Estimating mean residence time of karst groundwater in mountainous catchments of Western Himalaya,India

The mean residence time (MRT) of karst groundwater in three mountainous catchments of the Western Himalaya was estimated using multiple approaches: the tritium method, the sine wave model and tracer tests. Water samples were collected from precipitation, glacier melt, streams and karst springs for δ²H and tritium analysis during 2012 and 2013. High tritium values were observed in winter precipitation and low values in summer precipitation. The variation of tritium in karst springs was similar to that of the streams, whereas glacier melt showed lower tritium values. The MRT of cold karst springs was shorter than that of warm karst springs. The tracer breakthrough curves (TBC) retrieved for different springs suggested a short travel time for groundwater and possibly conduit flow. Deterioration of water quality and variation in flux magnitude are the two main practical consequences of the short travel time of karst groundwater in the region.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR K. Heal     

地震动河谷场地效应研究

本文以梯形河谷场地为研究对象,采用二维显式有限差分和透射人工边界理论,根据设计的正交表建立计算模型,计算分析了梯形河谷场地对地震动的影响因素,对其影响程度进行了排名,并采用强震记录分析法对计算结果进行了初步验证。结果表明,4个因素对梯形河谷场地的地表地震动有重要的影响,但是其影响程度随着位置的变化表现也不同,不同位置的影响因素排名不同;距河谷谷坡40m以内的场地,各影响因素排位相同,首位是河谷坡角,其次是深宽比、覆盖层厚度,最后是输入地震动强度,因此,河谷场地距谷坡一定距离时各因素对地表地震动影响程度基本相同,该段场地河谷地形的几何参数对地震动影响起较大作用;随着场地距河谷谷坡越远,影响因素的排位也发生了变化,总体上是坡角排位后移,输入地震动和覆盖层厚度排位前移,河谷几何参数对地震动影响逐渐减弱,覆盖层厚度和输入地震强度2个因素的影响逐渐加大,该段场地对地震动影响与水平成层场地类似。对安宁河河谷场地强震记录分析验证的结果表明,河谷地形对地震动有显著的放大作用,同时也验证了本文的数值模拟结果是可信的。     

Advancing understanding in data-limited conditions: estimating contributions to streamflow across Tanzania’s rapidly developing Kilombero Valley

Large seasonal variability in precipitation patterns may help overcome data limitations and difficult conditions when characterizing hydrological flow pathways. We used a limited amount of weekly water chemistry as well as stable water isotope data to perform end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) in a generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) framework in a sub-catchment of the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. While there were considerable uncertainties related to the characterization and mixing of end-members, some robust estimates could be made on contributions to seasonal streamflow variability. For example, there is a low connectivity between the deep groundwater and the stream system throughout the year. Also, a considerable wetting-up period is required before overland flow occurs. Thus, in spite of large uncertainties, our results highlight how improved system understanding of hydrological flows can be obtained even when working in difficult environments.     

Water balance variability in the confined Aba’ala limestone graben at the western margin of the Danakil depression,northern Ethiopia

Marginal grabens are major development corridors in Ethiopia, and need to be understood for proper assessment of the hydrological budget. This study investigates the water balance of the Aba’ala graben (553 km²) in the period 2015–2016 under the challenge of data scarcity. We measured the rainfall and river discharge in order to analyse the runoff components of the graben. The rainfall volume in the Aba’ala graben showed erratic behaviour, which led to rapid flood runoff of the major river into the graben bottom. The average annual inflow and outflow of the graben bottom for the period 2015–2016 amounted to 364 and 254 hm³, respectively. However, flood runoff and evapotranspiration had a marked effect on water availability. Water storage took 36% of the water inflow into the graben bottom. Sustainable water management could reduce the temporal variation of the water storage in Aba’ala graben.     

A Study on the Influencing Factors on Ground Motion in a Valley Site

A trapezoid valley site is chosen as a research site, and according to numerical models based on orthogonal design, the factors influencing ground motion in the valley site are studied with two-dimensional finite difference method. The influencing factors are ranked, and then the calculation results are verified by ground motion analysis. The conclusions are as follows: there are four factors that have important effects on ground motion of trapezoid valley sites, but the effects are different as the location of sites changes, the influencing factors rank differently with different site locations;The ranking of the influencing factors is the same for all the sites located within a distance of 40m from the valley''s side, among them, the most effective one is the valley slope angle ranks,followed by depth-to-width ratio, overburden thickness, at last the input ground motion intensity. The impact of the factors on surface ground motion is roughly the same in the valley sites within a certain distance to the valley side,and the geometric parameters of the valley terrain play a greater part in influencing ground motion. With the increase of distance away from the valley''s side, the ranking of the influencing factors also changes, the rating of slope angle moves backward, the ranking of the input ground motion and overburden thickness move ahead. The effect of valley geometric parameters on ground motions is gradually weakened, but the effect of other two influence factors are gradually increased, similar to cases of a horizontal layered site. Strong motion records in Anning River valley site were analyzed,and the results show that the valley topography has a significant amplification effect on ground motion, and that the numerical results of this paper are credible.     

