Comparison of ground-based and UAV a-UHF artificial tracer mobility monitoring methods on a braided river

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, which allow wireless detection of individual buried or immersed tracers, represent a step forward in sediment tracking, especially passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) that have been widely used. Despite their widespread adoption in the scientific community, they typically have low efficiency when deployed in river systems with active bedload transport or deep wet channels, attributed to their technical specifications. A recent evaluation of active ultra-high frequency transponders (a-UHF tags) assessed their larger detection range and provided a methodology for their geopositioning. In this study, we test five different survey methods (one including an unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]) in a sediment tracking study, and compare them in terms of recovery rate, field effort, geopositioning error, and efficiency. We then tested the method on a larger reach following a Q₅ flood and performed cross-comparisons between active and passive RFIDs. The results confirmed that the a-UHF RFID technology allowed rapid (1.5 h ha⁻¹) survey of a large area (<34 ha) of emerged bars and shallow water channels with recovery of a high percentage of tracers (72%) that had travelled large distances (mean ≈ 1000 m; max ≈ 3400 m). Moreover, the tracers were identified with low geopositioning error (mean ≈ 7.1 m, ≤1% of their travel distance). We also showed that a UAV-based survey was fast (0.38 h ha⁻¹), efficient (recovery rate = 84%), and low error (mean ≈ 4.2 m). Thus, a-UHF RFID technology permits the development of a variety of survey methods, depending on the study objectives and the human and financial resources available. This allows field efforts to be optimized by determining an appropriate balance between the high equipment cost of a-UHF tracers and the resulting reduced survey costs. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

山东近岸黄海海域初级生产力的时空分布变化研究

于2006年8月(夏季)、2006年12月(冬季)、2007年4月(春季)、2007年10月(秋季)对山东黄海近岸初级生产力的分布进行了4个航次的调查,并对其时空分布特征进行了分析.结果显示:(1) 调查海域春、夏、秋、冬4个航次的初级生产力平均值分别为808.798,372.23,324.717和246.146 mg·m-2·d-1,春季的初级生产力最高,冬季的最低.(2) 春、夏、秋季初级生产力的变化在水平方向上总体呈现出近岸高于远岸的分布特征,而冬季的变化趋势正好相反;在垂直分布上,4个航次初级生产力均以相对海平面光强30%～10%的水层为最高,其中夏季初级生产力分层现象明显,春、秋、冬季各水层间的差异不显著.(3) 环境因子的变化对初级生产力的作用不同,利用同化指数法求得的初级生产力比14C同位素示踪法测得的数值高出1～70倍.     

伟晶岩中不同副矿物U-Pb同位素定年和示踪的问题与应用

定年和示踪一直是伟晶岩成岩成矿过程和稀有金属富集机制研究的关键问题。副矿物不仅是伟晶岩中稀有稀土元素的重要载体,还蕴含丰富的微量元素并常常具有较高的U- Th含量,是研究伟晶岩年代学、成岩成矿过程和物质源区的“理想探针”。伟晶岩中常用的适合于U- Pb同位素定年的副矿物有锆石、铌钽铁矿、独居石、锡石、榍石、褐帘石、磷钇矿和磷灰石等。由于封闭温度、矿物学特性和不同性质流体中元素行为的差异,伟晶岩中不同副矿物的U- Pb系统常表现出复杂的年龄谱系,可能记录了伟晶岩中潜在的后期地质过程,如：自交代、后期变质与流体改造等。因此,基于前期光学显微镜、扫描电镜、冷阴极发光、激光拉曼光谱分析等矿物微观结构研究,对不同期次或世代的副矿物进行原位微区U- Pb定年及主微量元素和同位素地球化学分析,对于全面认知多期地质事件和伟晶岩成岩成矿过程演化历史,进而更准确地构建其构造- 岩浆- 热液- 成矿作用时空框架具有重要的科学意义。     

Integration of Tracer Test Data to Refine Geostatistical Hydraulic Conductivity Fields Using Sequential Self-Calibration Method

