Land Cover Changes as a Result of Environmental Restrictions on Nitrate Leaching in Dairy Farming

Nitrate leaching forms an important environmental problem because it causes pollution of groundwater and surface water, and adds to already problematic eutrophication. This study analyses the impact of reductions in nitrate leaching on land cover decisions of dairy farms, of which the activities make an important contribution to nitrate leaching. As the level of nitrate leaching depends on groundwater depth as well as on the supply of nitrogen, spatial variation in groundwater levels will cause a spatial variation in land cover under restrictions on nitrate leaching. A non-linear partial optimisation model for the economic and ecological aspects of the problem were used to show how land cover and dairy farms' financial balances change when nitrate losses are reduced. The model is spatially explicit, and describes nitrate leakage and yields of maize and grass as a function of groundwater depth, including the effects of various grazing systems. The model analyses the decisions of a risk neutral agent who minimises costs under the following constraints: (i) production, feed requirements and mass balances for fodder; (ii) constraints for nitrate leaching. Economic costs are attributed to increased costs of fodder and processing of manure when nitrate restrictions are tightened. An important result of the study is the variation in compliance costs and land cover for maize and grass production brought about by spatial variation in groundwater depth. While the effects are negligible for some shallow groundwater classes, it is extremely difficult in other classes – if not impossible – to obtain the EU standard of maximum admissible losses of 34 kg N ha^–1 at low costs. The study shows an important reduction in land cover by maize.     

Radium geochemistry in Na-Cl type groundwater in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Radium isotopes in 23 Na-Cl type groundwater sampled mainly from deep wells in Niigata Prefecture, which is the site of the largest oil- and gas-fields in Japan, were measured along with U isotopes, chemical components and hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios to elucidate the distribution and behavior of Ra in a brackish environment underground. Also analyzed were U and Th isotopes in 38 rock samples collected from outcrops at 17 locations. Ra-226 concentrations (8.86-1637 mBq kg⁻¹) of groundwater samples roughly correlated with total dissolved solid (TDS) concentrations and other alkaline earth contents. Their ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratios (0.32-5.2) were similar to or higher than the ²³²Th/²³⁸U activity ratios (0.6-1.7) in the rocks. The most likely transport mechanism of Ra isotopes into groundwater was due to their α-recoil from the solid phase, probably from the water-rock interface where Th isotopes had accumulated, and adsorption/desorption reaction based on the increase in ²²⁶Ra contents with TDS.     

Hydrologic–Economic Model for Managing Irrigation Intensity in Irrigation Areas under Watertable and Soil Salinity Targets

This paper gives mathematical details and sample applications of SWAGMAN Farm (SWAGMAN, Salt Water and Groundwater Management), a farm-scale hydrologic economic model that integrates agronomic, climatic, irrigation, hydrogeological and economic aspects of irrigated agriculture. The model is capable of determining optimum mix of land use to keep watertable and soil salinity within acceptable limits while maximising the economic returns. Alternatively, the model can simulate water and salt balance and economics of a given cropping preference. Web-based and Geographic Information Systems versions of the model are available for integration with the environmental reporting systems of the irrigation areas.     

WATER SUPPLY IMPACTS OF NUCLEAR FALL1

ABSTRACT: “Nuclear winter,” more properly called “nuclear fall,” could be caused by injection of large amounts of dust into the atmosphere. Besides causing a decrease in temperature, it could be accompanied by “nuclear drought,” a catastrophic decrease in precipitation. Dry land agriculture would then be impossible, and municipal, industrial, and irrigation water supplies would be diminished. It has been argued that nuclear winter/fall poses a much greater threat to human survival than do fall out or the direct impacts of a conflict. However, this does not appear to be true, at least for the U.S. Even under the unprecedented drought that could result from nuclear fall, water supplies would be available for many essential activities. For the most part, ground water supplies would be relatively invulnerable to nuclear drought, and adequate surface supplies would be available for potable uses. This assumes that conveyance facilities and power supplies survive a conflict largely intact or can be repaired.     

