Applicability of the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation for prediction of sediment yield in Khanmirza watershed,Iran

Abstract

The present study aims to estimate the sediment yield due to storm rainfall and runoff at the outlet of the Khanmirza watershed (395 km²) located in western Iran. The estimation was made for six storm events using the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE). All the inputs required for the application of the model were determined through runoff and sediment concentration monitoring at the time of storm events, and field surveys in the study area. The applicability of the model to the study area was then evaluated by comparison of its estimates with those calculated using the measured sediment data. The results of the study demonstrated the efficiency of the MUSLE in estimating storm-associated sediment yield except one storm event in the study area with a high level of agreement and non-significant differences between mean estimated and measured values in the study storm events.     

Movement of tidal watersheds in the Wadden Sea and its consequences on the morphological development

The Wadden Sea consists of a series of tidal lagoons which are connected to the North Sea by tidal inlets. Boundaries of each lagoon are the mainland coast, the barrier islands on both sides of the tidal inlet, and the tidal watersheds behind the two barrier islands. Behind each Wadden Island there is a tidal watershed separating two adjacent tidal lagoons. The locations of the tidal watersheds in the Wadden Sea are not fixed. Especially after a human interference in one of the tidal lagoons, a tidal watershed can move and thereby influence the distribution of area between the lagoons. This appears to be important for the morphological development in not only the basin in which the interference takes place, but also in the adjacent basins. This paper describes theoretical analyses and numerical modelling aimed at improving the insights into the location of the tidal watersheds, their movements, and the impact of the movements of tidal watersheds on the morphological development of a multi-basin system like the Wadden Sea.     

Spatial estimation of long-term seasonal and annual groundwater resources: application of WetSpass model in the Werii watershed of the Tekeze River Basin,Ethiopia

Treelines are widely studied worldwide in relation to climate changes because they are hypothesized to be sensitive climate proxies. However, forest treeline expansion toward higher altitudes may be influenced both by a warming climate and by other factors, such as surface morphology and, in the European Alps, the decline in alpine farming. Our results from five valleys in the inner and peripheral regions of the Alps show that present-day treeline altitudes mostly depend on anthropogenic and orographicgeomorphologic factors. Climatic treelines are limited to steep and inaccessible slopes, and occur at higher altitudes and farther from mountain peaks in the inner regions than in the peripheral regions of the mountain range. Looking for sites in which to study treeline responses to climate change, we recommend investigating the inner regions of the Alps where treelines are farther from human disturbances and from geomorphologic constraints, potentially resulting in freer upward shifts under warmer temperature conditions. We also found that, in the valleys selected, human disturbance is mainly concentrated about 165 m below non-climatic treelines, suggesting a homogeneous influence on treelines, regardless of geographic position.     

Analyzing the runoff response to soil and water conservation measures in a tropical humid Ethiopian highland

Abstract

Different soil and water conservation (SWC) practices have been implemented in many drought-prone parts of Ethiopia since the 1980s. We assessed the effect of SWC practices on runoff response and experimentally derived and tested the validity of the runoff curve number (CN) model parameter for the tropical humid highland climate of the Kasiry watershed in northwestern Ethiopia. We recorded daily rainfall and runoff depth from 18 runoff plots (30 m long × 6 m wide) representing the five main land-use types with various SWC practices and two slope classes (gentle and steep). CN values were derived using the lognormal geometric mean CN procedure. Runoff was significantly less from plots with SWC measures, with average reductions of 44 and 65% observed in cultivated and non-agricultural lands, respectively. Runoff on plots representing non-agricultural land was relatively accurately predicted with the derived CN method, but predictions were less accurate for plots treated with a SWC practice. We conclude that predicting the effect of SWC practices on runoff requires parameterization with separate sets of CN value for each SWC practice.     

喀斯特小流域分布式土壤侵蚀估算模型

为了准确估算喀斯特小流域土壤侵蚀量,根据喀斯特山区小流域复杂地貌特征、径流与侵蚀产沙在垂直方向上的差异性,以栅格DEM为基础,建立了由水文模块和侵蚀模块组成的喀斯特小流域分布式土壤侵蚀模型.其中水文模块选取了改进的喀斯特流域SCS产流模型进行产流量计算,改进的喀斯特流域DHSVM汇流模型进行小裂隙渗流、大裂隙以及管道(地下暗河)流汇流计算.侵蚀模块考虑侵蚀产沙在垂直方向上侵蚀特征的差异性,在典型区域野外调查的基础上,设计室内模拟试验,并对试验数据进行多元线性回归、逐步回归和多元非线性回归分析,建立不同坡度条件下土壤侵蚀模数的多因子模型(非线性回归模型达到极显著或非常显著水平,0.692＜R2＜0.988)进行产沙量计算,并运用泥沙物质平衡原理完成泥沙输移计算.该模型与GIS结合可实现对土壤侵蚀的时空分布过程进行模拟,为加深对该区域土壤侵蚀过程及模型研究提供参考.     

