Effect of Snow Cover Conditions on the Hydrologic Regime: Case Study in a Pluvial‐Nival Watershed,Japan1

Abstract: Hydrologic monitoring in a small forested and mountainous headwater basin in Niigata Prefecture has been undertaken since 2000. An important characteristic of the basin is that the hydrologic regime contains pluvial elements year‐round, including rain‐on‐snow, in addition to spring snowmelt. We evaluated the effect of different snow cover conditions on the hydrologic regime by analyzing observed data in conjunction with model simulations of the snowpack. A degree‐day snow model is presented and applied to the study basin to enable estimation of the basin average snow water equivalent using air temperature at three representative elevations. Analysis of hydrological time series data and master recession curves showed that flow during the snowmelt season was generated by a combination of ground water flow having a recession constant of 0.018/day and diurnal melt water flow having a recession constant of 0.015/hour. Daily flows during the winter/snowmelt season showed greater persistence than daily flows during the warm season. The seasonal water balance indicated that the ratio of runoff to precipitation during the cold season (December to May) was about 90% every year. Seasonal snowpack plays an important role in defining the hydrologic regime, with winter precipitation and snowmelt runoff contributing about 65% of the annual runoff. The timing of the snowmelt season, indicated by the date of occurrence of the first significant snowmelt event, was correlated with the occurrence of low flow events. Model simulations showed that basin average snow water equivalent reached a peak around mid‐February to mid‐March, although further validation of the model is required at high elevation sites.     

Water‐Yield Reduction After Afforestation and Related Processes in the Semiarid Liupan Mountains,Northwest China1

Abstract: The increase of coverage of forest/vegetation is imperative to improve the environment in dry‐land areas of China, especially for protecting soil against serious erosion and sandstorms. However, inherent severe water shortages, drought stresses, and increasing water use competition greatly restrict the reforestation. Notably, the water‐yield reduction after afforestation generates intense debate about the correct approach to afforestation and forest management in dry‐land areas. However, most studies on water‐yield reduction of forests have been at catchment scales, and there are few studies of the response of total evapotranspiration (ET) and its partitioning to vegetation structure change. This motivates us to learn the linkage between hydrological processes and vegetation structure in slope ecosystems. Therefore, an ecohydrological study was carried out by measuring the individual items of water balance on sloping plots covered by different vegetation types in the semiarid Liupan Mountains of northwest China. The ratio of precipitation consumed as ET was about 60% for grassland, 93% for shrubs, and >95% for forestland. Thus, the water yield was very low, site‐specific, and sensitive to vegetation change. Conversion of grassland to forest decreased the annual water yield from slope by 50‐100 mm. In certain periods, the plantations at lower slopes even consumed the runon from upper slopes. Reducing the density of forests and shrubs by thinning was not an efficient approach to minimize water use. Leaf area index was a better indicator than plant density to relate ET to vegetation structure and to evaluate the soil water carrying capacity for vegetation (i.e., the maximum amount of vegetation that can be supported by the available soil water for an extended time). Selecting proper vegetation types and plant species, based on site soil water condition, may be more effective than the forest density regulation to minimize water‐yield reduction by vegetation coverage increase and notably by reforestation. Finally, the focuses in future research to improve the forest‐water relations in dry‐land areas are recommended as follows: vegetation growth dynamics driven by environment especially water conditions, coupling of ecological and hydrological processes, further development of distributed ecohydrological models, quantitative relation of eco‐water quota of ecosystems with vegetation structures, multi‐scaled evaluation of soil water carrying capacity for vegetation, and the development of widely applicable decision support tools.     

西部开发中的泥石流问题

西部地区的青、甘、陕、川、滇、黔、新、藏、宇、桂、内蒙和重庆等12个省区市内都有泥石流分布,已查明的泥石流沟计15500余条,受泥石流危害或威胁的县级以上政府驻地城镇逾百座,一场泥石流致死百人以上的灾害点达23个,泥石流及其灾害是西部大开发中必须面临的生态环境问题之一,城市建设、公路和铁路等交通建设、水利建设,西气和西电东送工程建设等西部大开发的重点领域,,在开发建设中都将要遇到泥石流问题,吸取以往这类建设中抗御泥石流灾害的经验与教训,对于减轻泥石流灾害和保障西部大开发顺利进行具有现实意义。     

地震液化流滑震害

通过地震液化的震害调查,从土种类、地形条件和坡度、液化土壤的赋存状况、地震能量和流滑的时间与空间分布等方面,简要总结了液化流滑的震害特征和规律,初步分析了液化引起流滑发生的条件、规模、剧烈程度、坡体运动规律以及流滑产生的破坏形式,分析了影响流滑的因素,可供进一步研究等参考。     

泥石流灾情评估指标体系

泥石流灾情评估指标体系的建立应满足适用性、完备性、可比性、综合性和系统性原则,而指标的选取还应在一定的要求下确定。依据上述原则,在泥石流灾情网络分析结果的基础上,建立了评估指标体系的结构层次模型,进而对各类灾情评估指标进行了分析,确定出评估泥石流灾情的具体指标和因子。最后建立了以成灾度为目标层,经济损失,社会影响,环境损害为准则层。评估指标和评估因子为指标层的泥石流灾情评估指标体系。     

