Incorporating Variable Source Area Hydrology into a Spatially Distributed Direct Runoff Model1

Buchanan, Brian, Zachary M. Easton, Rebecca Schneider, and M. Todd Walter, 2011. Incorporating Variable Source Area Hydrology Into a Spatially Distributed Direct Runoff Model. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 43‐60. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00594.x Abstract: Few hydrologic models simulate both variable source area (VSA) hydrology, and runoff‐routing at high enough spatial resolutions to capture fine‐scale hydrologic pathways connecting VSA to the stream network. This paper describes a geographic information system‐based operational model that simulates the spatio‐temporal dynamics of VSA runoff generation and distributed runoff‐routing, including through complex artificial drainage networks. The model combines the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Curve Number (CN) equation for estimating storm runoff with the topographic index concept for predicting the locations of VSA and a runoff‐routing algorithm into a new spatially distributed direct hydrograph (SDDH) model (SDDH‐VSA). Using a small agricultural watershed in central New York, SDDH‐VSA results were compared to those from a SDDH model using the traditional land use assumptions for the CN (SDDH‐CN). The SDDH‐VSA model generally agreed better with observed discharge than the SDDH‐CN model (average, Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.69 vs. 0.58, respectively) and resulted in more realistic spatial patterns of runoff‐generating areas. The SDDH approach did not correctly capture the timing of runoff from small storms in dry periods. Despite this type of limitation, SDDH‐VSA extends the applicability of the SDDH technique to VSA conditions, providing a basis for new tools to help identify critical management areas and assess water quality risks due to landscape alterations.     

Evaluation of surface runoff and road dust as sources of nitrogen using nitrate isotopic composition

Stable nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate (δ¹⁵N-NO₃ and δ¹⁸O-NO₃) have recently been used to identify nitrogen sources in water environments. However, there have been no investigations designed to determine nitrate isotopes in non-point sources in urban areas for evaluating the impact of surface deposits on nitrogen in surface runoff. In this study, we collected rainwater, surface runoff and surface deposits (road dust, roof dust and soil) to evaluate the nitrogen sources in surface runoff using nitrate isotopes. There were no large differences in δ¹⁵N-NO₃ among rainwater (−0.3‰ to 1.5‰), surface runoff (−2.7‰ to 0.4‰), leachates from road dust (−5.8‰ to 6.2‰) and soil (−11.5‰ to 0.6‰). In contrast, the δ¹⁸O-NO₃ in surface runoff (28.5-47.9‰) was lower than that in rainwater (62.7-78.6‰), and higher than that in leachates from road dust (6.1-27.6‰) and soil (−1.1‰ to 6.6‰). δ¹⁸O-NO₃ is a useful indicator for evaluating the NO₃-N sources in surface runoff. Using this indicator, NO₃-N from road dust was estimated to account for more than half of the NO₃-N in surface runoff. This is consistent with a result based on a comparison of their loads per unit surface between rainwater and surface runoff, which also showed that most of the nitrogen in surface runoff was derived from surface deposits.     

1368-1948年山西霜雪灾害的特征与周期规律研究

通过对山西1368-1948年历史文献资料的搜集、整理和数学分析,对该区霜雪灾害等级、阶段、周期及其成因进行了研究。在这期间,山西共发生霜雪灾害419次,轻度106次、中度228次、重度85次。灾害变化可分为4个阶段,1368-1579年为第1阶段,1580-1699年为第2阶段,1700-1819年为第3阶段,1820-1948年为第4阶段。第1、3阶段距平值主要为负值,灾害频次较低,以轻、中度灾害为主。第2、4阶段距平值主要为正值,灾害频次较高,以中度和重度霜雪灾为主。小波分析表明,灾害存在着4个明显的周期,即10～13年、20年左右、45～50年和120年左右的周期。降雪或寒流引起的气温骤降至0℃以下是造成山西霜雪灾害的主要原因。共发生6次寒冷气候事件,分别出现在1578-1588、1591-1607、1631-1642、1669-1672、1690-1699和1830-1836年。出现3次异常寒冷灾害年,分别是1653、1892和1929年。     

