Estimating bed material fluxes upstream and downstream of a controlled large bifurcation - the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River diversion

Bed material transport at river bifurcations is crucial for channel stability and downstream geomorphic dynamics. However, measurements of bed material transport at bifurcations of large alluvial rivers are difficult to make, and standard estimates based on the assumption of proportional partitioning of flow and bedload transport at bifurcations may be erroneous. In this study, we employed a combined approach based on observed topographic change (erosion/deposition) and bed material transport predicted from a one-dimensional model to investigate bed material fluxes near the engineering-controlled Mississippi-Atchafalaya River diversion, which is of great importance to sediment distribution and delivery to Louisiana's coast. Yang's (1973) sediment transport equation was utilized to estimate daily bed material loads upstream, downstream, and through the diversion during 2004–2013. Bathymetric changes in these channels were assessed with single beam data collected in 2004 and 2013. Results show that over the study period, 24% of the Mississippi River flow was diverted into the Atchafalaya River, while the rest remained in the mainstem Mississippi. Upstream of the diversion, the bed material yield was predicted to be 201 million metric tons (MT), of which approximately 35 MT (i.e., 17%) passed through the bifurcation channel to the Atchafalaya River. The findings from this study reveal that in the mainstem Mississippi, the percentage of bed material diversion (83%) is larger than the percentage of flow diversion (76%); Conversely, the diversion channel receives a disproportionate amount of flow (24%) relative to bed material supply (17%). Consequently, severe bed scouring occurred in the controlled Outflow Channel to the Atchafalaya River, while riverbed aggradation progressed in the mainstem Mississippi downstream of the diversion structures, implying reduced flow capacity and potential risk of a high backwater during megafloods. The study demonstrates that Yang's sediment transport equation provides plausible results of bed material fluxes for a highly complicated large river diversion, and that integration of the sediment transport equation with observed morphological changes in riverbed is a valuable approach to investigate sediment dynamics at controlled river bifurcations.     

Biogeochemistry of dissolved carbon,major, and trace elements during spring flood periods on the Ob River

Detailed knowledge of the flood period of Arctic rivers remains one of the few factors impeding rigorous prediction of the effect of climate change on carbon and related element fluxes from the land to the Arctic Ocean. In order to test the temporal and spatial variability of element concentration in the Ob River (western Siberia) water during flood period and to quantify the contribution of spring flood period to the annual element export, we sampled the main channel year round in 2014–2017 for dissolved C, major, and trace element concentrations. We revealed high stability (approximately ≤10% relative variation) of dissolved C, major, and trace element concentrations in the Ob River during spring flood period over a 1‐km section of the river channel and over 3 days continuous monitoring (3‐hr frequency). We identified two groups of elements with contrasting relationship to discharge: (a) DIC and soluble elements (Cl, SO₄, Li, B, Na, Mg, Ca, P, V, Cr, Mn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba, W, and U) negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with discharge and exhibited minimal concentrations during spring flood and autumn high flow and (b) DOC and particle‐reactive elements (Al, Fe, Ti, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, REEs, Hf, Tl, Pb, and Th), some nutrients (K), and metalloids (Ge, Sb, and Te), positively correlated (p < 0.05) with discharge and showed the highest concentrations during spring flood. We attribute the decreased concentration of soluble elements with discharge to dilution by groundwater feeding and increased concentration of DOC and particle‐reactive metals with discharge to leaching from surface soil, plant litter, and suspended particles. Overall, the present study provides first‐order assessment of fluxes of major and trace elements in the middle course of the Ob River, reveals their high temporal and spatial stability, and characterizes the mechanism of river water chemical composition acquisition.     

