Stormwater infiltration and the 'urban karst' - A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonneau, Jeremie; Fletcher, Tim D.; Costelloe, Justin F.; Burns, Matthew J.

2017-09-01

The covering of native soils with impervious surfaces (e.g. roofs, roads, and pavement) prevents infiltration of rainfall into the ground, resulting in increased surface runoff and decreased groundwater recharge. When this excess water is managed using stormwater drainage systems, flow and water quality regimes of urban streams are severely altered, leading to the degradation of their ecosystems. Urban streams restoration requires alternative approaches towards stormwater management, which aim to restore the flow regime towards pre-development conditions. The practice of stormwater infiltration-achieved using a range of stormwater source-control measures (SCMs)-is central to restoring baseflow. Despite this, little is known about what happens to the infiltrated water. Current knowledge about the impact of stormwater infiltration on flow regimes was reviewed. Infiltration systems were found to be efficient at attenuating high-flow hydrology (reducing peak magnitudes and frequencies) at a range of scales (parcel, streetscape, catchment). Several modelling studies predict a positive impact of stormwater infiltration on baseflow, and empirical evidence is emerging, but the fate of infiltrated stormwater remains unclear. It is not known how infiltrated water travels along the subsurface pathways that characterise the urban environment, in particular the 'urban karst', which results from networks of human-made subsurface pathways, e.g. stormwater and sanitary sewer pipes and associated high permeability trenches. Seepage of groundwater into and around such pipes is possible, meaning some infiltrated stormwater could travel along artificial pathways. The catchment-scale ability of infiltration systems to restore groundwater recharge and baseflow is thus ambiguous. Further understanding of the fate of infiltrated stormwater is required to ensure infiltration systems deliver optimal outcomes for waterway flow regimes.

Grass mulching effect on infiltration, surface runoff and soil loss of three agricultural soils in Nigeria.

PubMed

Adekalu, K O; Olorunfemi, I A; Osunbitan, J A

2007-03-01

Mulching the soil surface with a layer of plant residue is an effective method of conserving water and soil because it reduces surface runoff, increases infiltration of water into the soil and retard soil erosion. The effectiveness of using elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) as mulching material was evaluated in the laboratory using a rainfall simulator set at rainfall intensities typical of the tropics. Six soil samples, two from each of the three major soil series representing the main agricultural soils in South Western Nigeria were collected, placed on three different slopes, and mulched with different rates of the grass. The surface runoff, soil loss, and apparent cumulative infiltration were then measured under each condition. The results with elephant grass compared favorably with results from previous experiments using rice straw. Runoff and soil loss decreased with the amount of mulch used and increased with slope. Surface runoff, infiltration and soil loss had high correlations (R = 0.90, 0.89, and 0.86, respectively) with slope and mulch cover using surface response analysis. The mean surface runoff was correlated negatively with sand content, while mean soil loss was correlated positively with colloidal content (clay and organic matter) of the soil. Infiltration was increased and soil loss was reduced greatly with the highest cover. Mulching the soils with elephant grass residue may benefit late cropping (second cropping) by increasing stored soil water for use during dry weather and help to reduce erosion on sloping land.

Effects of Thinning Intensities on Soil Infiltration and Water Storage Capacity in a Chinese Pine-Oak Mixed Forest

PubMed Central

Chen, Lili; Yuan, Zhiyou; Shao, Hongbo; Wang, Dexiang; Mu, Xingmin

2014-01-01

Thinning is a crucial practice in the forest ecosystem management. The soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity of pine-oak mixed forest under three different thinning intensity treatments (15%, 30%, and 60%) were studied in Qinling Mountains of China. The thinning operations had a significant influence on soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity. The soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity in different thinning treatments followed the order of control (nonthinning): <60%, <15%, and <30%. It demonstrated that thinning operation with 30% intensity can substantially improve soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity of pine-oak mixed forest in Qinling Mountains. The soil initial infiltration rate, stable infiltration rate, and average infiltration rate in thinning 30% treatment were significantly increased by 21.1%, 104.6%, and 60.9%, compared with the control. The soil maximal water storage capacity and noncapillary water storage capacity in thinning 30% treatment were significantly improved by 20.1% and 34.3% in contrast to the control. The soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity were significantly higher in the surface layer (0~20 cm) than in the deep layers (20~40 cm and 40~60 cm). We found that the soil property was closely related to soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity. PMID:24883372

30 CFR 785.19 - Surface coal mining and reclamation operations on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., rate and frequency of rainfall and runoff, surface roughness, slope and vegetative cover, infiltration... the function of storing water, such as permeability, infiltration, porosity, depth and direction of...

30 CFR 785.19 - Surface coal mining and reclamation operations on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., rate and frequency of rainfall and runoff, surface roughness, slope and vegetative cover, infiltration... the function of storing water, such as permeability, infiltration, porosity, depth and direction of...

30 CFR 785.19 - Surface coal mining and reclamation operations on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., rate and frequency of rainfall and runoff, surface roughness, slope and vegetative cover, infiltration... the function of storing water, such as permeability, infiltration, porosity, depth and direction of...

30 CFR 785.19 - Surface coal mining and reclamation operations on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., rate and frequency of rainfall and runoff, surface roughness, slope and vegetative cover, infiltration... the function of storing water, such as permeability, infiltration, porosity, depth and direction of...

30 CFR 785.19 - Surface coal mining and reclamation operations on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., rate and frequency of rainfall and runoff, surface roughness, slope and vegetative cover, infiltration... the function of storing water, such as permeability, infiltration, porosity, depth and direction of...

Hydrogeologic barriers to the infiltration of treated wastewater at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Land Application Site, Burlington County, New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fiore, Alex R.

2016-09-02

For the final phase of wastewater treatment operations at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, New Jersey, treated effluent is pumped to 12 infiltration basins on a Land Application Site to recharge the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. Two of the 12 infiltration basins are operationally ineffective because discharged effluent fails to percolate and remains ponded on the basin surfaces. A study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense, investigated the potential hydrogeologic conditions preventing infiltration in these basins by testing the geophysical, lithological, and hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer material underlying the site. Saturated sand, sandy clay, and unsaturated sand were encountered in succession through the upper 4 feet of sediment below land surface at the two ineffective basins. Water levels in auger borings penetrating the clay and underlying dry sand were measured as deeper than water levels in nested auger borings in the saturated sand overlying the clay, which indicates a downward vertical gradient was established after removal of the clay in the deeper borings created a conduit for drainage from the surficial saturated sands. Ground-penetrating radar surveys and additional water levels measured in piezometer wells adjacent to the infiltration basins indicated a lack of connectivity between the ponded basin water and the regional water table, and demonstrated that perched conditions were not present in native formation materials outside the inoperable basins. Therefore, the near-surface low permeability clay is likely preventing infiltration from the basin surface and causes the ineffectiveness of the two basins for wastewater land application operations.

Infiltration and soil erosion modelling on Lausatian post mine sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunth, Franziska; Schmidt, Jürgen

2013-04-01

Land management of reclaimed lignite mine sites requires long-term and safe structuring of recultivation areas. Erosion by water leads to explicit soil losses, especially on heavily endangered water repellent and non-vegetated soil surfaces. Beyond that, weathering of pyrite-containing lignite burden dumps causes sulfuric acid-formation, and hence the acidification of groundwater, seepage water and surface waters. Pyrite containing sediment is detached by precipitation and transported into worked-out open cuts by draining runoff. In addition to ground water influence, erosion processes are therefore involved in acidification of surface waters. A model-based approach for the conservation of man-made slopes of post mining sites is the objective of this ongoing study. The study shall be completed by modeling of the effectiveness of different mine site recultivation scenarios. Erosion risks on man-made slopes in recultivation areas should be determined by applying the physical, raster- and event based computer model EROSION 2D/3D (Schmidt, 1991, 1992; v. Werner, 1995). The widely used erosion model is able to predict runoff as well as detachment, transport and deposition of sediments. Lignite burden dumps contain hydrophobic substances that cover soil particles. Consequently, these soils show strong water repellency, which influences the processes of infiltration and soil erosion on non-vegetated, coal containing dump soils. The influence of water repellency had to be implemented into EROSION 2D/3D. Required input data for soil erosion modelling (e.g. physical soil parameters, infiltration rates, calibration factors, etc.) were gained by soil sampling and rainfall experiments on non-vegetated as well as recultivated reclaimed mine sites in the Lusatia lignite mining region (southeast of Berlin, Germany). The measured infiltration rates on the non-vegetated water repellent sites were extremely low. Therefore, a newly developed water repellency-factor was applied to depict infiltration and erosion processes on water repellent dump soils. For infiltration modelling with EROSION 2D calibration factors (e.g. water repellency factor, skin-factor, etc.) were determined in different steps by calibrating computer modelled infiltration, respectively volume rate of flow to the measured data.

Detecting surface runoff location in a small catchment using distributed and simple observation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehotin, Judicaël; Breil, Pascal; Braud, Isabelle; de Lavenne, Alban; Lagouy, Mickaël; Sarrazin, Benoît

2015-06-01

Surface runoff is one of the hydrological processes involved in floods, pollution transfer, soil erosion and mudslide. Many models allow the simulation and the mapping of surface runoff and erosion hazards. Field observations of this hydrological process are not common although they are crucial to evaluate surface runoff models and to investigate or assess different kinds of hazards linked to this process. In this study, a simple field monitoring network is implemented to assess the relevance of a surface runoff susceptibility mapping method. The network is based on spatially distributed observations (nine different locations in the catchment) of soil water content and rainfall events. These data are analyzed to determine if surface runoff occurs. Two surface runoff mechanisms are considered: surface runoff by saturation of the soil surface horizon and surface runoff by infiltration excess (also called hortonian runoff). The monitoring strategy includes continuous records of soil surface water content and rainfall with a 5 min time step. Soil infiltration capacity time series are calculated using field soil water content and in situ measurements of soil hydraulic conductivity. Comparison of soil infiltration capacity and rainfall intensity time series allows detecting the occurrence of surface runoff by infiltration-excess. Comparison of surface soil water content with saturated water content values allows detecting the occurrence of surface runoff by saturation of the soil surface horizon. Automatic records were complemented with direct field observations of surface runoff in the experimental catchment after each significant rainfall event. The presented observation method allows the identification of fast and short-lived surface runoff processes at a small spatial and temporal resolution in natural conditions. The results also highlight the relationship between surface runoff and factors usually integrated in surface runoff mapping such as topography, rainfall parameters, soil or land cover. This study opens interesting prospects for the use of spatially distributed measurement for surface runoff detection, spatially distributed hydrological models implementation and validation at a reasonable cost.

Aquifer recharge from infiltration basins in a highly urbanized area: the river Po Plain (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masetti, M.; Nghiem, S. V.; Sorichetta, A.; Stevenazzi, S.; Santi, E. S.; Pettinato, S.; Bonfanti, M.; Pedretti, D.

2015-12-01

Due to the extensive urbanization in the Po Plain in northern Italy, rivers need to be managed to alleviate flooding problems while maintaining an appropriate aquifer recharge under an increasing percentage of impermeable surfaces. During the PO PLain Experiment field campaign in July 2015 (POPLEX 2015), both active and under-construction infiltration basins have been surveyed and analyzed to identify appropriate satellite observations that can be integrated to ground based monitoring techniques. A key strategy is to have continuous data time series on water presence and level within the basin, for which ground based monitoring can be costly and difficult to be obtained consistently.One of the major and old infiltration basin in the central Po Plain has been considered as pilot area. The basin is active from 2003 with ground based monitoring available since 2009 and supporting the development of a calibrated unsaturated-saturated two-dimensional numerical model simulating the infiltration dynamics through the basin.A procedure to use satellite data to detect surface water change is under development based on satellite radar backscatter data with an appropriate incidence angle and polarization combination. An advantage of satellite radar is that it can observe surface water regardless of cloud cover, which can be persistent during rainy seasons. Then, the surface water change is correlated to the reservoir water stage to determine water storage in the basin together with integrated ground data and to give quantitative estimates of variations in the local water cycle.We evaluated the evolution of the infiltration rate, to obtain useful insights about the general recharge behavior of basins that can be used for informed design and maintenance. Results clearly show when the basin becomes progressively clogged by biofilms that can reduce the infiltration capacity of the basin by as much as 50 times compared to when it properly works under clean conditions.

