Residence time distribution in the Kirkgoz karst springs (Antalya-Turkey) as a tool for contamination vulnerability assessment

Lumped parameter modeling of environmental tracer (tritium, CFCs and tritiogenic helium-3) transport in the Kirkgoz karst springs (Antalya-Turkey) appears to be a useful tool for assessing the vulnerability to contamination. Based on tritium observations between 1963 and 2000, the springs revealed a mean residence time (MRT) of 120 years. This suggests an active transport volume of 71 billion cubic meters for the aquifer, a value that is coherent with the estimated void volume of karst aquifer based on the mass of associated travertine deposits. The CFC-11 and CFC-12 MRTs are in agreement with tritium-based MRT, after correcting for excess air effect. Excess crustal and mantle helium flux hindered the use of tritiogenic helium-3 as a potential tracer. The residence time distribution (RTD) indicates a groundwater transport system that is fed by recharges extending back to past several hundred years. This wide RTD suggests that any recent contamination that may have entered the system could progress slowly within the entire aquifer but would be unnoticed in the early period because of the dilution effect of uncontaminated past recharge waters. Once the contamination is recognized, it may last for many centuries ahead even if the contamination practice is stopped. Thus, control of contaminant release to aquifer and monitoring of contaminant level in Kirkgoz springs is an immediate task for the associated public health authorities.     

Nitrate attenuation in soil and shallow groundwater under a bottomland hedgerow in a European farming landscape

In many agricultural areas, hedgerows give rise to strong expectations of reducing the inputs of excess nitrate to the groundwater and rivers. This study aims to analyse the spatial and seasonal influences of a hedgerow on nitrate dynamics in the soil and groundwater. Nitrate (NO₃^?) and chloride (Cl^?) concentrations were measured with spatially dense sampling in the unsaturated soil and in the groundwater along a transect intersecting a bottomland oak (Quercus rubor) hedgerow after the growing season and during the dormant season. We explain NO₃^? dynamics by using Cl^? as an index of tree‐root extension and water transfer. At the end of the growing season, NO₃^? is entirely absorbed by the trees over a large and deep volume corresponding to the rooting zone, where, in contrast Cl^? is highly concentrated due to root exclusion. However, these observed patterns in the soil have no influence on the deep groundwater composition at this season. During the dormant season, water transfer processes feeding the shallow groundwater layer are different upslope and downslope from the hedgerow in relation to the thickness of the unsaturated zone. Upslope, the shallow groundwater is fed by rainwater infiltration through the soil which favours Cl^? dilution. Right under the hedge and downslope, the rapid ascent of the groundwater near the ground surface prevents rainwater input and Cl^? dilution. Under the hedgerow the highest concentrations of Cl^? coincide with the absence of NO₃^? in the shallow groundwater layer and with high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon. The absence of NO₃^? during the dormant season seems to be due to denitrification in the hedgerow rooting zone when it is rapidly saturated by groundwater. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating nitrate uptake in a Rocky Mountain stream using labelled 15N and ambient nitrate chemistry

Background aqueous chemistry and ¹⁵N_nitrate tracer injection methods were used to calculate in‐stream nitrate uptake metrics at Red Canyon Creek, a third‐order stream in the Rocky Mountains in the state of Wyoming, United States. ‘Net’ nitrate uptake lengths, which reflect both nitrate uptake and regeneration, and ‘gross’ nitrate uptake lengths, which exclude re‐mineralization, were quantified separately from background nitrate chemistry and ¹⁵N labelling tracer data, respectively. Gross nitrate uptake lengths, from tracer injections of ¹⁵N labelled nitrate, ranged from 502 to 3140 m. Net nitrate uptake lengths, from background nitrate chemistry downstream of a point source, ranged from 1170 to 4330 m. Diurnal changes in uptake lengths suggest the importance of nitrate utilization by autotrophs in the stream and benthic zone. The differences between net and gross nitrate uptake lengths along lower reaches of Red Canyon Creek allowed us to estimate the nitrate regeneration rate, which was 0·056–0·080 µmol m^?2 s^?1 during the day and 0·0062–0·0083 µmol m^?2 s^?1 at night. Spatial patterns of streambed pore water chemistry indicate those areas of the hyporheic zone where denitrification was likely occurring. Permanent log dams generated stronger redox gradients in the hyporheic zone than areas with transient beaver dams. By combining isotopically labelled nitrate additions, estimates of uptake from background aqueous nitrate chemistry and characterization of redox conditions in the hyporheic zone, we were able to determine the nitrate regeneration rate and the redox processes responsible for nitrogen cycling in the hyporheic zone. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Floodplain connection buffers seasonal changes in urban stream water quality