Runoff and leaching of atrazine and alachlor on a sandy soil as affected by application in sprinkler irrigation

Abstract

Rainfall simulation was used with small packed boxes of soil to compare runoff of herbicides applied by conventional spray and injection into sprinkler‐irrigation (chemigation), under severe rainfall conditions. It was hypothesized that the larger water volumes used in chemigation would leach some of the chemicals out of the soil surface rainfall interaction zone, and thus reduce the amounts of herbicides available for runoff. A 47‐mm rain falling in a 2‐hour event 24 hours after application of alachlor (2‐chloro‐N‐(2,6‐diethylphenyl)‐N‐(methoxymethyl)‐acetamide) and atrazine (6‐chloro‐N‐ethyl‐N‐(1‐methylethyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4‐diamine) was simulated. The design of the boxes allowed a measurement of pesticide concentrations in splash water throughout the rainfall event. Initial atrazine concentrations exceeding its’ solubility were observed. When the herbicides were applied in 64000 L/ha of water (simulating chemigation in 6.4 mm irrigation water) to the surface of a Tifton loamy sand, subsequent herbicide losses in runoff water were decreased by 90% for atrazine and 91% for alachlor, as compared to losses from applications in typical carrier water volumes of 187 L/ha. However, this difference was not due to an herbicide leaching effect but to a 96% decrease in the amount of runoff from the chemigated plots. Only 0.3 mm of runoff occurred from the chemigated boxes while 7.4 mm runoff occurred from the conventionally‐treated boxes, even though antecedent moisture was higher in the former. Two possible explanations for this unexpected result are (a) increased aggregate stability in the more moist condition, leading to less surface sealing during subsequent rainfall, or (b) a hydrophobic effect in the drier boxes. In the majority of these pans herbicide loss was much less in runoff than in leachate water. Thus, in this soil, application of these herbicides by chemigation would decrease their potential for pollution only in situations where runoff is a greater potential threat than leaching.     

Mobility of dimethoate residues from spring broccoli field

Dimethoate [O, O-dimethyl-S-(N-methylcarbamoyl-methyl) phosphorodithioate] is a broad-spectrum systemic insecticide currently used worldwide and on many vegetables in Kentucky. Dimethoate is a hydrophilic compound (log K_OW = 0.7) and has the potential of offsite movement from the application site into runoff and infiltration water. The dissipation patterns of dimethoate residues were studied on spring broccoli leaves and heads under field conditions. Following foliar application of Dimethoate 4E on broccoli foliage at the rate of 0.47 L acre^?1, dimethoate residues were monitored in soil, runoff water collected down the land slope, and in infiltration water collected from the vadose zone. The study was conducted on a Lowell silty loam soil (pH 6.9) planted with broccoli under three soil management practices: (i) soil mixed with municipal sewage sludge, (ii) soil mixed with yard waste compost, and (iii) no-mulch rototilled bare soil. The main objective of this investigation was to study the effect of mixing native soil with municipal sewage sludge or yard waste compost, having considerable amounts of organic matter, on off-site movement of dimethoate residues into runoff and infiltration water following spring rainfall. The initial deposits of dimethoate were 6.2 and 21.4 μ g g^?1 on broccoli heads and leaves, respectively. These residues dissipated rapidly and fell below the maximum residue limit of 2 μ g g^?1 on the heads and leaves after 10 and 14 d, respectively, with half-lives of 5.7 d on broccoli heads and 3.9 d on the leaves. Dimethoate residues detected in top 15 cm of soil (due to droplet drift and wash off residues from broccoli foliage) one day (d) following spraying, were 30.5 ng g^?1 dry soil in the sewage sludge treatment, and 46.1 and 134.5 ng g^?1 dry soil in the yard waste and no mulch treatments, respectively. Water infiltration was greater from yard waste compost treatment than from no mulch treatment, however concentrations of dimethoate in the vadose zone of the three soil treatments did not differ.     