Channel flow and trichloroethylene treatment in a partly iron-filled fracture: experimental and model results

Technical developments have now made it possible to emplace granular zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) in fractured media to create a Fe(0) fracture reactive barrier (Fe(0) FRB) for the treatment of contaminated groundwater. To evaluate this concept, we conducted a laboratory experiment in which trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminated water was flushed through a single uniform fracture created between two sandstone blocks. This fracture was partly filled with what was intended to be a uniform thickness of iron. Partial treatment of TCE by iron demonstrated that the concept of a Fe(0) FRB is practical, but was less than anticipated for an iron layer of uniform thickness. When the experiment was disassembled, evidence of discrete channelised flow was noted and attributed to imperfect placement of the iron. To evaluate the effect of the channel flow, an explicit Channel Model was developed that simplifies this complex flow regime into a conceptualised set of uniform and parallel channels. The mathematical representation of this conceptualisation directly accounts for (i) flow channels and immobile fluid arising from the non-uniform iron placement, (ii) mass transfer from the open fracture to iron and immobile fluid regions, and (iii) degradation in the iron regions. A favourable comparison between laboratory data and the results from the developed mathematical model suggests that the model is capable of representing TCE degradation in fractures with non-uniform iron placement. In order to apply this Channel Model concept to a Fe(0) FRB system, a simplified, or implicit, Lumped Channel Model was developed where the physical and chemical processes in the iron layer and immobile fluid regions are captured by a first-order lumped rate parameter. The performance of this Lumped Channel Model was compared to laboratory data, and benchmarked against the Channel Model. The advantages of the Lumped Channel Model are that the degradation of TCE in the system is represented by a first-order parameter that can be used directly in readily available numerical simulators.     

Monitoring morphological and vegetation changes and flow events in dryland river channels

Monitoring of impacts of floods in river valleys of dryland regions has become important with the onset and threats of desertification and is likely to become even more vital with predictions of increased effects of climate and land use change. It is also needed in order to conform to requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive. Monitoring in such regions sets particular challenges. This paper explains a system of low-cost monitoring of changes in morphology, vegetation and sediment cover in channels and valley floors of ephemerally flowing streams. It has been applied in SE Spain for 10 years and has proved very effective. In particular, the use of simple crest-stage recorders for measuring flow height and the use of real-time differential GPS for rapid and accurate survey and for relocating points have proved very valuable. Part of the monitoring is focused on the interaction of plants and channel processes. Small changes in and around vegetation associated with flow events have been detected by a combination of quadrat surveys and cross-profiling of the channel. A range of flow events has been measured over the period of monitoring, demonstrating their differing effects and the varying sensitivity and responsiveness of different sites. The sporadic occurrence of flood events in such an environment means that a strategy of monitoring several sites and of continuation over many years has great benefits.     

3种类型人工湿地处理富营养化水体中试比较研究

针对五里湖富营养化水体,在同等条件下开展了3种类型人工湿地处理效果的比较研究,试验采用现场中试规模,水力负荷为0.8 m³/(m²·d).结果表明,垂直流、潜流和表面流3种人工湿地对氨氮的平均去除率分别为33.2%、27.4%和14.1%;对总氮的平均去除率分别为52.3%、50.1%和19.2%;对总磷的平均去除率分别为58.8%、57.9%和26.3%;对锰酸盐指数的平均去除率分别为37.2%、38.3%和14.8%;对叶绿素a的平均去除率分别为86.9%、96.1%和55.3%.可见,垂直流人工湿地对氨氮、总氮和总磷的去除效果最好,潜流人工湿地对高锰酸盐指数和叶绿素a的去除效果最好,但垂直流和潜流人工湿地之间的差异较小,表面流人工湿地对各污染物的去除效果均远低于前两者.从出水水质稳定性来看,垂直流人工湿地出水水质最稳定,潜流次之,表面流最差.     

速度场常数及其自动检测装置

通过对烟道“速度场常数”的研究,提出利用速度场常数监测烟道烟气平均流速的方法,同时研制出速度场常数自动检测装置。解决烟道烟气平均流速自动监测的技术难题。     

新型侧向流曝气生物滤池处理生活污水

采用以沸石为填料的新型侧向流曝气生物滤池处理生活污水,考察了水力负荷和气水比的影响.结果表明,LBAF在最佳工况气水比10∶1,A、B段曝气量比1∶1,水力负荷0.43 m3/m2·h下,COD、SS、氨氮、总氮和总磷的去除率分别为88.01%、95.18%、78.97%、52.58%和21.02%;COD去除率随COD容积负荷的增加缓慢下降.氨氮、总氮去除率随COD容积负荷的增大明显下降,氨氮去除率随氨氮容积负荷的增大而明显降低.滤池纳污能力强,不易堵塞,可适当延长反冲周期.