Lateral and subsurface flows impact arctic coastal plain lake water budgets

Arctic thaw lakes are an important source of water for aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and humans. Many recent studies have observed changes in Arctic surface waters related to climate warming and permafrost thaw; however, explaining the trends and predicting future responses to warming is difficult without a stronger fundamental understanding of Arctic lake water budgets. By measuring and simulating surface and subsurface hydrologic fluxes, this work quantified the water budgets of three lakes with varying levels of seasonal drainage, and tested the hypothesis that lateral and subsurface flows are a major component of the post‐snowmelt water budgets. A water budget focused only on post‐snowmelt surface water fluxes (stream discharge, precipitation, and evaporation) could not close the budget for two of three lakes, even when uncertainty in input parameters was rigorously considered using a Monte Carlo approach. The water budgets indicated large, positive residuals, consistent with up to 70% of mid‐summer inflows entering lakes from lateral fluxes. Lateral inflows and outflows were simulated based on three processes; supra‐permafrost subsurface inflows from basin‐edge polygonal ground, and exchange between seasonally drained lakes and their drained margins through runoff and evapotranspiration. Measurements and simulations indicate that rapid subsurface flow through highly conductive flowpaths in the polygonal ground can explain the majority of the inflow. Drained lakes were hydrologically connected to marshy areas on the lake margins, receiving water from runoff following precipitation and losing up to 38% of lake efflux to drained margin evapotranspiration. Lateral fluxes can be a major part of Arctic thaw lake water budgets and a major control on summertime lake water levels. Incorporating these dynamics into models will improve our ability to predict lake volume changes, solute fluxes, and habitat availability in the changing Arctic. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Evaluation of meteorological controls of reconstructed rockfall activity in the Czech Flysch Carpathians

Rockfall is an important process in the final sculpturing of escarpments and scree slopes that originate in bedrock landslides in the Flysch Carpathians. The spatio‐temporal characteristics of rockfall activity were studied at four localities representative of old landslides in the highest part of the Czech Flysch Carpathians (Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mountains). Historical activity, chronology, and spatial context of rockfall activity were reconstructed using dendrogeomorphic techniques and rockfall rate index (RR). A total of 1132 increment cores from 283 trees growing in the rockfall transport and accumulation zones enabled the dating of 989 rockfall events. Reconstruction of a 78‐year‐long RR chronology suggests similar rockfall histories and trends at all study sites, indicating the existence of major common factors driving rockfall dynamics in the region. Temporal analysis and correlation of the RR series obtained with monthly mean temperatures, numbers of days with temperature transitions through 0 °C and monthly precipitation totals show that meteorological characteristics have evident but variable influence on rockfall activity. The most important factor is the effect of freeze–thaw cycles throughout the year, supplemented by low temperatures, especially during autumn. The influence of precipitation totals is of lesser importance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

冻土斜坡模型试验相似分析

南水北调工程、青藏铁路建设工程等一系列工程的实施,将进一步影响和加剧青藏高原多年冻土区斜坡稳定性问题,冻土区边坡开挖及斜坡稳定性是工程活动中必须解决的问题之一,冻土斜坡稳定性研究在国内尚属空白。通过相似模型试验对高原多年冻土区斜坡在自然和人类活动影响下的失稳机制和活动规律进行分析,是开展研究的重要手段。根据相似理论第一定律,对冻土斜坡模型试验进行了相似分析,应用积分类比法推导并建立了冻土斜坡模型试验的相似指标和相似判据,得出在用原状土作模型介质时,6个相似常数减少为2个相似常数,即cτ和cl。模型与原型的时间比例尺是由几何比例尺决定的,即cτ=c2l,仅有一个相似参数为自变量,另一个为因变量。据此对青藏高原多年冻土区青藏公路沿线K3035处冻土斜坡进行了相似模型设计和冻融模型试验。模型再现了K3035处7°斜坡在4个冻融循环条件下,坡体中部(水平、垂向)4#位移伸张计质点位移曲线随时间的变化特征。实验表明,斜坡土体中部在第一次冻融循环中已有滑动迹象,随着滑坎进一步后退和靠近观测基准点,必然出现一次较大的位移,直至周边土体出现滑塌为止。模型试验结果与现场观测资料相比较是令人满意的。     