On the basis of local measurements of hydraulic conductivity,geostatistical methods have been found to be useful in heterogeneity characterization of a hydraulic conductivity field on a regional scale. However,the methods are not suited to directly integrate dynamic production data,such as,hydraulic head and solute concentration,into the study of conductivity distribution. These data,which record the flow and transport processes in the medium,are closely related to the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity. In this study,a three-dimensional gradient-based inverse method-the sequential self-calibration (SSC) method-is developed to calibrate a hydraulic conductivity field,initially generated by a geostatistical simulation method,conditioned on tracer test results. The SSC method can honor both local hydraulic conductivity measurements and tracer test data. The mismatch between the simulated hydraulic conductivity field and the reference true one,measured by its mean square error (MSE),is reduced through the SSC conditional study. In comparison with the unconditional results,the SSC conditional study creates the mean breakthrough curve much closer to the reference true curve,and significantly reduces the prediction uncertainty of the solute transport in the observed locations. Further,the reduction of uncertainty is spatially dependent,which indicates that good locations,geological structure,and boundary conditions will affect the efficiency of the SSC study results.     

Nitrates as indicators of aquifer interconnection. Application to the Campo de Dalías (SE – Spain)

 Relatively high concentrations of NO₃ usually have their origin in processes of organic pollution and excessive use of inorganic fertilizers. In the case of agricultural areas, these activities may generate great quantities of nitrates. This fact has enabled us to use the nitrate ion to characterize an exploited aquifer unit of a very complex aquifer system, as is the case for the Campo de Dalías aquifer system (SE Spain). The shallow boreholes, which draw water from intensively cultivated superficial formations, yield waters with a high NO₃ content. When the boreholes are deeper and penetrate low-permeability formations in the superficial layers, the waters contain little NO₃; similar to what happens in areas of recharge where agricultural activities are absent. In addition, using longitudinal sections, it is possible to demonstrate the possible existence of connections between superficial and deep aquifers using NO₃ as a tracer. Similarly one can locate those sectors responsible for contamination caused by the poorly lined boreholes themselves, when they perforate more than one aquifer in a multiple aquifer formation. Received: 22 December 1998 · Accepted: 20 March 1999     

四川九寨沟水循环系统的同位素示踪

运用天然水的同位素示踪技术追溯四川九寨沟水的来源及运移过程,研究九寨沟水循环系统,即大气降水、地表水和地下水的动态转换关系。揭示不同水体的补排关系和不同水文地 质单元之间的水力联系,可用于保护及合理开发这里自然景观资源。     

Ecohydrological modelling with EcH2O‐iso to quantify forest and grassland effects on water partitioning and flux ages

We used the new process‐based, tracer‐aided ecohydrological model EcH₂O‐iso to assess the effects of vegetation cover on water balance partitioning and associated flux ages under temperate deciduous beech forest (F) and grassland (G) at an intensively monitored site in Northern Germany. Unique, multicriteria calibration, based on measured components of energy balance, hydrological function and biomass accumulation, resulted in good simulations reproducing measured soil surface temperatures, soil water content, transpiration, and biomass production. Model results showed the forest “used” more water than the grassland; of 620 mm average annual precipitation, losses were higher through interception (29% under F, 16% for G) and combined soil evaporation and transpiration (59% F, 47% G). Consequently, groundwater (GW) recharge was enhanced under grassland at 37% (~225 mm) of precipitation compared with 12% (~73 mm) for forest. The model tracked the ages of water in different storage compartments and associated fluxes. In shallow soil horizons, the average ages of soil water fluxes and evaporation were similar in both plots (~1.5 months), though transpiration and GW recharge were older under forest (~6 months compared with ~3 months for transpiration, and ~12 months compared with ~10 months for GW). Flux tracking using measured chloride data as a conservative tracer provided independent support for the modelling results, though highlighted effects of uncertainties in forest partitioning of evaporation and transpiration. By tracking storage—flux—age interactions under different land covers, EcH₂O‐iso could quantify the effects of vegetation on water partitioning and age distributions. Given the likelihood of drier, warmer summers, such models can help assess the implications of land use for water resource availability to inform debates over building landscape resilience to climate change. Better conceptualization of soil water mixing processes and improved calibration data on leaf area index and root distribution appear obvious respective modelling and data needs for improved simulations.     

