Reach‐scale contributions of road‐surface sediment to the Honna River,Haida Gwaii,BC

Gravel road surfaces can be a major source of fine sediment to streams, yet their contribution to channel reach sediment balances remains poorly documented. To quantify the input of road surface material and to compare this input with natural sediment sources at the reach scale, suspended sediment dynamics was examined and a 16‐month sediment balance was developed for a ~35 channel‐width (approx. 425 m) reach of the Honna River, a medium‐size, road‐affected stream located in coastal British Columbia. Of the 105 ± 33 t of suspended material passing through the reach, 18 ± 6% was attributed to the road surface. The high availability of sediment on the road surface appears to limit hysteresis in road run‐off. During rainstorms that increase streamflow, road surface material composed 0.5–15% of sediment inputs during relatively dry conditions from April to the end of September and 5–70% through wetter conditions from October to the end of March, but our data do not show evidence of major sediment accumulation on the riverbed in the reach. A comparison of modelled sediment production on the road surface with observed yields from drainage channels suggests that (1) during low intensity rainfall, ditches and drainage channels may trap sediment from road run‐off, which is subsequently released during events of greater intensity, and/or (2) production models do not effectively describe processes, such as deposition or erosion of sediment in ditches, which control sediment transport and delivery. Our findings further emphasize the risk of unpaved roads in polluting river systems and highlight the continued need for careful road design and location away from sensitive aquatic environments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Watershed delineation using hydrographic features and a DEM in plain river network region

Watershed delineation is a required step when conducting any spatially distributed hydrological modelling. Automated approaches are often proposed to delineate a watershed based on a river network extracted from the digital elevation model (DEM) using the deterministic eight‐neighbour (D8) method. However, a realistic river network cannot be derived from conventional DEM processing methods for a large flat area with a complex network of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and polders, referred to as a plain river network region (PRNR). In this study, a new approach, which uses both hydrographic features and DEM, has been developed to address the problems of watershed delineation in PRNR. It extracts the river nodes and determines the flow directions of the river network based on a vector‐based hydrographic feature data model. The river network, lakes, reservoirs, and polders are then used to modify the flow directions of grid cells determined by D8 approach. The watershed is eventually delineated into four types of catchments including lakes, reservoirs, polders, and overland catchments based on the flow direction matrix and the location of river nodes. Multiple flow directions of grid cells are represented using a multi‐direction encoding method, and multiple outflows of catchments are also reflected in the topology of catchments. The proposed approach is applied to the western Taihu watershed in China. Comparisons between the results obtained from the D8 approach, the ‘stream burning’ approach, and those from the proposed approach clearly demonstrate an improvement of the new approach over the conventional approaches. This approach will benefit the development of distributed hydrological models in PRNR for the consideration of different types and multiple inlets and outlets of catchments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

River evaporation,condensation and heat fluxes within a first‐order tributary of Catamaran Brook (New Brunswick,Canada)

Stream temperature plays an important role in many biotic and abiotic processes, as it influences many physical, chemical and biological properties in rivers. As such, a good understanding of the thermal regime of rivers is essential for effective fisheries management and the protection aquatic habitats. Moreover, a thorough understanding of underlying physical processes and river heat fluxes is essential in the development of better and more adaptive water temperature models. Very few studies have measured river evaporation and condensation and subsequently calculated corresponding heat fluxes in small tributary streams, mainly because microclimate data (data collected within the stream environment) are essential and rarely available. As such, the present study will address these issues by measuring river evaporation and condensation in tributary 1 (Trib 1, a small tributary within Catamaran Brook) using floating minipans. The latent heat flux and other important fluxes were calculated. Results showed that evaporation was low within the small Trib 1 of Catamaran Brook, less than 0.07 mm day^?1. Results showed that condensation played an important role in the latent heat flux. In fact, condensation was present during 34 of 92 days (37%) during the summer, which occurred when air temperature was greater than water temperature by 4–6 °C. Heat fluxes within this small stream showed that solar radiation dominated the heat gains and long‐wave radiation dominated the heat losses. © 2015 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Hydrological Processes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variability in the vertical hyporheic water exchange affected by hydraulic conductivity and river morphology at a natural confluent meander bend

