Water source dynamics of high Arctic river basins

Arctic river basins are amongst the most vulnerable to climate change. However, there is currently limited knowledge of the hydrological processes that govern flow dynamics in Arctic river basins. We address this research gap using natural hydrochemical and isotopic tracers to identify water sources that contributed to runoff in river basins spanning a gradient of glacierization (0–61%) in Svalbard during summer 2010 and 2011. Spatially distinct hydrological processes operating over diurnal, weekly and seasonal timescales were characterized by river hydrochemistry and isotopic composition. Two conceptual water sources (‘meltwater’ and ‘groundwater’) were identified and used as a basis for end‐member mixing analyses to assess seasonal and year‐to‐year variability in water source dynamics. In glacier‐fed rivers, meltwater dominated flows at all sites (typically >80%) with the highest contributions observed at the beginning of each study period in early July when snow cover was most extensive. Rivers in non‐glacierized basins were sourced initially from snowmelt but became increasingly dependent on groundwater inputs (up to 100% of total flow volume) by late summer. These hydrological changes were attributed to the depletion of snowpacks and enhanced soil water storage capacity as the active layer expanded throughout each melt season. These findings provide insight into the processes that underpin water source dynamics in Arctic river systems and potential future changes in Arctic hydrology that might be expected under a changing climate. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitative estimation of submarine groundwater discharge using airborne thermal infrared data acquired at two different tidal heights

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays an important role in coastal biogeochemical processes and hydrological cycles, particularly off volcanic islands in oligotrophic oceans. However, the spatial and temporal variations of SGD are still poorly understood owing to difficulty in taking rapid SGD measurements over a large scale. In this study, we used four airborne thermal infrared surveys (twice each during high and low tides) to quantify the spatiotemporal variations of SGD over the entire coast of Jeju Island, Korea. On the basis of an analytical model, we found a linear positive correlation between the thermal anomaly and squares of the groundwater discharge velocity and a negative exponential correlation between the anomaly and water depth (including tide height and bathymetry). We then derived a new equation for quantitatively estimating the SGD flow rates from thermal anomalies acquired at two different tide heights. The proposed method was validated with the measured SGD flow rates using a current meter at Gongcheonpo Beach. We believe that the method can be effectively applied for rapid estimation of SGD over coastal areas, where fresh groundwater discharge is significant, using airborne thermal infrared surveys.     

Submarine groundwater discharge revealed by aerial thermal infrared imagery: a case study on Jeju Island,Korea

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a global phenomenon that carries large volumes of groundwater and dissolved chemical species such as nutrient, metals, and organic compounds to coastal zones. We report the influence of SGD on the coastal waters of Jeju Island, Korea, using high‐resolution aerial thermal infrared (TIR) mapping techniques and field investigations. An aircraft‐based system was implemented using a cost‐effective TIR camera for aerial TIR mapping. Ground‐based calibrations and system integration with GPS/IMU (global positioning system/inertial measurement unit) were performed for the aerial systems. The aerial surveys showed distinct low‐temperature signatures of SGD along the coasts of Jeju Island, revealing large groundwater inputs from the coastal aquifers to the ocean. Multiple aerial surveys over a range of seasons and tidal stages revealed that SGD rates dynamically affect the sea surface temperature (SST) of the coastal zone. The in‐situ measurements supported that SGD has a substantial influence on the coastal water chemistry as well as SST. Our observations highlight the extent to which aerial‐based TIR mapping can serve as a powerful tool for studying SGD and other coastal processes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of river water infiltration in shallow aquifers using acesulfame and anthropogenic gadolinium

This study has investigated the use of the artificial sweetener acesulfame and the magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent gadolinium as quantitative tracers for river water infiltration into shallow groundwater. The influence of a river on alluvial groundwater in a subalpine catchment in western Europe has been assessed using the ‘classical’ hydrochemical tracer chloride and the trace contaminants acesulfame and anthropogenic gadolinium. Mixing ratios for riverine bank filtrate with ambient groundwater and the uncertainties associated with the temporal and spatial tracer variability were calculated using acesulfame and gadolinium and compared with those obtained using chloride. The temporal variability of tracer concentrations in river water of gadolinium (standard deviation SD: 63%) and acesulfame (SD: 71%) both exceeded that of chloride (SD: 27%), and this was identified as the main source of uncertainty in the mixing analysis. Similar spatial distributions were detected in the groundwater for chloride and gadolinium, but not for acesulfame. Mixing analyses using acesulfame resulted in calculated mixing ratios that differed from those obtained using gadolinium and chloride by up to 83% and 92%, respectively. At the investigated site, which had oxic conditions and moderate temperatures, acesulfame was found to be a less reliable tracer than either gadolinium or chloride, probably because of natural attenuation and input from other sources. There was no statistically significant difference between the mixing ratios obtained using chloride or gadolinium, the mixing ratios obtained using gadolinium were 40–50% lower than those obtained using chloride. This is mainly due to a bias of the mean gadolinium concentration in river water towards higher values. In view of the uncertainties of the two tracers, neither could be preferred over the other for the quantification of bank filtrate in groundwater. At this specific site gadolinium was able to reliably identify river water infiltration and was a more precise tracer than chloride at low mixing ratios (<20%), because of the exclusive occurrence of gadolinium in river water and its high dynamic range. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Dissolved inorganic carbon evolution in neutral discharge from mine tailings piles

