Changes in Hydrology of the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh and Corresponding Impacts on Water Resources

The Ganges Delta in Bangladesh is an example of water‐related catastrophes in a major rural river basin where limitations in quantity, quality, and timing of available water are producing disastrous conditions. Water availability limitations are modifying the hydrologic characteristics especially when water allocation is controlled from the upstream Farakka Barrage. This study presents the changes and consequences in the hydrologic regime due to climate‐ and human‐induced stresses. Flow duration curves (FDCs), rainfall elasticity, and temperature sensitivity were used to assess the pre‐ and post‐barrage water flow patterns. Hydrologic and climate indices were computed to provide insight on hydro‐climatic variability and trend. Significant increases in temperature, evapotranspiration, hot days, heating, and cooling degree days indicate the region is heading toward a warmer climate. Moreover, increase in high‐intensity rainfall of short duration is making the region prone to extreme floods. FDCs depict a large reduction in river flows between pre‐ and post‐barrage periods, resulting in lower water storage capacity. The reduction in freshwater flow increased the extent and intensity of salinity intrusion. This freshwater scarcity is reducing livelihood options considerably and indirectly forcing population migration from the delta region. Understanding the causes and directions of hydrologic changes is essential to formulate improve water resources management in the region.     

Efficient Delineation of Nested Depression Hierarchy in Digital Elevation Models for Hydrological Analysis Using Level‐Set Method

In terrain analysis and hydrological modeling, surface depressions (or sinks) in a digital elevation model (DEM) are commonly treated as artifacts and thus filled and removed to create a depressionless DEM. Various algorithms have been developed to identify and fill depressions in DEMs during the past decades. However, few studies have attempted to delineate and quantify the nested hierarchy of actual depressions, which can provide crucial information for characterizing surface hydrologic connectivity and simulating the fill‐merge‐spill hydrological process. In this paper, we present an innovative and efficient algorithm for delineating and quantifying nested depressions in DEMs using the level‐set method based on graph theory. The proposed level‐set method emulates water level decreasing from the spill point along the depression boundary to the lowest point at the bottom of a depression. By tracing the dynamic topological changes (i.e., depression splitting/merging) within a compound depression, the level‐set method can construct topological graphs and derive geometric properties of the nested depressions. The experimental results of two fine‐resolution Light Detection and Ranging‐derived DEMs show that the raster‐based level‐set algorithm is much more efficient (~150 times faster) than the vector‐based contour tree method. The proposed level‐set algorithm has great potential for being applied to large‐scale ecohydrological analysis and watershed modeling.     

Evaluation of SWAT Impoundment Modeling Methods in Water and Sediment Simulations

Worldwide studies show 80%–90% of all sediments eroded from watersheds is trapped within river networks such as reservoirs, ponds, and wetlands. To represent the impact of impoundments on sediment routing in watershed modeling, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) developers recommend to model reservoirs, ponds, and wetlands using impoundment tools (ITs). This study evaluates performance of SWAT ITs in the modeling of a small, agricultural watershed dominated by lakes and wetlands. The study demonstrates how to incorporate impoundments into the SWAT model, and discusses and evaluates involved parameters. The study then recommends an appropriate calibration sequence, i.e., landscape parameters calibration, followed by pond/wetlands calibration, then channel parameter calibrations, and lastly, reservoir parameter calibration. Results of this study demonstrate not following SWAT recommendation regarding modeling water land use as an impoundment depreciates SWAT performance, and may lead to misplaced calibration efforts and model over‐calibration. Further, the chosen method to model impoundments’ outflow significantly impacts sediment loads in the watershed, while streamflow simulation is not very sensitive. This study also allowed calculation of mass accumulation rates in modeled impoundments where the annual mass accumulation rate in wetlands (2.3 T/ha/yr) was 39% higher than mass accumulation rate in reservoirs (1.4 T/ha/yr).     

