Spatio‐temporal distribution of near‐surface and root zone soil moisture at the catchment scale

Soil moisture is highly variable both spatially and temporally. It is widely recognized that improving the knowledge and understanding of soil moisture and the processes underpinning its spatial and temporal distribution is critical. This paper addresses the relationship between near‐surface and root zone soil moisture, the way in which they vary spatially and temporally, and the effect of sampling design for determining catchment scale soil moisture dynamics. In this study, catchment scale near‐surface (0–50 mm) and root zone (0–300 mm) soil moisture were monitored over a four‐week period. Measurements of near‐surface soil moisture were recorded at various resolutions, and near‐surface and root zone soil moisture data were also monitored continuously within a network of recording sensors. Catchment average near‐surface soil moisture derived from detailed spatial measurements and continuous observations at fixed points were found to be significantly correlated (r² = 0·96; P = 0·0063; n = 4). Root zone soil moisture was also found to be highly correlated with catchment average near‐surface, continuously monitored (r² = 0·81; P < 0·0001; n = 26) and with detailed spatial measurements of near‐surface soil moisture (r² = 0·84). The weaker relationship observed between near‐surface and root zone soil moisture is considered to be caused by the different responses to rainfall and the different factors controlling soil moisture for the soil depths of 0–50 mm and 0–300 mm. Aspect is considered to be the main factor influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of near‐surface soil moisture, while topography and soil type are considered important for root zone soil moisture. The ability of a limited number of monitoring stations to provide accurate estimates of catchment scale average soil moisture for both near‐surface and root zone is thus demonstrated, as opposed to high resolution spatial measurements. Similarly, the use of near‐surface soil moisture measurements to obtain a reliable estimate of deeper soil moisture levels at the small catchment scale was demonstrated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assess hydrological responses to a warming climate at the Lysina Critical Zone Observatory in Central Europe

Climate warming is having profound effects on the hydrological cycle by increasing atmospheric demand, changing water availability, and snow seasonality. Europe suffered three distinct heat waves in 2019, and 11 of the 12 hottest years ever recorded took place in the past two decades, which will potentially change seasonal streamflow patterns and long-term trends. Central Europe exhibited six dry years in a row since 2014. This study uses data from a well-documented headwater catchment in Central Europe (Lysina) to explore hydrological responses to a warming climate. We applied a lumped parameter hydrologic model Brook90 and a distributed model Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Model (PIHM) to simulate long-term hydrological change under future climate scenarios. Both models performed well on historic streamflow and in agreement with each other according to the catchment water budget. In addition, PIHM was able to simulate lateral groundwater redistribution within the catchment validated by the groundwater table dynamics. The long-term trends in runoff and low flow were captured by PIHM only. We applied different EURO-CORDEX models with two emission scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathways RCP 4.5, 8.5) and found significant impacts on runoff and evapotranspiration (ET) for the period of 2071–2100. Results from both models suggested reduced runoff and increased ET, while the monthly distribution of runoff was different. We used this catchment study to understand the importance of subsurface processes in projection of hydrologic response to a warming climate.     

Using a H∞ filter assimilation procedure to estimate root zone soil water content

Root zone soil water content impacts plant water availability, land energy and water balances. Because of unknown hydrological model error, observation errors and the statistical characteristics of the errors, the widely used Kalman filter (KF) and its extensions are challenged to retrieve the root zone soil water content using the surface soil water content. If the soil hydraulic parameters are poorly estimated, the KF and its extensions fail to accurately estimate the root zone soil water. The H‐infinity filter (HF) represents a robust version of the KF. The HF is widely used in data assimilation and is superior to the KF, especially when the performance of the model is not well understood. The objective of this study is to study the impact of uncertain soil hydraulic parameters, initial soil moisture content and observation period on the ability of HF assimilation to predict in situ soil water content. In this article, we study seven cases. The results show that the soil hydraulic parameters hold a critical role in the course of assimilation. When the soil hydraulic parameters are poorly estimated, an accurate estimation of root soil water content cannot be retrieved by the HF assimilation approach. When the estimated soil hydraulic parameters are similar to actual values, the soil water content at various depths can be accurately retrieved by the HF assimilation. The HF assimilation is not very sensitive to the initial soil water content, and the impact of the initial soil water content on the assimilation scheme can be eliminated after about 5–7 days. The observation interval is important for soil water profile distribution retrieval with the HF, and the shorter the observation interval, the shorter the time required to achieve actual soil water content. However, the retrieval results are not very accurate at a depth of 100 cm. Also it is complex to determine the weighting coefficient and the error attenuation parameter in the HF assimilation. In this article, the trial‐and‐error method was used to determine the weighting coefficient and the error attenuation parameter. After the first establishment of limited range of the parameters, ‘the best parameter set’ was selected from the range of values. For the soil conditions investigated, the HF assimilation results are better than the open‐loop results. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Copper‐gold mineralisation in New Guinea: Numerical modelling of collision,fluid flow and intrusion‐related hydrothermal systems