Identification of key parameters controlling dissolved oxygen migration and attenuation in fractured crystalline rocks

In the crystalline rocks of the Canadian Shield, geochemical conditions are currently reducing at depths of 500-1000 m. However, during future glacial periods, altered hydrologic conditions could potentially result in enhanced recharge of glacial melt water containing a relatively high concentration of dissolved oxygen (O2). It is therefore of interest to investigate the physical and geochemical processes, including naturally-occurring redox reactions, that may control O2 ingress. In this study, the reactive transport code MIN3P is used in combination with 2k factorial analyses to identify the most important parameters controlling oxygen migration and attenuation in fractured crystalline rocks. Scenarios considered are based on simplified conceptual models that include a single vertical fracture, or a fracture zone, contained within a rock matrix that extends from the ground surface to a depth of 500 m. Consistent with field observations, Fe(II)-bearing minerals are present in the fractures (i.e. chlorite) and the rock matrix (biotite and small quantities of pyrite). For the parameter ranges investigated, results indicate that for the single fracture case, the most influential factors controlling dissolved O2 ingress are flow velocity in the fracture, fracture aperture, and the biotite reaction rate in the rock matrix. The most important parameters for the fracture zone simulations are flow velocity in the individual fractures, pO2 in the recharge water, biotite reaction rate, and to a lesser degree the abundance and reactivity of chlorite in the fracture zone, and the fracture zone width. These parameters should therefore receive increased consideration during site characterization, and in the formulation of site-specific models intended to predict O2 behavior in crystalline rocks.     

贵州织金蒙家大坡地下水水化学特征分析

通过对贵州织金蒙家大坡地下水水化学指标进行分析。结果表明,研究区地下水Ca2+受环境影响最小、空间变异性最小,Na+受环境影响最大、空间变异性最大;各阴阳离子含量与TDS含量呈显著正相关关系,其相关性依次为:Ca2+SO2-4Mg2+Cl-HCO-3K+Na+;TDS含量的增加主要受SO2-4离子的影响,总硬度的变化主要受Ca2+的影响;地下水成分主要来自于碳酸盐矿物的溶解,其次是硫酸盐、含硫矿物、硅酸盐矿物以及盐岩的溶解,地下水类型主要向SO4·HCO3-Ca型和HCO3·SO4-Ca型转化。     

秦皇岛洋河-戴河流域浅层地下水咸化程度评价

为了解秦皇岛洋戴河流域浅层地下水咸化程度,开展了野外调查和水样采集,现场测试EC、TDS指标,并对水样进行了室内水化学分析.应用层次分析法结合Arcgis对选取的6个指标(Cl离子、TDS、Li离子、钠吸附比、硝酸盐、潜在盐度)进行权重计算、归一化处理和栅格计算,得出地下水咸化等级分区(未咸化区、轻微咸化区、中等咸化区、严重咸化区).咸化最严重区域位于沿海平原,包括枣园村、王各庄村.中度咸化区部分位于沿海平原,包括都寨村、西陆庄村、蒋营村、樊各庄,主要是由海水入侵导致的;而樊各庄咸化的原因是海水入侵和工业废水的污染;其他中度咸化区位于低山丘陵区,包括大湾子村、兴隆寨村,则是由水岩作用、农业污水、生活污水造成的.轻微咸化区主要分布在中等咸化区周围,未咸化区集中在山前平原区.     

