Soil saturation index of salt marshes subjected to spring‐neap tides: a new variable for describing marsh soil aeration condition

Organized spatial distribution of plants (plant zonation) in salt marshes has been linked to the soil aeration condition in the rhizosphere through simplistic tidal inundation parameters. Here, a soil saturation index (ratio of saturation period to tidal period at a soil depth) is introduced to describe the soil aeration condition. This new index captures the effects of not only the tidal inundation period and frequency but also the flow dynamics of groundwater in the marsh soil. One‐dimensional numerical models based on saturated flow with the Boussinesq approximations and a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow model were developed to explore the behaviour of this new soil aeration variable under the influence of spring‐neap tides. Simulations revealed two characteristic zones of soil aeration across the salt marsh: a relatively well aerated near‐creek zone and a poorly aerated interior zone. In the near‐creek zone, soils undergo periodic wetting and drying as the groundwater table fluctuates throughout the spring‐neap cycle. In the interior, the soil remains largely water saturated except for neap tide periods when limited drainage occurs. Although such a change of soil aeration condition has been observed in previous numerical simulations, the soil saturation index provides a clear delineation of the zones that are separated by an ‘inflexion point’ on the averaged index curve. The results show how the saturation index represents the effects of soil properties, tidal parameters and marsh platform elevation on marsh soil aeration. Simulations of these combined effects have not been possible with traditional tidal inundation parameters. The saturation index can be easily derived using relatively simple models based on five non‐dimensional variables. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed,Minnesota, USA

Abstract

Tile drainage influences infiltration and surface runoff and is thus an important factor in the erosion process. Tile drainage reduces surface runoff, but questions abound on its influence on sediment transport through its dense network and into the stream network. The impact of subsurface tiling on upland erosion rates in the Le Sueur River watershed, USA, was assessed using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model. Six different scenarios of tile drainage with varying drainage coefficient and management type (no till and autumn mulch-till) were evaluated. The mean annual surface runoff depth, soil loss rate and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) for croplands, based on a 30-year simulation for the watershed with untiled autumn mulch-till (Scenario 1), were estimated to be 83.5 mm, 0.27 kg/m² and 86.7%, respectively; on no-till management systems (Scenario 4), the respective results were 72.3 mm, 0.06 kg/m² and 88.2%. Tile drains reduced surface runoff, soil loss and SDR estimates for Scenario 1 by, on average, 14.5, 8.1 and 7.9%, respectively; and for Scenario 4 by an estimated 31.5, 22.1 and 20.2%, respectively. The impact of tile drains on surface runoff, soil loss and SDR was greater under the no-till management system than under the autumn mulch-till management system. Comparison of WEPP outputs with those of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) showed differences between the two methods.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Maalim, F.K. and Melesse. A.M., 2013. Modelling impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed in Minnesota, USA. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 570–586.     

鄂尔多斯盆地及其周边的新构造运动

本区新构造运动十分活跃,表现出多次波动性,周边山系呈不均衡抬升,盆地则呈不均衡沉降,因此使盆地呈现不对称的簸箕状,盆地中的水系结构也呈现不对称性。区内构造变形主要有褶皱、断裂、新隆起、新坳陷、拱曲和掀斜等,并产生现代地震、地热和火山活动。不均衡掀斜是导致上述现象的根本原因。     

Capturing the essential spatial variability in distributed hydrological modelling: Infiltration parameters

Selecting the correct resolution in distributed hydrological modelling at the watershed scale is essential in reducing scale-related errors. The work presented herein uses information content (entropy) to identify the resolution which captures the essential variability, at the watershed scale, of the infiltration parameters in the Green and Ampt infiltration equation. A soil map of the Little Washita watershed in south-west Oklahoma, USA was used to investigate the effects of grid cell resolution on the distributed modelling of infiltration. Soil-derived parameters and infiltration exhibit decreased entropy as resolutions become coarser. This is reflected in a decrease in the maximum entropy value for the reclassified/derived parameters vis a vis the original data. Moreover, the entropy curve, when plotted against resolution, shows two distinct segments: a constant section where no entropy was lost with decreasing resolution and another part which is characterized by a sharp decrease in entropy after a critical resolution of 1209 m is reached. This methodology offers a technique for assessing the largest cell size that captures the spatial variability of infiltration parameters for a particular basin. A geographical information system (GIS) based rainfall-runoff model is used to simulate storm hydrographs using infiltration parameter maps at different resolutions as inputs. Model results up to the critical resolution are reproducible and errors are small. However, at resolutions beyond the critical resolution the results are erratic with large errors. A major finding of this study is that a large resolution (1209 m for this basin) yields reproducible model results. When modelling a river basin using a distributed model, the resolution (grid cell size) can drastically affect the model results and calibration. The error structure attributable to grid cell resolution using entropy as a spatial variability measure is shown.     