Two‐ and three‐dimensional numerical modelling techniques, constrained by key geodynamic data, provide insights into the controls on development of porphyry‐related Cu–Au mineralisation in the Tertiary collision zone of New Guinea. Modelling shows that the creation of local dilation to facilitate magma emplacement can be caused by reactivation of arc‐normal transfer faults, where they cut the weakened fold belt. Additionally, dilation occurs where fluid overpressuring is caused by collision‐related, south‐directed fluid flow being localised into the more permeable units of the Mesozoic passive‐margin sedimentary succession. Rapid uplift and erosion, which may be a mechanism for magmatic fluid release in these systems, is shown to be greatest in the west of West Papua, where the stronger Australian crust acts as a buttress. Within the Papuan Fold Belt, uplift is greatest near the margins, where the weaker fold belt abuts the stronger crust and/or major faults have been reactivated. Increased orographically induced precipitation and erosion exposes the lower parts of the stratigraphy within or on the margins of these uplifted zones. On a smaller scale, 2–D coupled fluid‐flow ‐ thermal‐chemical modelling uses a scenario of fluid mixing to calculate metal precipitation distribution and magnitude around an individual intrusive complex. Modelling highlights the interdependence of the spatial permeability structure, the regional temperature gradient, and the geometry of the convection cells and how this impacts on the distribution of metal precipitation.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INLAND LAKES EVOLUTION AND CLIMATIC FLUCTUATION IN ARID ZONE

The evolution of the inland lakes in arid and semi-arid zones is accorded with the climatic fluctuation. The humid climate is in harmony with the higher water level and greater lake water quantity budget while arid climate is in correspondence with the lower water level and little water budget. Based on the analysis of the lake fluctuation and lake budget change, with the aid of the data of geom'orphology, palynology, sedimentology and chronology, It is found that the climate experienced a warm and humid period during 7000-3500 yr. B. P. and showed a drying and warming trend in the last century in the Central Asia.     

马超营断裂带地质及地球化学特征

根据对马超营断裂带系统进行的地质—地球化学剖面研究，探讨了该带断裂构造活动及其元素地球化学迁移富集规律与构造地球化学分异之间的关系；分析了蚀变、矿化与成矿的关系，认为早期面型蚀变伴有成矿元素的活化和迁移，但无矿化富集，后期带状蚀变伴有金的富集成矿且以硅化、绢云母化为主要标志。从而，为马超营断裂带这一重要的以金为主成矿带的进一步工作、研究，提供了地球化学方面的依据。     

Structural and metamorphic controls on the distribution of zircon in an evolving quartzofeldspathic migmatite: an example from the Reynolds Range, central Australia

Three types of zircon occur in a complexly deformed and variably migmatized quartzofeldspathic gneiss from the Reynolds Range, central Australia. The oldest type is inherited from the granitic precursor of the gneiss, and is overgrown by a second group of zircon grains that formed during prograde, granulite facies metamorphism. Partial melting of the gneiss resulted in solution of both the inherited and metamorphic zircon. No new zircon growth accompanied crystallization of the partial melt, suggesting loss of zirconium–rich residual fluids. Hydrous, amphibolite facies retrogression of the gneiss and its migmatized variants during late shearing produced new, idiomorphic zircon in both the shear zone and its wall rocks.
Important implications of this study are that (i) zircon has a tendency to dissolve if it comes into direct contact with a melt produced from anhydrous biotite breakdown in a quartzofeldspathic granulite, (ii) melt crystallization is not necessarily accompanied by zircon growth, and (iii) euhedral zircon can grow from a hydrous fluid phase under subsolidus, amphibolite facies conditions, e.g. within shear zones.     

常德1631年大震事件的多场点群发式构造模型

根据对常德1631年地震事件的史料鉴别,尤其是江陵为典型七度震害这一事实,运用震声传播方向和地光物理场以及地震烈度衰减关系,拟合推断此地震事件的序列主要由安乡北6 3/4级地震、常德北太阳山7级地震、澧县6级地震、大庸6级地震和澧县—安乡6 1/2级地震组成,相应的地震地质背景是江汉—洞庭地区晚更新世以来的剩余形变呈四象限分布。若考虑地震-构造相关分布为“Z”字型,则该地震事件的主控构造——太阳山断裂带东断裂具左旋走滑的力学机制。根据区域地震—构造相关发展过程,常德大震事件可视为1668年郯城8 1/2级地震的前震序列组成部分。     

坡麓地带工程勘察应注意的问题

在坡麓地带进行工程勘察时，应注意论证工程建设对工程地质环境的改变，评价其对设计、施工的适宜性和可行性，采取相应的工程技术措施。     

新疆尾亚韧性剪切带的基本特征及其意义

尾亚韧性剪切带形成于石炭纪晚期.根据其宏观变形构造、显微变形构造等变形特征,说明其经历了早期的推覆剪切和后期的右行推覆剪切两个主要演化阶段.对该区的构造演化及指导找矿增添了一点新的内容.