Isotope mixing models require individual isotopic tracer content for correct quantification of sediment source contributions

The use of isotopic tracers for sediment source apportionment is gaining interest with recent introduction of compound‐specific stable isotope tracers. The method relies on linear mixing of source isotopic tracers, and deconvolution of a sediment mixture initially quantifies the contribution of sources to the mixture's tracer signature. Therefore, a correction to obtain real sediment source proportions is subsequently required. As far as we are aware, all published studies to date have used total isotopic tracer content or a proxy (e.g., soil carbon content) for this post‐unmixing correction. However, as the relationship between the isotopic tracer mixture and the source mixture is different for each isotopic tracer, post‐unmixing corrections cannot be carried out with one single factor. This contribution presents an isotopic tracer model structure—the concentration‐dependent isotope mixing model (CD‐IMM)—to overcome this limitation. Herein, we aim to clarify why the “conventional” approach to converting isotopic tracer proportions to source proportions using a single factor is wrong. In an initial mathematical assessment, error incurred by not using CD‐IMM (NCD‐IMM) in unmixing two sources with two isotopic tracers showed a complex relation as a function of relative tracer contents. Next, three artificial mixtures with different proportions of three soil sources were prepared and deconvoluted using ¹³C of fatty acids using CD‐IMM and NCD‐IMM. Using NCD‐IMM affected both accuracy (mean average error increased up to a threefold compared with the CD‐IMM output) and precision (interquartile range was up to 2.5 times larger). Finally, as an illustrative example, the proportional source contribution reported in a published study was recalculated using CD‐IMM. This resulted in changes in estimated source proportions and associated uncertainties. Content of isotopic tracers is seldom reported in published work concerning use of isotopic tracers for sediment source partitioning. The magnitude of errors made by miscalculation in former studies is therefore difficult to assess. With this contribution, we hope the community will acknowledge the limitations of prior approaches and use a CD‐IMM in future studies.     

Variability of unsaturated Bromide fluxes as measured through a layered volcanic vadose zone in New Zealand

The measured drainage fluxes through a layered volcanic vadose zone exhibited high spatial variability as a consequence of heterogeneous flow conditions. The drainage flux variability was quantified using automated equilibrium tension lysimeters, installed in close‐proximity and resulted in high variability in the Br masses recovered from a conservative tracer experiment. The primary cause of the heterogeneous flow was attributed to textural changes occurring at the interface between volcanic layers, resulting in development of funnel‐flow patterns, and further enhanced by the existence of hydrophobic conditions. The Br recoveries in individual automated equilibrium tension lysimeters were used to determine the corresponding variable sizes of the surface areas contributing drainage to the lysimeters. The tracer experiment confirmed the existence of unsaturated lateral transport occurring at the sloping interface of the coarse Taupo Ignimbrite material with the silty Palaeosol layer at approximately 4.2 m depth. This study demonstrates that measurements of both flux and solute concentrations at multiple locations are essential when heterogeneous flow is suspected to be present, to be able to determine reliable estimates of contaminant leaching through the vadose zone at the plot scale. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating runoff from a glacierized catchment using natural tracers in the semi‐arid Andes cordillera

This paper presents a methodology for hydrograph separation in mountain watersheds, which aims at identifying flow sources among ungauged headwater sub‐catchments through a combination of observed streamflow and data on natural tracers including isotope and dissolved solids. Daily summer and bi‐daily spring season water samples obtained at the outlet of the Juncal River Basin in the Andes of Central Chile were analysed for all major ions as well as stable water isotopes, δ¹⁸O and δD. Additionally, various samples from rain, snow, surface streams and exfiltrating subsurface water (springs) were sampled throughout the catchment. A principal component analysis was performed in order to address cross‐correlation in the tracer dataset, reduce the dimensionality of the problem and uncover patterns of variability. Potential sources were identified in a two‐component U‐space that explains 94% of the observed tracer variability at the catchment outlet. Hydrograph separation was performed through an Informative‐Bayesian model. Our results indicate that the Juncal Norte Glacier headwater sub‐catchment contributed at least 50% of summer flows at the Juncal River Basin outlet during the 2011–2012 water year (a hydrologically dry period in the Region), even though it accounts for only 27% of the basin area. Our study confirms the value of combining solute and isotope information for estimating source contributions in complex hydrologic systems, and provides insights regarding experimental design in high‐elevation semi‐arid catchments. The findings of this study can be useful for evaluating modelling studies of the hydrological consequences of the rapid decrease in glacier cover observed in this region, by providing insights into the origin of river water in basins with little hydrometeorological information. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.