汉水流域核心-边缘结构的演变

流域空间结构研究是空间结构理论研究的深化,是基于具体区域类型的空间结构理论研究的尝试。可以说,流域空间结构的研究开辟了区域空间结构研究新的分支方向,是空间结构理论研究的一次发展和推动。文章以历史为主线,从中心城市的变迁、人口密度和城镇密度的变化来探讨汉水流域核心边缘结构的演变过程：先秦两汉时期,南阳盆地是汉水流域的核心区（南阳是汉水流域的政治经济中心和最大的城市）,下游地区为边缘区;到唐宋时期,襄宜平原取而代之（襄樊成为全流域最重要的中心城市）;明代后期,汉口崛起,并很快发展成为包括汉水流域在内的长江中游地区乃至更大范围内的中心城市,因而下游地区理当为流域核心区,这时南阳退为边缘区。同时也指出影响流域结构演变因素主要为自然和技术因素、区位条件、历史背景、生产力的发展和社会的进步等因素。     

Local relief and the height of Mount Olympus

A three‐dimensional assessment of the net volume of rock differentially eroded from below mountain tops to form valleys yields a range‐wide constraint on feedback between valley development and the height of mountain peaks. The ‘superelevation’ of mountain peaks potentially attributable to differential removal of material from below peaks in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, was constrained by fitting a smoothed surface to the highest elevation points on a 30 m grid digital elevation model of the range. High elevation areas separate into two primary areas: one centred on Mount Olympus in the core of the range and the other at the eastern end of the range. The largest valleys, and hence areas with the greatest volume of differentially eroded material, surround Mount Olympus. In contrast, the highest mean elevations concentrate in the eastern end of the range. Calculation of the isostatic rebound at Mount Olympus attributable to valley development ranges from 500 to 750 m (21 to 32 per cent of its height) for a 5 to 10 km effective elastic thickness of the crust. Comparison of cross‐range trends in mean and maximum elevation reveals that this calculated rebound for Mount Olympus corresponds well with its ‘superelevation’ above the general cross‐range trend in mean elevation. It therefore appears that the location of the highest peak in the Olympics is controlled by the deep valleys excavated in the centre of the range. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An object-based image analysis approach to assess irrigation-water consumption from MODIS products in Ethiopia

Efficient water-resource management is essential with regard to food security, growing populations and climate change. This is especially important for low- and middle-income (LMC) countries where food is often locally produced by traditional smallholder farming. Detailed knowledge of the spatio-temporal distribution of irrigation-water consumption provides valuable information to anticipate local food shortages and water scarcity as a result of climate variability. Yet, adequate techniques to quantify irrigation-water consumption at field level over large areas are lacking. Irrigation estimates generally have a coarse resolution making them inadequate for field-level assessments.This study developed a remote-sensing-based approach to quantify spatio-temporal patterns of irrigation-water consumption at field level using the MODIS evapotranspiration product (MOD16A2) and existing land-use maps on the spatio-temporal distribution of irrigated agriculture. Object-based image analysis was used to establish local evapotranspiration differences between irrigated and rainfed fields on a monthly basis, which are the irrigation-water consumption rates of the irrigated fields. This novel method was applied to a study area in the Central Rift Valley in Ethiopia where smallholder farming is dominant and only a few large-scale farms are present. Comparison with irrigation-water-consumption values of a local irrigation scheme showed that the monthly temporal dynamics were captured quite well, but lower values were calculated compared to the scheme's field data. Comparison with two validated remote-sensing based studies in Africa showed good agreement as irrigation-water-consumption estimates were in the same order of magnitude. Irrigation-water consumption follows the temporal rainfall pattern, i.e. irrigation practices intensify with increased water availability. Surface water is commonly used for irrigation in the study area.Our study shows that smallholder practices have a lower irrigation-water consumption compared to modern large-scale farms by approximately a factor 3. Irrigation-water consumption in the area is considerable, especially during the dry season. On average 32 % of excess water (precipitation – evapotranspiration) is consumed for irrigation. For smallholder irrigation and large-scale irrigation specifically this is 28 % and 63 % respectively.The object-based approach presented here is an operational mapping method for field-level irrigation-water-consumption over large areas. MOD16A2 is a global open-source readily-available evapotranspiration product used here although an evapotranspiration product with a higher spatial resolution might be preferred. Our approach can provide irrigation-water-consumption estimates over large areas in data-poor regions, which will increase the understanding of spatio-temporal patterns of smallholder irrigation and provide information to optimize water use.     

Mapping irrigated agriculture in complex landscapes using SPOT6 imagery and object-based image analysis – A case study in the Central Rift Valley,Ethiopia –

Irrigation infrastructure development for smallholder farmers in developing countries increasingly gains attention in the light of domestic food security and poverty alleviation. However, these complex landscapes with small cultivated plots pose a challenge with regard to mapping and monitoring irrigated agriculture. This study presents an object-based approach to map irrigated agriculture in an area in the Central Rift Valley in Ethiopia using SPOT6 imagery. The study is a proof-of-concept that the use of shape, texture, neighbour and location information next to spectral information is beneficial for the classification of irrigated agriculture. The underlying assumption is that the application of irrigation has a positive effect on crop growth throughout the field, following the field's borders, which is detectable in an object-based approach. The type of agricultural system was also mapped, distinguishing smallholder farming and modern large-scale agriculture. Irrigated agriculture was mapped with an overall accuracy of 94% and a kappa coefficient of 0.85. Producer's and user's accuracies were on average 90.6% and 84.2% respectively. The distinction between smallholder farming and large-scale agriculture was identified with an overall accuracy of 95% and a kappa coefficient of 0.88. The classifications were performed at the field level, since the segmentation was able to adequately delineate individual fields. The additional use of object features proved essential for the identification of cropland plots, irrigation period and type of agricultural system. This method is independent of expert knowledge on crop phenology and absolute spectral values. The proposed method is useful for the assessment of spatio-temporal dynamics of irrigated (smallholder) agriculture in complex landscapes and yields a basis for land and water managers on agricultural water use.