Effect of channel size on solute residence time distributions in rivers

The effect of channel size on residence time distributions (RTDs) of solute in rivers is investigated in this paper using tracer test data and the variable residence time (VART) model. Specifically, the investigation focuses on the influence of shear dispersion and hyporheic exchange on the shape of solute RTD, and how these two transport processes prevail in larger and smaller streams, respectively, leading to distinct tails of RTD. Simulation results show that (1) RTDs are dispersion-dependent and thereby channel-size (scale) dependent. RTDs increasing longitudinal dispersion coefficient. Small streams with negligible dispersion coefficient may display various types of RTD from upward curving patterns to a straight line (power-law distributions) and further to downward curving lognormal distributions when plotted in log–log coordinates. Moderate-sized rivers are transitional in terms of RTDs and commonly exhibit lognormal and power-law RTDs; (2) the incorporation of water and solute losses/gains in the VART model can improve simulation results and make parameter values more reasonable; (3) the ratio of time to peak concentration to the minimum mean residence time is equal to the recovery ratio of tracer. The relation provides a simple method for determining the minimum mean residence time; and (4) the VART model is able to reproduce various RTDs observed in rivers with 3–4 fitting parameters while no user-specified RTD functions are needed.