管道沉砂用作雨水花园土壤改良材料的可行性

以建筑黄砂为对照,采用排水管道清通作业产生的管道沉砂作为提高土壤渗透性能的改良材料,通过模拟土柱实验考察了雨水花园对路面径流污染的控制效果.实验结果表明,在装置初始运行阶段,模拟柱中污染物的淋出浓度迅速降低,污染地下水的风险很低;当污染物淋失达到稳定时,掺加同比例管道沉砂与建筑黄砂的模拟柱在提高土壤渗透速率方面效果相近,而对COD、TP、TSS、NH4+-N、NO3--N、重金属等污染物的去除两者效果则相差不大.结果表明,以管道沉砂作为土壤改良材料,在降低南方粘性土壤地区雨水花园的建造成本、实现废弃物的再利用方面具有良好前景.     

Hydrologic Landscape Characterization for the Pacific Northwest,USA

We update the Wigington et al. (2013) hydrologic landscape (HL) approach to make it more broadly applicable and apply the revised approach to the Pacific Northwest (PNW; i.e., Oregon, Washington, and Idaho). Specific changes incorporated are the use of assessment units based on National Hydrography Dataset Plus V2 catchments, a modified snowmelt model validated over a broader area, an aquifer permeability index that does not require preexisting aquifer permeability maps, and aquifer and soil permeability classes based on uniform criteria. Comparison of Oregon results for the revised and original approaches found fewer and larger assessment units, loss of summer seasonality, and changes in rankings and proportions of aquifer and soil permeability classes. Differences could be explained by three factors: an increased assessment unit size, a reduced number of permeability classes, and use of smaller cutoff values for the permeability classes. The distributions of the revised HLs in five groups of Oregon rivers were similar to the original HLs but less variable. The improvements reported here should allow the revised HL approach to be applied more often in situations requiring hydrologic classification and allow greater confidence in results. We also apply the map results to the development of hydrologic landscape regions.     

Investigation of the Curve Number Method For Surface Runoff Estimation In Tropical Regions

This study tests the applicability of the curve number (CN) method within the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to estimate surface runoff at the watershed scale in tropical regions. To do this, surface runoff simulated using the CN method was compared with observed runoff in numerous rainfall‐runoff events in three small tropical watersheds located in the Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia. The CN method generally performed well in simulating surface runoff in the studied watersheds (Nash‐Sutcliff efficiency [NSE] > 0.7; percent bias [PBIAS] < 32%). Moreover, there was no difference in the performance of the CN method in simulating surface runoff under low and high antecedent rainfall (PBIAS for both antecedent conditions: ~30%; modified NSE: ~0.4). It was also found that the method accurately estimated surface runoff at high rainfall intensity (e.g., PBIAS < 15%); however, at low rainfall intensity, the CN method repeatedly underestimated surface runoff (e.g., PBIAS > 60%). This was possibly due to low infiltrability and valley bottom saturated areas typical of many tropical soils, indicating that there is scope for further improvements in the parameterization/representation of tropical soils in the CN method for runoff estimation, to capture low rainfall‐intensity events. In this study the retention parameter was linked to the soil moisture content, which seems to be an appropriate approach to account for antecedent wetness conditions in the tropics.     

模拟生态种植槽对雨水径流的净化

为减少环湖公路路面径流对洱海水质的影响,该研究选用土壤、锯末、沙子、砾石分层装填的生态型的路面径流收集、净化和输送系统-生态种植槽(其中混合填料层锯末与沙子的配比设置3种比例1∶3、1∶4、1∶5),研究该装置对模拟雨水的净化效果,并寻求最佳填充方式.结果表明,3组种植槽适合植物移栽、自然挂膜、低污染负荷启动方式;能稳定有效地去除COD、SS.运行期COD的平均出水水质优于地表水Ⅴ类水质,SS的平均去除率均高于80％.不同混合填料比种植槽对污水中COD的净化效果从高到低排序依次为:1∶5(锯末∶沙子)＞1∶4(锯末∶沙子)＞1∶3(锯末∶沙子),方差分析显示,3组种植槽系统间COD、SS去除率无差异(P＞0.05),考虑到锯末∶沙子为1∶5时的渗透效果差,故推荐锯末∶沙子为1∶4的种植槽供后续示范工程选用.