Green-ampt infiltration parameters in riparian buffers

Treesearch

L.M. Stahr; D.E. Eisenhauer; M.J. Helmers; Mike G. Dosskey; T.G. Franti

2004-01-01

Riparian buffers can improve surface water quality by filtering contaminants from runoff before they enter streams. Infiltration is an important process in riparian buffers. Computer models are often used to assess the performance of riparian buffers. Accurate prediction of infiltration by these models is dependent upon accurate estimates of infiltration parameters....

Novel instruments for in situ continuous Rn-222 measurement in groundwater and the application to river bank infiltration.

PubMed

Gilfedder, B S; Hofmann, H; Cartwright, I

2013-01-15

There is little known about the short-term dynamics of groundwater-surface water exchange in losing rivers. This is partly due to the paucity of chemical techniques that can autonomously collect high-frequency data in groundwater bores. Here we present two new instruments for continuous in situ (222)Rn measurement in bores for quantifying the surface water infiltration rate into an underlying or adjacent aquifer. These instruments are based on (222)Rn diffusion through silicone tube membranes, either wrapped around a pole (MonoRad) or strung between two hollow end pieces (OctoRad). They are combined with novel, robust, low-cost Geiger counter (222)Rn detectors which are ideal for long-term autonomous measurement. The down-hole instruments have a quantitative response time of about a day during low flow, but this decreases to <12 h during high-flow events. The setup was able to trace river water bank infiltration during moderate to high river flow during two field experiments. Mass-balance calculations using the (222)Rn data gave a maximum infiltration rate of 2 m d(-1). These instruments offer the first easily constructible system for continuous (222)Rn analysis in groundwater, and could be used to trace surface water infiltration in many environments including rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastal settings.

Importance of mechanical disaggregation in chemical weathering in a cold alpine environment, San Juan Mountains, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoch, A.R.; Reddy, M.M.; Drever, J.I.

1999-01-01

Weathering of welded tuff near the summit of Snowshoe Mountain (3660 m) in southwestern Colorado was studied by analyzing infiltrating waters in the soil and associated solid phases. Infiltrating waters exhibit anomalously high potassium to silica ratios resulting from dissolution of a potassium-rich glass that occurs as a trace phase in the rock. In laboratory experiments using rock from the field site, initial dissolution generated potassium-rich solutions similar to those observed in the field. The anomalous potassium release decreased over time (about 1 month), after which the dominant cation was calcium, with a much lower potassium to silica ratio. The anomalous potassium concentrations observed in the infiltrating soil solutions result from weathering of freshly exposed rock surfaces. Continual mechanical disaggregation of the rock due to segregation freezing exposes fresh glass to weathering and thus maintains the source of potassium for the infiltrating water. The ongoing process of creation of fresh surfaces by physical processes is an important influence on the composition of infiltrating waters in the vadose zone.

Study on the response of unsaturated soil slope based on the effects of rainfall intensity and slope angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Mohd Ashraf Mohamad; Hamzah, Nur Hasliza

2017-07-01

Rainfall has been considered as the major cause of the slope failure. The mechanism leading to slope failures included the infiltration process, surface runoff, volumetric water content and pore-water pressure of the soil. This paper describes a study in which simulated rainfall events were used with 2-dimensional soil column to study the response of unsaturated soil behavior based on different slope angle. The 2-dimensional soil column is used in order to demonstrate the mechanism of the slope failure. These unsaturated soil were tested with four different slope (15°, 25°, 35° and 45°) and subjected to three different rainfall intensities (maximum, mean and minimum). The following key results were obtained: (1) the stability of unsaturated soil decrease as the rainwater infiltrates into the soil. Soil that initially in unsaturated state will start to reach saturated state when rainwater seeps into the soil. Infiltration of rainwater will reduce the matric suction in the soil. Matric suction acts in controlling soil shear strength. Reduction in matric suction affects the decrease in effective normal stress, which in turn diminishes the available shear strength to a point where equilibrium can no longer be sustained in the slope. (2) The infiltration rate of rainwater decreases while surface runoff increase when the soil nearly achieve saturated state. These situations cause the soil erosion and lead to slope failure. (3) The steepness of the soil is not a major factor but also contribute to slope failures. For steep slopes, rainwater that fall on the soil surface will become surface runoff within a short time compare to the water that infiltrate into the soil. While for gentle slopes, water that becomes surface runoff will move slowly and these increase the water that infiltrate into the soil.

Spatial variability in the response of surface-water extent to climate extremes across the Prairie Pothole Region and adjacent Northern Prairie, United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderhoof, M.; Lane, C.; McManus, M.; Alexander, L. C.; Christensen, J.

2017-12-01

Surface-water extent, duration and movement will depend not only on climatic inputs but also the relative importance of different hydrologic pathways (e.g., surface storage, infiltration, evapotranspiration, stream outflows). We mapped surface-water extent from historic drought years to historic wet years spanning 1985 - 2015 across eleven Landsat path/rows representing the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) and adjacent Northern Prairie of the United States. The PPR not only experienced a greater surface water extent under median conditions (2.6 times more) relative to the adjacent Northern Prairie, but showed a greater difference between drought and deluge conditions as well (range averaged 8.5 ha surface water km-2 relative to 2.5 ha surface water km-2 for the PPR and Northern Prairie, respectively). To explain the spatial variability in the amount of surface water expansion and contraction we used a two-stage modeling approach. First, surface-water extent was regressed on accumulated water availability (precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration). The slope of surface-water extent to climate inputs (per watershed) was our dependent variable in the second stage. That slope was regressed against independent variables representing hydrology-related landscape characteristics (e.g., infiltration capacity, surface storage capacity, stream density). Stream-connected surface water can leave via stream flow, influencing the rate at which surface-water may leave a location, therefore stream-connected and disconnected surface water were analyzed separately. Stream-connected surface water responded more strongly to wetter climatic conditions (i.e., accumulated) in landscapes with more lakes and less artificial drainage (e.g., ditching, tile drainage). Disconnected surface water responded more strongly to wetter climatic conditions when landscapes contained greater wetland density, fewer streams and a lower predicted rate of infiltration. From these findings, we can expect that the relationship between upstream and downstream waters will require consideration of hydrology-related landscape characteristics, and that climate-change related shifts in precipitation and evaporative demand will have an uneven effect on surface water expansion and contraction across the landscape.

Water repellent soils following prescribed burning treatments and a wildfire in the oak savannas of the Malpai Borderlands Region

Treesearch

Cody L. Stropki; Peter F. Ffolliott; Gerald J. Gottfried

2009-01-01

Water repellent (hydrophobic) soils impact the infiltration process of a water budget by restricting the movement of water into and through a soil body. The infiltration of water into a water repellent soil can be inhibited or completely impeded in which case much of the incoming precipitation reaching the soil surface becomes overland flow. One mechanism causing the...

Role of slope on infiltration: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morbidelli, Renato; Saltalippi, Carla; Flammini, Alessia; Govindaraju, Rao S.

2018-02-01

Partitioning of rainfall at the soil-atmosphere interface is important for both surface and subsurface hydrology, and influences many events of major hydrologic interest such as runoff generation, aquifer recharge, and transport of pollutants in surface waters as well as the vadose zone. This partitioning is achieved through the process of infiltration that has been widely investigated at the local scale, and more recently also at the field scale, by models that were designed for horizontal surfaces. However, infiltration, overland flows, and deep flows in most real situations are generated by rainfall over sloping surfaces that bring in additional effects. Therefore, existing models for local infiltration into homogeneous and layered soils and those as for field-scale infiltration, have to be adapted to account for the effects of surface slope. Various studies have investigated the role of surface slope on infiltration based on a theoretical formulations for the dynamics of infiltration, extensions of the Green-Ampt approach, and from laboratory and field experiments. However, conflicting results have been reported in the scientific literature on the role of surface slope on infiltration. We summarize the salient points from previous studies and provide plausible reasons for discrepancies in conclusions of previous authors, thus leading to a critical assessment of the current state of our understanding on this subject. We offer suggestions for future efforts to advance our knowledge of infiltration over sloping surfaces.

Identifying dominant controls on the water balance of partly sealed surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuetz, Tobias; Schübl, Marleen; Siebert, Caroline; Weiler, Markus

2017-04-01

It is the challenge of modern urban development to obtain a near natural state for the urban water balance. For this purpose permeable alternatives to conventional surface sealing have been established during the last decades. A wealth of studies - under laboratory as well as field conditions - has emerged around the globe to examine the hydrological characteristics of different types of pavements. The main results of these studies - measured infiltration and evaporation rates, vary to a great extent between single studies and pavement types due to methodological approaches and local conditions. Within this study we analyze the controls of water balance components of partly sealed urban surfaces derived from an extensive literature review and a series of infiltration experiments conducted on historical and modern pavements within the city of Freiburg, Germany. Measured values published in 48 studies as well as the results of 30 double-ring infiltration experiments were compiled and sorted according to the measured parameter, the pavement type, pavement condition, age of the pavement, porosity of the pavement material and joint filling material as well as joint proportion of joint pavements. The main influencing factors on infiltration / hydraulic conductivity, evaporation rates and groundwater recharge of permeable pavements were identified and quantified using multiple linear regression methods. The analysis showed for both the literature study and our own infiltration experiments that condition and age of the pavement have the major influence on the pavement's infiltration capacity and that maintenance plays an important role for the long-term effectiveness of permeable pavements. For pavements with joints, the porosity of the pavement material seemed to have a stronger influence on infiltration capacity than the proportion of joint surface for which a clear influence could not be observed. Evaporation rates were compared for different surface categories as not enough measured values for different pavement types have been published. The highest evaporation can be expected for joint filling aggregates such as gravel and sand followed by bare soil (as reference), porous pavements and lastly non-porous pavements. The proportion of precipitation lost due to evaporation/evapotranspiration processes was expectedly highest on turf grid pavements, while maximum groundwater recharge rates were identified under non-porous pavements. Our results improve the tools available for urban water management controlling the state of urban water balances from a dominant surface runoff component to either dominant evaporation or groundwater components.

Estimating the spatial distribution of artificial groundwater recharge using multiple tracers.

PubMed

Moeck, Christian; Radny, Dirk; Auckenthaler, Adrian; Berg, Michael; Hollender, Juliane; Schirmer, Mario

2017-10-01

Stable isotopes of water, organic micropollutants and hydrochemistry data are powerful tools for identifying different water types in areas where knowledge of the spatial distribution of different groundwater is critical for water resource management. An important question is how the assessments change if only one or a subset of these tracers is used. In this study, we estimate spatial artificial infiltration along an infiltration system with stage-discharge relationships and classify different water types based on the mentioned hydrochemistry data for a drinking water production area in Switzerland. Managed aquifer recharge via surface water that feeds into the aquifer creates a hydraulic barrier between contaminated groundwater and drinking water wells. We systematically compare the information from the aforementioned tracers and illustrate differences in distribution and mixing ratios. Despite uncertainties in the mixing ratios, we found that the overall spatial distribution of artificial infiltration is very similar for all the tracers. The highest infiltration occurred in the eastern part of the infiltration system, whereas infiltration in the western part was the lowest. More balanced infiltration within the infiltration system could cause the elevated groundwater mound to be distributed more evenly, preventing the natural inflow of contaminated groundwater. Dedicated to Professor Peter Fritz on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Mechanisms of water infiltration into conical hydrophobic nanopores.

