Impact of precipitation characteristics on soil hydrology in tile‐drained landscapes

Understanding the variables regulating tile‐flow response to precipitation in the US Midwest is critical for water quality management. This study (1) investigates the relationship between precipitation characteristics, antecedent water table depth and tile‐flow response at a high temporal resolution during storms; and (2) determines the relative importance of macropore flow versus matrix flow in tile flow in a tile‐drained soya bean field in Indiana. In spring, although variations in antecedent water table depth imparted some variation in tile‐flow response to precipitation, bulk precipitation was the best predictor of mean tile flow, maximum tile flow, time to peak, and run‐off ratio. The contribution of macropore flow to total flow significantly increased with precipitation amount, and macropore flow represented between 11 and 50% of total drain flow, with peak contributions between 15 and 74% of flow. For large storms (>6 cm bulk precipitation), cations data indicated a dilution of groundwater with new water as discharge peaked. Although no clear dilution or concentration patterns for Mg²⁺ or K⁺ were observed for smaller tile flow generating events (<3 cm bulk precipitation), macropore flow still contributed between 11 and 17% of the total flow for these moderate size storms. Inter‐drain comparison stressed the need to use triplicate or duplicate tile drain experiments when investigating tile drainage impact on water and N losses at the plot scale. These results significantly increase our understanding of the hydrological functioning of tile‐drained fields in spring, when most N losses to streams occur in the US Midwest. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Anticipating the effects of groundwater withdrawal on seawater intrusion and soil settlement in urban coastal areas

Intensive pumping in urban coastal areas is a common threat to water resource quality due to seawater intrusion. In those areas where subsurface water resources are not usually used for human consumption or irrigation, intensive pumping is associated with other activities like the lowering of the water table necessary to support underground structures and building foundations. This activity also increases the likelihood of soil settlement that affects building stability and the corrosion of concrete structures due to groundwater salinity. Under these circumstances, the awareness of a certain municipality (Calonge, NE Spain) of the potential effects of groundwater withdrawal upon foundations has led to an integrated approach to anticipate seawater intrusion related to urban development. Geological mapping and correlation of borehole logs, electrical resistivity tomography, and hydrochemical data provide comprehensive knowledge of the geology and hydrogeology of the area and act as screening tools necessary to discern the influence of hydrological processes in coastal areas. Developing Strack's analytical solution, new comprehensive, dimensionless expressions are herein derived to determine the critical pumping rate necessary to prevent seawater intrusion, as well as to reproduce the evolution of the wedge toe and the water table stagnation point under different withdrawal rates. Furthermore, the Dupuit–Forchheimer well discharge formula allows the estimation of the effects of the water table lowering due to such critical pumping in the surrounding building foundations. Field data from the Calonge coastal plain illustrate this approach and provide assessment criteria for future urban development and planning. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Raindrop‐impact‐induced erosion processes and prediction: a review

Raindrop‐impact‐induced erosion is initiated when detachment of soil particles from the surface of the soil results from an expenditure of raindrop energy. Once detachment by raindrop impact has taken place, particles are transported away from the site of the impact by one or more of the following transport processes: drop splash, raindrop‐induced flow transport, or transport by flow without stimulation by drop impact. These transport processes exhibit varying efficiencies. Particles that fall back to the surface as a result of gravity produce a layer of pre‐detached particles that provides a degree of protection against the detachment of particles from the underlying soil. This, in turn, influences the erodibility of the eroding surface. Good understanding of rainfall erosion processes is necessary if the results of erosion experiments are to be properly interpreted. Current process‐based erosion prediction models do not deal with the issue of temporal variations in erodibility during a rainfall event or variabilities in erodibility associated with spatial changes in dominance of the transport processes that follow detachment by drop impact. Although more complex erosion models may deal with issues like this, their complexity and high data requirement may make them unsuitable for use as general prediction tools. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Snow cover and snowmelt of an extensive High Arctic wetland: spatial and temporal seasonal patterns

