A discrete particle representation of hillslope hydrology: hypothesis testing in reproducing a tracer experiment at Gårdsjön,Sweden

Despite the long history of the continuum equation approach in hydrology, it is not a necessary approach to the formulation of a physically based representation of hillslope hydrology. The Multiple Interacting Pathways (MIPs) model is a discrete realization that allows hillslope response and transport to be simultaneously explored in a way that reflects the potential occurrence of preferential flows and lengths of pathways. The MIPs model uses random particle tracking methods to represent the flow of water within the subsurface alongside velocity distributions that acknowledge preferential flows and transition probability matrices, which control flow pathways. An initial realization of this model is presented here in application to a tracer experiment carried out in Gårdsjön, Sweden. The model is used as an exploratory tool, testing several hypotheses in relation to this experiment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the chloride signal at Plynlimon,Wales, using a modified dynamic TOPMODEL incorporating conservative chemical mixing (with uncertainty)

The application of a modified version of dynamic TOPMODEL for two subcatchments at Plynlimon, Wales is described. Conservative chemical mixing within mobile and immobile stores has been added to the hydrological model in an attempt to simulate observed stream chloride concentrations. The model was not fully able to simulate the observed behaviour, in particular the short‐ to medium‐term dynamics. One of the primary problems highlighted by the study was the representation of dry deposition and cloud‐droplet‐deposited chloride, which formed a significant part of the long‐term chloride mass budget. Equifinality of parameter sets inhibited the ability to determine the effective catchment mixing volumes and coefficients or the most likely partition between occult mass inputs and chloride mass inputs determined by catchment immobile‐store antecedent conditions. Some success was achieved, in as much as some aspects of the dynamic behaviour of the signal were satisfactorily simulated, although spectral analysis showed that the model could not fully reproduce the 1/f power spectra of observed stream chloride concentrations with its implications of a wide distribution of residence times for water in the catchment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of fibre‐optic distributed temperature sensing to traditional methods of evaluating groundwater inflow to streams

There are several methods for determining the spatial distribution and magnitude of groundwater inputs to streams. We compared the results of conventional methods [dye dilution gauging, acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) differential gauging, and geochemical end‐member mixing] to distributed temperature sensing (DTS) using a fibre‐optic cable installed along 900 m of Ninemile Creek in Syracuse, New York, USA, during low‐flow conditions (discharge of 1·4 m³ s^?1). With the exception of differential gauging, all methods identified a focused, contaminated groundwater inflow and produced similar groundwater discharge estimates for that point, with a mean of 66·8 l s^?1 between all methods although the precision of these estimates varied. ADV discharge measurement accuracy was reduced by non‐ideal conditions and failed to identify, much less quantify, the modest groundwater input, which was only 5% of total stream flow. These results indicate ambient tracers, such as heat and geochemical mixing, can yield spatially and quantitatively refined estimates of relatively modest groundwater inflow even in large rivers. DTS heat tracing, in particular, provided the finest spatial characterization of groundwater inflow, and may be more universally applicable than geochemical methods, for which a distinct and consistent groundwater end member may be more difficult to identify. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determining concentration fields of tracer plumes for layered porous media in flow-tank experiments

 In the laboratory, computer-assisted image analysis provides an accurate and efficient way to monitor tracer experiments. This paper describes the determination of detailed temporal concentration distributions of tracers in a flow-tank experiment by analyzing photographs of plumes of Rhodamine dye through the glass wall of the tank. The methodology developed for this purpose consists of four steps: (1) digitally scanning black and white negatives obtained from photographs of the flow–tank experiment; (2) calibrating and normalizing each digitized image to a standard optical-density scale by determining the relation between the optical density and pixel value for each image; (3) constructing standard curves relating the concentration in an optical density from five experimental runs with predetermined concentrations (2–97 mg/L); and (4) converting the optical density to concentration. The spatial distribution of concentration for two photographs was determined by applying these calibration and conversion procedures to all pixels of the digitized images. This approach provides an efficient way to study patterns of plume evolution and transport mechanisms. Received, March 1998 Revised, September 1998 Accepted, October 1998     

Biomass Burning in Southern Africa: Individual Particle Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosols and Savanna Fire Samples

Ambient atmospheric aerosols and savanna fireparticulate emission samples from southern Africa werecharacterised in terms of particle classes and theirnumber abundance by electron probe X-ray microanalysis(EPXMA). About ten particle classes were identifiedfor each sample. The major classes werealuminosilicates and sea salts for ambient coarse(2–10 m equivalent aerodynamic diameter (EAD))samples, and K-S and S-only particles for ambient fine(<2 m EAD) samples. The K-S particles are oneof the major products of biomass burning. The EPXMAresults were found to be consistent with the resultsfrom bulk analyses on a sample by sample basis. Forsavanna fire fine samples, quantitative EPXMA revealedthat many particles had a composition of simple saltssuch as KCl. Some particles had a deviatingcomposition in the sense that more ionic species wereinvolved in sustaining the balance between cations andanions, and they were composite or mixed salts.Because of extensive processing during the atmospherictransport, the composition of the K-S particles in theambient samples was different from K₂SO₄,and such particles were enriched with S. The finepyrogenic KCl particles and the fine sea-saltparticles were much depleted in chlorine.     