PubMed

Liu, Ling; Zhao, Jianbing; Yin, Chun-Yang; Culligan, Patricia J; Chen, Xi

2009-08-14

Fluid channels with inclined solid walls (e.g. cone- and slit-shaped pores) have wide and promising applications in micro- and nano-engineering and science. In this paper, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the mechanisms of water infiltration (adsorption) into cone-shaped nanopores made of a hydrophobic graphene sheet. When the apex angle is relatively small, an external pressure is required to initiate infiltration and the pressure should keep increasing in order to further advance the water front inside the nanopore. By enlarging the apex angle, the pressure required for sustaining infiltration can be effectively lowered. When the apex angle is sufficiently large, under ambient condition water can spontaneously infiltrate to a certain depth of the nanopore, after which an external pressure is still required to infiltrate more water molecules. The unusual involvement of both spontaneous and pressure-assisted infiltration mechanisms in the case of blunt nanocones, as well as other unique nanofluid characteristics, is explained by the Young's relation enriched with the size effects of surface tension and contact angle in the nanoscale confinement.

Evaluation of the potential for artificial ground-water recharge in eastern San Joaquin County, California; Phase 3

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamlin, S.N.

1987-01-01

Infiltration tests were used to evaluate the potential of basin spreading surface water as a means of artificially recharging the aquifer system in eastern San Joaquin County, California. Two infiltration sites near Lockeford and Linden were selected on the basis of information collected during the first two phases of the study. Data from the infiltration tests indicate that the two sites are acceptable for recharge by the basin-spreading method. Infiltration rates ranged between 6.7 and 10.5 ft/day near Lockeford and between 2.6 and 11.2 ft/day near Linden. Interpretation of these data is limited by lack of information on the response of the saturated zone during testing and by the inherent difficulty in extrapolating the results of small-scale tests to larger long-term operations. Lithology is a major factor that controls infiltration rates at the test sites. The unsaturated zone is characterized by heterogeneous layers of coarse- and fine- grained materials. Clay layers of low hydraulic conductivity commonly form discontinuous lenses that may cause a transient perched water table to develop during recharge. Water level measurements from wells screened in the unsaturated zone indicate that the perched water table could reach the land surface after 2 and 5 months of recharge near Lockeford and Linden, respectively. These figures probably represent the minimum time necessary for saturation of the land. Another major factor that affects infiltration rates is the quality of the recharge water, particularly the suspended sediment content. The clogging action of suspended sediment may be minimized by: (1) pretreatment of recharge water in a settling pond, (2) adherence to a routine program of monitoring and maintenance, and (3) proper design of the recharge facility. Other factors that affect infiltration rates include basin excavation technique, basin shape, and maintenance procedures. Efficient operation of the recharge facility requires careful attention to the relation between subsurface water levels and infiltration rates. (Author 's abstract)

Quantifying the effects of wildfire on changes in soil properties by surface burning of soils from the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wieting, Celeste; Ebel, Brian A.; Singha, Kamini

2017-01-01

Study regionThis study used intact soil cores collected at the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory near Boulder, Colorado, USA to explore fire impacts on soil properties.Study focusThree soil scenarios were considered: unburned control soils, and low- and high-temperature burned soils. We explored simulated fire impacts on field-saturated hydraulic conductivity, dry bulk density, total organic carbon, and infiltration processes during rainfall simulations.New hydrological insights for the regionSoils burned to high temperatures became more homogeneous with depth with respect to total organic carbon and bulk density, suggesting reductions in near-surface porosity. Organic matter decreased significantly with increasing soil temperature. Tension infiltration experiments suggested a decrease in infiltration rates from unburned to low-temperature burned soils, and an increase in infiltration rates in high-temperature burned soils. Non-parametric statistical tests showed that field-saturated hydraulic conductivity similarly decreased from unburned to low-temperature burned soils, and then increased with high-temperature burned soils. We interpret these changes result from the combustion of surface and near-surface organic materials, enabling water to infiltrate directly into soil instead of being stored in the litter and duff layer at the surface. Together, these results indicate that fire-induced changes in soil properties from low temperatures were not as drastic as high temperatures, but that reductions in surface soil water repellency in high temperatures may increase infiltration relative to low temperatures.

Simulating the evolution of non-point source pollutants in a shallow water environment.

PubMed

Yan, Min; Kahawita, Rene

2007-03-01

Non-point source pollution originating from surface applied chemicals in either liquid or solid form as part of agricultural activities, appears in the surface runoff caused by rainfall. The infiltration and transport of these pollutants has a significant impact on subsurface and riverine water quality. The present paper describes the development of a unified 2-D mathematical model incorporating individual models for infiltration, adsorption, solubility rate, advection and diffusion, which significantly improve the current practice on mathematical modeling of pollutant evolution in shallow water. The governing equations have been solved numerically using cubic spline integration. Experiments were conducted at the Hydrodynamics Laboratory of the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal to validate the mathematical model. Good correspondence between the computed results and experimental data has been obtained. The model may be used to predict the ultimate fate of surface applied chemicals by evaluating the proportions that are dissolved, infiltrated into the subsurface or are washed off.

Electrodialysis and nanofiltration of surface water for subsequent use as infiltration water.

PubMed

Van der Bruggen, B; Milis, R; Vandecasteele, C; Bielen, P; Van San, E; Huysman, K

2003-09-01

In order to achieve stable groundwater levels, an equilibrium between the use of groundwater for drinking water production and natural or artificial groundwater recharge by infiltration is needed. Local governments usually require that the composition of the water used for artificial recharge is similar to the surface water that is naturally present in the specific recharge area. In this paper, electrodialysis (ED) and nanofiltration were evaluated as possible treatment technologies for surface water from a canal in Flanders, the North of Belgium, in view of infiltration at critical places on heathlands. Both methods were evaluated on the basis of a comparison between the water composition after treatment and the composition of local surface waters. The treatment generally consists of a tuning of pH and the removal of contaminants originating from industrial and agricultural activity, e.g., nitrates and pesticides. Further evaluation of the influence of the composition of the water on the characteristics of the artificial recharge, however, was not envisaged. In a case study of water from the canal Schoten-Dessel, satisfactory concentration reductions of Cl(-), SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-), HCO(3)(-), Na(+), Mg(2+), K(+) and Ca(2+) were obtained by ultrafiltration pretreatment followed by ED. Nanofiltration with UTC-20, N30F, Desal 51 HL, UTC-60 and Desal 5 DL membranes resulted in an insufficient removal level, especially for the monovalent ions.

Effect of integrating straw into agricultural soils on soil infiltration and evaporation.

PubMed

Cao, Jiansheng; Liu, Changming; Zhang, Wanjun; Guo, Yunlong

2012-01-01

Soil water movement is a critical consideration for crop yield in straw-integrated fields. This study used an indoor soil column experiment to determine soil infiltration and evaporation characteristics in three forms of direct straw-integrated soils (straw mulching, straw mixing and straw inter-layering). Straw mulching is covering the land surface with straw. Straw mixing is mixing straw with the top 10 cm surface soil. Then straw inter-layering is placing straw at the 20 cm soil depth. There are generally good correlations among the mulch integration methods at p < 0.05, and with average errors/biases <10%. Straw mixing exhibited the best effect in terms of soil infiltration, followed by straw mulching. Due to over-burden weight-compaction effect, straw inter-layering somehow retarded soil infiltration. In terms of soil water evaporation, straw mulching exhibited the best effect. This was followed by straw mixing and then straw inter-layering. Straw inter-layering could have a long-lasting positive effect on soil evaporation as it limited the evaporative consumption of deep soil water. The responses of the direct straw integration modes to soil infiltration and evaporation could lay the basis for developing efficient water-conservation strategies. This is especially useful for water-scarce agricultural regions such as the arid/semi-arid regions of China.

Urban evaporation rates for water-permeable pavements.

PubMed

Starke, P; Göbel, P; Coldewey, W G

2010-01-01

In urban areas the natural water balance is disturbed. Infiltration and evaporation are reduced, resulting in a high surface runoff and a typical city climate, which can lead to floods and damages. Water-permeable pavements have a high infiltration rate that reduces surface runoff by increasing the groundwater recharge. The high water retention capacity of the street body of up to 51 l/m(2) and its connection via pores to the surface lead to higher evaporation rates than impermeable surfaces. A comparison of these two kinds of pavements shows a 16% increase in evaporation levels of water-permeable pavements. Furthermore, the evaporation from impermeable pavements is linked directly to rain events due to fast-drying surfaces. Water-permeable pavements show a more evenly distributed evaporation after a rain event. Cooling effects by evaporative heat loss can improve the city climate even several days after rain events. On a large scale use, uncomfortable weather like sultriness or dry heat can be prevented and the urban water balance can be attenuated towards the natural.

Simulated ground-water flow and sources of water in the Killbuck Creek Valley near Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breen, K.J.; Kontis, A.L.; Rowe, G.L.; Haefner, R.J.

1995-01-01

The stratified-drift aquifer in the 3,000-ft (feet)-wide and 100-ft-deep buried valley of Killbuck Creek near Wooster in northeastern Ohio was studied. The stratified drift with adjacent sandstone and shale bedrock produce a system of ground-water flow representative of the western part of the glaciated north-eastern United States. The stratified-drift aquifer is an excellent source of water for municipal and industrial wells. The aquifer is recharged locally by water from precipitation on the valley floor and uplands, by infiltration from streams, and by lateral flow to the valley from the uplands. As a result, the aquifer is vulnerable to surface or subsurface spills of contaminants in the valley or the adjacent uplands. Quality of water in the stratified drift is affected by influx of water from bedrock lateral to or beneath the valley. This influx is controlled, in part, by the pumping stress placed on the stratified-drift aquifer. Hydrogeologic and aqueous-geochemical data were analyzed to establish the framework necessary for stead-state and transient simulations of ground-water flow in stratified drift and bedrock with a three-layer ground-water-flow model. A new model routine, the Variable-Recharge procedure, was developed to simulate areal recharge and the contribution of the uplands to the drift system. This procedure allows for water applied to land surface to infiltrate or to be rejected. Rejected recharge and ground water discharged when the water table is at land surface form surface runoff-this excess upland water can be redirected as runoff to other parts of the model. Infiltration of streamwater, areal recharge to uplands and valley, and lateral subsurface flow from the uplands to the valley are sources of water to the stratufued0druft aquifer. Water is removed from the stratified-drift aquifer at Wooster primarily by production wells pumping at a rate of approximately 8.5 ft3/s (cubic feet per second). The ground-water budget resulting from two types of simulations of ground-water flow in this study indicates the primary sources of water to the wells are recharge at or near land surface and lateral subsurface flow from the shale and sandstone bedrock. Components of recharge at land surface include induced infiltration from streams, precipitation on the valley floor, and infiltration of unchanneled upland runoff that reaches the valley floor. The steady-state simulation was designed to represent conditions during the fall of 1984. The transient simulation was designed to represent an 11-day snowmelt event, 23 February to 5 March 1985, that caused water levels to rise significantly throughout the valley. Areal recharge to the valley and flow from the uplands to the valley were determined through the Variable-Recharge procedure. The total steady-state recharge to the valley was 12.5 ft3/s. Upland sources, areal valley recharge, and induced infiltration from Killnuck Creek accounted for 63, 23, and 8 percent, respectively, of the valley recharge. An analysis of the simulated vertical flow to the buried stratified drift through surficial slit, clay, and fine sand indicates that about 75 percent of the total recharge to the buried deposits is the sum of areally extensive, relatively small flows less than about 0.01 ft? /s per model node), whereas about 25 percent of the recharge results from a really restricted, relatively large flows (greater than about 0.01 ft? /s per model node). The large-magnitude flows are located primarily beneath Clear and Little Killbuck Creeks where seepage provides abundant recharge and the surficial sediments grade into coarser alluvial-fan deposits. Chemical and isotopic studies of ground water and streamwater combined with measurements of stream infiltration provide independent support for the conclusions derived from computer simulation of ground-water flow. In addition, the chemical and isotopic studies helped quantity the rate and pathways of infiltrating water from

A simulation of rainfall infiltration based on two-phase flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Xi, Niannian; Liu, Gang; Hao, Shuang

2016-04-01

Rainfall infiltration in slope usually is one of major reasons cause landslide, which involves multiphase flow coupling with soil, water and gas. In order to study the mechanism of landslide caused by rainfall infiltration, a simulation of rainfall infiltration of DaPing slope, which locates in the Three Gorges Region of China, is presented based on the numerical solution of governing equations of two-phase flow in this paper. The results of this research suggest that there are two sections can be divided in the surface of slope, one is inflow area and the other is overflow area, according to where it is infiltration and discharge. The general inflow area is on the upside of slope, while the overflow area is on the underside. The middle section of slope is on a fluctuant position between inflow and overflow area, which is dramatically affected by the water content inside of slope. Moreover, the average rate of infiltration is more stable in both inflow and overflow area, whose numerical value is depend on the geometry and transmission characteristics of slope. And the factors of rainfall characteristics, surface flow and temperature have little effect on them. Furthermore, in the inflow area, when rainfall intensity is higher than infiltration the rain on the surface of slope will run off, otherwise water and gas will completely infiltrate through soil. The situation is different in the overflow area whose overland flow condition is depended on whether it is saturated or not inside of slope. When it is saturated in the slope, there is no infiltration in the overflow area. But when it is unsaturated, the infiltration intensity will equal to rainfall intensity. In a summary, the difference from inflow and overflow area is the evidence that the landslide may likely to happen on the slope of overflow area when it comes to a rainfall. It is disadvantageous for slope stability when transmitting the pressure of saturated water weight at the top of slope through the pore gas to groundwater, the groundwater pressure will increased sharply.

