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Hydrological Processes (hydrological + process)
Selected AbstractsMechanisms and pathways of lateral flow on aspen-forested, Luvisolic soils, Western Boreal Plains, Alberta, CanadaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 21 2010Todd Redding Abstract Rainfall simulation experiments by Redding and Devito (2008, Hydrological Processes 23: 4287,4300) on two adjacent plots of contrasting antecedent soil moisture storage on an aspen-forested hillslope on the Boreal Plain showed that lateral flow generation occurred only once large soil storage capacity was saturated combined with a minimum event precipitation of 15,20 mm. This paper extends the results of Redding and Devito (2008, Hydrological Processes 23: 4287,4300) with detailed analysis of pore pressure, soil moisture and tracer data from the rainfall simulation experiments, which is used to identify lateral flow generation mechanisms and flow pathways. Lateral flow was not generated until soils were wet into the fine textured C horizon. Lateral flow occurred dominantly through the clay-rich Bt horizon by way of root channels. Lateral flow during the largest event was dominated by event water, and precipitation intensity was critical in lateral flow generation. Lateral flow was initiated as preferential flow near the soil surface into root channels, followed by development of a perched water table at depth, which also interacted with preferential flow pathways to move water laterally by the transmissivity feedback mechanism. The results indicate that lateral flow generated by rainfall on these hillslopes is uncommon because of the generally high available soil moisture storage capacity and the low probability of rainfall events of sufficient magnitude and intensity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Erratum: Climate change impacts,throwing the dice?HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 8 2010Alberto Montanari, Günter Blöschl The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Hydrological Processes 2010: 25: 374,381 [source] What is the best way to represent surface conductance for a range of vegetated sites?HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 9 2007Hikaru Komatsu Abstract Surface conductance Gs is a significant parameter for indicating the evaporative and photosynthetic properties of a vegetated surface. When comparing Gs values between different observation sites, some studies have used Gsmax and others have used ,smax (where Gsmax is the maximum Gs value measured during the measurement period, and ,smax is the maximum Gs value obtained with a vapour pressure deficit (VPD) of , 1·0 kPa during the measurement period). In this study, we demonstrate a clear justification for using ,smax instead of Gsmax when comparing Gs values between different sites. We examined whether both ,smax and Gsmax lead to the same conclusions in classifying vegetated sites. Komatsu (2003b) [Hydrological Processes 17: 2503,2512] reported a clear relationship between canopy height h and ,smax for coniferous forests with a projected leaf area index (LAI) of , 3·0. We examined not only the relationship between h and ,smax but also the relationship between h and Gsmax for coniferous forests with a projected LAI of , 3·0. Both ,smax and Gsmax decreased with increasing h. However, the relationship between h and Gsmax was less well defined than the relationship between h and ,smax because of biased Gsmax data. Consequently, we conclude that ,smax is a more appropriate index than Gsmax to represent Gs for sites with different vegetation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Advances in river ice hydrology 1999,2003HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2005Brian Morse Abstract In the period 1999 to 2003, river ice has continued to have important socio-economic impacts in Canada and other Nordic countries. Concurrently, there have been many important advances in all areas of Canadian research into river ice engineering and hydrology. For example: (1) River ice processes were highlighted in two special journal issues (Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering in 2003 and Hydrological Processes in 2002) and at five conferences (Canadian Committee on River Ice Processes and the Environment in 1999, 2001 and 2003, and International Association of Hydraulic Research in 2000 and 2002). (2) A number of workers have clearly advanced our understanding of river ice processes by bringing together disparate information in comprehensive review articles. (3) There have been significant advances in river ice modelling. For example, both one-dimensional (e.g. RIVICE, RIVJAM, ICEJAM, HEC-RAS, etc.) and two-dimensional (2-D; www.river2d.ca) public-domain ice-jam models are now available. Work is ongoing to improve RIVER2D, and a commercial 2-D ice-process model is being developed. (4) The 1999,2003 period is notable for the number of distinctly hydrological and ecological studies. On the quantitative side, many are making efforts to determine streamflow during the winter period. On the ecological side, some new publications have addressed the link to water quality (temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and pollutants), and others have dealt with sediment transport and geomorphology (particularly as it relates to break-up), stream ecology (plants, food cycle, etc.) and fish habitat. There is the growing recognition, that these types of study require collaborative efforts. In our view, the main areas requiring further work are: (1) to interface geomorphological and habitat models with quantitative river ice hydrodynamic models; (2) to develop a manager's toolbox (database management, remote sensing, forecasting, intervention methodologies, etc.) to enable agencies to intervene better at the time of ice-jam-induced floods; and (3) finalize ice-jam prevention methods on the St Lawrence River to safeguard its $2 billion commercial navigation industry. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Changes in biogeochemical cycling following forest defoliation by pine wilt disease in Kiryu experimental catchment in Japan Naoko Tokuchi, Nobuhito Ohte, Satoru Hobara, Su-Jin Kim and Katsuyama Masanori.HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 17 20042004; Volume 18 Issue 1, Hydrological Processes, pages 272 The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Hydrological Processes, 2004; Volume 18 Issue 14, pages 2727,2736. [source] Erosion models: quality of spatial predictionsHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2003Victor Jetten Abstract An Erratum has been published for this article in Hydrological Processes 18(3) 2004, 595. An overview is given on the predictive quality of spatially distributed runoff and erosion models. A summary is given of the results of model comparison workshops organized by the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems Focus 3 programme, as well as other results obtained by individual researchers. The results concur with the generally held viewpoint in the literature that the predictive quality of distributed models is moderately good for total discharge at the outlet, and not very good for net soil loss. This is only true if extensive calibration is done: uncalibrated results are generally bad. The more simple lumped models seem to perform equally well as the more complex distributed models, although the latter produce more detailed spatially distributed results that can aid the researcher. All these results are outlet based: models are tested on lumped discharge and soil loss or on hydrographs and sedigraphs. Surprisingly few tests have been done on the comparison of simulated and modelled erosion patterns, although this may arguably be just as important in the sense of designing anti-erosion measures and determining source and sink areas. Two studies are shown in which the spatial performance of the erosion model LISEM (Limburg soil erosion model) is analysed. It seems that: (i) the model is very sensitive to the resolution (grid cell size); (ii) the spatial pattern prediction is not very good; (iii) the performance becomes better when the results are resampled to a lower resolution and (iv) the results are improved when certain processes in the model (in this case gully incision) are restricted to so called ,critical areas', selected from the digital elevation model with simple rules. The difficulties associated with calibrating and validating spatially distributed soil erosion models are, to a large extent, due to the large spatial and temporal variability of soil erosion phenomena and the uncertainty associated with the input parameter values used in models to predict these processes. They will, therefore, not be solved by constructing even more complete, and therefore more complex, models. However, the situation may be improved by using more spatial information for model calibration and validation rather than output data only and by using ,optimal' models, describing only the dominant processes operating in a given landscape. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Spatial patterns of suspended sediment yields in a humid tropical watershed in Costa RicaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 12 2001Jagdish Krishnaswamy Abstract An Erratum has been published for this article in Hydrological Processes 16(5) 2002, 1130,1131. Humid tropical regions are often characterized by extreme variability of fluvial processes. The Rio Terraba drains the largest river basin, covering 4767 km2, in Costa Rica. Mean annual rainfall is 3139±419sd mm and mean annual discharge is 2168±492sd mm (1971,88). Loss of forest cover, high rainfall erosivity and geomorphologic instability all have led to considerable degradation of soil and water resources at local to basin scales. Parametric and non-parametric statistical methods were used to estimate sediment yields. In the Terraba basin, sediment yields per unit area increase from the headwaters to the basin mouth, and the trend is generally robust towards choice of methods (parametric and LOESS) used. This is in contrast to a general view that deposition typically exceeds sediment delivery with increase in basin size. The specific sediment yield increases from 112±11·4sd t km,2 year,1 (at 317·9 km2 on a major headwater tributary) to 404±141·7sd t km,2 year,1 (at 4766·7 km2) at the basin mouth (1971,92). The analyses of relationships between sediment yields and basin parameters for the Terraba sub-basins and for a total of 29 basins all over Costa Rica indicate a strong land use effect related to intensive agriculture besides hydro-climatology. The best explanation for the observed pattern in the Terraba basin is a combined spatial pattern of land use and rainfall erosivity. These were integrated in a soil erosion index that is related to the observed patterns of sediment yield. Estimated sediment delivery ratios increase with basin area. Intensive agriculture in lower-lying alluvial fans exposed to highly erosive rainfall contributes a large part of the sediment load. The higher elevation regions, although steep in slope, largely remain under forest, pasture, or tree-crops. High rainfall erosivity (>7400 MJ mm ha,1 h,1 year ,1) is associated with land uses that provide inadequate soil protection. It is also associated with steep, unstable slopes near the basin mouth. Improvements in land use and soil management in the lower-lying regions exposed to highly erosive rainfall are recommended, and are especially important to basins in which sediment delivery ratio increases downstream with increasing basin area. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Is a chaotic multi-fractal approach for rainfall possible?HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 6 2001Bellie Sivakumar Abstract An Erratum has been published for this article in Hydrological Processes 15 (12) 2001, 2381,2382. Applications of the ideas gained from fractal theory to characterize rainfall have been one of the most exciting areas of research in recent times. The studies conducted thus far have nearly unanimously yielded positive evidence regarding the existence of fractal behaviour in rainfall. The studies also revealed the insufficiency of the mono-fractal approaches to characterizing the rainfall process in time and space and, hence, the necessity for multi-fractal approaches. The assumption behind multi-fractal approaches for rainfall is that the variability of the rainfall process could be directly modelled as a stochastic (or random) turbulent cascade process, since such stochastic cascade processes were found to generically yield multi-fractals. However, it has been observed recently that multi-fractal approaches might provide positive evidence of a multi-fractal nature not only in stochastic processes but also in, for example, chaotic processes. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the presence of both chaotic and fractal behaviours in the rainfall process to consider the possibility of using a chaotic multi-fractal approach for rainfall characterization. For this purpose, daily rainfall data observed at the Leaf River basin in Mississippi are studied, and only temporal analysis is carried out. The autocorrelation function, the power spectrum, the empirical probability distribution function, and the statistical moment scaling function are used as indicators to investigate the presence of fractal, whereas the presence of chaos is investigated by employing the correlation dimension method. The results from the fractal identification methods indicate that the rainfall data exhibit multi-fractal behaviour. The correlation dimension method yields a low dimension, suggesting the presence of chaotic behaviour. The existence of both multi-fractal and chaotic behaviours in the rainfall data suggests the possibility of a chaotic multi-fractal approach for rainfall characterization. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Crytic period analysis model of hydrological process and its applicationHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 13 2009Hongrui Wang Abstract It is difficult to analyse the crytic period of the hydrological process, because hydrological time series is probably characterized by heteroscedasticity. To find out the crytic period, a model is constructed as follows: (1) after using zero-mean transformation for the data, to do Augmented Dickey,Fuller stationary test for the sequence, to build the corresponding AR(p) model and then to do ARCH effects test and white noise test for residual series; (2) for those time series that cannot pass through ARCH test, using logarithm transformation to reduce the heteroscedasticity, and then to redo step (1) until they pass through ARCH test and stationary test; (3) using periodogram analysis to determine all the possible the prime periods and further to put forward three kinds of tests to determine significance level of those prime periods. As examples, the hydrological processes of streamflow from 1784 to 1997 for the gauging stations of Alaer and Xinquman along Tarim River are analysed. After reducing their heteroscedasticity, AR(4) and AR(2) models are developed, respectively. Our results show that the streamflows from the two gauging stations have the same cryptic period of 42·7 years. Furthermore, the reliability for the crytic period model is testified by variance analysis, which shows that the crytic period model is useful and reliable. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Rainfall thresholds for shallow landsliding derived from pressure-head monitoring: cases with permeable and impermeable bedrocks in Boso Peninsula, JapanEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 9 2007Yuki Matsushi Abstract Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide initiation were determined for hillslopes with two types of bedrock, permeable sandstone and impermeable mudstone, in the Boso Peninsula, Japan. The pressure-head response to rainfall was monitored above a slip scarp due to earlier landslides. Multiple regression analysis estimated the rainfall thresholds for landsliding from the relation between the magnitude of the rainfall event and slope instability caused by the increased pressure heads. The thresholds were expressed as critical combinations of rainfall intensity and duration, incorporating the geotechnical properties of the hillslope materials and also the slope hydrological processes. The permeable sandstone hillslope has a greater critical rainfall and hence a longer recurrence interval than the impermeable mudstone hillslope. This implies a lower potential for landsliding in sandstone hillslopes, corresponding to lower landslide activity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Multiple stressors and regime shifts in shallow aquatic ecosystems in antipodean landscapesFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 2010JENNY DAVIS Summary 1. Changes in land management (land use and land cover) and water management (including extraction of ground water and diversion of surface waters for irrigation) driven by increases in agricultural production and urban expansion (and fundamentally by population growth) have created multiple stressors on global freshwater ecosystems that we can no longer ignore. 2. The development and testing of conceptual ecological models that examine the impact of stressors on aquatic ecosystems, and recognise that responses may be nonlinear, is now essential for identifying critical processes and predicting changes, particularly the possibility of catastrophic regime shifts or ,ecological surprises'. 3. Models depicting gradual ecological change and three types of regime shift (simple thresholds, hysteresis and irreversible changes) were examined in the context of shallow inland aquatic ecosystems (wetlands, shallow lakes and temporary river pools) in southwestern Australia subject to multiple anthropogenic impacts (hydrological change, eutrophication, salinisation and acidification). 4. Changes in hydrological processes, particularly the balance between groundwater-dominated versus surface water-dominated inputs and a change from seasonal to permanent water regimes appeared to be the major drivers influencing ecological regime change and the impacts of eutrophication and acidification (in urban systems) and salinisation and acidification (in agricultural systems). 5. In the absence of hydrological change, urban wetlands undergoing eutrophication and agricultural wetlands experiencing salinisation appeared to fit threshold models. Models encompassing alternative regimes and hysteresis appeared to be applicable where a change from a seasonal to permanent hydrological regime had occurred. 6. Irreversible ecological change has potentially occurred in agricultural landscapes because the external economic driver, agricultural productivity, persists independently of the impact on aquatic ecosystems. 7. Thematic implications: multiple stressors can create multiple thresholds that may act in a hierarchical fashion in shallow, lentic systems. The resulting regime shifts may follow different models and trajectories of recovery. Challenges for ecosystem managers and researchers include determining how close a system may be to critical thresholds and which processes are essential to maintaining or restoring the system. This requires an understanding of both external drivers and internal ecosystem dynamics, and the interactions between them, at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. [source] The contribution of geoarchaeology to understanding the environmental history and archaeological resources of the Trent Valley, U.K.GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2005Andy J. Howard This paper provides a review of the contribution that geoarchaeological research has played in elucidating the landscape history of the Trent Valley, U.K. Ameliorating climate in the immediate postglacial led to the expansion of mixed deciduous woodland across the valley floor and the development of an anastomosing channel. In the Lower Trent, fluvial and vegetation development may have been influenced by sea-level change. Around 4000 B.C., the character of the valley floor changed, demonstrated by the dating of tree trunks interbedded within gravel deposits. Synchronicity of changing geomorphological and hydrological processes is suggested, and, while the causal mechanism of this change are not fully understood, tree trunks which were clearly felled have been identified in the valley and provide significant evidence. The later prehistoric and historic archaeological remains, including fishweirs, bridges, and mill dams, point to increasing human activity, and environmental evidence documents the increasing effects of agriculture on the catchment. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Dealing with Landscape Heterogeneity in Watershed Hydrology: A Review of Recent Progress toward New Hydrological TheoryGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2009Peter A. Troch Predictions of hydrologic system response to natural and anthropogenic forcing are highly uncertain due to the heterogeneity of the land surface and subsurface. Landscape heterogeneity results in spatiotemporal variability of hydrological states and fluxes, scale-dependent flow and transport properties, and incomplete process understanding. Recent community activities, such as Prediction in Ungauged Basins of International Association of Hydrological Sciences, have recognized the impasse current catchment hydrology is facing and have called for a focused research agenda toward new hydrological theory at the watershed scale. This new hydrological theory should recognize the dominant control of landscape heterogeneity on hydrological processes, should explore novel ways to account for its effect at the watershed scale, and should build on an interdisciplinary understanding of how feedback mechanisms between hydrology, biogeochemistry, pedology, geomorphology, and ecology affect catchment evolution and functioning. [source] Evaluating local hydrological modelling by temporal gravity observations and a gravimetric three-dimensional modelGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2010M. Naujoks SUMMARY An approach for the evaluation of local hydrological modelling is presented: the deployment of temporal terrestrial gravity measurements and gravimetric 3-D modelling in addition to hydrological point observations. Of particular interest is to what extent such information can be used to improve the understanding of hydrological process dynamics and to evaluate hydrological models. Because temporal gravity data contain integral information about hydrological mass changes they can be considered as a valuable augmentation to traditional hydrological observations. On the other hand, hydrological effects need to be eliminated from high-quality gravity time-series because they interfere with small geodynamic signals. In areas with hilly topography and/or inhomogeneous subsoil, a simple reduction based on hydrological point measurements is usually not sufficient. For such situations, the underlying hydrological processes in the soil and the disaggregated bedrock need to be considered in their spatial and temporal dynamics to allow the development of a more sophisticated reduction. Regarding these issues interdisciplinary research has been carried out in the surroundings of the Geodynamic Observatory Moxa, Germany. At Moxa, hydrologically induced gravity variations of several 10 nm s,2 are observed by the stationarily operating superconducting gravimeter and by spatially distributed and repeated high-precision measurements with transportable relative instruments. In addition, hydrological parameters are monitored which serve as input for a local hydrological catchment model for the area of about 2 km2 around the observatory. From this model, spatial hydrological variations are gained in hourly time steps and included as density changes of the subsoil in a well-constrained gravimetric 3-D model to derive temporal modelled gravity variations. The gravity variations obtained from this combined modelling correspond very well to the observed hydrological gravity changes for both, short period and seasonal signals. From the modelling the amplitude of the impact on gravity of hydrological changes occurring in different distances to the gravimeter location can be inferred. Possible modifications on the local hydrological model are discussed to further improve the quality of the model. Furthermore, a successful reduction of local hydrological effects in the superconducting gravimeter data is developed. After this reduction global seasonal fluctuations are unmasked which are in correspondence to GRACE observations and to global hydrological models. [source] Assessing the results of scenarios of climate and land use changes on the hydrology of an Italian catchment: modelling studyHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 19 2010Daniela R. D'Agostino Abstract Hydrological models are recognized as valid scientific tools to study water quantity and quality and provide support for the integrated management and planning of water resources at different scales. In common with many catchments in the Mediterranean, the study catchment has many problems such as the increasing gap between water demand and supply, water quality deterioration, scarcity of available data, lack of measurements and specific information. The application of hydrological models to investigate hydrological processes in this type of catchments is of particular relevance for water planning strategies to address the possible impact of climate and land use changes on water resources. The distributed catchment scale model (DiCaSM) was selected to study the impact of climate and land use changes on the hydrological cycle and the water balance components in the Apulia region, southern Italy, specifically in the Candelaro catchment (1780 km2). The results obtained from this investigation proved the ability of DiCaSM to quantify the different components of the catchment water balance and to successfully simulate the stream flows. In addition, the model was run with the climate change scenarios for southern Italy, i.e. reduced winter rainfall by 5,10%, reduced summer rainfall by 15,20%, winter temperature rise by 1·25,1·5 °C and summer temperature rise by 1·5,1·75 °C. The results indicated that by 2050, groundwater recharge in the Candelaro catchment would decrease by 21,31% and stream flows by 16,23%. The model results also showed that the projected durum wheat yield up to 2050 is likely to decrease between 2·2% and 10·4% due to the future reduction in rainfall and increase in temperature. In the current study, the reliability of the DiCaSM was assessed when applied to the Candelaro catchment; those parameters that may cause uncertainty in model output were investigated using a generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) methodology. The results showed that DiCaSM provided a small level of uncertainty and subsequently, a higher confidence level. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling the hydrologic effects of dynamic land-use change using a distributed hydrologic model and a spatial land-use allocation modelHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 18 2010Hone-Jay Chu Abstract This study develops a novel approach for modelling and examining the impacts of time,space land-use changes on hydrological components. The approach uses an empirical land-use change allocation model (CLUE-s) and a distributed hydrological model (DHSVM) to examine various land-use change scenarios in the Wu-Tu watershed in northern Taiwan. The study also uses a generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation approach to quantify the parameter uncertainty of the distributed hydrological model. The results indicate that various land-use policies,such as no change, dynamic change and simultaneous change,have different levels of impact on simulating the spatial distributions of hydrological components in the watershed study. Peak flow rates under simultaneous and dynamic land-use changes are 5·71% and 2·77%, respectively, greater than the rate under the no land-use change scenario. Using dynamic land-use changes to assess the effect of land-use changes on hydrological components is more practical and feasible than using simultaneous land-use change and no land-use change scenarios. Furthermore, land-use change is a spatial dynamic process that can lead to significant changes in the distributions of ground water and soil moisture. The spatial distributions of land-use changes influence hydrological processes, such as the ground water level of whole areas, particularly in the downstream watershed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Storage dynamics and streamflow in a catchment with a variable contributing areaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 16 2010C. Spence Abstract Storage heterogeneity effects on runoff generation have been well documented at the hillslope or plot scale. However, diversity across catchments can increase the range of storage conditions. Upscaling the influence of small-scale storage on streamflow across the usually more heterogeneous environment of the catchment has been difficult. The objective of this study was to observe the distribution of storage in a heterogeneous catchment and evaluate its significance and potential influence on streamflow. The study was conducted in the subarctic Canadian Shield: a region with extensive bedrock outcrops, shallow predominantly organic soils, discontinuous permafrost and numerous water bodies. Even when summer runoff was generated from bedrock hillslopes with small storage capacities, intermediary locations with large storage capacities, particularly headwater lakes, prevented water from transmitting to higher order streams. The topographic bounds of the basin thus constituted the maximum potential contributing area to streamflow and rarely the actual area. Topographic basin storage had little relation to basin streamflow, but hydrologically connected storage exhibited a strong hysteretic relationship with streamflow. This relationship defines the form of catchment function such that the basin can be defined by a series of storing and contributing curves comparable with the wetting and drying curves used in relating tension and hydraulic conductivity to water content in unsaturated soils. These curves may prove useful for catchment classification and elucidating predominant hydrological processes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada. [source] The assessment of surface water resources for the semi-arid Yongding River Basin from 1956 to 2000 and the impact of land use changeHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 9 2010Lei Wang Abstract The assessment of surface water resources (SWRs) in the semi-arid Yongding River Basin is vital as the basin has been in a continuous state of serious water shortage over the last 20 years. In this study, the first version of the geomorphology-based hydrological model (GBHM) has been applied to the basin over a long period of time (1956,2000) as part of an SWR assessment. This was done by simulating the natural hydrological processes in the basin. The model was first evaluated at 18 stream gauges during the period from 1990 to 1992 to evaluate both the daily streamflows and the annual SWRs using the land use data for 1990. The model was further validated in 2000 with the annual SWRs at seven major stream gauges. Second, the verified model was used in a 45-year simulation to estimate the annual SWRs for the basin from 1956 to 2000 using the 1990 land use data. An empirical correlation between the annual precipitation and the annual SWRs was developed for the basin. Spatial distribution of the long-term mean runoff coefficients for all 177 sub-basins was also achieved. Third, an additional 10-year (1991,2000) simulation was performed with the 2000 land use data to investigate the impact of land use changes from 1990 to 2000 on the long-term annual SWRs. The results suggest that the 10-year land use changes have led to a decrease of 8·3 × 107 m3 (7·9% of total) for the 10-year mean annual SWRs in the simulation. To our knowledge, this work is the first attempt to assess the long-term SWRs and the impact of land use change in the semi-arid Yongding River Basin using a semi-distributed hillslope hydrological model. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Crytic period analysis model of hydrological process and its applicationHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 13 2009Hongrui Wang Abstract It is difficult to analyse the crytic period of the hydrological process, because hydrological time series is probably characterized by heteroscedasticity. To find out the crytic period, a model is constructed as follows: (1) after using zero-mean transformation for the data, to do Augmented Dickey,Fuller stationary test for the sequence, to build the corresponding AR(p) model and then to do ARCH effects test and white noise test for residual series; (2) for those time series that cannot pass through ARCH test, using logarithm transformation to reduce the heteroscedasticity, and then to redo step (1) until they pass through ARCH test and stationary test; (3) using periodogram analysis to determine all the possible the prime periods and further to put forward three kinds of tests to determine significance level of those prime periods. As examples, the hydrological processes of streamflow from 1784 to 1997 for the gauging stations of Alaer and Xinquman along Tarim River are analysed. After reducing their heteroscedasticity, AR(4) and AR(2) models are developed, respectively. Our results show that the streamflows from the two gauging stations have the same cryptic period of 42·7 years. Furthermore, the reliability for the crytic period model is testified by variance analysis, which shows that the crytic period model is useful and reliable. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Understanding hydrological processes in a highly stressed granitic aquifer in southern IndiaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 9 2009D. V. Reddy Abstract The results of a study evaluating the recharge/discharge conditions of an unconfined stressed granitic aquifer situated in a semi-arid region of Andhra Pradesh, Southern India are presented. Over the last three decades, excessive withdrawal of groundwater has drastically lowered the water table to the bedrock. The watershed studied was divided into four zones based on geomorphology and hydrogeological conditions. Using environmental chloride data pertaining to groundwater, soil depth profiles, and some hydrogeologic and hydrochemical observations, a recharge model for the watershed was developed. The model revealed that the bulk of the vertical recharge in the western elevated land occurs through preferred pathways and that a small fraction occurs through the soil matrix. In addition, the watershed has a poor hydrogeologic fabric, as indicated by the small range of matrix flow recharge (1 to 1·5% of rainfall) among the four zones. The dominating preferential flow was high (,16% of the annual average rainfall) in the valley fills, but decreased to 5,5·5% in the plains. Furthermore, although the bulk of the recharge occurs vertically, considerable lateral movement of groundwater down the slope indicates that sequential hydrochemical changes occur. Distinct geomorphological features that exist in the watershed support the proposed model. Situations similar to those described above may exist in numerous watersheds in the granitic hard rock region; therefore, information obtained from investigations conducted in this watershed can aid in the development of plans enabling the sustainable exploitation of watersheds that have not yet been developed, as well as implementation of appropriate rainwater conservation measures in over-exploited watersheds. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis of streamflow series of the Yangtze River basin, ChinaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 26 2008Qiang Zhang Abstract Scaling and multifractal properties of the hydrological processes of the Yangtze River basin were explored by using a multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) technique. Long daily mean streamflow series from Cuntan, Yichang, Hankou and Datong stations were analyzed. Using shuffled streamflow series, the types of multifractality of streamflow series was also studied. The results indicate that the discharge series of the Yangtze River basin are non-stationary. Different correlation properties were identified within streamflow series of the upper, the middle and the lower Yangtze River basin. The discharge series of the upper Yangtze River basin are characterized by short memory or anti-persistence; while the streamflow series of the lower Yangtze River basin is characterized by long memory or persistence. h(q) vs q curves indicate multifractality of the hydrological processes of the Yangtze River basin. h(q) curves of shuffled streamflow series suggest that the multifractality of the streamflow series is mainly due to the correlation properties within the hydrological series. This study may be of practical and scientific importance in regional flood frequency analysis and water resource management in different parts of the Yangtze River basin. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hydrological behaviour and modelling of a volcanic tropical cultivated catchmentHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 22 2008Jean-Baptiste Charlier Abstract The hydrological behaviour of the cultivated Féfé catchment (17·8 ha) on the tropical volcanic island of Guadeloupe was studied to identify flow paths, to quantify water fluxes, and finally, to build a lumped model to simulate discharge and piezometer levels. The approach combined two steps, an experimental step and a modelling step, which covered two time scales, the annual and the storm event scale. The hydrological measurements were conducted over 2 years. The Féfé catchment is characterized by heavy rainfall (4229 mm year,1) on permeable Andosols; the results showed that underground flow paths involved two overlapping aquifers, and that the annual water balance in 2003 was shared among outflows of the deep aquifer (42%), evapotranspiration (31%), and streamflow (27%). On the event scale, the surface runoff coefficient ranges between 6·2% and 24·4% depending on antecedent dry or wet moisture conditions. Hortonian overland flow predominated over subsurface and saturation overland flow processes. Recharge of the shallow aquifer is mainly governed by a constant infiltration capacity of the Andosols with depth in the vadose zone. Outflows of this shallow aquifer were the baseflow of the main stream and the recharge of the deep aquifer. Volcanic deposits at Féfé promoted the underground flow path, and cultivated areas seemed to explain the high stormflow values relative to other tropical small catchments under rain forest. A conceptual lumped model integrating runoff, infiltration, evapotranspiration, and fluctuations of the two overlapping aquifers was developed. The model has six parameters and was calibrated and validated on the hydrograph at the outlet and on the two piezometers of the shallow and the deep aquifers. The results show fair to good agreement between measured and simulated variables, and consequently, the model was consistent with the main hydrological processes observed from experimental results in wet conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hydrologic prediction for urban watersheds with the Distributed Hydrology,Soil,Vegetation ModelHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 21 2008Lan Cuo Abstract Some relatively straightforward modifications to the Distributed Hydrology,Soil,Vegetation Model (DHSVM) are described that allow it to represent urban hydrological processes. In the modified model, precipitation that falls on impervious surfaces becomes surface runoff, and a spatially varying (depending on land cover) fraction of surface runoff is connected directly to the stream channel, with