Spatial variability in the primary productivity in the East China Sea and its adjacent waters

Primary productivity in the East China Sea and its adjacent area was measured by the¹³C tracer method during winter, summer and fall in 1993 and 1994. The depth-integrated primary productivity in the Kuroshio Current ranged from 220 to 350 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹, and showed little seasonal variability. High primary productivity (above 570 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹) was measured at the center of the continental shelf throughout the observation period. The productivity at the station nearest to the Changjiang estuary exhibited a distinctive seasonal change from 68 to 1,500 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹. Depth-integrated primary productivity was 2.7 times higher in the shelf area than the rates at the Kuroshio Current. High chlorophyll-a specific productivity (mgC mgChl.-a⁻²d⁻¹) throughout the euphotic zone was mainly found in the shelf area rather than off-shelf area, probably due to higher nutrient availability and higher activity of phytoplankton at the subsurface layer in the shelf area.     

Enhancement of radon signals in geophysical studies with the track technique

The existence of a suspected geological fault has been confirmed using Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs) by measuring radon concentration variations in the upper soil above its inferred position. The results obtained prompted us to increase the natural radon signal in the soil, using an additional radon source; this enhancement technique, has been experimentally checked with SSNTD detectors.On leave from Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire des D.S.T.N. Université de Dakar, Dakar-Fann, Sénégal     

水位波动下的呼伦湖上覆水体与沉积物间隙水之间溶质的运移特征

为了探求内蒙古呼伦湖上覆水体和沉积物间隙水之间溶质运移机制,对呼伦湖的1个沉积物柱芯的间隙水、3个湖泊水体以及湖周边7个地下水体中的氯离子(Cl~-),氢、氧稳定同位素(δD和δ~(18)O)分别进行分析测试,并利用其示踪性对沉积物中溶质运移特征进行研究.结果显示,δD、δ~(18)O和Cl~-浓度在不同水体中的分布具有相似的分布规律,整体上从底部沉积物到上部湖水浓度分布呈现逐渐递减的抛物线趋势,在间隙水中最大值位于所取沉积物柱芯的最深处,Cl~-浓度为306 mg/L,δD和δ~(18)O分别为-58‰和-5.9‰;最小值位于沉积物柱芯上层,并与上覆水体中的值相似,Cl~-浓度为159 mg/L,δD和δ~(18)O分别为-66‰和-7.3‰.为了明确沉积物柱芯中间隙水的高浓度Cl~-和偏正δD、δ~(18)O的来源,比较不同水体的δ~(18)O-δD关系点分布,表明含有偏正值的δD、δ~(18)O和高浓度Cl~-的间隙水与上覆湖水关系密切,可能是由于低水位时期湖水与间隙水相互发生扩散作用而产生的结果.一维对流扩散迁移模型证实扩散作用是控制着沉积物间隙水中溶质浓度在垂向上分布的主要机制,同时湖水水位的变化会影响沉积物间隙水与上覆水体的扩散过程,特别是在水位上升期,富集在沉积物中的溶质可能成为湖水的重要物质来源,影响上覆水体的水质.因此,对于封闭湖泊水位的控制和管理不仅在维持湖泊水量方面有着直接的作用,同时在稳定湖泊水质条件上也有着重要的意义.     

高温高压下流体中电解质活度系数的确定

高温高压下流体中电解质的活度系数在地球化学领域有着广泛的应用。本实验测量了100—500℃、0．11—12GPa下0．01mol／L KCl溶液的电导率,并利用Hueckel方程由实验确定的摩尔电导和极限摩尔电导计算出了KCl的平均摩尔活度系数。平均摩尔活度系数随温度升高而减小,随压力升高而增大,而在高温高压下随温度压力的升高几乎保持恒定。     

确定干旱—半干旱地区降水入渗补给量的新方法——氯离子示踪法

在干旱－半干旱地区由于入渗水分大部分滞留在包气带中，强烈地蒸发、蒸作用导致包气带中土壤水的氯离子浓度改变。氯离子示踪方法从质量守恒角度，通过比较土壤水分的氯离子浓度和降水输入的氯离子浓度大小，可以定量确定降水入渗量和降水入渗补给的历史变化过程。本文介绍了目前国外应用较普遍的氯离子均衡法和氯离子累积法，并讨论了方法应用时存在的一些问题。