Analysis of Instrumentation to Monitor the Hydrologic Performance of Green Infrastructure at the Edison Environmental Center

EPA Science Inventory

Infiltration is one of the primary functional mechanisms of green infrastructure stormwater controls, so this study explored selection and placement of embedded soil moisture and water level sensors to monitor surface infiltration and infiltration into the underlying soil for per...

Use of a three-dimensional model for the analysis of the ground-water flow system in Parker Valley, Arizona and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tucci, Patrick

1982-01-01

A three-dimensional, finite-difference model was used to simulate ground-water flow conditions in Parker Valley. The study evaluated present knowledge and concepts of the ground-water system and the ability of the model to represent the system. Modeling assumptions and generalized physical parameters that were used may have transfer value in the construction and calibration of models of other basins along the lower Colorado River. The aquifer was simulated in two layers to represent the three-dimensional system. Ground-water conditions were simulated for 1940-41, the mid-1960's, and 1980. Overall model results generally compared favorably with available field information. The model results showed that for 1940-41 the Colorado River was a losing stream through out Parker Valley. Infiltration of surface water from the river was the major source of recharge. The dominant mechanism of discharge was evapotranspiration by phreatophytes. Agricultural development between 1941 and the mid-1960 's resulted in significant changes to the ground-water system. Model results for conditions in the mid-1960 's showed that the Colorado River had become a gaining stream in the northern part of the valley as a result of higher water levels. The rise in water levels was caused by infiltration of applied irrigation water. Diminished water-level gradients from the river in the rest of the valley reduced the amount of infiltration of surface water from the river. Models results for conditions in 1980 showed that ground-water level rises of several feet caused further reduction in the amount of surface-water infiltration from the river. (USGS)

Soil physical and hydrological properties under three biofuel crops in Ohio

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonin, Catherine; Lal, Dr. Rattan; Schmitz, Matthias

While biofuel crops are widely studied and compared for their energy and carbon footprints, less is known about their effects on other soil properties, particularly hydrologic characteristics. Soils under three biofuel crops, corn (Zea mays), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and willow (Salix spp.), were analyzed seven years after establishment to assess the effects on soil bulk density ({rho}{sub b}), penetration resistance (PR), water-holding capacity, and infiltration characteristics. The PR was the highest under corn, along with the lowest associated water content, while PR was 50-60% lower under switchgrass. In accordance with PR data, surface (0-10 cm) bulk density also tended tomore » be lower under switchgrass. Both water infiltration rates and cumulative infiltration amounts varied widely among and within the three crops. Because the Philip model did not fit the data, results were analyzed using the Kostiakov model instead. Switchgrass plots had an average cumulative infiltration of 69 cm over 3 hours with a constant infiltration rate of 0.28 cm min{sup -1}, compared with 37 cm and 0.11 cm min{sup -1} for corn, and 26 cm and 0.06 cm min{sup -1} for willow, respectively. Results suggest that significant changes in soil physical and hydrologic properties may require more time to develop. Soils under switchgrass may have lower surface bulk density, higher field water capacity, and a more rapid water infiltration rate than those under corn or willow.« less

Providing the physical basis of SCS curve number method and its proportionality relationship from Richards' equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooshyar, M.; Wang, D.

2016-12-01

The empirical proportionality relationship, which indicates that the ratio of cumulative surface runoff and infiltration to their corresponding potentials are equal, is the basis of the extensively used Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. The objective of this paper is to provide the physical basis of the SCS-CN method and its proportionality hypothesis from the infiltration excess runoff generation perspective. To achieve this purpose, an analytical solution of Richards' equation is derived for ponded infiltration in shallow water table environment under the following boundary conditions: 1) the soil is saturated at the land surface; and 2) there is a no-flux boundary which moves downward. The solution is established based on the assumptions of negligible gravitational effect, constant soil water diffusivity, and hydrostatic soil moisture profile between the no-flux boundary and water table. Based on the derived analytical solution, the proportionality hypothesis is a reasonable approximation for rainfall partitioning at the early stage of ponded infiltration in areas with a shallow water table for coarse textured soils.

An analytical solution of Richards' equation providing the physical basis of SCS curve number method and its proportionality relationship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooshyar, Milad; Wang, Dingbao

2016-08-01

The empirical proportionality relationship, which indicates that the ratio of cumulative surface runoff and infiltration to their corresponding potentials are equal, is the basis of the extensively used Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. The objective of this paper is to provide the physical basis of the SCS-CN method and its proportionality hypothesis from the infiltration excess runoff generation perspective. To achieve this purpose, an analytical solution of Richards' equation is derived for ponded infiltration in shallow water table environment under the following boundary conditions: (1) the soil is saturated at the land surface; and (2) there is a no-flux boundary which moves downward. The solution is established based on the assumptions of negligible gravitational effect, constant soil water diffusivity, and hydrostatic soil moisture profile between the no-flux boundary and water table. Based on the derived analytical solution, the proportionality hypothesis is a reasonable approximation for rainfall partitioning at the early stage of ponded infiltration in areas with a shallow water table for coarse textured soils.

Hillslope run-off thresholds with shrink–swell clay soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, Ryan D.; Abou Najm, Majdi R.; Rupp, David E.; Lane, John W.; Uribe, Hamil C.; Arumí, José Luis; Selker, John S.

2015-01-01

Irrigation experiments on 12 instrumented field plots were used to assess the impact of dynamic soil crack networks on infiltration and run-off. During applications of intensity similar to a heavy rainstorm, water was seen being preferentially delivered within the soil profile. However, run-off was not observed until soil water content of the profile reached field capacity, and the apertures of surface-connected cracks had closed >60%. Electrical resistivity measurements suggested that subsurface cracks persisted and enhanced lateral transport, even in wet conditions. Likewise, single-ring infiltration measurements taken before and after irrigation indicated that infiltration remained an important component of the water budget at high soil water content values, despite apparent surface sealing. Overall, although the wetting and sealing of the soil profile showed considerable complexity, an emergent property at the hillslope scale was observed: all of the plots demonstrated a strikingly similar threshold run-off response to the cumulative precipitation amount. 

Rainfall-runoff model for prediction of waterborne viral contamination in a small river catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelati, E.; Dommar, C.; Lowe, R.; Polcher, J.; Rodó, X.

2013-12-01

We present a lumped rainfall-runoff model aimed at providing useful information for the prediction of waterborne viral contamination in small rivers. Viral contamination of water bodies may occur because of the discharge of sewage effluents and of surface runoff over areas affected by animal waste loads. Surface runoff is caused by precipitation that cannot infiltrate due to its intensity and to antecedent soil water content. It may transport animal feces to adjacent water bodies and cause viral contamination. We model streamflow by separating it into two components: subsurface flow, which is produced by infiltrated precipitation; and surface runoff. The model estimates infiltrated and non-infiltrated precipitation and uses impulse-response functions to compute the corresponding fractions of streamflow. The developed methodologies are applied to the Glafkos river, whose catchment extends for 102 km2 and includes the city of Patra. Streamflow and precipitation observations are available at a daily time resolution. Waterborne virus concentration measurements were performed approximately every second week from the beginning of 2011 to mid 2012. Samples were taken at several locations: in river water upstream of Patras and in the urban area; in sea water at the river outlet and approximately 2 km south-west of Patras; in sewage effluents before and after treatment. The rainfall-runoff model was calibrated and validated using observed streamflow and precipitation data. The model contribution to waterborne viral contamination prediction was benchmarked by analyzing the virus concentration measurements together with the estimated surface runoff values. The presented methodology may be a first step towards the development of waterborne viral contamination alert systems. Predicting viral contamination of water bodies would benefit sectors such as water supply and tourism.

Modelling of percolation rate of stormwater from underground infiltration systems.

PubMed

Burszta-Adamiak, Ewa; Lomotowski, Janusz

2013-01-01

Underground or surface stormwater storage tank systems that enable the infiltration of water into the ground are basic elements used in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS). So far, the design methods for such facilities have not taken into account the phenomenon of ground clogging during stormwater infiltration. Top layer sealing of the filter bed influences the infiltration rate of water into the ground. This study presents an original mathematical model describing changes in the infiltration rate variability in the phases of filling and emptying the storage and infiltration tank systems, which enables the determination of the degree of top ground layer clogging. The input data for modelling were obtained from studies conducted on experimental sites on objects constructed on a semi-technological scale. The experiment conducted has proven that the application of the model developed for the phase of water infiltration enables us to estimate the degree of module clogging. However, this method is more suitable for reservoirs embedded in more permeable soils than for those located in cohesive soils.

[Soil infiltration of snowmelt water in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert, Xinjiang, China].

PubMed

Hu, Shun-jun; Chen, Yong-bao; Zhu, Hai

2015-04-01

Soil infiltration of snow-melt water is an important income item of water balance in arid desert. The soil water content in west slope, east slope and interdune of sand dune in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert was monitored before snowfall and after snow melting during the winters of 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. According to the principle of water balance, soil infiltration of snow-melt in the west slope, east slope, interdune and landscape scale was calculated, and compared with the results measured by cylinder method. The results showed that the soil moisture recharge from unfrozen layer of unsaturated soil to surface frozen soil was negligible because the soil moisture content before snowfall was lower, soil infiltration of snow-melt water was the main source of soil water of shallow soil, phreatic water did not evaporate during freezing period, and did not get recharge after the snow melting. Snowmelt water in the west slope, east slope, interdune and landscape scale were 20-43, 27-43, 32-45, 26-45 mm, respectively.

Combined geophysical methods for mapping infiltration pathways at the Aurora Water Aquifer recharge and recovery site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasper, Cameron A.

Although aquifer recharge and recovery systems are a sustainable, decentralized, low cost, and low energy approach for the reclamation, treatment, and storage of post- treatment wastewater, they can suffer from poor infiltration rates and the development of a near-surface clogging layer within infiltration ponds. One such aquifer recharge and recovery system, the Aurora Water site in Colorado, U.S.A, functions at about 25% of its predicted capacity to recharge floodplain deposits by flooding infiltration ponds with post-treatment wastewater extracted from river bank aquifers along the South Platte River. The underwater self-potential method was developed to survey self-potential signals at the ground surface in a flooded infiltration pond for mapping infiltration pathways. A method for using heat as a groundwater tracer within the infiltration pond used an array of in situ high-resolution temperature sensing probes. Both relatively positive and negative underwater self-potential anomalies are consistent with observed recovery well pumping rates and specific discharge estimates from temperature data. Results from electrical resistivity tomography and electromagnetics surveys provide consistent electrical conductivity distributions associated with sediment textures. A lab method was developed for resistivity tests of near-surface sediment samples. Forward numerical modeling synthesizes the geophysical information to best match observed self- potential anomalies and provide permeability distributions, which is important for effective aquifer recharge and recovery system design, and optimization strategy development.

