INFILTRATION CAPACITY OF DISTURBED SOILS: TEMPORAL CHANGE AND LITHOLOGIC CONTROL1

ABSTRACT: The hydrologic character and response of disturbed land is controlled, to a large degree, by soil infiltration characteristics. Reconstructed soils on surface mines (minesoils) of different age (1 to 4 years old) are used to investigate infiltration rates on disturbed landscapes. The data consist of soil/surface properties and runoff volumes fit to the Horton infiltration equation. Infiltration rates on newly reclaimed minesoils are an order of magnitude lower than adjacent, undisturbed soil. Few significant correlations exist between soil/surface properties and infiltration parameters for newly reclaimed soils. However, the correlation between infiltration and minesoil characteristics increases with soil age. Multiple regressions are used to explore relationships between infiltration parameters and soil/surface properties for each soil age. Regression models of 30-min infiltration volume and the steady-state rate consistently include the percent silt and clay, slope, bulk density, and vegetation. Mean infiltration volumes at different mines are equal in the first year following reclamation, but become significantly different with surface age. The magnitude of the increase is controlled by the soil texture, vegetation, slope, and bulk density. Soil characteristics are determined ultimately by the overburden lithology and its effect on mineralogy and grain size during physical redistribution of soil particles and initial weathering.     

A conceptual framework for assessing cumulative impacts on the hydrology of nontidal wetlands

Wetlands occur in geologic and hydrologic settings that enhance the accumulation or retention of water. Regional slope, local relief, and permeability of the land surface are major controls on the formation of wetlands by surface-water sources. However, these landscape features also have significant control over groundwater flow systems, which commonly play a role in the formation of wetlands. Because the hydrologic system is a continuum, any modification of one component will have an effect on contiguous components. Disturbances commonly affecting the hydrologic system as it relates to wetlands include weather modification, alteration of plant communities, storage of surface water, road construction, drainage of surface water and soil water, alteration of groundwater recharge and discharge areas, and pumping of groundwater. Assessments of the cumulative effects of one or more of these disturbances on the hydrologic system as related to wetlands must take into account uncertainty in the measurements and in the assumptions that are made in hydrologic studies. For example, it may be appropriate to assume that regional groundwater flow systems are recharged in uplands and discharged in lowlands. However, a similar assumption commonly does not apply on a local scale, because of the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater recharge. Lack of appreciation of such hydrologic factors can lead to misunderstanding of the hydrologic function of wetlands within various parts of the landscape and mismanagement of wetland ecosystems.     

Synchronous variation in water chemistry for 80 lakes in Southern Sweden

Variation in water chemistry was studied in 80 lakes in southern Sweden. The lakes had forest dominated catchments. The length of the time series was 14 years. Synchrony was calculated as Pearsons product moment correlation coefficients for all combinations of lakes, i.e. 3160 lake-pairs. The chemical variables studied were non-marine sulphate (SO₄ ^*), non-marine calcium (Ca^*), absorbance and acid neutralising capacity (ANC). Statistically significant synchrony occurred in 93% of all lake-pairs for SO₄ ^*, and between 58 and 67% for absorbance, Ca^* and ANC. In 70% of all lake-pairs, the synchrony was \s>0.71 for SO₄ ^*, which means that more than half of the variation in one lake could be explained by the variation in the other lake. For absorbance, Ca^* and ANC, about 25% of the lake-pairs had a synchrony \s>0.71. The relatively high synchrony for SO₄ ^* occurred during an overall downward trend in SO₄ ^* concentration.The degree of synchrony in our study was at a level comparable to other studies in northern America and England. However, our study included lakes in a much larger area, with distances of up to 500 km between the lakes, while earlier studies were made on small lake districts with lakes located within approximately 50 km. In contrast to these earlier studies, there was no correlation between synchrony and distance, lake characteristics or catchment characteristics. However, when a small subset of 15 lakes in the southeast of Sweden was selected, such relations were found.     

Development of a Model for Simulation of Solute Transport in a Stream–Aquifer System

A model for simulation of solute transport in a dynamic stream–aquifer system is developed by integrating four existing sub-models. Interface packages are created to link the sub-models. The developed model is successfully used to simulate chloride transport in the stream–aquifer system of the Arkansas River and the Equus Beds Aquifer in Kansas and demonstrates that chloride concentration in the aquifer decreases in the vicinity of the simulated channel over time.     

Monitoring The Turbidity and Surface Temperature Changes and Effects of the 17 August 1999 Earthquake in the İzmİt Gulf,Turkey by the Landsat TM/ETM Data

The temporal turbidity and surface temperature changes and effects of the 17 August 1999 earthquake in the İzmit Gulf, Turkey have been investigated using Landsat TM/ETM data. The gulf is in the Mediterranean–Black Sea transition climatic zone and is partially surrounded by green vegetation cover and degraded and densely urbanized-industrialized areas. Landsat TM/ETM data acquired in 1990–1999 confirms increase in turbidity. Turbidity is always low in the southern part and high in the northern part of the gulf, because the more urbanized and industrialized areas are located in the northern part. The Landsat-7 ETM data acquired in the same year (1999) shows seasonal changes in turbidity. Moreover, the two high turbidity and surface temperature anomalies, one of which is parallel to the 17 August 1999 earthquake surface rupture (east–west) and the other which is in the northwest–southeast direction were mapped from Landsat-5 TM data acquired the day (18.08.1999) following the earthquake in the east end of the gulf. On the basis of turbidity implying the sea bottom movement, it is possible to state that a second rupture in the northwest and southeast direction could have occurred at the sea bottom during the earthquake. The distribution of the seismicity centers and the orientation of the lineaments in the area support this finding.     

浑河沈阳段七台子桥地表水质量对水生生物的影响

对浑河沈阳段七台子桥地表水进行了水生生物毒性实验,参照Bulichi等人提出的"环境水样的综合危害性评估方法",评估了该河段地表水对水生生物安全的影响,并结合同期地表水基本项目的监测结果,分析了产生水生生物急性毒性的原因。     

城市街道地表物特性分析

通过对城市街道地表物的收集、处理、分析和典型降水的径流冲刷实测,全面探究了城市街道地表物的分布、累积和冲刷规律,并对其污染物的含量和污染物总量进行了定量计算。为现代城市非点源污染截污处理和环境综合整治提供了理论和实践依据。     

露天煤矿的土地复垦

本文论术字露天煤矿土地复垦的现状，着重了矿区土地地复垦规划，提出了一个土地复垦规划的模型，并且对复垦方向的选择和复垦控制进行了初步的探讨。     

滇池宝象河流域全面产流与降雨关系初步研究

在进行滇池宝象河流域入湖污染负荷总量核算时，涉及流域的水量平衡计算，地表径流和地下径流是两个重要的环节，两者联系密切，并且在水循环过程中相互转化。不是所有的降水都能补给地下水，进而产生地表径流，只有当降雨量大于某一临界值时，才有可能产生地表径流。全流域地表径流产生与降雨关系的试验研究，有助于分析当地气象因素以及降雨时段之初的包气带含水率和地下水埋藏深度，为污染负荷总量核算提供叁者和借器．     

重庆市某小城镇地表水污染控制及可持续发展规划研究

以重庆市渝西地区某小城镇环境规划为例，分析了该镇地表水存在的污染问题，并迎合该镇可持续发展的需要，制定了一系列地表水污染控制规划方案，分析了规划方案的环境效益。