Abstract

This study examined the end-of-winter snow storage, its distribution and the spatial and temporal melt patterns of a large, low gradient wetland at Polar Bear Pass, Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canada. The project utilized a combination of field observations and a physically-based snowmelt model. Topography and wind were the major controls on snow distribution in the region, and snow was routinely scoured from the hilltop regions and deposited into hillslopes and valleys. Timing and duration of snowmelt at Polar Bear Pass were similar in 2008 and 2009. The snowmelt was initiated by an increase in air temperature and net radiation receipt. Inter-annual variability in spatial snowmelt patterns was evident at Polar Bear Pass and was attributed to a non-uniform snow cover distribution and local microclimate conditions. In situ field studies and modelling remain important in High Arctic regions for assessing wetland water budgets and runoff, in addition to model parameterization and validation of satellite imagery.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Assini, J. and Young, K.L., 2012. Snow cover and snowmelt of an extensive High Arctic wetland: spatial and temporal seasonal patterns. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (4), 738–755.     

Evaluation of a probabilistic approach to simulation of alkalinity and electrical conductivity at a river bank filtration site

In river bank filtration, impurities present in the river water travel with the bank filtrate towards the pumping well. During this passage, certain types of impurities, such as turbidity, total coliform, and so forth, may get attenuated; however, it is interesting to note that some of the instant raw river water quality parameters, such as alkalinity and electrical conductivity, increase after the passage of water through the porous medium. This occurs because water, when passing through the soil pores, absorbs many of the solutes that cause an increase in alkalinity and electrical conductivity. Measurements at a river bank filtration site for a year showed that alkalinity of 116–32 mg l^?1 in river water increased to 222.4–159.9 mg l^?1 in the river bank filtered water. Likewise, the electrical conductivity increased from 280–131 μS cm^?1 to 462–409.6 μS cm^?1. This study uses a probabilistic approach for investigating the variation of alkalinity and electrical conductivity of source water that varies with the natural logarithm of the concentration of influent water. The probabilistic approach has the potential of being used in simulating the variation of alkalinity and electrical conductivity in river bank filtrate. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Potential Influence of a Developing La Niña on the Sea-Ice Reduction in the Barents–Kara Seas

Abstract

The potential influence of a developing La Niña on Arctic sea-ice annual variability is investigated using both observational data and an atmospheric general circulation model. It is found that during the developing phase of an eastern Pacific (EP) La Niña event in June, July, and August (JJA) and September, October, and November (SON), the sea-ice concentration (SIC) over the Barents–Kara Seas declines more than 15%. The local atmospheric circulation pattern associated with the EP La Niña is characterized as a weak decrease in geopotential height over the Barents–Kara Seas, combined with an anticyclone in the North Atlantic. The corresponding southerly winds push warm waters northward into the key sea-ice reduction region and directly accelerate sea-ice melt. Meanwhile, the abundant moisture contained in the lower troposphere is transported into the Arctic region by winds resulting from the local barotropic structure. The humid atmosphere contributes to both net shortwave and longwave radiation and thus indirectly accelerates the decline in sea ice. Simulations by the European Centre Hamburg Model, version 5.4, are forced by observed sea surface temperature anomalies associated with EP La Niña events. The results of the simulations capture the North Atlantic anticyclone and reproduce the moisture transport, which supports the premise that an EP La Niña plays a crucial role in sea-ice reduction over the Barents–Kara sector from the perspective of atmospheric circulation and net surface heat flux.     

Nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil

This article presents a method for the nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil. The method considers the force and the moment equilibrium to derive the system equations for a rigid pile under a lateral eccentric load. The system equations are then solved using an iteration scheme to obtain the response of the pile. The method considers the nonlinear variation of the ultimate lateral soil resistance with depth and uses a new closed‐form expression proposed in this article to determine the lateral bearing factor. The method also considers the horizontal shear resistance at the pile base, and a bilinear relationship between the shear resistance and the displacement is used. For simplicity, the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction is assumed to be constant with depth, which is applicable to piles in overconsolidated clay. The nonlinearity of the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction with pile displacement at ground surface is also considered. The validity of the developed method is demonstrated by comparing its results with those of 3D finite element analysis. The applications of the developed method to analyze five field test piles also show good agreement between the predictions and the experimental results. The developed method offers an alternative approach for simple and effective analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mosaic desert pavement influences water infiltration and vegetation distribution on fluvial fan surfaces

