Subsurface lateral flow generation in aspen and conifer‐dominated hillslopes of a first order catchment in northern Utah

Mountain headwater catchments in the semi‐arid Intermountain West are important sources of surface water because these high elevations receive more precipitation than neighboring lowlands. This study examined subsurface runoff in two hillslopes, one aspen dominated, the other conifer dominated, adjacent to a first order stream in snow‐driven northern Utah. Snow accumulation, soil moisture, trenchflow and streamflow were examined in hillslopes and their adjacent stream. Snow water equivalents (SWEs) were greater under aspen stands compared to conifer, the difference increasing with higher annual precipitation. Semi‐variograms of shallow spatial soil moisture patterns and transects of continuous soil moisture showed no increase in soil moisture downslope, suggesting the absence of subsurface flow in shallow (～12 cm) soil layers of either vegetation type. However, a clear threshold relationship between soil moisture and streamflow indicated hillslope–stream connectivity, deeper within the soil profile. Subsurface flow was detected at ～50 cm depth, which was sustained for longer in the conifer hillslope. Soil profiles under the two vegetation types varied, with deep aspen soils having greater water storage capacity than shallow rocky conifer soils. Though SWEs were less under the conifers, the soil profile had less water storage capacity and produced more subsurface lateral flow during the spring snowmelt. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal rainfall–runoff relationships in a lowland forested watershed in the southeastern USA

Hydrological processes of lowland watersheds of the southern USA are not well understood compared to a hilly landscape due to their unique topography, soil compositions, and climate. This study describes the seasonal relationships between rainfall patterns and runoff (sum of storm flow and base flow) using 13 years (1964–1976) of rainfall and stream flow data for a low‐gradient, third‐order forested watershed. It was hypothesized that runoff–rainfall ratios (R/P) are smaller during the dry periods (summer and fall) and greater during the wet periods (winter and spring). We found a large seasonal variability in event R/P potentially due to differences in forest evapotranspiration that affected seasonal soil moisture conditions. Linear regression analysis results revealed a significant relationship between rainfall and runoff for wet (r² = 0·68; p < 0·01) and dry (r² = 0·19; p = 0·02) periods. Rainfall‐runoff relationships based on a 5‐day antecedent precipitation index (API) showed significant (r² = 0·39; p < 0·01) correspondence for wet but not (r² = 0·02; p = 0·56) for dry conditions. The same was true for rainfall‐runoff relationships based on 30‐day API (r² = 0·39; p < 0·01 for wet and r² = 0·00; p = 0·79 for dry). Stepwise regression analyses suggested that runoff was controlled mainly by rainfall amount and initial soil moisture conditions as represented by the initial flow rate of a storm event. Mean event R/P were higher for the wet period (R/P = 0·33), and the wet antecedent soil moisture condition based on 5‐day (R/P = 0·25) and 30‐day (R/P = 0·26) prior API than those for the dry period conditions. This study suggests that soil water status, i.e. antecedent soil moisture and groundwater table level, is important besides the rainfall to seasonal runoff generation in the coastal plain region with shallow soil argillic horizons. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A record of Lateglacial/Holocene environmental change from a high‐elevation site in the Intermountain West,USA

Records of past vegetation and fire history can be complicated by changes in the depositional environment of a sampling location. However, these changes can alternatively be used as a measure of climate variability. Our study site, ca. 18.0 cal. ka BP record from Little Brooklyn Lake, Wyoming, located near the crest of the Snowy Range, records three moisture states. Initially, the lake was likely a glacier‐fed pond indicated by the presence of Pediastrum algae colonies. Around 13.0 cal. ka BP this pond transitioned to a meadow environment, suggested by the loss of Pediastrum algae colonies and slow sedimentation rates. Meadow conditions were maintained until ca. 5.0 cal. ka BP when Pediastrum algae colony abundance increased,indicating the formation of a shallow lake. From 18.0 to ca. 5.0 cal. ka BP, the pollen record is suggestive of alpine vegetation conditions with relatively high spruce and herbaceous taxa. Low charcoal influx also characterizes the period between 18.0 and 5.0 cal. ka BP. After 5.0 cal. ka BP, the coincidence of the formation of shallow lake and pollen data, indicating a shift to a spruce and fir forest, suggests an increase in effective moisture. Fire remained rare in this basin over the entire record, however, once the lake established sedimentation rates and charcoal influx increased. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A relook at NEH‐4 curve number data and antecedent moisture condition criteria

This paper investigates the variation of the popular curve number (CN) values given in the National Engineering Hand Book–Section 4 (NEH‐4) of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) with antecedent moisture condition (AMC) and soil type. Using the volumetric concept, involving soil, water, and air, a significant condensation of the NEH‐4 tables is achieved. This leads to a procedure for determination of CN for gauged as well as ungauged watersheds. The rainfall‐runoff events derived from daily data of four Indian watersheds exhibited a power relation between the potential maximum retention or CN and the 5‐day antecedent rainfall amount. Including this power relation, the SCS‐CN method was modified. This modification also eliminates the problem of sudden jumps from one AMC level to the other. The runoff values predicted using the modified method and the existing method utilizing the NEH‐4 AMC criteria yielded similar results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulating daily soil water under foothills fescue grazing with the soil and water assessment tool model (Alberta,Canada)