Documentation of the Unsaturated-Zone Flow (UZF1) Package for modeling Unsaturated Flow Between the Land Surface and the Water Table with MODFLOW-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niswonger, Richard G.; Prudic, David E.; Regan, R. Steven

2006-01-01

Percolation of precipitation through unsaturated zones is important for recharge of ground water. Rain and snowmelt at land surface are partitioned into different pathways including runoff, infiltration, evapotranspiration, unsaturated-zone storage, and recharge. A new package for MODFLOW-2005 called the Unsaturated-Zone Flow (UZF1) Package was developed to simulate water flow and storage in the unsaturated zone and to partition flow into evapotranspiration and recharge. The package also accounts for land surface runoff to streams and lakes. A kinematic wave approximation to Richards? equation is solved by the method of characteristics to simulate vertical unsaturated flow. The approach assumes that unsaturated flow occurs in response to gravity potential gradients only and ignores negative potential gradients; the approach further assumes uniform hydraulic properties in the unsaturated zone for each vertical column of model cells. The Brooks-Corey function is used to define the relation between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and water content. Variables used by the UZF1 Package include initial and saturated water contents, saturated vertical hydraulic conductivity, and an exponent in the Brooks-Corey function. Residual water content is calculated internally by the UZF1 Package on the basis of the difference between saturated water content and specific yield. The UZF1 Package is a substitution for the Recharge and Evapotranspiration Packages of MODFLOW-2005. The UZF1 Package differs from the Recharge Package in that an infiltration rate is applied at land surface instead of a specified recharge rate directly to ground water. The applied infiltration rate is further limited by the saturated vertical hydraulic conductivity. The UZF1 Package differs from the Evapotranspiration Package in that evapotranspiration losses are first removed from the unsaturated zone above the evapotranspiration extinction depth, and if the demand is not met, water can be removed directly from ground water whenever the depth to ground water is less than the extinction depth. The UZF1 Package also differs from the Evapotranspiration Package in that water is discharged directly to land surface whenever the altitude of the water table exceeds land surface. Water that is discharged to land surface, as well as applied infiltration in excess of the saturated vertical hydraulic conductivity, may be routed directly as inflow to specified streams or lakes if these packages are active; otherwise, this water is removed from the model. The UZF1 Package was tested against the U.S. Geological Survey's Variably-Saturated Two-Dimensional Flow and Transport Model for a vertical unsaturated flow problem that includes evapotranspiration losses. This report also includes an example in which MODFLOW-2005 with the UZF1 Package was used to simulate a realistic surface-water/ground-water flow problem that includes time and space variable infiltration, evapotranspiration, runoff, and ground-water discharge to land surface and to streams. Another simpler problem is presented so that the user may use the input files as templates for new problems and to verify proper code installation.

Evaluating the performance of water purification in a vegetated groundwater recharge basin maintained by short-term pulsed infiltration events.

PubMed

Mindl, Birgit; Hofer, Julia; Kellermann, Claudia; Stichler, Willibald; Teichmann, Günter; Psenner, Roland; Danielopol, Dan L; Neudorfer, Wolfgang; Griebler, Christian

2015-01-01

Infiltration of surface water constitutes an important pillar in artificial groundwater recharge. However, insufficient transformation of organic carbon and nutrients, as well as clogging of sediments often cause major problems. The attenuation efficiency of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nutrients and pathogens versus the risk of bioclogging for intermittent recharge were studied in an infiltration basin covered with different kinds of macrovegetation. The quality and concentration of organic carbon, major nutrients, as well as bacterial biomass, activity and diversity in the surface water, the porewater, and the sediment matrix were monitored over one recharge period. Additionally, the numbers of viral particles and Escherichia coli were assessed. Our study showed a fast establishment of high microbial activity. DOC and nutrients have sustainably been reduced within 1.2 m of sediment passage. Numbers of E. coli, which were high in the topmost centimetres of sediment porewater, dropped below the detection limit. Reed cover was found to be advantageous over bushes and trees, since it supported higher microbial activities along with a good infiltration and purification performance. Short-term infiltration periods of several days followed by a break of similar time were found suitable for providing high recharge rates, and good water purification without the risk of bioclogging.

Applying Reactive Barrier Technology to Enhance Microbially-mediated Denitrification during Managed Aquifer Recharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beganskas, S.; Weir, W. B.; Harmon, R. E.; Gorski, G.; Fisher, A. T.; Saltikov, C.; Young, K. S.; Runneals, D.; Teo, E. K.; Stoneburner, B.; Hernandez, J.

2015-12-01

We are running field experiments to observe and quantify microbially-mediated water quality improvement via denitrification during infiltration in the shallow subsurface. Nitrate is a pervasive groundwater contaminant, and nitrate removal through denitrification can occur during infiltration in natural and anthropogenic systems, including during managed aquifer recharge (MAR). The rate of denitrification can vary depending on factors such as infiltration rate; previous work suggests that denitrification rates can increase monotonically with infiltration rates until reaching a critical threshold. We are performing controlled field tests of variables that affect denitrification rate, including sampling to link water chemistry changes to microbial ecology and activity. This study explores how microbial activity and denitrification rates respond to different infiltration rates and the presence or absence of a reactive material (wood chips, a carbon source). We are conducting four two-week-long tests, each under different conditions. For each test, we measure bulk infiltration rate (the sum of lateral and vertical infiltration), vertical infiltration rate using heat as a tracer, and water level. We collect surface and subsurface water samples daily, and we collect soil samples at the start and end of each test. For each water sample, we are measuring NO3-, NO2-, NH3, DOC, and N and O isotopes in nitrate. Soil samples will be tested for grain size, total C/N, and the presence of microbiological genes associated with denitrification. These results will expand our knowledge of the conditions under which denitrification occurs by implicating specific microorganisms and physical infiltration parameters. Our design has the potential for additional experimentation with variables that impact water chemistry during infiltration. This study has broad applications for designing MAR systems that effectively improve water supply and water quality.

Study of the water transportation characteristics of marsh saline soil in the Yellow River Delta.

PubMed

He, Fuhong; Pan, Yinghua; Tan, Lili; Zhang, Zhenhua; Li, Peng; Liu, Jia; Ji, Shuxin; Qin, Zhaohua; Shao, Hongbo; Song, Xueyan

2017-01-01

One-dimensional soil column water infiltration and capillary adsorption water tests were conducted in the laboratory to study the water transportation characteristics of marsh saline soil in the Yellow River Delta, providing a theoretical basis for the improvement, utilization and conservation of marsh saline soil. The results indicated the following: (1) For soils with different vegetation covers, the cumulative infiltration capacity increased with the depth of the soil layers. The initial infiltration rate of soils covered by Suaeda and Tamarix chinensis increased with depth of the soil layers, but that of bare soil decreased with soil depth. (2) The initial rate of capillary rise of soils with different vegetation covers showed an increasing trend from the surface toward the deeper layers, but this pattern with respect to soil depth was relatively weak. (3) The initial rates of capillary rise were lower than the initial infiltration rates, but infiltration rate decreased more rapidly than capillary water adsorption rate. (4) The two-parameter Kostiakov model can very well-simulate the changes in the infiltration and capillary rise rates of wetland saline soil. The model simulated the capillary rise rate better than it simulated the infiltration rate. (5) There were strong linear relationships between accumulative infiltration capacity, wetting front, accumulative capillary adsorbed water volume and capillary height. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of land cover change on the environmental hydrology characteristics in Kelantan river basin, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadatkhah, Nader; Mansor, Shattri; Khuzaimah, Zailani; Asmat, Arnis; Adnan, Noraizam; Adam, Siti Noradzah

2016-09-01

Changing the land cover/ land use has serious environmental impacts affecting the ecosystem in Malaysia. The impact of land cover changes on the environmental functions such as surface water, loss water, and soil moisture is considered in this paper on the Kelantan river basin. The study area at the east coast of the peninsular Malaysia has suffered significant land cover changes in the recent years. The current research tried to assess the impact of land cover changes in the study area focused on the surface water, loss water, and soil moisture from different land use classes and the potential impact of land cover changes on the ecosystem of Kelantan river basin. To simulate the impact of land cover changes on the environmental hydrology characteristics, a deterministic regional modeling were employed in this study based on five approaches, i.e. (1) Land cover classification based on Landsat images; (2) assessment of land cover changes during last three decades; (3) Calculation the rate of water Loss/ Infiltration; (4) Assessment of hydrological and mechanical effects of the land cover changes on the surface water; and (5) evaluation the impact of land cover changes on the ecosystem of the study area. Assessment of land cover impact on the environmental hydrology was computed with the improved transient rainfall infiltration and grid based regional model (Improved-TRIGRS) based on the transient infiltration, and subsequently changes in the surface water, due to precipitation events. The results showed the direct increased in surface water from development area, agricultural area, and grassland regions compared with surface water from other land covered areas in the study area. The urban areas or lower planting density areas tend to increase for surface water during the monsoon seasons, whereas the inter flow from forested and secondary jungle areas contributes to the normal surface water.

Sequestration of Sr-90 Subsurface Contamination in the Hanford 100-N Area by Surface Infiltration of a Ca-Citrate-Phosphate Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Szecsody, James E.; Rockhold, Mark L.; Oostrom, Martinus

The objective of this project is to develop a method to emplace apatite precipitate in the 100N vadose zone, which results in sorption and ultimately incorporation of Sr-90 into the apatite structure. The Ca-citrate-PO4 solution can be infiltrated into unsaturated sediments to result in apatite precipitate to provide effective treatment of Sr-90 contamination. Microbial redistribution during solution infiltration and a high rate of citrate biodegradation for river water microbes (water used for solution infiltration) results in a relatively even spatial distribution of the citrate biodegradation rate and ultimately apatite precipitate in the sediment. Manipulation of the Ca-citrate-PO4 solution infiltration strategymore » can be used to result in apatite precipitate in the lower half of the vadose zone (where most of the Sr-90 is located) and within low-K layers (which are hypothesized to have higher Sr-90 concentrations). The most effective infiltration strategy to precipitate apatite at depth (and with sufficient lateral spread) was to infiltrate a high concentration solution (6 mM Ca, 15 mM citrate, 60 mM PO4) at a rapid rate (near ponded conditions), followed by rapid, then slow water infiltration. Repeated infiltration events, with sufficient time between events to allow water drainage in the sediment profile can be used to buildup the mass of apatite precipitate at greater depth. Low-K heterogeneities were effectively treated, as the higher residual water content maintained in these zones resulted in higher apatite precipitate concentration. High-K zones did not receive sufficient treatment by infiltration, although an alternative strategy of air/surfactant (foam) was demonstrated effective for targeting high-K zones. The flow rate manipulation used in this study to treat specific depths and heterogeneities are not as easy to implement at field scale due to the lack of characterization of heterogeneities and difficulty tracking the wetting front over a large subsurface area. However, the use of real-time surface and cross-borehole geophysics can be used to track the infiltrating Ca-citrate-PO4 front so some adjustments can be made in the infiltration rate to precipitate apatite in desired zones. In addition, the reactive transport code used in this study with field scale physical parameters for sediments can be used to evaluate infiltration strategies along with preliminary water infiltration tests at field scale.« less

Hydrological balance and water transport processes of partially sealed soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timm, Anne; Wessolek, Gerd

2017-04-01

With increased urbanisation, soil sealing and its drastic effects on hydrological processes have received a lot of attention. Based on safety concerns, there has been a clear focus on urban drainage and prevention of urban floods caused by storm water events. For this reason, any kind of sealing is often seen as impermeable runoff generator that prevents infiltration and evaporation. While many hydrological models, especially storm water models, have been developed, there are only a handful of empirical studies actually measuring the hydrological balance of (partially) sealed surfaces. These challenge the general assumption of negligible infiltration and evaporation and show that these processes take place even for severe sealing such as asphalt. Depending on the material, infiltration from partially sealed surfaces can be equal to that of vegetated ones. Therefore, more detailed knowledge is needed to improve our understanding and models. In Berlin, two partially sealed weighable lysimeters were equipped with multiple temperature and soil moisture sensors in order to study their hydrological balance, as well as water and heat transport processes within the soil profile. This combination of methods affirms previous observations and offers new insights into altered hydrological processes of partially sealed surfaces at a small temporal scale. It could be verified that not all precipitation is transformed into runoff. Even for a relatively high sealing degree of concrete slabs with narrow seams, evaporation and infiltration may exceed runoff. Due to the lack of plant roots, the hydrological balance is mostly governed by precipitation events and evaporation generally occurs directly after rainfall. However, both surfaces allow for upward water transport from the upper underlying soil layers, sometimes resulting in relatively low evaporation rates on days without precipitation. The individual response of the surfaces differs considerably, which illustrates how important process orientated studies for different types of sealing material are.