Alluvial fans of the Eastern Italian Alps: morphometry and depositional processes

Abstract

Alluvial fans are abundant in many valleys of the Alps, consisting of important sites for human settlements. Relationships between alluvial fan morphometry and drainage basin characteristics have been investigated in six valleys of the Eastern Italian Alps, displaying different geological and morphological conditions. Both debris flow fans and fluvial fans are present in the studied region, the latest occurring only in quite large basins. Expansion of alluvial fans is greatly determined by the topographic characteristics of receiving valleys. Fan gradient is mainly affected by basin ruggedness conditioning depositional processes, by debris size, and, in some cases, by post-depositional reworking of fan surfaces.     

山区太阳辐射对水热过程影响的敏感性分析

山区短波辐射的空间异质性非常强, 地形的遮蔽影响在山区能水循环模拟研究中不容忽视. 改进了SHAW模型和SHAWDHM模型的辐射模块, 使之能考虑地形的遮蔽作用对山区辐射平衡及其空间分布的影响, 并在单点和流域尺度进行数值模拟实验, 对比分析山区辐射过程对流域能水循环和径流的影响. 结果表明, 因地形的遮蔽作用, 地表接收的太阳直射辐射可减少25%左右, 模型模拟的土壤温度和蒸散发量分别降低约0.5 ℃和20%. 考虑山区辐射过程后, 模型模拟的春季融雪和夏季蒸散发均有所减缓, 导致春季融雪径流降低和夏季径流增加. 与观测径流对比发现, 考虑山区辐射过程后, 模型对径流量的模拟精度有所提高, 逐时径流量的纳什效率系数由0.677提高到0.711, 径流量的观测值与模拟值间的相关系数由0.835提高到0.851.     

新疆天山北坡平原区地下水可开采量确定方法浅析

在天山北坡以选取的典型区昌吉市和阜康市为例,利用动态相关法、典型流域开采模型法、可开采系数法分析确定地下水可开采量。对这3种方法分别分析了其计算过程中的制约因素,并将计算的结果和以往成果进行了比较。结果表明：动态相关法计算结果准确度较高,成果可靠性高,且在以往的新疆地下水资源评价成果中,至今还未采用过,故推荐动态相关法为新疆天山北坡平原区地下水可开采量确定方法的首选。     

汾河上游土地利用变化对生态经济协调发展的影响

汾河上游流域是黄土高原生态脆弱区独立的流域单元,是山西省太原市惟一的供水之源,也是重要水源涵养区,其土地利用方式直接影响着流域乃至山西省的生态安全。参照Costanza生态系统服务价值计算方法及生态经济协调度模式,定量分析汾河上游1990-2008年土地利用变化引起的生态系统服务价值和生态经济协调度的变化趋势。结果表明,近20 a间,汾河上游流域生态系统服务价值呈现出先减少后增加的趋势;其中林地面积的增加对生态系统服务价值贡献较大,但水域面积的减少带来生态服务功能价值减少,生态环境存在潜在危机;总体上,流域内生态经济协调度有所改善,但仍处于低协调度的边缘,尤其是流域范围内的宁武县、岚县和静乐县。     

人类活动对别拉洪河流域水文情势的影响研究

为了研究人类活动对水文情势的影响,以别拉洪河流域1957～2004年水文、气象数据为基础,详细分析了降水量、蒸发量及径流量等要素的变化特征;利用累积滤波法、Kendal秩次相关法、径流量年内分配的不均匀系数和径流量的变差系数对径流量的变化及其趋势进行了分析;利用降水-径流双累积曲线法和Mann-Kendall法对径流量序列进行了突变检验;定量研究了人类活动对径流量的影响。结果表明,1957～2004年别拉洪河流域年径流量显著减少,1966年年径流量发生减少突变;人类活动对年径流量减少总量的影响率大于60％,是导致该流域水文循环要素发生变化的主导因素,其次才是年降水量。