We measured the concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and major ions and the stable carbon isotope ratios of DIC (δ¹³C_DIC) in two creeks discharging from carbonate‐rich sulphide‐containing mine tailings piles. Our aim was to assess downstream carbon evolution of the tailings discharge as it interacted with the atmosphere. The discharge had pH of 6.5–8.1 and was saturated with respect to carbonates. Over the reach of one creek, the DIC concentrations decreased by 1.1 mmol C/l and δ¹³C_DIC increased by ~4.0‰ 200 m from the seep source. The decrease in the DIC concentrations was concomitant with decreases in the partial pressure of CO_2(aq) because of the loss of excess CO_2(aq) from the discharge. The corresponding enrichment in the δ¹³C_DIC is because of kinetic isotope fractionation accompanying the loss of CO_2(g). Over the reach of the other creek, there was no significant decrease in the DIC concentrations or notable changes in the δ¹³C_DIC. The insignificant change in the DIC concentrations and the δ¹³C_DIC is because the first water sample was collected 160 m away from the discharge seep, not accessible during this research. In this case, most of the excess CO_2(aq) was lost before our first sampling station. Our results indicate that neutral discharges from tailings piles quickly lose excess CO_2(aq) to the atmosphere and the DIC becomes enrich in ¹³C. We suggest that a significant amount of carbon cycling in neutral discharges from tailings piles occur close to the locations where the discharge seeps to the surface. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-term hydrological,biogeochemical, and climatological data from Walker Branch Watershed,East Tennessee,USA

In 1967, the original Walker Branch Watershed (WBW) project was established to study elemental cycling and mass balances in a relatively unimpacted watershed. Over the next 50+ years, findings from additional experimental studies and long-term observations on WBW advanced understanding of catchment hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecology and established WBW as a seminal site for catchment science. The 97.5-ha WBW is located in East Tennessee, USA, on the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation. Vegetation on the watershed is characteristic of an eastern deciduous, second-growth forest. The watershed is divided into two subcatchments: the West Fork (38.4 ha) and the East Fork (59.1 ha). Headwater streams draining these subcatchments are fed by multiple springs, and thus flow is perennial. Stream water is high in base cations due to weathering of dolomite bedrock and nutrient concentrations are low. Long-term observations of climate, hydrology, and biogeochemistry include daily (1969–2014) and 15-min (1994–2014) stream discharge and annual runoff (1969–2014); hourly, daily, and annual rainfall (1969–2012); daily climate and soil temperature (1993–2010); and weekly stream water chemistry (1989–2013). These long-term datasets are publicly available on the WBW website (https://walkerbranch.ornl.gov/long-term-data/ ). While collection of these data has ceased, related long-term measurements continue through the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), where WBW is the core terrestrial and aquatic site in the Appalachian and Cumberland Plateau region (NEON's Domain 7) of the United States. These long-term datasets have been and will continue to be important in evaluating the influence of climatic and environmental drivers on catchment processes.     

Scales and magnitude of hyporheic,river–aquifer and bank storage exchange fluxes

Many studies have investigated the exchange processes that occur between rivers and groundwater systems and have successfully quantified the water fluxes involved. Specifically, these exchange processes include hyporheic exchange, river–aquifer exchange (groundwater discharge and river loss) and bank storage exchange. Remarkably, there are relatively few examples of field studies where more than one exchange process is quantified, and as a consequence, the relationships between them are not well understood. To compare the relative magnitudes of these common exchange processes, we have collected data from 54 studies that have quantified one or more of these exchange flux types. Each flux value is plotted against river discharge at the time of measurement to allow the different exchange flux types to be compared. We show that there are positive relationships between the magnitude of each exchange flux type and increasing river discharge across the different studies. For every one order of magnitude increase in river discharge, the hyporheic, river–aquifer and bank storage exchange fluxes increase by factors of 2.7, 2.9 and 2.5, respectively. On average, hyporheic exchange fluxes are almost an order of magnitude greater than river–aquifer exchange fluxes, which are, in turn, approximately four times greater than bank storage exchange fluxes for the same river discharge. Unless measurement approaches that can distinguish between different types of exchange flux are used, there is potential for hyporheic exchange fluxes to be misinterpreted as river–aquifer exchange fluxes, with possible implications for water resource management decisions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reach‐scale contributions of road‐surface sediment to the Honna River,Haida Gwaii,BC

Gravel road surfaces can be a major source of fine sediment to streams, yet their contribution to channel reach sediment balances remains poorly documented. To quantify the input of road surface material and to compare this input with natural sediment sources at the reach scale, suspended sediment dynamics was examined and a 16‐month sediment balance was developed for a ~35 channel‐width (approx. 425 m) reach of the Honna River, a medium‐size, road‐affected stream located in coastal British Columbia. Of the 105 ± 33 t of suspended material passing through the reach, 18 ± 6% was attributed to the road surface. The high availability of sediment on the road surface appears to limit hysteresis in road run‐off. During rainstorms that increase streamflow, road surface material composed 0.5–15% of sediment inputs during relatively dry conditions from April to the end of September and 5–70% through wetter conditions from October to the end of March, but our data do not show evidence of major sediment accumulation on the riverbed in the reach. A comparison of modelled sediment production on the road surface with observed yields from drainage channels suggests that (1) during low intensity rainfall, ditches and drainage channels may trap sediment from road run‐off, which is subsequently released during events of greater intensity, and/or (2) production models do not effectively describe processes, such as deposition or erosion of sediment in ditches, which control sediment transport and delivery. Our findings further emphasize the risk of unpaved roads in polluting river systems and highlight the continued need for careful road design and location away from sensitive aquatic environments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.