Importance of unsaturated zone flow for simulating recharge in a humid climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunt, R.J.; Prudic, David E.; Walker, J.F.; Anderson, M.P.

2008-01-01

Transient recharge to the water table is often not well understood or quantified. Two approaches for simulating transient recharge in a ground water flow model were investigated using the Trout Lake watershed in north-central Wisconsin: (1) a traditional approach of adding recharge directly to the water table and (2) routing the same volume of water through an unsaturated zone column to the water table. Areas with thin (less than 1 m) unsaturated zones showed little difference in timing of recharge between the two approaches; when water was routed through the unsaturated zone, however, less recharge was delivered to the water table and more discharge occurred to the surface because recharge direction and magnitude changed when the water table rose to the land surface. Areas with a thick (15 to 26 m) unsaturated zone were characterized by multimonth lags between infiltration and recharge, and, in some cases, wetting fronts from precipitation events during the fall overtook and mixed with infiltration from the previous spring snowmelt. Thus, in thicker unsaturated zones, the volume of water infiltrated was properly simulated using the traditional approach, but the timing was different from simulations that included unsaturated zone flow. Routing of rejected recharge and ground water discharge at land surface to surface water features also provided a better simulation of the observed flow regime in a stream at the basin outlet. These results demonstrate that consideration of flow through the unsaturated zone may be important when simulating transient ground water flow in humid climates with shallow water tables.

Urban runoff (URO) process for MODFLOW 2005: simulation of sub-grid scale urban hydrologic processes in Broward County, FL

USGS Publications Warehouse

Decker, Jeremy D.; Hughes, J.D.

2013-01-01

Climate change and sea-level rise could cause substantial changes in urban runoff and flooding in low-lying coast landscapes. A major challenge for local government officials and decision makers is to translate the potential global effects of climate change into actionable and cost-effective adaptation and mitigation strategies at county and municipal scales. A MODFLOW process is used to represent sub-grid scale hydrology in urban settings to help address these issues. Coupled interception, surface water, depression, and unsaturated zone storage are represented. A two-dimensional diffusive wave approximation is used to represent overland flow. Three different options for representing infiltration and recharge are presented. Additional features include structure, barrier, and culvert flow between adjacent cells, specified stage boundaries, critical flow boundaries, source/sink surface-water terms, and the bi-directional runoff to MODFLOW Surface-Water Routing process. Some abilities of the Urban RunOff (URO) process are demonstrated with a synthetic problem using four land uses and varying cell coverages. Precipitation from a hypothetical storm was applied and cell by cell surface-water depth, groundwater level, infiltration rate, and groundwater recharge rate are shown. Results indicate the URO process has the ability to produce time-varying, water-content dependent infiltration and leakage, and successfully interacts with MODFLOW.

STUDY OF WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS DURING RIVERBANK FILTRATION AT THREE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES DRINKING WATER UTILITIES

EPA Science Inventory

Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a process during which surface water is subjected to subsurface flow prior to extraction from wells. During infiltration and soil passage, surface water is subjected to a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes such as filtration...

Engineering report single-shell tank farms interim measures to limit infiltration through the vadose zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

HAASS, C.C.

1999-10-14

Identifies, evaluates and recommends interim measures for reducing or eliminating water sources and preferential pathways within the vadose zone of the single-shell tank farms. Features studied: surface water infiltration and leaking water lines that provide recharge moisture, and wells that could provide pathways for contaminant migration. An extensive data base, maps, recommended mitigations, and rough order of magnitude costs are included.

A MODFLOW Infiltration Device Package for Simulating Storm Water Infiltration.

PubMed

Jeppesen, Jan; Christensen, Steen

2015-01-01

This article describes a MODFLOW Infiltration Device (INFD) Package that can simulate infiltration devices and their two-way interaction with groundwater. The INFD Package relies on a water balance including inflow of storm water, leakage-like seepage through the device faces, overflow, and change in storage. The water balance for the device can be simulated in multiple INFD time steps within a single MODFLOW time step, and infiltration from the device can be routed through the unsaturated zone to the groundwater table. A benchmark test shows that the INFD Package's analytical solution for stage computes exact results for transient behavior. To achieve similar accuracy by the numerical solution of the MODFLOW Surface-Water Routing (SWR1) Process requires many small time steps. Furthermore, the INFD Package includes an improved representation of flow through the INFD sides that results in lower infiltration rates than simulated by SWR1. The INFD Package is also demonstrated in a transient simulation of a hypothetical catchment where two devices interact differently with groundwater. This simulation demonstrates that device and groundwater interaction depends on the thickness of the unsaturated zone because a shallow groundwater table (a likely result from storm water infiltration itself) may occupy retention volume, whereas a thick unsaturated zone may cause a phase shift and a change of amplitude in groundwater table response to a change of infiltration. We thus find that the INFD Package accommodates the simulation of infiltration devices and groundwater in an integrated manner on small as well as large spatial and temporal scales. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

A field method for measurement of infiltration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, A.I.

1963-01-01

The determination of infiltration--the downward entry of water into a soil (or sediment)--is receiving increasing attention in hydrologic studies because of the need for more quantitative data on all phases of the hydrologic cycle. A measure of infiltration, the infiltration rate, is usually determined in the field by flooding basins or furrows, sprinkling, or measuring water entry from cylinders (infiltrometer rings). Rates determined by ponding in large areas are considered most reliable, but the high cost usually dictates that infiltrometer rings, preferably 2 feet in diameter or larger, be used. The hydrology of subsurface materials is critical in the study of infiltration. The zone controlling the rate of infiltration is usually the least permeable zone. Many other factors affect infiltration rate--the sediment (soil) structure, the condition of the sediment surface, the distribution of soil moisture or soil- moisture tension, the chemical and physical nature of the sediments, the head of applied water, the depth to ground water, the chemical quality and the turbidity of the applied water, the temperature of the water and the sediments, the percentage of entrapped air in the sediments, the atmospheric pressure, the length of time of application of water, the biological activity in the sediments, and the type of equipment or method used. It is concluded that specific values of the infiltration rate for a particular type of sediment are probably nonexistent and that measured rates are primarily for comparative use. A standard field-test method for determining infiltration rates by means of single- or double-ring infiltrometers is described and the construction, installation, and operation of the infiltrometers are discussed in detail.

Discrepancy between Snowmelt and Soil Infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassnacht, S. R.

2017-12-01

A majority of snowmelt enters the soil and is either transmitted through or stored in the soil. Snowmelt has been estimated from the decrease in snow mass of a snow pillow and soil infiltration has been estimated from near surface TDR probes. Here, these data are from a set of Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations across Colorado. While seasonal totals are similar, it is shown that there is a disconnect between the amount of water melted in a day and the increased daily volume of water measured in the near sub-surface. It is surmised that these differences are a function of the data collection methods, the infiltration rate, and possible lateral flow. An examination of daily infiltration volumes at depth shows a further disconnect, as it is likely that lateral flow complicates the measurements to a true three dimensional problem. The data are informative to illustrate the transmission of meltwater into the soil; methods for improvement are explored.

Estimating recharge at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA: Comparison of methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, A.L.; Flint, L.E.; Kwicklis, E.M.; Fabryka-Martin, J. T.; Bodvarsson, G.S.

2002-01-01

Obtaining values of net infiltration, groundwater travel time, and recharge is necessary at the Yucca Mountain site, Nevada, USA, in order to evaluate the expected performance of a potential repository as a containment system for high-level radioactive waste. However, the geologic complexities of this site, its low precipitation and net infiltration, with numerous mechanisms operating simultaneously to move water through the system, provide many challenges for the estimation of the spatial distribution of recharge. A variety of methods appropriate for arid environments has been applied, including water-balance techniques, calculations using Darcy's law in the unsaturated zone, a soil-physics method applied to neutron-hole water-content data, inverse modeling of thermal profiles in boreholes extending through the thick unsaturated zone, chloride mass balance, atmospheric radionuclides, and empirical approaches. These methods indicate that near-surface infiltration rates at Yucca Mountain are highly variable in time and space, with local (point) values ranging from zero to several hundred millimeters per year. Spatially distributed net-infiltration values average 5 mm/year, with the highest values approaching 20 mm/year near Yucca Crest. Site-scale recharge estimates range from less than 1 to about 12 mm/year. These results have been incorporated into a site-scale model that has been calibrated using these data sets that reflect infiltration processes acting on highly variable temporal and spatial scales. The modeling study predicts highly non-uniform recharge at the water table, distributed significantly differently from the non-uniform infiltration pattern at the surface.

Analysis of Instrumentation Selection and Placement to Monitor the Hydrologic Performance of Permeable Pavement Systems and Bioinfiltration Areas at the Edison Environmental Center in New Jersey - proceedings paper

EPA Science Inventory

Infiltration is one of the primary functional mechanisms of green infrastructure stormwater controls, so this study explored selection and placement of embedded soil moisture, water level, and temperature sensors to monitor surface infiltration and infiltration into the underlyin...

On-site infiltration of road runoff using pervious pavements with subjacent infiltration trenches as source control strategy.

PubMed

Fach, S; Dierkes, C

2011-01-01

The focus in this work was on subsoil infiltration of stormwater from parking lots. With regard to operation, reduced infiltration performance due to clogging and pollutants in seepage, which may contribute to contaminate groundwater, are of interest. The experimental investigation covered a pervious pavement with a subjacent infiltration trench draining an impervious area of 2 ha. In order to consider seasonal effects on the infiltration performance, the hydraulic conductivity was measured tri-monthly during monitoring with a mobile sprinkling unit. To assess natural deposits jointing, road bed, gravel of infiltration trenches and subsoil were analysed prior to commencement of monitoring for heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic and mineral oil type hydrocarbons. Furthermore, from 22 storm events, water samples of rainfall, surface runoff, seepage and ground water were analysed with regard to the above mentioned pollutants. The study showed that the material used for the joints had a major impact on the initial as well as the final infiltration rates. Due to its poor hydraulic conductivity, limestone gravel should not be used as jointing. Furthermore, it is recommended that materials for the infiltration facilities are ensured free of any contaminants prior to construction. Polycyclic aromatic and mineral oil type hydrocarbons were, with the exception of surface runoff, below detection limits. Heavy metal concentrations of groundwater were with the exception of lead (because of high background concentrations), below the permissible limits.