冻融循环对砼护坡界面抗剪强度影响试验研究

以混凝土铰接块+土工布+黏土护坡结构室内模型为研究对象, 分别讨论不同含水量及冻融循环次数下接触面间抗剪强度指标的变化规律. 分别测定常温下护坡结构含水量在15.7%~28%之间的黏聚力(C)和内摩擦角(φ)值, 含水量为18%以及饱和状态下经过10次冻融循环的C值和φ值, 采用多元回归法进行分析. 结果表明: 含水量对护坡结构的抗剪强度指标弱化十分明显, 斜面摩擦试验中黏聚力和内摩擦角均随含水量增加而降低; 含水量与内摩擦角呈线性相关关系, 与黏聚力呈乘幂关系. 冻融循环过程水分迁移导致砼护坡界面水分增大, 界面抗剪强度指标弱化. 随冻融循环次数的增加砼铰接块护坡界面的抗剪强度减小, 对于非饱和黏性土, 在5次冻融循环时减小幅度较大, 但10次冻融循环时减小幅度较小并基本趋于稳定; 而对于饱和黏性土, 其抗剪强度指标随冻融循环次数的增加减小幅度并不明显.     

粉砂土反复冻胀融沉特性试验研究

针对深季节冻土区的特殊环境,通过室内试验研究了粉砂土在不同初始含水率、干密度、荷载、冻融次数条件下的反复冻胀、融沉特性。研究结果表明：粉砂土的冻结温度为-1.03 °C;其冻胀融沉变形随冻融次数的增加呈现波浪式起伏变化,并最终趋于稳定状态;经历多次冻融后,干密度较大试样整体表现为膨胀,干密度较小试样整体表现为压密;上部荷载在抑制冻胀的同时加大了试样的整体融沉变形,却降低了每次冻融的冻胀率和融沉系数;存在一个最优初始含水率,该含水率条件下,试样经历多次冻融后的高度不发生变化;由于外界水源的补给,冻融后试样内部含水率均大于初始含水率;干密度和顶端荷载的增大均有效地抑制了外界水源的补给;4次冻融循环后,粉砂土的冻胀率、融沉系数均逐渐趋于稳定。     

多年冻土地区构筑物沉降变形分析

根据现场观测和数值分析,将多年冻土地区构筑物的沉降变形归结为几个具有不同机制的物理力学过程共同作用所致。伴随着冻土上限下降所产生的融沉,由于构筑物的修建引起多年冻土层升温而产生的高温冻土的蠕变和活动层的未冻土在暖季发生的蠕变,以及由于活动层中冻融循环改变了土的工程性质而导致的附加沉降变形。基于青藏公路和青藏铁路的修建和维护的实践,分析了以上几个可能引起沉降的原因。     

PESERA‐PEAT: a fluvial erosion model for blanket peatlands

In peatlands, fluvial erosion can lead to a dramatic decline in hydrological function, major changes in the net carbon balance and loss of biodiversity. Climate and land management change are thought to be important influences on rates of peat erosion. However, sediment production in peatlands is different to that of other soils and no models of erosion specifically for peatlands currently exist. Hence, forecasting the influence of future climate or spatially‐distributed management interventions on peat erosion is difficult. The PESERA‐GRID model was substantially modified in this study to include dominant blanket peat erosion processes. In the resulting fluvial erosion model, PESERA‐PEAT, freeze–thaw and desiccation processes were accounted for by a novel sediment supply index as key features of erosion. Land management practices were parameterized for their influence on vegetation cover, biomass and soil moisture condition. PESERA‐PEAT was numerically evaluated using available field data from four blanket peat‐covered catchments with different erosion conditions and management intensity. PESERA‐PEAT was found to be robust in modelling fluvial erosion in blanket peat. A sensitivity analysis of PESERA‐PEAT showed that modelled sediment yield was more sensitive to vegetation cover than other tested factors such as precipitation, temperature, drainage density and ditch/gully depth. Two versions of PESERA‐PEAT, equilibrium and time‐series, produced similar results under the same environmental conditions, facilitating the use of the model at different scales. The equilibrium model is suitable for assessing the high‐resolution spatial variability of average monthly peat erosion over the study period across large areas (national or global assessments), while the time‐series model is appropriate for investigating continuous monthly peat erosion throughout study periods across smaller areas or large regions using a coarser‐spatial resolution. PESERA‐PEAT will therefore support future investigations into the impact of climate change and management options on blanket peat erosion at various spatial and temporal scales. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of slope angle and aspect on plant cover and species richness in a humid Mediterranean badland