the remainder stored and slowly released to represent the effects of stormwater detention. The model was evaluated through application to Springbrook Creek watershed in a partially urbanized area of King County, Washington. With calibration, the modified DHSVM simulates hourly streamflow from these urbanized catchments quite well. It is also shown how the revised model can be used to study the effects of continuing urbanization in the much larger Puget Sound basin. Model simulations confirm many previous studies in showing that urbanization increases peak flows and their frequency, and decreases peak flow lag times. The results show that the urbanization parameterizations for DHSVM facilitate use of the model for prediction and/or reconstruction of a range of historic and future changes in land cover that will accompany urbanization as well as other forms of vegetation change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Understanding hydrological processes with scarce data in a mountain environmentHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 12 2008A. Chaponnière Abstract Performance of process-based hydrological models is usually assessed through comparison between simulated and measured streamflow. Although necessary, this analysis is not sufficient to estimate the quality and realism of the modelling since streamflow integrates all processes of the water cycle, including intermediate production or redistribution processes such as snowmelt or groundwater flow. Assessing the performance of hydrological models in simulating accurately intermediate processes is often difficult and requires heavy experimental investments. In this study, conceptual hydrological modelling (using SWAT) of a semi-arid mountainous watershed in the High Atlas in Morocco is attempted. Our objective is to analyse whether good intermediate processes simulation is reached when global-satisfying streamflow simulation is possible. First, parameters presenting intercorrelation issues are identified: from the soil, the groundwater and, to a lesser extent, from the snow. Second, methodologies are developed to retrieve information from accessible intermediate hydrological processes. A geochemical method is used to quantify the contribution of a superficial and a deep reservoir to streamflow. It is shown that, for this specific process, the model formalism is not adapted to our study area and thus leads to poor simulation results. A remote-sensing methodology is proposed to retrieve the snow surfaces. Comparison with the simulation shows that this process can be satisfyingly simulated by the model. The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this study, although supported by the hydrological community, is still uncommon. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A note on estimating urban roof runoff with a forest evaporation modelHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 8 2008J. H. C. Gash Abstract A model developed for estimating the evaporation of rainfall intercepted by forest canopies is applied to estimate measurements of the average runoff from the roofs of six houses made in a previous study of hydrological processes in an urban environment. The model is applied using values of the mean rates of wet canopy evaporation and rainfall derived previously for forests and an estimate of the roof storage capacity derived from the data collected in the previous study. Although the model prediction is sensitive to the value of storage capacity, close correlation between the modelled and measured runoff indicates that the model captures the essential processes. It is concluded that the process of evaporation from an urban roof is sufficiently similar to that from a forest canopy for forest evaporation models to be used to give a useful estimate of urban roof runoff. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Application of a coil-type TDR probe for measuring the volumetric water content in weathered granitic bedrockHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 6 2008Shin'ya Katsura Abstract As a first step toward describing water flow processes in bedrock, a coil-type time domain reflectometry (TDR) probe capable of measuring volumetric water content, ,, in weathered bedrock at three depths was prepared. Because the coil-type TDR probe is large in diameter (19 mm), it can be installed even in highly weathered bedrock more easily and appropriately than conventional TDR probes that consists of two or three rods of small diameter (5-8 mm). The probe calibrations suggest that the values measured by the probe are very sensitive to changes in ,. Using the calibrated probe together with commercially available profile soil moisture sensors, the , profile was monitored for 1 year. Even rainfall events with relatively small cumulative rainfall of 15 mm increased the bedrock ,, and the increments were comparable to those in the soil. After the end of the rainfall events, the bedrock , displayed a more rapid drop than the soil, and varied little during the period of no rainfall. The water storage showed similar tendencies. These observations suggest that the bedrock , is controlled by clearly distinguishable macropores and micropores within the bedrock. It is concluded that the coil-type TDR probe is very effective in determining , in weathered bedrock, and that bedrock, conventionally defined by conducting cone penetration tests and treated as impermeable, does conduct and hold substantial amounts of water, and therefore contribute greatly to hydrological processes in headwater catchments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Transformations of runoff chemistry in the Arctic tundra, Northwest Territories, CanadaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 14 2006W. L. Quinton Abstract The transformation of snowmelt water chemical composition during melt, elution and runoff in an Arctic tundra basin is investigated. The chemistry of the water flowing along pathways from the surface of melting snow to the 95·5 ha basin outlet is related to relevant hydrological processes. In so doing, this paper offers physically based explanations for the transformation of major ion concentrations and loads of runoff water associated with snowmelt and rainfall along hydrological pathways to the stream outlet. Late-lying snowdrifts were found to influence the ion chemistry in adjacent reaches of the stream channel greatly. As the initial pulse of ion-rich melt water drained from the snowdrift and was conveyed through hillslope flowpaths, the concentrations of most ions increased, and the duration of the peak ionic pulse lengthened. Over the first 3 m of overland flow, the concentrations of all ions except for NO increased