Desert pavements (DPs) are critical for maintaining ecological stability and promoting near-surface hydrological cycling in arid regions. However, few studies have focused on eco-hydrological processes of DPs in the ecological systems of fluvial fans. Although DP surfaces appear to be barren and flat, we found that the surfaces are characterized by surface mosaic patterns of desert pavement (mosaic DP) and bare ground (mosaic BG). We investigated the effects of mosaic DP on water infiltration and vegetation distribution at six sites in fluvial fans (one on a hillside and five within the sectors of fans) along a southwest belt transect in northern Linze County, in the central Hexi Corridor (China). We found significant differences in mosaic DP between the hillside and sector sites in terms of pavement thickness and vesicular horizon thickness (Av thickness), particle composition, and bulk density, although significant differences were absent for mass soil water content, gravel coverage, and surface gravel size. The mosaic DP inhibited water infiltration by the pavement layer, where the sorptivity (S), initial infiltration rate (i_int), steady-state infiltration rate (i_sat) and infiltration time (T) averaged 1.19 cm/min^-0.5, 0.64 cm/min, 0.13 cm/min and 12.76 min, respectively. Where the pavement layer was scalped, the S, i_int, and i_sat increased by 0.27 cm/min^-0.5, 0.52 cm/min, and 0.40 cm/min, respectively, and the T reduced by 7.42 min. Water infiltration was mainly controlled by the pavement layer thickness (+), Av thickness (−), surface gravel coverage (−), fine earth (+) and fine gravel (−) in the pavement layer. The DP surfaces only had a sparse covering of shrubs, but an abundance of herbs. Few shrubs were present on the mosaic DP, but a greater number of shrubs and herbs grew on the mosaic BG. It can be concluded that DPs can maintain vegetation stability for different surface mosaic patterns. This study deepens our understanding of the eco-hydrological cycle of DP landscapes in arid regions.     

Identifying effects of local and nonlocal factors of soil water storage using cyclical correlation analysis

There are various factors governing the spatial and temporal variability of soil water storage including soil properties, topography and vegetation. Some factors act locally, whereas others act nonlocally, which means that a factor measured at one location has effect on soil water storage at another location. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of local and nonlocal controls of soil water storage in a hummocky landscape using cyclical correlation analysis. Soil water storage, soil properties and terrain indices were measured along a 128‐point transect of 576 m long from the semiarid, hummocky, prairie pothole region of North America. There are large coefficients of determination (r²) between soil water storage and sand content (r² = 0.32–0.53), organic carbon content (r² = 0.22–0.56), depth to carbonate layer (r² = 0.13–0.63), wetness index (r² = 0.25–0.45) and other variables at the measurement scale at different times, indicating strong local effects from these variables. The correlation coefficients were also calculated by physically shifting the spatial series of soil water storage with respect to that of controlling factors. The shifting improves the correlation between the spatial series, and the length of shifting indicated the difference in the response of soil water to its controlling factors. For example, the value of r² increased more than eightfold (r² = 0.47–0.64) after shifting the spatial series of soil water storage by 54 m, almost equal to the average length of existing slope, compared with the very weak correlation (r² = 0.02–0.08) at the measurement scale. This indicated the nonlocal effect from the relative elevation. The identification of nonlocal effects from factors improves the prediction of soil water storage. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of fibre‐optic distributed temperature sensing to traditional methods of evaluating groundwater inflow to streams

There are several methods for determining the spatial distribution and magnitude of groundwater inputs to streams. We compared the results of conventional methods [dye dilution gauging, acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) differential gauging, and geochemical end‐member mixing] to distributed temperature sensing (DTS) using a fibre‐optic cable installed along 900 m of Ninemile Creek in Syracuse, New York, USA, during low‐flow conditions (discharge of 1·4 m³ s^?1). With the exception of differential gauging, all methods identified a focused, contaminated groundwater inflow and produced similar groundwater discharge estimates for that point, with a mean of 66·8 l s^?1 between all methods although the precision of these estimates varied. ADV discharge measurement accuracy was reduced by non‐ideal conditions and failed to identify, much less quantify, the modest groundwater input, which was only 5% of total stream flow. These results indicate ambient tracers, such as heat and geochemical mixing, can yield spatially and quantitatively refined estimates of relatively modest groundwater inflow even in large rivers. DTS heat tracing, in particular, provided the finest spatial characterization of groundwater inflow, and may be more universally applicable than geochemical methods, for which a distinct and consistent groundwater end member may be more difficult to identify. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.