滇藏川毗连地区藏传佛教寺院分布的教派地域分异研究

藏传佛教寺院作为藏区独具特色的宗教景观而成为宗教地理学的研究热点之一,其不同教派寺院的空间分异格局是反映藏传佛教不同教派势力时空扩散过程的重要载体.着眼于滇藏川毗连地区,以四大教派寺院空间分异为视角,探讨藏传佛教寺院的地域分异特性及其历史形成机理.研究表明:滇藏川毗连地区藏传佛教四大教派寺院集中分布,但集中程度与集中地域各自不同,其寺院盲区范围及分布也不尽相同;宁玛派、萨迦派寺院与噶举派、格鲁派寺院呈金沙江东西两岸悬殊较大的分异格局;噶举派与格鲁派寺院数量上呈高度负相关.这些地域分异特性是滇藏川毗连地区的区域地理环境、不同教派主寺的分布以及藏传佛教四大教派传播扩散过程中教派间的斗争、土司的态度等多因子综合作用的结果.     

中国地级及以上城市“四化”协调发展效率的时空分异测度

以中国343个地级及以上行政单元为研究对象,运用数据包络分析和探索性空间数据分析,研究了2001年和2011年 “四化”协调发展及其效率的空间差异变化,借助地理加权回归模型揭示“四化”协调发展效率的影响因素及其空间差异。结果显示,中国地级单元2001年和2011年的“四化”协调发展及其效率均存在显著的空间分异,综合指数、耦合度和协调度空间差异呈现以西北-东南走向的“反胡焕庸线”为分界的态势。“四化”协调发展效率整体较低,效率值较高的地区集中在中部地区,达到“有效”状态的城市极少。10 a间平均效率值总体降低 ,高值区逐渐向东部沿海地区转移。城乡人均固定资产投资差异、人均GDP和人均社会消费品零售总额是影响“四化”协调发展效率的重要因素。     

公转轴应力场星球说——地球、火星南南西应力场四组三维构造系

介绍了对地球构造格局,运动方式及其动力源问题研究取得的新成果。它不同于流行已久的以地球自转轴旋转和以软流圈带动岩石圈漂移以及随机的地幔柱（流）为构造动力源的观点,而是与黄赤交角相关的沿公转轴方向的统一应力场,认为中国西部ＮＷＷ向压性,ＮＥＥ与ＮＮＷ是与黄赤交角相关的沿公转轴方向的统一应力场。认为中国西部ＮＷＷ向压性,ＮＥＥ与ＮＮＷ向两组共轭扭性及ＮＮＥ向张性带交接,为来自全球ＳＳＷ主压应力场形成的     

Comparison of trends in stream water quality

A method is described for assessing the strength of evidence for differences in the trends in chemical concentrations in stream water between catchments. A smoothing spline technique is used to model changes in water quality as a result of changes in flow rates, seasonal effects and an underlying trend. The method involves fitting the model twice, once with the underlying trends constrained to be identical for each river and once with the trends unconstrained. Statistical properties are assessed by simulation methods that allow for the autocorrelation in the residuals from the unconstrained fit. The method is applied to data from two streams in the Balquhidder catchments in the Highlands of Scotland and to data from the Dee, Don and Ythan rivers in the north‐east of Scotland. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河道入湖污染物量计算精度分析

入湖污染物量计算精度的高低决定入湖污染物量分析结果的客观性和准确性.本文以太湖为例,分析2010年环太湖河道入湖污染物量、时空分布情况及多年环太湖河道入湖染污物量变化情势.在此基础上,使用现在已有监测条件分析时段内每日水量水质监测数据计算逐日入湖污染物量时段累积值,并以此作为现有分析计算河道入湖污染物量的最高计算精度值.通过设定不同监测方案、采用不同计算方法分析河道入湖污染物量及其计算精度,认为现有分析计算的河道入湖污染物量已是每日河道水量水质同步监测下河道入湖污染物量的80%左右.针对河道入湖污染物量计算精度的分析可为制定科学的河道入湖污染量监测方案、提高河道入湖污染物量计算精度提供技术支撑.     