by one to two orders of magnitude, with the largest increase for K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. This was roughly equivalent to the concentration increase that resulted from percolation of relatively dilute water through 0·25 m of unsaturated soil. The Na+ and Cl, were the dominant ions in snowmelt water, whereas Ca2+ and Mg2+ dominated the hillslope runoff. On slopes below a large melting snowdrift, ion concentrations of melt water flowing in the saturated layer of the soil were very similar to the relatively dilute concentrations found in surface runoff. However, once the snowdrift ablated, ion concentrations of subsurface flow increased above parent melt-water concentrations. Three seasonally characteristic hydrochemical regimes were identified in a stream reach adjacent to late-lying snowdrifts. In the first two stages, the water chemistry in the stream channel strongly resembled the hillslope drainage water. In the third stage, in-stream geochemical processes, including the weathering/ion exchange of Ca2+ and Mg2+, were the main control of streamwater chemistry. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Multi-variable and multi-site calibration and validation of SWAT in a large mountainous catchment with high spatial variabilityHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2006Wenzhi Cao Abstract Many methods developed for calibration and validation of physically based distributed hydrological models are time consuming and computationally intensive. Only a small set of input parameters can be optimized, and the optimization often results in unrealistic values. In this study we adopted a multi-variable and multi-site approach to calibration and validation of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for the Motueka catchment, making use of extensive field measurements. Not only were a number of hydrological processes (model components) in a catchment evaluated, but also a number of subcatchments were used in the calibration. The internal variables used were PET, annual water yield, daily streamflow, baseflow, and soil moisture. The study was conducted using an 11-year historical flow record (1990,2000); 1990,94 was used for calibration and 1995,2000 for validation. SWAT generally predicted well the PET, water yield and daily streamflow. The predicted daily streamflow matched the observed values, with a Nash,Sutcliffe coefficient of 0·78 during calibration and 0·72 during validation. However, values for subcatchments ranged from 0·31 to 0·67 during calibration, and 0·36 to 0·52 during validation. The predicted soil moisture remained wet compared with the measurement. About 50% of the extra soil water storage predicted by the model can be ascribed to overprediction of precipitation; the remaining 50% discrepancy was likely to be a result of poor representation of soil properties. Hydrological compensations in the modelling results are derived from water balances in the various pathways and storage (evaporation, streamflow, surface runoff, soil moisture and groundwater) and the contributions to streamflow from different geographic areas (hill slopes, variable source areas, sub-basins, and subcatchments). The use of an integrated multi-variable and multi-site method improved the model calibration and validation and highlighted the areas and hydrological processes requiring greater calibration effort. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analysis of soil moisture patterns in forested and suburban catchments in Baltimore, Maryland, using high-resolution photogrammetric and LIDAR digital elevation datasetsHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 2 2006D. E. Tenenbaum Abstract Field observations of near-surface soil moisture, collected over several seasons in a watershed in suburban Maryland, are compared with values of the topographic soil moisture index generated using digital elevation models (DEMs) at a range of grid cell sizes from photogrammetric and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data sources. A companion set of near-surface soil moisture observations, DEMs and topographic index values are also presented for a nearby forested catchment. The degree to which topographic index values are an effective indicator of near-surface soil moisture conditions varies in the two environments. The urbanizing environment requires topographic index values from a DEM with a much finer grid cell resolution than the LIDAR data can provide, and the relationship is stronger in wetter conditions. In the forested environment, the DEM resolution required is considerably lower and adequately supported by the photogrammetric data, and the relationship is strong under all moisture conditions. These results provide some insights into the length scales of near-surface hydrological processes in the urbanizing environment, and the resolution of terrain data required to model those processes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling hydrological management for the restoration of acidified floating fensHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 20 2005Stefan C. Dekker Abstract Wetlands show a large decline in biodiversity. To protect and restore this biodiversity, many restoration projects are carried out. Hydrology in wetlands controls the chemical and biological processes and may be the most important factor regulating wetland function and development. Hydrological models may be used to simulate these processes and to evaluate management scenarios for restoration. HYDRUS2D, a combined saturated,unsaturated groundwater flow and transport model, is presented. This simulates near-surface hydrological processes in an acidified floating fen, with the aim to evaluate the effect of hydrological restoration in terms of conditions for biodiversity. In the acidified floating fen in the nature reserve Ilperveld (The Netherlands), a trench system was dug for the purpose of creating a runoff channel for acid rainwater in wet periods and to enable circum-neutral surface water to enter the fen in dry periods. The model is calibrated against measured conductivity values for a 5 year period. From the model simulations, it was found that lateral flow in the floating raft is limited. Furthermore, the model shows that the best management option is a combination of trenches and inundation, which gave the best soil water quality in the root zone. It is concluded that hydrological models can be used for the calculation of management scenarios in restoration projects. The combined saturated,unsaturated model concept used in this paper is able to incorporate the governing hydrological processes in the wetland root zones. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||