River confluences and their associated tributaries are key morphodynamic nodes that play important roles in controlling hydraulic geometry and hyporheic water exchange in fluvial networks. However, the existing knowledge regarding hyporheic water exchange associated with river confluence morphology is relatively scarce. On January 14 and 15, 2016, the general hydraulic and morphological characteristics of the confluent meander bend (CMB) between the Juehe River and the Haohe River in the southern region of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China, were investigated. The patterns and magnitudes of vertical hyporheic water exchange (VHWE) were estimated based on a one‐dimensional heat steady‐state model, whereas the sediment vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_v) was calculated via in situ permeameter tests. The results demonstrated that 6 hydrodynamic zones and their extensions were observed at the CMB during the test period. These zones were likely controlled by the obtuse junction angle and low momentum flux ratio, influencing the sediment grain size distribution of the CMB. The VHWE patterns at the test site during the test period mostly showed upwelling flow dominated by regional groundwater discharging into the river. The occurrence of longitudinal downwelling and upwelling patterns along the meander bend at the CMB was likely subjected to the comprehensive influences of the local sinuosity of the meander bend and regional groundwater discharge and finally formed regional and local flow paths. Additionally, in dominated upwelling areas, the change in VHWE magnitudes was nearly consistent with that in K_v values, and higher values of both variables generally occurred in erosional zones near the thalweg paths of the CMB, which were mostly made up of sand and gravel. This was potentially caused by the erosional and depositional processes subjected to confluence morphology. Furthermore, lower K_v values observed in downwelling areas at the CMB were attributed to sediment clogging caused by local downwelling flow. The confluence morphology and sediment K_v are thus likely the driving factors that cause local variations in the VHWE of fluvial systems.     

Cracking risk of partially saturated porous media—Part I: Microporoelasticity model

Drying of deformable porous media results in their shrinkage, and it may cause cracking provided that shrinkage deformations are hindered by kinematic constraints. This is the motivation to develop a thermodynamics‐based microporoelasticity model for the assessment of cracking risk in partially saturated porous geomaterials. The study refers to 3D representative volume elements of porous media, including a two‐scale double‐porosity material with a pore network comprising (at the mesoscale) 3D mesocracks in the form of oblate spheroids, and (at the microscale) spherical micropores of different sizes. Surface tensions prevailing in all interfaces between solid, liquid, and gaseous matters are taken into account. To establish a thermodynamics‐based crack propagation criterion for a two‐scale double‐porosity material, the potential energy of the solid is derived, accounting—in particular—for mesocrack geometry changes (main original contribution) and for effective micropore pressures, which depend (due to surface tensions) on the pore radius. Differentiating the potential energy with respect to crack density parameter yields the thermodynamical driving force for crack propagation, which is shown to be governed by an effective macrostrain. It is found that drying‐related stresses in partially saturated mesocracks reduce the cracking risk. The drying‐related effective underpressures in spherical micropores, in turn, result in a tensile eigenstress of the matrix in which the mesocracks are embedded. This way, micropores increase the mesocracking risk. Model application to the assessment of cracking risk during drying of argillite is the topic of the companion paper (Part II). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissolved nitrous oxide (N2O) dynamics in agricultural field drains and headwater streams in an intensive arable catchment

Indirect nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions produced by nitrogen (N) leaching into surface water and groundwater bodies are poorly understood in comparison to direct N₂O emissions from soils. In this study, dissolved N₂O concentrations were measured weekly in both lowland headwater streams and subsurface agricultural field drain discharges over a 2‐year period (2013–2015) in an intensive arable catchment, Norfolk, UK. All field drain and stream water samples were found to have dissolved N₂O concentrations higher than the water–air equilibrium concentration, illustrating that all sites were acting as a net source of N₂O emissions to the atmosphere. Soil texture was found to significantly influence field drain N₂O dynamics, with mean concentrations from drains in clay loam soils (5.3 μg N L^?1) being greater than drains in sandy loam soils (4.0 μg N L^?1). Soil texture also impacted upon the relationships between field drain N₂O concentrations and other water quality parameters (pH, flow rate, and nitrate (NO₃) and nitrite (NO₂) concentrations), highlighting possible differences in N₂O production mechanisms in different soil types. Catchment antecedent moisture conditions influenced the storm event mobilisation of N₂O in both field drains and streams, with the greatest concentration increases recorded during precipitation events preceded by prolonged wet conditions. N₂O concentrations also varied seasonally, with the lowest mean concentrations typically occurring during the summer months (JJA). Nitrogen fertiliser application rates and different soil inversion regimes were found to have no effect on dissolved N₂O concentrations, whereas higher N₂O concentrations recorded in field drains under a winter cover crop compared to fallow fields revealed cover crops are an ineffective greenhouse gas emission mitigation strategy. Overall, this study highlights the complex interactions governing the dynamics of dissolved N₂O concentrations in field drains and headwater streams in a lowland intensive agricultural catchment.     