The soil hydrologic response to forest regrowth: a case study from southwestern Amazonia

As a large and dynamic land‐use category, tropical secondary forests may affect climate, soils, and hydrology in a manner different from primary forests or agricultural areas. We investigated the saturated hydraulic conductivity K_sat of a Kandiudult under different land uses in Rondonia, Brazil. We measured K_sat at four depths (12·5, 20, 30 and 50 cm) under (a) primary forest, (b) a former banana–cacao plantation (SF1), and (c) an abandoned pasture (SF2). At 12·5 cm, all three land uses differ significantly (α = 0·1), but not at the 20 and 30 cm depths. At 50 cm, K_sat was significantly greater in the former pasture than in other land uses. Lateral subsurface flow is expected during intense rainfall (about 30 times per year) at 30 cm depth in SF1 and at 50 cm depth in the forest, whereas the relatively low permeability at shallow 12·5 cm in the SF2 may result not only in lateral subsurface flow, but also saturation overland flow. For modelling purposes, recovering systems seem to have K_sat values distinct from primary forest at shallow depths, whereas at deeper layers (>20 cm) they may be considered similar to forests. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

鄂尔多斯盆地高自然伽马异常特征

为了加深对盆地深部和浅部高自然伽马异常特征综合分析研究,揭示高自然伽马异常地质成因,从而促进盆地多种能源矿产协同开发研究,针对收集大量的地球物理测井资料、地质资料及其他相关成果,绘制并分析了相关成果图。研究中遵循从单孔测井曲线特征分析到典型剖面研究,并按层对高自然伽马的平面分布特征进行分析研究。化验测试结果和自然伽马能谱测井成果研究表明,在本区,自然伽马异常增大主要是由于铀的活化和聚集,导致铀元素增加而引起。相关研究表明,盆地深部和浅部的铀异常具有一定的关系,盆地历经的沉积环境变迁是铀元素富集的主导因素。     

Putative Meteoritic Craters in Río Cuarto (Central Argentina) Interpreted as Eolian Structures

Ten oblong aligned depressions in the Río Cuarto area (provincia de Córdoba, Argentina) were supposed to be the result of very-low-angle Holocene meteoroid impacts. However, we consider that authors that studied the structures did not demonstrated their extraterrestrial origin. We suggest that an eolian origin for the structures of Río Cuarto is more likely. Actually, these landforms integrate large systems of similar deflation/accumulation geoforms aligned according to predominant winds during different periods.     

Comparison of Kuqa foreland basin with Persian Gulf Basin in salt tectonics

Compared Kuqa foreland basin with Persian Gulf Basin in development of salt layers, salt tectonics, and the relation between salt tectonics and hydrocarbon, it is concluded that the salt diapirs are relative to hydrocarbon. Searching salt diapirs and related traps in Kuqa foreland basin is important. The forming mechanism of salt tectonic in Kuqa foreland basin is different from that of Hormuz Series, but similar to that of Lower Fars Series/Gachsaran Formation. Inspired by the role of salt tectonics of Lower Fars Series/Gachsaran Formation in hydrocarbon accumulation, the authors considered that the exploration below salt layer should be enforced, and the traps below salt layer in the southern part of the Kuqa foreland basin would be found where salt layer is thicker. On the contrary, the traps should be found both above and below the salt layer in front of the northern mountain where salt layer is thin. The Triassic and Jurassic source rocks are rich in this area with great exploration prospective.     

CHEMICAL WEATHERING PROCESSES AND ATMOSPHERIC CO_2 CONSUMPTION OF HUANGHE RIVER AND CHANGJIANG RIVER BASINS

1 INTRODUCTIONThe atmospheric CO2consumed by rock weathering haslong been recognized as providing a major loss of car-bon and decreasing the atmospheric CO2(STALL-ARD and EDMOND, 1981; MEYBECK, 1983).The 0.7×109 -0.8 ×109t of carbon derived from atmo-sp…     

黄骅坳陷孔南地区孔二段湖盆结构恢复

孔南地区孔二段受到沧东断层、徐西断层等活动影响,地层结构遭受强烈的改造,原有湖盆结构发生了很大的变化。隆起区构造单元富泥质沉积,凹陷构造单元富砂质沉积,成为研究区孔二段的主要特征之一,也成为研究的难点。本文通过对研究区孔二段沉积厚度、岩相、沉积相、构造分析以及等时地层格架下的沉积体系展布规律分析等,对孔二段沉积时期湖盆结构进行了恢复,改变了以往认为孔店期为断陷产物的认识,得出孔二段沉积时期,湖盆总体为坳陷盆地,现今处于盆地中心的孔店隆起构造带为孔二期的古湖盆中心和沉降中心。这一结论对认识黄骅坳陷孔南地区盆地演化,成因机制和油气勘探具有重要的意义。