Application of response surface methodology for the optimization of biodiesel production from yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seed oil

In the present study, response surface methodology (RSM) involving central composite design (CCD) was applied to optimize the reaction parameters of biodiesel production from yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seed oil during the single-step transesterification process. A total of 30 experiments were designed and performed to determine under the effects of variables on the biodiesel yield such as methanol to oil molar ratio (2:1–10:1), catalyst concentration (0.2–1.0 wt.% NaOH), reaction temperature (50–70°C), and reaction time (30–90 min). The second order polynomial model was used to predict the biodiesel yield and coefficient of determination (R²) was found to be at 0.9818. The optimum biodiesel yield was calculated as 96.695% from the model with the following reaction conditions: 7.41:1 of methanol to oil molar ratio, 0.63 wt. % NaOH of catalyst concentration, 61.84°C of reaction temperature, and 62.12 min of reaction time. It is seen that the regression model results were in agreement with the experimental data. The results showed that RSM is a suitable statistical technique for optimizing the reaction parameters in the transesterification process in order to maximize the biodiesel yield.     

草海沉积物营养元素分布特征与控制因素

选取贵州草海这一典型高原湖泊湿地作为研究对象,在代表性湖区共布设17个采样点,采集了表层沉积物和沉积物柱芯,对沉积物总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)和总磷(TP)分布特征及控制因素开展了对比研究。研究结果表明,草海表层沉积物营养盐分布主要受外源输入和湖泊初级生产控制:表层沉积物TOC、TN含量平均值分别为232.98mg/g和25.21mg/g,远高于国内其他湖泊,且呈现湖心高、近岸区低的分布特征,由于氮较高的迁移性和生物可利用性,草海沉积物TN明显受湖泊水生植物生长控制,主要以有机质形式赋存于沉积物中;表层沉积物TP含量平均值为1.03mg/g,其空间分布特征显著不同于TOC、TN,在湖心、东南湖区和出水口其含量较低,主要受外源输入控制,且主要以沉淀、吸附等无机形态赋存于沉积物中。草海沉积物柱芯中TOC、TN、TP含量总体上呈现随深度增加先迅速降低而后趋于稳定的变化趋势,但不同湖区其含量差异较大,反映了人为干扰强度和沉积环境的差异。草海流域外源污染物输入和沉积物较高的营养盐内负荷是其水体富营养化面临的主要威胁,一方面应采取有效手段消减外源污染物输入,另一方面应通过合理的生态修复措施控制内源营养盐释放。草海繁茂的沉水植物增强了水体自净功能,优化草海水生植物种群结构、恢复草型健康湖泊生态系统对保护草海生态环境具有重要意义。     

鄱阳湖沉积物有机磷形态及对水位变化响应

选取鄱阳湖枯水期不同高程出露表层沉积物,通过研究有机磷含量及形态差异,试图揭示江湖关系变化引起的水位下降对鄱阳湖沉积物有机磷潜在释放风险的影响.结果表明:1鄱阳湖枯水期表层沉积物有机磷含量(115.2~448.3 mg·kg-1)占总磷的19.3%~45.1%,有机磷含量空间分布呈"五河"入湖尾闾区高于湖心区和北部湖区.2鄱阳湖表层沉积物各形态有机磷含量大小顺序为:残渣态有机磷盐酸提取有机磷胡敏酸有机磷碳酸氢钠提取有机磷富里酸有机磷.3水位下降引起的沉积物出露时间延长是引起鄱阳湖不同高程沉积物有机磷形态变化的重要原因.沉积物出露时间越长,碳酸氢钠提取有机磷、盐酸提取有机磷与富里酸有机磷的含量越低,而胡敏酸有机磷和残渣态有机磷含量越高.同时,水位下降引起的沉积物出露时间延长致使活性有机磷和中活性有机磷占总有机磷比例下降,而非活性有机磷占总有机磷比例增加,反映了沉积物出露时间延长可能会促进有机磷形态由活性向非活性转化,在一定程度上能够降低沉积物有机磷的潜在性风险.     