Artificial sweeteners as waste water markers in a shallow unconfined aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bichler, Andrea; Muellegger, Christian; Hofmann, Thilo

2013-04-01

One key factor in groundwater quality management is the knowledge of flow paths and recharge. In coupled ground- and surface water systems the understanding of infiltration processes is therefore of paramount importance. Recent studies show that artificial sweeteners - which are used as sugar substitutes in food and beverages - are suitable tracers for domestic wastewater in the aquatic environment. As most rivers receive sewage discharges, artificial sweeteners might be used for tracking surface waters in groundwater. In this study artificial sweeteners are used in combination with conventional tracers (inert anions Cl-, SO42-, stable water isotopes δ18O, δ2H) to identify river water infiltration and the influence of waste water on a shallow unconfined aquifer used for drinking water production. The investigation area is situated in a mesoscale alpine head water catchment. The alluvial aquifer consists of quaternary gravel deposits and is characterized by high hydraulic permeability (kfmax 5 x 10-2 ms-1), high flow velocities (vmax 250 md-1) and a considerable productivity (2,5 m3s-1). A losing stream follows the aquifer in close proximity and is susceptible to infiltrate substantial volumes of water into the alluvial sediments. Water sampling campaigns in March and July 2012 confirmed the occurrence of artificial sweeteners (Acesulfam ACE, Sucralose SUC, Saccharin SAC and Cyclamat CYC) at the investigated site. The local sewage treatment plant was identified as point source of artificial sweeteners in the river water, with ACE concentrations up to 0,6 μgL-1. ACE concentrations in groundwater where approximately of one order of magnitude lower: ACE was present in 33 out of 40 sampled groundwater wells with concentrations up to 0,07 μgL-1, thus indicating considerable influence of sewage water loaded surface water throughout the aquifer. Elevated concentrations of ACE and SAC in single observation wells denote other sources of locally limited contamination. Also, the temporal variability of sweeteners in surface water and the drinking water production well is compared with other tracers. ACE, Cl-and SO42- exhibit similar patterns in the river water. However, this behaviour cannot be observed in the production well, where ACE concentrations are varying compared to Cl- and SO42-.This suggests that the production well does receive groundwater being infiltrated prior to the sewage water treatment plant. Time series analysis of 18O, δ2H will give more insight in travel times and the location of infiltration zones.

Snowmelt water drives higher soil erosion than rainfall water in a mid-high latitude upland watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuyang; Ouyang, Wei; Hao, Zengchao; Yang, Bowen; Wang, Li

2018-01-01

The impacts of precipitation and temperature on soil erosion are pronounced in mid-high latitude areas, which lead to seasonal variations in soil erosion. Determining the critical erosion periods and the reasons behind the increased erosion loads are essential for soil management decisions. Hence, integrated approaches combining experiments and modelling based on field investigations were applied to investigate watershed soil erosion characteristics and the dynamics of water movement through soils. Long-term and continuous data for surface runoff and soil erosion variation characteristics of uplands in a watershed were observed via five simulations by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). In addition, laboratory experiments were performed to quantify the actual soil infiltrabilities in snowmelt seasons (thawed treatment) and rainy seasons (non-frozen treatment). The results showed that over the course of a year, average surface runoff and soil erosion reached peak values of 31.38 mm and 1.46 t ha-1 a-1, respectively, in the month of April. They also ranked high in July and August, falling in the ranges of 23.73 mm to 24.91 mm and 0.55 t ha-1 a-1 to 0.59 t ha-1 a-1, respectively. With the infiltration time extended, thawed soils showed lower infiltrabilities than non-frozen soils, and the differences in soil infiltration amounts between these two were considerable. These results highlighted that soil erosion was very closely and positively correlated with surface runoff. Soil loss was higher in snowmelt periods than in rainy periods due to the higher surface runoff in early spring, and the decreased soil infiltrability in snowmelt periods contributed much to this higher surface runoff. These findings are helpful for identification of critical soil erosion periods when making soil management before critical months, especially those before snowmelt periods.

The use of One-Dimensional Laboratory Experiments to Assess Hydraulic Processes in Wastewater Soil Absorption Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntzinger, D. N.; McCray, J. E.; Siegrist, R.; Lowe, K.; VanCuyk, S.

2001-05-01

Sixteen, one-dimensional column lysimeters have been developed to evaluate the influence of loading regime and infiltrative surface character on hydraulic performance in wastewater soil absorption systems. A duplicate design was utilized to evaluate two infiltrative surface conditions (gravel-free vs. gravel-laden) under four hydraulic loading regimes representative of possible field conditions. By loading the columns at rates of 25 to 200 cm/day, the 17 weeks of column operation actually reflect up to approximately 13 yrs of field operation (at 5 cm/day). Therefore, the cumulative mass throughput and infiltrative rate loss for each loading regime can be examined to determine the viability of accelerated loading as a means to compress the time scale of observation, while still producing meaningfully results for the field scale. During operation, the columns were loaded with septic tank effluent at a prescribed rate and routinely monitoring for applied effluent composition, infiltration rate, time-dependant soil water content, water volume throughput, and percolate composition. Bromide tracer tests were completed prior to system startup and at weeks 2, 6, and 17 of system operation. Hydraulic characterization of the columns is based on measurements of the hydraulic loading rate, volumetric throughput, soil water content, and bromide breakthrough curves. Incipient ponding of wastewater developed during the 1st week of operation for columns loaded at the highest hydraulic rate (loading regimes 1 and 2), and during the 3rd and 6th week of operation for loading regimes 3 and 4, respectfully. The bromide breakthrough curves exhibit later breakthrough and tailing as system life increases, indicating the development of spatially variability in hydraulic conductivity within the column and the development of a clogging zone at the infiltrative surface. Throughput is assessed for each loading regime to determine the infiltration rate loss versus days of operation. Loading regimes 1 and 2 approach a comparable long-term throughput rate less than 20 cm/day, while loading regimes 3 and 4 reach a long-term throughput rate of less than 10 cm/day. These one-dimensional columns allow for the analysis of infiltrative rate loss and hydraulic behavior as a result of infiltrative surface character and loading regime.

Estimating the Limits of Infiltration in the Urban Appalachian Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavin, S. M.; Bain, D.; Hopkins, K. G.; Pfeil-McCullough, E. K.; Copeland, E.

2014-12-01

Green infrastructure in urbanized areas commonly uses infiltration systems, such as rain gardens, swales and trenches, to convey surface runoff from impervious surfaces into surrounding soils. However, precipitation inputs can exceed soil infiltration rates, creating a limit to infiltration-based storm water management, particularly in urban areas covered by impervious surfaces. Given the limited availability and varied quality of soil infiltration rate data, we synthesized information from national databases, available field test data, and applicable literature to characterize soil infiltration rate distributions, focusing on Allegheny County, Pennsylvania as a case study. A range of impervious cover conditions was defined by sampling available GIS data (e.g., LiDAR and street edge lines) with analysis windows placed randomly across urbanization gradients. Changes in effective precipitation caused by impervious cover were calculated across these gradients and compared to infiltration rate distributions to identify thresholds in impervious coverage where these limits are exceeded. Many studies have demonstrated the effects of urbanization on infiltration, but the identification of these thresholds will clarify interactions between impervious cover and soil infiltration. These methods can help identify sections of urban areas that require augmentation of infiltration-based systems with additional infrastructural strategies, especially as green infrastructure moves beyond low impact development towards more frequent application during infilling of existing urban systems.

Infiltration and quality of water for two arroyo channels, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1988-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Carole L.

1995-01-01

Selected reaches of Grant Line Arroyo and Tijeras Arroyo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were studied to collect information about the amount and quality of infiltration through arroyo channels. Infiltration rate was calculated for selected reaches of Grant Line Arroyo and Tijeras Arroyo based on instantaneous streamflow-loss volumes, wetted channel area, and instantaneous evaporation rates measured during 1988-92. Infiltration rates at Grant Line Arroyo ranged from 0.0 to 0.6 foot per day, and at Tijeras Arroyo from 2.28 to 30 feet per day. The evaporation rate ranged from one-tenth of 1 percent to 2 percent of the infiltration rate. Infiltration rates differed with the location of the reach isolated for measurement and with the time of day of the infiltration-rate measurement. Differences in intrinsic permeability of the sediments may be the most important factor affecting spatial variations in infiltration. The most important factor affecting temporal variations in infiltration may be the temperature of the water and sediment where infiltration occurs. Annual evaporation rates were greatest over saturated stream sediments and ranged from 802 to 1,025 millimeters per year or from 31.57 to 40.35 inches per year. Annual evaporation rates were least over unsaturated, unvegetated soil and ranged from 174 to 291 millimeters per year or from 6.85 to 11.46 inches per year. Annual evapotranspiration rates over grasses or shrubs or both were about one-half the rates over saturated stream sediments. Rates were similar for Grant Line and Tijeras Arroyos. The land- surface vegetation, availability of water at the land surface, availability of energy to enable a change of state from water to vapor, existence of a vapor concentration gradient, and a turbulent atmosphere to carry the vapor away may be the factors that determine the amount of evaporation and evapotranspiration. Water in Grant Line Arroyo and Tijeras Arroyo met U. S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water regulations for nitrate, volatile organic compounds, dissolved lead, and dissolved and total arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, silver, zinc, selenium, chloride, and sulfate concentrations. Total lead concentration in one sample from Tramway Floodway Channel, a tributary to Tijeras Arroyo, was 55 micrograms per liter, exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water regulation of 50 micrograms per liter. Dissolved-solids concentrations calculated from the sum of cations and anions usually exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water dissolved-solids regulation of 500 milligrams per liter at Tijeras Arroyo above Four Hills Bridge.

Method to measure soil matrix infiltration in forest soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jing; Lei, Tingwu; Qu, Liqin; Chen, Ping; Gao, Xiaofeng; Chen, Chao; Yuan, Lili; Zhang, Manliang; Su, Guangxu

2017-09-01

Infiltration of water into forest soil commonly involves infiltration through the matrix body and preferential passages. Determining the matrix infiltration process is important in partitioning water infiltrating into the soil through the soil body and macropores to evaluate the effects of soil and water conservation practices on hillslope hydrology and watershed sedimentation. A new method that employs a double-ring infiltrometer was applied in this study to determine the matrix infiltration process in forest soil. Field experiments were conducted in a forest field on the Loess Plateau at Tianshui Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Station. Nylon cloth was placed on the soil surface in the inner ring and between the inner and outer rings of infiltrometers. A thin layer of fine sands were placed onto the nylon cloth to shelter the macropores and ensure that water infiltrates the soil through the matrix only. Brilliant Blue tracers were applied to examine the exclusion of preferential flow occurrences in the measured soil body. The infiltration process was measured, computed, and recorded through procedures similar to those of conventional methods. Horizontal and vertical soil profiles were excavated to check the success of the experiment and ensure that preferential flow did not occur in the measured soil column and that infiltration was only through the soil matrix. The infiltration processes of the replicates of five plots were roughly the same, thereby indicating the feasibility of the methodology to measure soil matrix infiltration. The measured infiltration curves effectively explained the transient process of soil matrix infiltration. Philip and Kostiakov models fitted the measured data well, and all the coefficients of determination were greater than 0.9. The wetted soil bodies through excavations did not present evidence of preferential flow. Therefore, the proposed method can determine the infiltration process through the forest soil matrix. This method can also be applied to explore matrix infiltration in other land-use types.

Groundwater and surface-water utilisation using a bank infiltration technique in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamsuddin, Mohd Khairul Nizar; Sulaiman, Wan Nor Azmin; Suratman, Saim; Zakaria, Mohamad Pauzi; Samuding, Kamarudin

2014-05-01

Bank infiltration (BI) is one of the solutions to providing raw water for public supply in tropical countries. This study in Malaysia explores the use of BI to supplement a polluted surface-water resource with groundwater. Three major factors were investigated: (1) contribution of surface water through BI to the resulting abstraction, (2) input of local groundwater, and (3) water-quality characteristics of the resulting water supply. A geophysical method was employed to define the subsurface geology and hydrogeology, and isotope techniques were performed to identify the source of groundwater recharge and the interaction between surface water and groundwater. The physicochemical and microbiological parameters of the local surface-water bodies and groundwater were analyzed before and during water abstraction. Extracted water revealed a 5-98 % decrease in turbidity, as well as reductions in HCO3 -, Cl-, SO4 2-, NO3 -, Ca2+, Al3+ and As concentrations compared with those of Langat River water. In addition, amounts of E. coli, total coliform and Giardia were significantly reduced (99.9 %). However, water samples from test wells during pumping showed high concentrations of Fe2+ and Mn2+. Pumping test results indicate that the two wells used in the study were able to sustain yields.

