Estimating irrigation inputs for distributed hydrological modelling: a case study from an irrigated catchment in southeast Australia

Adequate irrigation inputs are essential for the application of hydrological models in irrigated catchments, but reliable data on both the amount and the frequency of irrigation applications are often missing at an appropriate spatial scale. In this paper, we demonstrate and test approaches to estimate irrigation inputs for distributed hydrological modelling. In this context, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool was applied to simulate water balances for an irrigated catchment in southeast Australia during the period 2008–2010. Two methods for estimating irrigation inputs were tested. One method was based on a fixed irrigation application rate, whereas the other one had variable irrigation rates depending on season and the irrigated crop. These two approaches were also compared with the ‘auto‐irrigation’ method within the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model. The method with variable irrigation rates resulted in the most reasonable interpretation of the readily available irrigation data, consistent estimates of irrigation runoff coefficients throughout the year and the best fit to observed data on both drain flows at the catchment outlet and spatial evapotranspiration patterns. We also found that the different irrigation inputs significantly affected simulated water balances, in particular deep percolation under relatively dry climatic conditions. All these results suggest that it is possible to infer irrigation inputs from readily available data and local knowledge, adequate for hydrological modelling in irrigated catchments. Our study also demonstrates that, in order to predict reliable water balances in irrigated catchments, an accurate knowledge of irrigation scheduling and irrigation runoff is required. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater recharge sources in semiarid irrigated mountain fronts

High-elevation mountains often constitute for basins important groundwater recharge sources through mountain-front recharge processes. These processes include streamflow losses and subsurface inflow from the mountain block. However, another key recharge process is from irrigation practices, where mountain streamflow is distributed across the irrigated piedmont. In this study, coupled groundwater fluctuation measurements and environmental tracers (¹⁸O, ²H, and major ions) were used to identify and compare the natural mountain-front recharge to the anthropogenically induced irrigation recharge. Within the High Atlas mountain front of the Ourika Basin, Central Morocco, the groundwater fluctuation mapping from the dry to wet season showed that recharge beneath the irrigated area was higher than the recharge along the streambed. Irrigation practices in the region divert more than 65% of the stream water, thereby reducing the potential for in-stream groundwater recharge. In addition, the irrigation areas close to the mountain front had greater water table increases (up to 3.5 m) compared with the downstream irrigation areas (<1 m increase). Upstream crops have priority to irrigation with stream water over downstream areas. The latter are only irrigated via stream water during large flood events and are otherwise supplemented by groundwater resources. These changes in water resources used for irrigation practices between upstream and downstream areas are reflected in the spatiotemporal evolution of the stable isotopes of groundwater. In the upstream irrigation area, the groundwater stable isotope values (δ¹⁸O: −8.4‰ to −7.4‰) reflect recharge by the diverted stream water. In the downstream irrigation area, the groundwater isotope values are lower (δ¹⁸O: −8.1‰ to −8.4‰) due to recharge via the flood water. In the nonirrigation area, the groundwater has the highest stable isotope values (δ¹⁸O: −6.8‰ to −4.8‰). This might be due to recharge via subsurface inflow from the mountain block to the mountain front and/or recharge via local low altitude rainfall. These findings highlight that irrigation practices can result in the dominant mountain-front recharge process for groundwater.     

A new approach to estimate canopy evaporation and canopy interception capacity from evapotranspiration and sap flow measurements during and following wetting

Canopy interception and its evaporation into the atmosphere during irrigation or a rainfall event are important in irrigation scheduling, but are challenging to estimate using conventional methods. This study introduces a new approach to estimate the canopy interception from measurements of actual total evapotranspiration (ET) using eddy covariance and estimation of the transpiration from measurements of sap flow. The measurements were conducted over a small‐scale sprinkler‐irrigated cotton field before, during and after sprinkler irrigation. Evaporation and sap flow dynamics during irrigation show that the total ET during irrigation increased significantly because of the evaporation of free intercepted water while transpiration was suppressed almost completely. The difference between actual ET and transpiration (sap flow) during and immediately following irrigation (post irrigation) represents the total canopy evaporation while the canopy interception capacity was calculated as the difference between actual ET and transpiration (sap flow) during drying (post irrigation) following cessation of the irrigation. The canopy evaporation of cotton canopy was calculated as 0.8 mm, and the interception capacity was estimated to be 0.31 mm of water. The measurement uncertainty in both the non‐dimensional ET and non‐dimensional sap flow was shown to be very low. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the relationship between historical land‐use change and water availability: the case of the lower Tarim River region in northwestern China

Natural ecosystems in the region of the lower Tarim River in northwestern China strongly deteriorated since the 1950s due to an expanding desertification. As a result, the downstream Tarim River reaches became permanently dry land. This historical evolution in land‐use change is typically the result of the anthropogenic impact on natural ecosystems. On the basis of a spatially distributed hydrological catchment model bidirectionally linked with a fully hydrodynamic MIKE11 river model, land‐use changes characterized by historical changes in leaf area index (LAI) of vegetation, as well as the evolution of irrigated surface areas, can be causally related to changes in water resources (groundwater storage and surface water resources). An increased surface area of irrigated (agricultural) land, together with a majority of inefficient irrigation methods, did lead to a strong increase of water resources consumption of the farmlands located in the upper Tarim River area. Evidently, this evolution influenced available water resources downstream in the Tarim basin. As a result, farmland has been gradually relocated to the upstream regions. This has led to reduced flows from the upper Tarim stream, which subsequently accelerated the dropping of the groundwater level downstream in the basin. This study moreover demonstrates that land surface biomass changes (cumulative LAI) along the lower Tarim River are strongly related to the changes in groundwater storage. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