Urban streams in the Northeastern United States have large road salt inputs during the winter, increased nonpoint sources of inorganic nitrogen and decreased short‐term and permanent storage of nutrients. Restoration activities that re‐establish connection between streams and riparian environments may be effective for improving urban stream water quality. Meadowbrook Creek, a first‐order stream in Syracuse, NY, provides a unique setting to explore impacts of stream–floodplain connection because it flows along a negative urbanization gradient, from channelized and armoured headwaters to a broad, vegetated floodplain with a riparian aquifer. In this study, we investigated how reconnection to groundwater and introduction of riparian vegetation impacted urban surface water chemistry by making biweekly longitudinal surveys of stream water chemistry in the creek from May 2012 until June 2013. We used multiple methods to measure groundwater discharge rates along the creek. Chloride concentrations in the upstream, disconnected reach were influenced by discharge of road salt during snow melt events and ranged from 161.2 to 1440 mg/l. Chloride concentrations in the downstream, connected reach had less temporal variation, ranging from 252.0 to 1049 mg/l, because of buffering by groundwater discharge, as groundwater chloride concentrations ranged from 84.0 to 655.4 mg/l. In the summer, there was little to no nitrate in the disconnected reach because of limited sources and high primary productivity, but concentrations reached over 1 mg N/l in the connected reach because of the presence of riparian vegetation. During the winter, when temperatures fell below freezing, nitrate concentrations in the disconnected reach increased to 0.58 mg N/l but were still lower than the connected reach, which averaged 0.88 mg N/l. Urban stream restoration projects that restore floodplain connection may impact water quality by storing high salinity road run‐off during winter overbank events and discharging that water year‐round, thereby attenuating seasonal fluctuations in chloride. Contrary to prior findings, we observed that floodplain connection and riparian vegetation may alter nitrate sources and sinks such that nitrate concentrations increase longitudinally in connected urban streams. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

西宁市贵德县河滨公园林场第四系含水层弥散试验研究

地下水污染问题日益严重,研究溶质运移的弥散理论开始应用于实际问题。建立地下水溶质运移模型,对地下水中污染物的运移及发展趋势进行准确预测,是对地下水进行保护、对地下水污染进行控制的基础。而弥散参数的确定则是地下水溶质运移模型建立的关键环节之一,直接影响着模型预测结果的精度和准确性。 对西宁市贵德县地下水污染的水质运移规律进行分析,在贵德县河滨公园林场采用径向收敛流水动力弥散理论方法进行了第四系含水层现场弥散试验,计算了试验场地潜水含水层的弥散度,获得纵向弥散度(a_L)为0.843~0.998 cm,横向弥散度(a_T)经验推断值为0.17~0.20 cm,为进一步建立该地区的地下水溶质运移模型、预测地下水污染的发展趋势和评价该地区地下水环境质量提供了数据参考。     

南方岩溶含水系统结构识别方法初探

岩溶含水系统因其含水介质的高度不均匀性和各向异性而难以刻画。文章选取鄂西岩溶槽谷区典型的岩溶含水系统为研究对象,基于野外地面调查、裂隙测量、洞穴探测、多源高精度地下水示踪试验、地下水动态监测等传统手段,结合新技术、新方法来综合查明岩溶含水系统的结构,探讨岩溶含水系统的边界结构、岩溶发育主控方向、介质空间结构的识别方法,最终刻画出岩溶含水系统结构的概念模型。文章的研究成果旨在为岩溶山区1∶5万水文地质调查工作思路与方法应用提供参考,为提高全国新一轮1∶5万水文地质调查成果的精度与质量做贡献。      

Spatial average aquifer recharge through atmospheric chloride mass balance and its uncertainty in continental Spain

The atmospheric chloride mass balance (CMB) method allows spatial evaluations of the average diffuse aquifer recharge by rainfall () in large and varied territories when long‐term steady conditions can be assumed. Often, the distributed average CMB variables necessary to calculate have to be estimated from the available variable‐length data series, which may be of suboptimal quality and spatial coverage. This paper explains the use of these data and the reliability of the results in continental Spain, chosen as a large and varied territory. The CMB variables have been regionalized by ordinary kriging at the same 4976 nodes of a 10 km × 10 km grid. Nodal values vary from 14 to 810 mm year^–1, 90% ranging from 30 to 300 mm year^–1. The recharge‐to‐precipitation ratios vary from 0.03 in low‐permeability formations and semiarid areas to 0.65 in some carbonate massifs. Integrated average results for the whole of continental Spain yield a potential aquifer recharge of 64 km³ year^?1, the net recharge over permeable formations (40% of the territory) being 32 km³ year^?1. Two main sources of uncertainty affecting (given by the coefficient of variation, CV), induced by the inherent natural variability of the variables (CV_R) and from mapping (), have been segregated. The average CV_R is 0.13 and could be improved with longer data series. The average is 0.07 and may be decreased with better data coverage. The estimates were compared with other regional and local recharge estimates, being 4% and 1% higher, respectively. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