Grazing is common in the foothills fescue grasslands and may influence the seasonal soil‐water patterns, which in turn determine range productivity. Hydrological modelling using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is becoming widely adopted throughout North America especially for simulation of stream flow and runoff in small and large basins. Although applications of the SWAT model have been wide, little attention has been paid to the model's ability to simulate soil‐water patterns in small watersheds. Thus a daily profile of soil water was simulated with SWAT using data collected from the Stavely Range Sub‐station in the foothills of south‐western Alberta, Canada. Three small watersheds were established using a combination of natural and artificial barriers in 1996–97. The watersheds were subjected to no grazing (control), heavy grazing (2·4 animal unit months (AUM) per hectare) or very heavy grazing (4·8 AUM ha^?1). Soil‐water measurements were conducted at four slope positions within each watershed (upper, middle, lower and 5 m close to the collector drain), every 2 weeks annually from 1998 to 2000 using a downhole CPN 503 neutron moisture meter. Calibration of the model was conducted using 1998 soil‐water data and resulted in Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (EF or R²) and regression coefficient of determination (r²) values of 0·77 and 0·85, respectively. Model graphical and statistical evaluation was conducted using the soil‐water data collected in 1999 and 2000. During the evaluation period, soil water was simulated reasonably with an overall EF of 0·70, r² of 0·72 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 18·01. The model had a general tendency to overpredict soil water under relatively dry soil conditions, but to underpredict soil water under wet conditions. Sensitivity analysis indicated that absolute relative sensitivity indices of input parameters in soil‐water simulation were in the following order; available water capacity > bulk density > runoff curve number > fraction of field capacity (FFCB) > saturated hydraulic conductivity. Thus these data were critical inputs to ensure reasonable simulation of soil‐water patterns. Overall, the model performed satisfactorily in simulating soil‐water patterns in all three watersheds with a daily time‐step and indicates a great potential for monitoring soil‐water resources in small watersheds. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

南宁膨胀土持水性能的温度效应及微观机制

采用蒸汽平衡法测定了4种温度(T=5、25、40、60℃)条件下Whatman No.42滤纸的率定曲线,建立了考虑温度影响的双线性率定曲线方程,发现滤纸的持水性能随温度升高而降低,且温度对率定曲线高吸力段滤纸持水性能的影响要弱于低吸力段。在此基础上,以南宁膨胀土为研究对象,使用滤纸法测定了不同温度作用下膨胀土试样的土-水特征曲线。试验结果表明,随着温度的升高,膨胀土持水性能下降,但温度的影响幅度会随着吸力的增大而减弱,当基质吸力达到40MPa时,不同温度下试样的体积含水率并没有明显变化,即此时温度对膨胀土的持水性能变化几乎无影响。为解释上述宏观现象,选取部分试样进行了压汞试验和吸附结合水试验,并根据试验结果从土体中各相及各相界面相互耦合作用的物理机制角度阐述了南宁膨胀土持水性能的温度效应及微观机制。     

西太暖池区生物组分对海底表层沉积物物理力学性质的影响

西太平洋暖池区是指位于热带西太平洋及印度洋东部海表温度常年在28 ℃以上的海域,是全球海表温度最高的深海区,构造环境与沉积环境复杂,沉积物中的生物组分含量差异较大,生物组分会对深海沉积物物理力学性质产生显著影响,但目前对沉积物中生物组分含量和沉积物物理力学性质之间的相关性关系尚不明确。本文对西太平洋暖池区核心部位的表层沉积物样品进行现场物理力学性质测试和室内涂片鉴定,研究深海表层沉积物的物理力学性质与生物组分之间的关系。结果表明:研究区表层沉积物含水率范围为61.1%~435.1%,天然密度范围为1.04~1.76 g/cm³,贯入阻力范围为0~100 kPa,十字板剪切强度范围为0~8.6 kPa,整体具有高含水率、低密度、低强度等典型的深海沉积物物理力学性质特点。西加洛林海脊、海山等CCD以浅的区域为钙质生物组分>50%的钙质沉积区;西加洛林海槽西南部及其周边的深水沟槽地区一般为硅质生物组分>50%的硅质沉积;西加洛林海盆内部则主要为黏土沉积区。随钙质生物组分减少和硅质生物组分增多,表层沉积物类型分别为钙质沉积物、黏土沉积物和硅质沉积物,天然含水率变高,天然密度、贯入阻力和十字板剪切强度降低,表明深海表层沉积物的物理力学性质与生物组分含量密切相关:贯入阻力、十字板剪切强度、天然密度与钙质生物组分含量呈正相关,与硅质生物组分含量呈负相关;而天然含水率正好相反,与钙质生物组分含量呈负相关,与硅质生物组分含量呈正相关。本文建立了深海沉积物中生物组分与物理力学性质之间的相关关系,提出了沉积物生物组分含量与物理力学性质之间的拟合公式,可以为深海沉积物工程性质的评价提供参考。     