Southwestern Intermittent and Ephemeral Stream Connectivity

Ephemeral and intermittent streams are abundant in the arid and semiarid landscapes of the Western and Southwestern United States (U.S.). Connectivity of ephemeral and intermittent streams to the relatively few perennial reaches through runoff is a major driver of the ecohydrology of the region. These streams supply water, sediment, nutrients, and biota to downstream reaches and rivers. In addition, they provide runoff to recharge alluvial and regional groundwater aquifers that support baseflow in perennial mainstem stream reaches over extended periods when little or no precipitation occurs. Episodic runoff, as well as groundwater inflow to surface water in streams support limited naturally occurring riparian communities. This paper provides an overview and comprehensive examination of factors affecting the hydrologic, chemical, and ecological connectivity of ephemeral and intermittent streams on perennial or intermittent rivers in the arid and semiarid Southwestern U.S. Connectivity as influenced and moderated through the physical landscape, climate, and human impacts to downstream waters or rivers is presented first at the broader Southwestern scale, and secondly drawing on a specific and more detailed example of the San Pedro Basin due to its history of extensive observations and research in the basin. A wide array of evidence clearly illustrates hydrologic, chemical, and ecological connectivity of ephemeral and intermittent streams throughout stream networks.     

A Water Allocation Decision‐Support Model and Tool for Predictions in Ungauged Basins in Northeast British Columbia,Canada

Pressures on water resources due to changing climate, increasing demands, and enhanced recognition of environmental flow needs result in the need for hydrology information to support informed water allocation decisions. However, the absence of hydrometric measurements and limited access to hydrology information in many areas impairs water allocation decision‐making. This paper describes a water balance‐based modeling approach and an innovative web‐based decision‐support hydrology tool developed to address this need. Using high‐resolution climate, vegetation, and watershed data, a simple gridded water balance model, adjusted to account for locational variability, was developed and calibrated against gauged watersheds, to model mean annual runoff. Mean monthly runoff was modeled empirically, using multivariate regression. The modeled annual runoff results are within 20% of the observed mean annual discharge for 78% of the calibration watersheds, with a mean absolute error of 16%. Modeled monthly runoff corresponds well to observed monthly runoff, with a median Nash–Sutcliffe statistic of 0.92 and a median Spearman rank correlation statistic of 0.98. Monthly and annual flow estimates produced from the model are incorporated into a map‐ and watershed‐based decision‐support system referred to as the Northeast Water Tool, to provide critical information to decision makers and others on natural water supply, existing allocations, and the needs of the environment.     

Hydro-abrasive erosion in hydro turbines: a review

The flow of sediment particles in rivers is a big challenge to develop hydropower plants across the sediment-laden rivers. Hard particles such as quartz and feldspar are available in high amount in the Asian mountain range. The abrasive action of these particles causes the hydro turbines to suffer from erosion in particular at high- and medium-head hydroelectric power plants. This has become a serious economic issue due to maintenance costs and production losses. The treatment without prevention is simply unsustainable. Facilities for sediment exclusion, typically sand traps as well as turbine design, and materials have been improved considerably. In the present paper, studies have been discussed extensively undertaken by several investigators in this field. Based on literature survey several aspects related to reducing the sediment load on turbines, useful ways to improve the turbine surface performance and various erosion models to characterize the effect of erosion on the performance of turbines have been discussed. To calibrate and validate the developed erosion models, more measurements from both physical model tests in laboratories and continuous monitoring of sediment parameters and their impact on the operational hydro turbines are required. As well as the state-of-art in the modeling and simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has made it possible to optimize the hydraulic design of hydro turbines in order to minimize the erosion level without much sacrifice in the efficiency. To mitigate the hydro-abrasive erosion effects on the performance of turbines, significant improvements have been achieved so far and development is ongoing.     

厌氧发酵产沼气过程中脱氢酶活性检测工艺及其优化

为了优化脱氢酶活性这一指标在厌氧发酵产沼气系统中的检测方法,分别以小麦秸秆、羊粪及其混合原料(质量比1∶1)为发酵底物,通过Box-Behnken试验及响应面分析法确定并优化了沼气发酵系统中碘硝基四唑紫法脱氢酶活性的检测工艺,并对脱氢酶活性与甲烷产量进行了相关性分析.结果表明,3种底物均以乙醇作为萃取剂,以甲醛作为终止剂时显色效果最好.分别以秸秆、粪便及其混合为发酵底物时,脱氢酶检测在pH值分别为6.5、7.2、7.7,反应温度均在37℃下,碘硝基四唑紫质量分数均为0.15%,反应时间均为50 min时比色效果最好.相关性分析显示,厌氧发酵产沼气系统中脱氢酶活性与甲烷产量相关性显著.