从2010年1月的1个反气旋涡探讨南海中尺度涡的输运能力

应用漂流浮标,结合卫星高度计资料和示踪粒子法,研究了中国南海中尺度涡的输运能力。从浮标漂流轨迹和对应的流场分布可知在真实海洋中存在涡对物质的输运,陷入反气旋涡的漂流浮标跟随涡旋顺时针打转4圈,以圆弧形轨迹运动至海南岛以东。进一步通过示踪粒子法进行长期模拟得出涡内物质会以和涡相同的旋转方向旋转前进,在忽略水平方向上的混合对示踪粒子轨迹影响的情况下,在第55天,93%的质点(153个)将跟随涡旋运动,7%的质点(11个)会在中途与涡旋分离,运动中涡会不断把内部物质甩向涡的外缘,质点会从涡最边缘速度由大转小处脱离涡旋,但是大多数质点会跟随涡旋在其边缘以圆弧形轨迹向前运动,并最终稳定在涡旋的最边缘。     

Using high resolution tracer data to constrain water storage,flux and age estimates in a spatially distributed rainfall‐runoff model

Models simulating stream flow and conservative tracers can provide a representation of flow paths, storage distributions and mixing processes that is advantageous for many predictive purposes. Compared with models that only simulate stream flow, tracer data can be used to investigate the internal consistency of model behaviour and to gain insight into model performance. Here, we examine the strengths and weaknesses of a data‐driven, spatially distributed tracer‐aided rainfall‐runoff model. The model structure allowed us to assess the influence of landscape characteristics on the routing and mixing of water and tracers. The model was applied to a site in the Scottish Highlands with a unique tracer data set; ~4 years of daily isotope ratios in stream water and precipitation were available, as well as 2 years of weekly soil and ground water isotopes. The model structure was based on an empirically based, lumped tracer‐aided model previously developed for the catchment. The best model runs were selected from Monte Carlo simulations based on dual calibration criteria using objective functions for both stream isotopes and discharge at the outlet. Model performance for these criteria was reasonable (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiencies for discharge and isotope ratios were ~0.4–0.6). The model could generally reproduce the variable isotope signals in the soils of the steeper hill slopes where storage was low, and damped isotope responses in valley bottom cells with high storage. The model also allowed us to estimate the age distributions of internal stores, water fluxes and stream flow. Average stream water age was ~1.6 years, integrating older groundwater in the valley bottom and dynamic younger soil waters. By tracking water ages and simulating isotopes, the model captured the changes in connectivity driven by distributed storage dynamics. This has substantially improved the representation of spatio‐temporal process dynamics and gives a more robust framework for projecting environmental change impacts. Copyright © 2016 The Authors Hydrological Processes Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

煤汞同位素地球化学研究进展

汞是煤中普遍存在的痕量元素,煤炭消耗总量之巨使燃煤成为全球汞污染主要来源之一。汞具有7种稳定同位素, 并且兼具质量分馏和非质量分馏效应,使通过汞同位素对涉煤汞污染源和汞迁移、转化示踪成为理想途径。煤中汞同位素 研究获得长足进展。第一,初步给出了世界11个产煤国煤中汞同位素δ202Hg的特征值及分布范围,为示踪环境介质汞的燃 煤源污染源创造了条件。第二,发现了原煤中汞存在奇数质量汞的非质量分馏效应（Δ199Hg≠0）,有助于配合δ202Hg开展示 踪研究。第三,中国不同产煤地及不同成煤期原煤中汞同位素δ202Hg与Δ199Hg值已被测试,为中国开展煤源汞污染示踪研究 打下一定基础。进一步工作可能有待加强的4个方面：（1） 全球不同地域和时代煤中汞同位素数据库的不断补充、修正和 完善;（2） 煤炭生产遗存物,如残留煤和煤矸石等与气-水环境相互作用中的汞同位素问题;（3） 燃煤派生的且影响人类 健康的环境介质如大气细颗粒物（PM2.5） 的汞同位素问题;（4） 涉及煤火汞的迁移转化是复杂的,部分汞具有二次释放特 性,其中汞同位素问题仍是未知的。总之煤中汞及其关联的汞同位素研究方兴未艾。