历史背景等。     

Process Analysis of In-situ Strain during the Ms8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake—Data from the Stress Monitoring Station at Shandan

Abstract: There were huge life and property losses during the Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008. Strain fluctuation curves were completely recorded at stress observatory stations in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and its surroundings in the process of the earthquake. This paper introduces the geological background of the Wenchuan earthquake and the profile of in-situ stress monitoring stations. In particular, data of 174 earthquakes (Ms4.0-Ms8.5) were processed and analyzed with various methods, which were recorded at the Shandan station from August 2007 to December 2008. The results were compared with other seismic data, and further analyses were done for the recoded strain seismic waves, co-seismic strain stepovers, pre-earthquake strain valleys, Earth’s free oscillations before and after the earthquake and their physical implications. During the Wenchuan earthquake, the strainmeter recorded a huge extensional strain of 70 seconds, which shows that the Wenchuan earthquake is a rupture process predominated by thrusting. Significant precursory strain anomalies were detected 48 hours, 30 hours, 8 hours and 37 minutes before the earthquake. The anomalies are very high and their forms are very similar to that of the main shock. Similar anomalies can also be found in strain curves of other shocks greater than Ms7.0, indicating that such anomalies are prevalent before a great earthquake. In this paper, it is shown that medium aftershocks (Ms5.5-6.0) can also cause Earth’s free oscillations. Study of free oscillations is of great significance to understand the internal structure of the Earth and focal mechanisms of earthquakes and to recognize slow shocks, thus providing a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of geological disasters and the prediction of future earthquakes.