巢湖四条入湖河流硝态氮污染来源的氮稳定同位素解析

采用氮稳定同位素技术对巢湖四条主要污染输入河流(南淝河、十五里河、派河和双桥河)的氮污染状况和硝态氮来源进行研究.结果表明,巢湖四条入湖河流氮污染最严重的是十五里河,其次是南淝河和派河,双桥河的污染相对较轻.硝态氮的稳定同位素分析结果表明,巢湖四条入湖河流的硝态氮污染物在季节上受到不同因子的影响.十五里河和南淝河的硝态氮污染主要来源于城市生活污水和工业废水;派河的硝态氮污染在冬季主要来源于工业废水,春季来源于农业面源,而在夏季主要受到雨水的影响;双桥河的硝态氮污染冬、春季主要来源于农业面源,夏季主要受雨水的影响.此外本研究结果还表明巢湖四条主要入湖河流的氮污染源主要为铵态氮,因此今后要对铵态氮的来源进行同位素示踪.     

Spillage sedimentation on large river floodplains

Active deposition across the floodplains of large rivers arises through a variety of processes; collectively these are here termed ‘spillage sedimentation’. Three groups of 11 spillage sedimentation styles are identified and their formative processes described. Form presences on large river floodplains show different combinations of active spillage styles. Only some large floodplains have prominent levees; some have coarse splays; many have accessory channel dispersion and reworking, while still‐water sedimentation in lacustrine environments dominates some lower reaches. Infills are also commonly funnelled into prior, and often linear, negative relief forms relating to former migration within the mainstream channel belt. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and Landsat 8 data are used to map spillage form types and coverage along a 1700 km reach of the Amazon that has an active floodplain width of up to 110 km with a systematic character transformation down‐valley. Spillage forms associated directly with mainstream processes rarely account for more than 5% of the floodplain deposits. There is a marked decrease in floodplain point bar complexes (PBC) over 1700 km downstream (from 34% to 5%), and an increase in the prevalence of large water bodies (2% to 37%) and accompanying internal crevasses and deltas (0% to 5%). Spillage sedimentation is likely within the negative relief associated with these forms, depending on mainstream sediment‐laden floodwater inputs. Spillage style dominance depends on the balance between sediment loadings, hydrological sequencing, and morphological opportunity. Down‐river form sequences are likely to follow gradient change, prior up‐river sediment sequestration and the altered nature of spilled loads, but also crucially, local floodplain relief and incident water levels and velocities at spillage times. Considering style distribution quantitatively, as a spatially distributed set of identifiable forms, emphasizes the global variety to spillage phenomena along and between large rivers. © 2016 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Wood and sediment storage and dynamics in river corridors

Large wood along rivers influences entrainment, transport, and storage of mineral sediment and particulate organic matter. We review how wood alters sediment dynamics and explore patterns among volumes of in‐stream wood, sediment storage, and residual pools for dispersed pieces of wood, logjams, and beaver dams. We hypothesized that: volume of sediment per unit area of channel stored in association with wood is inversely proportional to drainage area; the form of sediment storage changes downstream; sediment storage correlates with wood load; the residual volume of pools created in association with wood correlates inversely with drainage area; and volume of sediment stored behind beaver dams correlates with pond area. Lack of data from larger drainage areas limits tests of these hypotheses, but the analyses suggest that sediment volume correlates positively with drainage area and wood volume. The form of sediment storage in relation to wood appears to change downstream, with wedges of sediment upstream from jammed steps most prevalent in small, steep channels and more dispersed sediment storage in lower gradient channels. Pool volume correlates positively with wood volume and negatively with channel gradient. Sediment volume correlates well with beaver pond area. More abundant in‐stream wood and beaver populations present historically equated to greater sediment storage within river corridors and greater residual pool volume. One implication of these changes is that protecting and re‐introducing wood and beavers can be used to restore rivers. This review of the existing literature on wood and sediment dynamics highlights the lack of studies on larger rivers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.