Influence of Riparian Seepage Zones on Nitrate Variability in Two Agricultural Headwater Streams

Riparian seeps have been recognized for their contributions to stream flow in headwater catchments, but there is limited data on how seeps affect stream water quality. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of seeps on the variability of stream NO₃‐N concentrations in FD36 and RS, two agricultural catchments in Pennsylvania. Stream samples were collected at 10‐m intervals over reaches of 550 (FD36) and 490 m (RS) on 21 occasions between April 2009 and January 2012. Semi‐variogram analysis was used to quantify longitudinal patterns in stream NO₃‐N concentration. Seep water was collected at 14 sites in FD36 and 7 in RS, but the number of flowing seeps depended on antecedent conditions. Seep NO₃‐N concentrations were variable (0.1‐29.5 mg/l) and were often greater downslope of cropped fields compared to other land uses. During base flow, longitudinal variability in stream NO₃‐N concentrations increased as the number of flowing seeps increased. The influence of seeps on the variability of stream NO₃‐N concentrations was less during storm flow compared to the variability of base flow NO₃‐N concentrations. However, 24 h after a storm in FD36, an increase in the number of flowing seeps and decreasing streamflow resulted in the greatest longitudinal variability in stream NO₃‐N concentrations recorded. Results indicate seeps are important areas of NO₃‐N delivery to streams where targeted adoption of mitigation measures may substantially improve stream water quality.     

Calibrating a Basin‐Scale Groundwater Model to Remotely Sensed Estimates of Groundwater Evapotranspiration

Remotely sensed vegetation indices correspond to canopy vigor and cover and have been successfully used to estimate groundwater evapotranspiration (ET_g) over large spatial and temporal scales. However, these data do not provide information on depth to groundwater (dtgw) necessary for groundwater models (GWM) to calculate ET_g. An iterative approach is provided that calibrates GWM to ET_g derived from Landsat estimates of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). The approach is applied to different vegetation groups in Mason Valley, Nevada over an 11‐year time span. An uncertainty analysis is done to estimate the resulting mean and 90% confidence intervals in ET_g to dtgw relationships to quantify errors associated with plant physiologic complexity, species variability, and parameter smoothing to the 100 m GWM‐grid, temporal variability in soil moisture and nonuniqueness in the solution. Additionally, a first‐order second moment analysis shows ET_g to dtgw relationships are almost exclusively sensitive to estimated land surface, or maximum, ET_g despite relatively large uncertainty in extinction depths and hydraulic conductivity. The EVI method of estimating ET_g appears to bias ET_g during years with exceptionally wet spring/summer conditions. Excluding these years improves model performance significantly but highlights the need to develop a methodology that accounts not only on quantity but timing of annual precipitation on phreatophyte greenness.     

亚热带红壤丘陵区浅层地下水氮淋失特征研究

土壤养分累积引起的氮素(N)淋失是导致农区地下水污染的重要原因,也是农业面源污染的重要形式.本文以湖南省长沙县典型亚热带红壤丘陵流域为研究对象,通过连续定位观测,研究了林地、稻田、菜地和茶园4种代表性土地利用类型浅层(130~150 cm)地下水中N浓度的逐月动态变化特征.连续3年(2010—2013年)的观测结果表明:4种土地利用类型下浅层地下水总氮(TN)平均浓度差异显著(p0.05),其中,林地最低(0.85 mg·L-1),茶园最高(7.64 mg·L-1);从N的形态构成来看,林地、菜地和茶园浅层地下水中N形态以硝态氮(NO-3-N)为主,分别占TN的46.7%、70.2%和72.8%,而稻田浅层地下水N形态则以铵态氮(NH+4-N)为主,占TN 43.5%,表明土壤淹水条件是影响地下水N淋失形态的关键因子.地下水各形态N浓度的动态变化在不同土地利用下也迥然不同:林地地下水各形态N的含量低、变幅小,而稻田、菜地和茶园地下水N浓度变幅较大;采用单因子方法对不同土地利用下地下水的水质进行评价,结果表明:研究区浅层地下水中TN和NO-3-N无显著污染,NH+4-N污染较为严重,而综合指数法(F值法)进一步表明研究区浅层地下水污染主要出现在稻田和茶园,因此,控制稻田和茶园N肥的施用量是预防亚热带红壤丘陵区地下水N污染的关键.