含水率对岩石电荷感应信号影响规律研究

水是诱发矿井灾害的主要因素之一,研究水?岩相互作用下的岩石破坏电荷信号,可丰富矿井水引起灾害的监测方法。为研究含水率对岩石破坏电荷感应信号的影响规律,基于损伤理论推导了岩石损伤破坏力?电耦合模型,得到了感应电荷量与岩石力损伤和水损伤的理论关系。利用自主研制的电荷感应信号数据采集系统,对不同含水率条件下的岩石试样进行了单轴压缩电荷感应信号监测试验,分析了水对岩石力学性质和岩石破坏过程中各阶段电荷感应信号的影响规律,并对含水率影响感应电荷产生的机制进行了讨论。结果表明：岩石变形破坏过程中的电荷感应信号与岩石的损伤程度有关,累积感应电荷量与感应电荷总量的比值可以表示岩石在水和力作用下的损伤量,且含水率越高,试样越易在较低的应力下产生大量的电荷感应信号。不同含水率岩石的宏观破坏特征明显不同,随着含水率升高,岩石的抗压强度降低,裂隙发育,岩石破坏形式由单剪式破坏向张拉和剪切混合破坏转变。电荷感应信号分布形态上,含水率的升高使得高幅值电荷簇数增加,并向弹性阶段发展,且高幅值电荷感应信号主要分布在弹性阶段后期和塑性阶段。感应电荷量上,随着含水率的升高,弹性阶段的感应电荷释放量占比逐渐增大,塑性阶段占比逐渐减小,两阶段的感应电荷量之和占试样变形破坏过程中产生感应电荷总量的90%以上。水通过弱化岩石颗粒和渗透压作用,使岩石在较低应力下产生或扩展裂隙,感应电荷信号更丰富。     

大兴安岭多年冻土泥炭地无机氮动态对秋季冻融的响应北大核心CSCD

大兴安岭多年冻土泥炭地是对全球变暖响应敏感的地区之一。在全球变暖、多年冻土退化背景下,为了探明秋季冻融对多年冻土泥炭地无机氮时空变化的影响,本研究于2019年9—11月以大兴安岭三种多年冻土泥炭地为研究对象进行野外原位实验,分析了秋季冻融前、中和后期多年冻土泥炭地浅层和深层土壤无机氮的时空变化特征以及浅层和深层土壤含水量和温度的变化规律,建立了土壤无机氮含量与土壤温度和含水量间的多元线性回归模型。研究表明:多年冻土小叶章泥炭地(XY)、兴安落叶松-泥炭藓泥炭地(XA)和白毛羊胡子苔草泥炭地(BM)的土壤铵态氮(NH_(4)^(+)-N)含量变化范围:(1.00±0.00)~(20.60±0.20)mg·kg^(-1),硝态氮(NO_(3)^(-)-N)含量的变化范围:(0.02±0.01)~(14.64±1.11)mg·kg^(-1),且无机氮以土壤NH_(4)^(+)-N为主;秋季冻融后期无机氮含量明显高于前期。尽管水热交互作用对该时期无机氮没有显著影响,但是在不同冻融阶段,无机氮对环境因子的响应程度存在差异:在秋季冻融前、中和后期浅层无机氮动态分别与浅层温度和含水量的变化相关,但在整个秋季冻融期间BM浅层无机氮含量仅对10~20 cm含水量存在响应(R^(2)=0.344,P<0.01)。研究表明,秋季冻融期内,多年冻土泥炭地无机氮发生初步累积,且浅层环境因子对无机氮响应程度最大。本研究可补充大兴安岭多年冻土泥炭地秋季冻融对土壤无机氮影响研究的相关数据,并为多年冻土泥炭地响应全球变暖的温室气体释放的研究提供基础数据支撑。     

流动沙丘水分深层入渗量与降雨的关系

为分析流动沙丘水分深层入渗与降雨的关系,采用YWB-01型水分深层渗漏记录仪,运用土壤水动力学原理,研究了毛乌素沙地流动沙丘降雨入渗水分传递过程及地表以下150 cm深度入渗补给特征.结果表明:流动沙丘深层土壤水分来源主要为降雨入渗,2010年入渗补给量为141.4 mm,2011年为355.8 mm,分别占同期降雨量的55.1%和68.2%.深层入渗主要补给期为5—11月,期间补给量占全年总量的95%.当土壤水分条件保持在田间持水量范围之内时,降雨过程对土壤150 cm深度的补给作用主要受降雨量和降雨强度的影响,入渗量与降雨量呈极显著正相关(P<0.01),降雨通常在30~48 h后渗透补给到150 cm深层土壤,入渗补给速率在前3~5 h呈快速上升趋势,3~8 h左右达到最大值,此后缓慢下降,整个入渗补给过程可以持续96 h以上.