Tide,Wind, and River Forcing of the Surface Currents in the Fraser River Plume

A long-term record of surface currents from a high-frequency radar system, along with near-surface hydrographic transects, moored current meter records, and satellite imagery, are analyzed to determine the relative importance of river discharge, wind, and tides in driving the surface flow in the Fraser River plume. The observations show a great deal of oceanographic and instrumental variability. However, averaged quantities yielded robust results. The effect of river flow, which determines buoyancy and inertia near the river mouth, was found by taking a long-term average. The resulting flow field was dominated by a jet with two asymmetric gyres; the anticyclonic gyre to the north had flow speeds consistent with geostrophy. The mean flow speed near the river mouth was 14.3?cm?s^–1, while the flow further afield was 5?cm?s^–1 or less. Wind stress and surface currents were highly coherent in the subtidal frequency band. Northwesterly winds drive a surface flow to the southeast at speeds of nearly 30?cm?s^–1. Southeasterly winds drive a surface flow to the northwest at speeds reaching 20?cm?s^–1; however, there is more spatial variability in speed and direction relative to the northwesterly wind case. A harmonic analysis was used to extract the tidally driven flows. Ellipse parameters for the major tidal constituents varied considerably in both alignment and aspect ratio over the radar domain, in direct contrast to a barotropic model which predicted rectilinear flow along the Strait of Georgia. This is a result of water filling and draining the shallow mud flats north of the Fraser's main channel. The M₂ velocities at the surface were also weaker than their barotropic counterparts. However, the shallow water constituent MK₃ was enhanced at the surface and nearly as strong as the mean flow, implying that non-linear interactions are important to surface dynamics.     

基于改进综合气象干旱指数的2011年和2013年长江中下游干旱低频振荡特征分析

利用NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料和地面观测资料,基于改进的综合气象干旱指数（I_C）对长江中下游地区2011年春季和2013年夏季干旱过程的低频振荡特征进行了分析。结果表明：2011年春季干旱过程的主要低频I_C周期为30~60 d,西太平洋500 hPa正异常低频高度场系统的西移、南支锋区上游500 hPa正异常低频高度场系统的东移和北扩、西北地区东部低层低频反气旋的向南移动可能是低频I_C传播变化特征的重要原因。2013年夏季干旱过程的主要低频I_C周期也为30~60 d,西亚和西北太平洋500 hPa正异常低频高度场向我国南方地区移动、孟加拉湾和西北太平洋的低层低频反气旋向西和向北移动与低频I_C传播变化特征有重要联系。     

1991年5-7月江淮洪涝:水汽和冷空气的作用比较

对1991年5-7月江淮流域持续性暴雨的环流异常进行分析,比较造成此次洪涝的水汽输送和冷空气活动重要性。结果表明：（1）东亚大槽维持在中国东北上空发展明显,同时鄂霍次克海上空没有建立强大阻高,这种形势有利于冷空气持续向南侵袭,盛行经向环流。此外,低纬度地区,西太平洋副热带高压主体位置于常年同期相比,明显偏西、偏强,有利于暖湿气流沿副热带高压北上到达江淮流域,与北方冷空气辐合形成强降水。（2）通过定义I_T和I_q分别表征温度与水汽对降水的贡献,发现此次江淮流域地区强降水是由对流层低层水汽异常增多和气温异常偏低共同造成的,作用基本相当。     

Approach to calculating spatial similarity degrees of the same river basin networks on multi-scale maps

Obtaining spatial similarity degrees among the same objects on multi-scale maps is of importance in map generalization. This paper firstly defines the concepts of ‘map scale change’ and ‘spatial similarity degree’; then it proposes a model for calculating the spatial similarity degree between a river basin network at one scale and its generalized version at another scale. After this, it validates the new model and gets 16 points in the model validation process. The x-coordinate and y-coordinate of each point are map scale change and spatial similarity degree, respectively. Last, a formula for calculating spatial similarity degree taking map scale change as the only variable is obtained by the curve fitting method. The formula along with the model can be used to automate the algorithms for simplifying river basin networks.