Recent Changes in Stream Flashiness and Flooding,and Effects of Flood Management in North Carolina and Virginia

The southeastern United States has undergone anthropogenic changes in landscape structure, with the potential to increase (e.g., urbanization) and decrease (e.g., reservoir construction) stream flashiness and flooding. Assessment of the outcome of such change can provide insight into the efficacy of current strategies and policies to manage water resources. We (1) examined trends in precipitation, floods, and stream flashiness and (2) assessed the relative influence of land cover and flow‐regulating features (e.g., best management practices and artificial water bodies) on stream flashiness from 1991 to 2013. We found mean annual precipitation decreased, which coincided with decreasing trends in floods. In contrast, stream flashiness, overall, showed an increasing trend during the period of study. However, upon closer examination, 20 watersheds showed stable stream flashiness, whereas 5 increased and 6 decreased in flashiness. Urban watersheds were among those that increased or decreased in flashiness. Watersheds that increased in stream flashiness gained more urban cover, lost more forested cover and had fewer best management practices installed than urban watersheds that decreased in stream flashiness. We found best management practices are more effective than artificial water bodies in regulating flashy floods. Flashiness index is a valuable and straightforward metric to characterize changes in streamflow and help to assess the efficacy of management interventions.     

Variability and Trends in Runoff Efficiency in the Conterminous United States

Variability and trends in water‐year runoff efficiency (RE) — computed as the ratio of water‐year runoff (streamflow per unit area) to water‐year precipitation — in the conterminous United States (CONUS) are examined for the 1951 through 2012 period. Changes in RE are analyzed using runoff and precipitation data aggregated to United States Geological Survey 8‐digit hydrologic cataloging units (HUs). Results indicate increases in RE for some regions in the north‐central CONUS and large decreases in RE for the south‐central CONUS. The increases in RE in the north‐central CONUS are explained by trends in climate, whereas the large decreases in RE in the south‐central CONUS likely are related to groundwater withdrawals from the Ogallala aquifer to support irrigated agriculture.     

Robustness of Meteorological Droughts in Dynamically Downscaled Climate Simulations

We examine the robustness of a suite of regional climate models (RCMs) in simulating meteorological droughts and associated metrics in present‐day climate (1971‐2003) over the conterminous United States (U.S.). The RCMs that are part of North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) simulations are compared with multiple observations over the climatologically homogeneous regions of the U.S. The seasonal precipitation, climatology, drought attributes, and trends have been assessed. The reanalysis‐based multi‐model median RCM reasonably simulates observed statistical attributes of drought and the regional detail due to topographic forcing. However, models fail to simulate significant drying trend over the Southwest and West. Further, reanalysis‐based NARCCAP runs underestimate the observed drought frequency overall, with the exception of the Southwest; whereas they underestimate persistence in the drought‐affected areas over the Southwest and West‐North Central regions. However, global climate model‐driven NARCCAP ensembles tend to overestimate regional drought frequencies. Models exhibit considerable uncertainties while reproducing meteorological drought statistics, as evidenced by a general lack of agreement in the Hurst exponent, which in turn controls drought persistence. Water resources managers need to be aware of the limitations of current climate models, while regional climate modelers may want to fine‐tune their parameters to address impact‐relevant metrics.     

建筑垃圾对雨水径流中Cu的吸附特性

以砖混建筑垃圾为研究对象,采用人工模拟雨水,通过静态和动态吸附实验研究了不同粒径粒级建筑垃圾对雨水径流中Cu的吸附效果。结果表明,准二级动力学模型比准一级动力学模型能更好地描述建筑垃圾对Cu的吸附过程;Freundlich等温模型能较好地拟合其等温吸附过程;不同粒径粒级建筑垃圾均对雨水径流中的Cu具有较好的净化效果,去除率均超过90%,粒径粒级越小,对Cu的净化效果越好,但其渗透性能越差;建筑垃圾的粒径粒级对Cu的吸附平衡时间、吸附速率和吸附量具有重要影响,粒径粒级2.36~4.75 mm的建筑垃圾对Cu的平衡吸附速率和平衡吸附量最大,分别为4.1μg/min和12.4μg/g。     

水力停留时间对膜生物反应器复合工艺污水处理特性的影响

开发了厌氧-多级好氧/缺氧-膜生物反应器复合工艺,在不同水力停留时间(HRT)下,考察了系统对污染物去除效果及其膜污染的特性.结果表明,在试验选定的HRT范围内,系统对TN和TP的去除率随着HRT的降低而升高,当HRT为8.70、6.96、4.97 h时,系统对TN和TP的平均去除率分别为73.15%、79.76%、81.98%和67.79%、80.99%、92.16%.但是,较低HRT条件下膜通量较高,会加剧膜污染进程.解决这一问题的措施是增加膜组件个数,从而在不提高膜通量的情况下使系统保持较低的HRT,保证系统高效稳定的污染物去除效果.     

不同雨强条件下太湖流域典型蔬菜地土壤磷素的径流特征

以太湖流域典型区域无锡市近郊区鸿声镇的蔬菜地为研究对象,采用人工模拟降雨的方法,通过野外径流小区试验,研究了不同雨强对菜地土壤磷素径流流失的影响.结果表明,初始产流时间随雨强的增大呈幂函数减小(R²=0.99),径流量在雨强较小时,缓慢上升,但随着雨强的增大急剧上升,在雨强0.83、1.17和1.67 mm·min^-1时,总磷(TP)和颗粒态磷(PP)都表现为初始流失浓度较高,随降雨历时延长略有下降,最终趋于稳定,而在大雨强2.50 mm·min^-1时,TP和PP呈现波浪式起伏,没有明显的变化趋势;在整个降雨-径流过程中,溶解态磷(DP)变化比较平缓,占TP的比例为20%～32%,而PP占TP的比例为68%～80%,其变化规律与TP相一致,由此可见,PP是土壤磷素流失的主要形态;通过对比不同雨强下不同形态磷素的流失率,发现TP的流失率,大雨强2.50 mm·min^-1是小雨强0.83 mm·min^-1的20倍,而DP的流失率,却是33倍,这表明随着雨强的增加,加速土壤PP流失的同时,也大大促进了DP的流失,主要原因是降雨前表施磷肥,使得磷肥中大量的无机态磷溶解释放到水环境中,增加了DP的流失,从而会加重受纳水体富营养化的程度.     

不同墩高下连续刚构桥抗震性能分析

以某大跨连续高墩刚构桥为依托,采用Midas/civil软件建立仿真模型,通过时程分析方法研究双肢薄壁墩参数在地震响应下对高墩连续刚构桥抗震性能的影响.以桥墩高度为主要参数,以模型阵型频率、桥墩墩顶、墩底位移及内力变化三个方面对其抗震性能进行评价.研究结果表明,随着其中一个桥墩高度的增加,桥梁频率不断减小,矮墩墩底及矮...     

城市雨水径流污染控制技术

城市雨水径流特别是初期雨水污染严重,是水体富营养化、水华以及海域赤潮等环境问题产生的根源之一.分析了径流污染产生的特点,概括了城市雨水径流污染控制的必要性,并着重论述了径流污染控制技术.     

利用人工湿地系统深度处理城市污水尾水

利用垂直复合流模拟人工湿地系统对城市污水厂尾水进行深度处理实验研究,植物床选用美人蕉、菖蒲、茭草、芋头和象草混合栽种,采用石英砂为主体填料。实验研究表明:人工湿地系统在停留时间为24h,水力负荷为0.4m3(m2·d)的运行条件处理效果较佳,在此条件下连续稳定运行10个月,处理后的尾水主要指标达到(GBT189212002)标准。