Soil erosion is one of the most severe land degradation processes in the Mediterranean region. Although badlands occupy a relatively small fraction of the Mediterranean area, their erosion rates are very high. Many studies have investigated to what extent vegetation controls soil erosion rates. This study, however, deals with the impact of erosion on vegetation establishment. In semi‐arid badlands of the Mediterranean, soil water availability constitutes the main limiting factor for vegetation development. As a consequence, south‐facing slopes are typically less vegetated due to a very large water stress. However, these findings do not necessarily apply to humid badlands. The main objective of this paper is to determine the topographic thresholds for plant colonization in relation to slope aspect and to assess the spatial patterns of vegetation cover and species richness. We surveyed 179 plots on highly eroded badland slopes in the Central Pyrenees. We defined four aspect classes subdivided into slope angle classes. Colonization success was expressed in terms of vegetation cover and species richness. Slope angle thresholds for plant colonization were identified for each slope aspect class by means of binary logistic regressions. The results show that a critical slope angle exists below which plants colonize the badland slopes. Below this critical slope angle, plant cover and species richness increase with a decreasing slope angle. The largest critical slope angles in humid badlands are observed on south‐facing slopes, which contrasts with the results obtained in semi‐arid badlands. North‐facing slopes however are characterized by a reduced overall vegetation cover and species richness, and lower topographic threshold values. The possible underlying processes responsible for this slope‐aspect discrepancy in vegetation characteristics are discussed in terms of environmental variables that control regolith development, weathering and erosion processes. Moreover, possible restoration strategies through the use of vegetation in highly degraded environments are highlighted. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

融化夹层厚度影响因素分析与片块石路基降温效果研究

青藏公路沿线存在大量融化夹层,常年不冻的融化夹层会使路基出现沉陷、波浪等病害,严重威胁道路的安全运营. 通过对昆仑山垭口南至五道梁的地质勘探资料和地温观测数据进行分析,研究了融化夹层厚度与年平均地温、路基高度的关系,发现融化夹层厚度随年平均地温的升高而增大,随路基高度的升高呈先减小后增大的趋势. 根据以上研究,提出片块石路基对融化夹层进行处治,保护路基下伏多年冻土,并通过五道梁段片块石路基试验工程进行验证. 通过对地温观测数据分析,发现片块石路基能很好的消除融化夹层,在同一深度处片块石路基地温明显低于普通路基,很好的保护了下伏多年冻土.     

基于遥感影像的祁连山区俄博岭热融滑塌发育特征

热融滑塌是山地多年冻土退化最直接的表现形式之一,通过解译祁连山俄博岭地区遥感影像,结合实地考察,对俄博岭热融滑塌的空间分布和时间变化进行了研究,明确了热融滑塌的发育特征。结果表明,俄博岭热融滑塌发育活跃,1997~2015年热融滑塌数量增加(11~13个),面积增大(7765~20605m^2),其中1997~2009年面积增加速率为679.9m^2/a,2009~2015年面积增加速率为780.2m^2/a。通过分析热融滑塌景观分布与地形因子的关系,发现俄博岭热融滑塌在海拔3570~3700m,坡度3°~10°的富冰多年冻土区北向斜坡发育;通过对典型热融滑塌溯源后退速率分析发现,1997~2009年其平均后退速率为2m/a,2009~2015年平均后退速率为5m/a,呈明显增大趋势,且其后退速率主要与坡度、地下冰含量和地表径流相关。