甘肃永靖黑方台4·29罗家坡黄土滑坡的特征

2015年4月29日上午,甘肃省永靖县盐锅峡镇黑方台滑坡高频发区的党川村罗家坡同一斜坡处连续发生了2次大规模黄土滑坡,总体积约65×10~4m~3,最大滑距630 m,摧毁14户居民房屋和3家工厂.通过现场详细调查、取样试验、1∶500地形测量、滑坡影像、视频等资料分析,对灌溉引发的罗家坡黄土滑坡的特征、滑动过程、形成机理进行了探讨.结果表明:第1次滑坡经过近2 a变形过程,整体突然失稳,高速远程滑动;第2次滑坡变形时间仅3 h,分块逐步滑动,滑动历时长而过程复杂,总体为低速远程滑动.高陡的地形和强度低、水敏感性强的土体是滑坡发生的基础,黄土台塬区长期农业灌溉是引发因素,大量水体入渗形成了20余米厚的饱和软弱基座,使抗剪强度降低,导致斜坡失稳滑动.黄土滑坡高速远程滑动的主要原因是滑坡剪出口位置高,滑动势能大,释放条件好,剪出口下部陡坡段为主要加速段;前方有开阔的滑动空间且有一定坡度、平缓的滑道;滑体底部饱和软弱黏性土在滑道上持续产生超孔隙水压力、液化等低摩阻效应,是远程滑动的润滑剂.同时,两次滑体间还存在冲击加速和能量传递作用.     

山西省2017年农田灌溉水有效利用系数测算分析研究

以山西省172个样点灌区为研究区域,按照《全国农田灌溉水有效利用系数测算分析技术指导细则》测算方法及要求,测算样点灌区农田灌溉水有效利用系数,在此基础上,以全省灌区统计资料为权重,测算分析得出山西省2017年大、中、小和纯井灌区农田灌溉水利用系数分别为0.484 6、0.501 0、0.475 8和0.639 8,全省系数为0.538。通过对测算成果分析,认为测算结果真实反映了当年山西省灌区农田灌溉用水效率,相关成果对山西省灌区工程建设、用水管理和规划编制等有一定指导意义。     

基于激光雷达测风数据的复杂地形下风力机尾流特性研究

以张家口某处风电场为实验场地,采用两台多普勒激光雷达(Wind3D 6000和WindMast WP350)分别测量风力机的尾流和来流风速,对全尾流、半尾流和独立尾流3种工况进行研究。结果表明,3种工况下随着尾流发展尾流宽度均不断变大,而尾流深度和速度衰减则不断减小;全尾流和半尾流工况中,上游风力机的存在会增加下游风力机尾流宽度,且全尾流比半尾流的增加量大;全尾流和半尾流工况中,相较于上游风力机,下游风力机尾流深度和速度衰减均较小。     

农机投入对农业GTFP影响及门槛效应的区域差异分析

按照粮食的产销情况,将全国划分为3类粮食功能区域,利用固定效应模型和门槛效应模型分析了农机投入对农业绿色全要素生产率（GTFP）的影响及门槛效应的区域差异。结果表明：农机投入对农业GTFP的影响程度存在区域异质性,农机投入对粮食主销区农业GTFP提升的促进作用最大,粮食产销平衡区次之,粮食主产区最小;农机投入对农业GTFP的影响路径亦存在区域差异,粮食主产区和产销平衡区的农机投入通过促进农业技术效率和农业技术进步进而推动农业GTFP提升,粮食主销区的农机投入通过促进农业技术进步推动农业GTFP提升;农机投入对粮食主产区农业GTFP的影响存在双门槛效应,对粮食主销区和产销平衡区农业GTFP的影响存在单门槛效应。     

2000-2015年三江平原主要作物需水量征及影响因素分析

全生育期内作物需水量的研究是农业水资源有效利用和进行合理灌溉的重要依据。基于三江平原22个气象站点2000—2015年逐日气象观测资料及中国区域地面气象要素数据集,利用国际粮农组织 （FAO）Penman-Monteith模型和分段单值平均作物系数法,分别对三江平原水稻、玉米和大豆的作物需水量进行计算,分析作物需水量年际变化特征,采用通径分析法研究作物需水量的变化成因。结果表明：（1）三江平原16 a来年均参考作物蒸散量为537.4 mm,日均为 3.5 mm,呈波动减少趋势。（2）生长季内,水稻在分蘖期需水量最大,为177.1 mm,玉米在七叶期需水量最大,为99.7 mm,大豆在结荚期需水量最大,为96.1 mm;水稻、玉米和大豆的净灌溉需水量分别为195.4 mm、130.8 mm和72.2 mm,对灌溉的依赖程度水稻>玉米>大豆。（3）由通径分析结果可知,三江平原作物需水量的主要影响因素为净辐射、气温和日照时数。     

内蒙孪井灌区土壤盐分运移规律分析

研究了孪井灌区典型地段包气带土层可溶盐分在灌溉前后的变化,分析了灌溉水和土壤水盐分动态特征,并在室内进行了不同类型土壤的淋滤试验。结果表明引黄灌溉是使土壤脱盐的过程,尤其是灌溉初期,土壤脱盐非常明显。灌溉洗盐与包气带岩性和灌水量有关,砂壤土较黏砂土易脱盐,土壤初始含盐量越大,灌溉量越大,土壤脱盐量就越大。