Update to Permeable Pavement Research at the Edison ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA’s Urban Watershed Management Branch (UWMB) has been monitoring the permeable pavement demonstration site at the Edison Environmental Center, NJ since 2010. This site has three different types of permeable pavements including interlocking concrete permeable pavers, pervious concrete, and porous asphalt. The permeable pavements are limited to parking spaces while adjacent driving lanes are impermeable and drain to the permeable surfaces. The parking lot is instrumented for continuous monitoring with thermistors and water content reflectometers that measure moisture as infiltrate passes through the storage gallery beneath the permeable pavements into the underlying native soil. Each permeable surface of the parking lot has four lined sections that capture infiltrate in tanks for water quality analyses; these tanks are capable of holding volumes up to 4.1 m3, which represents up to 38 mm (1.5 in.) for direct rainfall on the porous pavement and runoff from adjacent driving lanes that drain into the permeable surface.Previous technical releases concerning the demonstration site focused on monitoring techniques, observed chloride and nutrient concentrations, surface hydrology, and infiltration and evaporation rates. This presentation summarizes these past findings and addresses current water quality efforts including pH, solids analysis, total organic carbon, and chemical oxygen demand. Stormwater runoff continues to be a major cause of water pollution in

Quantifying Water Infiltration through the Preferential Passages in the Forest Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Liqin; Chen, Ping; Gan, Ping; Lei, Tingwu

2017-04-01

Infiltration of water into soil commonly involves infiltration through the matrix body and preferential passages. Quantifying the contribution of preferential flow is important to evaluate the effects of land use and land cover changes on hillslope hydrology and watershed sedimentation. A new procedure was applied in this study to estimate the water infiltration into the soil through the soil body and macrospores. Field experiments were conducted in a forest field on the Loess Plateau at Tianshui Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Station, Gansu Province, China. The experiment implements a double-ring infiltrometer and involves two measuring phases. Firstly, a thin layer sieved soil collected on site was sprinkled on the nylon cloth to shelter the macrospores and to ensure that water infiltrates the soil through the matrix only. The infiltration process was measured, computed, and recorded. Secondly, immediately after the first phase, the nylon cloth and layered soil above the soil surface was removed from the double ring infiltrometer carefully, and the infiltration process was measured for 30 mins in which water infiltration through both soil body impacted by the preferential passages in the soil body. There were three treatments according to the measured infiltration periods in the first phase of 30, 60, 90 mins, respectively, and two replicates for each treatment were conducted. The measured soil infiltration curves in the first phase explained the transient process of soil matrix infiltration well. The measured date were fitted by Kostiako models fitted measured data well with all coefficients of determination greater than 0.9. The constant infiltration rates from the second phase were at least 2 times larger than the estimates from the first phase. In other words, the results indicated that more than 60% of water infiltration was through the preferential passages in the forest soil. The result also shows that durations in the first phase affect the trends of the infiltration curve in the second phase. The result from this study is helpful to understand the mechanism of hydrological response to different land covers.

The role of contact angle on unstable flow formation during infiltration and drainage in wettable porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallach, Rony; Margolis, Michal; Graber, Ellen R.

2013-10-01

The impact of contact angle on 2-D spatial and temporal water-content distribution during infiltration and drainage was experimentally studied. The 0.3-0.5 mm fraction of a quartz dune sand was treated and turned subcritically repellent (contact angle of 33°, 48°, 56°, and 75° for S33, S48, S56, and S75, respectively). The media were packed uniformly in transparent flow chambers and water was supplied to the surface as a point source at different rates (1-20 ml/min). A sequence of gray-value images was taken by CCD camera during infiltration and subsequent drainage; gray values were converted to volumetric water content by water volume balance. Narrow and long plumes with water accumulation behind the downward moving wetting front (tip) and negative water gradient above it (tail) developed in the S56 and S75 media during infiltration at lower water application rates. The plumes became bulbous with spatially uniform water-content distribution as water application rates increased. All plumes in these media propagated downward at a constant rate during infiltration and did not change their shape during drainage. In contrast, regular plume shapes were observed in the S33 and S48 media at all flow rates, and drainage profiles were nonmonotonic with a transition plane at the depth that water reached during infiltration. Given that the studied media have similar pore-size distributions, the conclusion is that imbibition hindered by the nonzero contact angle induced pressure buildup at the wetting front (dynamic water-entry value) that controlled the plume shape and internal water-content distribution during infiltration and drainage.

SURFACE APPLICATION SYSTEM FOR IN SITU GROUND-WATER BIOREMEDIATION: SITE CHARACTERIZATION AND MODELING

EPA Science Inventory

Surface application offers an inexpensive, noninvasive alternative to injection wells and infiltration galleries for in situ ground-water bioreniediation applications. The technology employs artificial recharge to create favorable hydraulic conditions for mixing and vertical tran...

Quantification of groundwater infiltration and surface water inflows in urban sewer networks based on a multiple model approach.

PubMed

Karpf, Christian; Krebs, Peter

2011-05-01

The management of sewer systems requires information about discharge and variability of typical wastewater sources in urban catchments. Especially the infiltration of groundwater and the inflow of surface water (I/I) are important for making decisions about the rehabilitation and operation of sewer networks. This paper presents a methodology to identify I/I and estimate its quantity. For each flow fraction in sewer networks, an individual model approach is formulated whose parameters are optimised by the method of least squares. This method was applied to estimate the contributions to the wastewater flow in the sewer system of the City of Dresden (Germany), where data availability is good. Absolute flows of I/I and their temporal variations are estimated. Further information on the characteristics of infiltration is gained by clustering and grouping sewer pipes according to the attributes construction year and groundwater influence and relating these resulting classes to infiltration behaviour. Further, it is shown that condition classes based on CCTV-data can be used to estimate the infiltration potential of sewer pipes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Movement of water infiltrated from a recharge basin to wells

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Leary, David R.; Izbicki, John A.; Moran, Jean E.; Meeth, Tanya; Nakagawa, Brandon; Metzger, Loren; Bonds, Chris; Singleton, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Local surface water and stormflow were infiltrated intermittently from a 40-ha basin between September 2003 and September 2007 to determine the feasibility of recharging alluvial aquifers pumped for public supply, near Stockton, California. Infiltration of water produced a pressure response that propagated through unconsolidated alluvial-fan deposits to 125 m below land surface (bls) in 5 d and through deeper, more consolidated alluvial deposits to 194 m bls in 25 d, resulting in increased water levels in nearby monitoring wells. The top of the saturated zone near the basin fluctuates seasonally from depths of about 15 to 20 m. Since the start of recharge, water infiltrated from the basin has reached depths as great as 165 m bls. On the basis of sulfur hexafluoride tracer test data, basin water moved downward through the saturated alluvial deposits until reaching more permeable zones about 110 m bls. Once reaching these permeable zones, water moved rapidly to nearby pumping wells at rates as high as 13 m/d. Flow to wells through highly permeable material was confirmed on the basis of flowmeter logging, and simulated numerically using a two-dimensional radial groundwater flow model. Arsenic concentrations increased slightly as a result of recharge from 2 to 6 μg/L immediately below the basin. Although few water-quality issues were identified during sample collection, high groundwater velocities and short travel times to nearby wells may have implications for groundwater management at this and at other sites in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers.

Estimation of Infiltration Parameters and the Irrigation Coefficients with the Surface Irrigation Advance Distance

PubMed Central

Beibei, Zhou; Quanjiu, Wang; Shuai, Tan

2014-01-01

A theory based on Manning roughness equation, Philip equation and water balance equation was developed which only employed the advance distance in the calculation of the infiltration parameters and irrigation coefficients in both the border irrigation and the surge irrigation. The improved procedure was validated with both the border irrigation and surge irrigation experiments. The main results are shown as follows. Infiltration parameters of the Philip equation could be calculated accurately only using water advance distance in the irrigation process comparing to the experimental data. With the calculated parameters and the water balance equation, the irrigation coefficients were also estimated. The water advance velocity should be measured at about 0.5 m to 1.0 m far from the water advance in the experimental corn fields. PMID:25061664

In-situ arsenic removal during groundwater recharge through unsaturated alluvium

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Leary, David; Izbicki, John; T.J. Kim,; Clark Ajawani,; Suarez, Donald; Barnes, Thomas; Thomas Kulp,; Burgess, Matthew K.; Tseng, Iwen

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and sustainability of in-situ removal of arsenic from water infiltrated through unsaturated alluvium. BACKGROUND Arsenic is naturally present in aquifers throughout the southwestern United States and elsewhere. In January 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic from 50 to 10 micrograms per liter (g/L). This raised concerns about naturally-occurring arsenic in groundwater. Although commercially available systems using sorbent iron or aluminum oxide resins are available to treat high-arsenic water, these systems are expensive to build and operate, and may generate hazardous waste. Iron and aluminum oxides occur naturally on the surfaces of mineral grains that compose alluvial aquifers. In areas where alluvial deposits are unsaturated, these oxides may sorb arsenic in the same manner as commercial resins, potentially providing an effective low-cost alternative to commercially engineered treatment systems. APPROACH The Antelope Valley within the Mojave Desert of southern California contains a shallow water-table aquifer with arsenic concentrations of 5 g/L, and a deeper aquifer with arsenic concentrations of 30 g/L. Water was pumped from the deep aquifer into a pond and infiltrated through an 80 m-thick unsaturated zone as part of field-scale and laboratory experiments to treat high-arsenic groundwater and recharge the shallow water table aquifer at the site. The field-scale recharge experiment included the following steps: 1) construction of a recharge pond 2) test drilling for sample collection and instrument installation adjacent to the pond 3) monitoring downward migration of water infiltrated from the pond 4) monitoring changes in selected trace-element concentrations as water infiltrated through the unsaturated zone Data from instruments within the borehole adjacent to the pond were supplemented with borehole and surface geophysical data to evaluate the lateral spreading of water as it moved downward through the unsaturated zone. Three laboratory studies were undertaken. Sequential extraction was used to evaluate the abundance of iron, aluminum, and manganese oxides and selected trace elements on operationally defined sites on the surfaces of mineral grains collected before and after infiltration from the pond. Secondly, radio-labeled arsenic-73 microcosm experiments evaluated the potential for incorporation of arsenic sorbed to exchange sites on mineral grains into less reactive crystalline mineral structures with time. Finally, column studies evaluated arsenic sorption and the pH dependence of sorption for selected unsaturated zone materials.RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Between December 2010 and July 2012, more than 120,000 cubic meters (m3 ) (about 97 acre-feet) of high-arsenic groundwater was pumped from the deep aquifer into a 0.11 hectare (about 0.27 acres) pond and infiltrated though an 80-meter (about 260 feet) thick unsaturated zone to recharge a water-table aquifer. Arsenic concentrations were lowered from 30 to 2 g/L as water infiltrated though the unsaturated zone at the site. Some uranium, possibly associated with past agricultural land use at the site, was mobilized to concentrations as high as 66 g/L within the unsaturated zone during the experiment. Uranium was resorbed and the high uranium concentrations did not reach the water table at the site. Concentrations of other trace elements, including antimony, chromium, vanadium, and selenium were low throughout the study. Infiltration rates from the pond were as high as 0.4 meters per day (1.1 feet per day, ft/d), and the wetting front moved downward about 25 centimeters per day (cm/d) (0.8 ft/d) to a depth of about 50 m (about 165 feet). Clay layers at that depth slowed the downward movement of the wetting front to about 5 cm/d (0.16 ft/d). Lateral movement of the wetting front was monitored using sequential direct-current (DC) surface and sequential electromagnetic (EM) and DC borehole resistivity. Most lateral movement occurred on a clay layer about 50 m (about 165 feet) below land surface. Infiltrated water reached the water table in January 2013. At the water table, the “wetted footprint” of water infiltrated from the pond, indicated by surface resistivity data, was about 13 hectares (about 32 acres). On the basis of data collected at the site, there is enough sorbent material to operate this pond and treat groundwater having an arsenic concentration of 30 g/L to 2 g/L for about 500 years. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) data showed arsenic concentrations to be below hazardous levels beneath the pond after the experiment. Pond maintenance may be required to keep infiltration rates high, and prevent accumulation of organic material on the pond bottom, although organic material on the pond bottom may increase removal of other trace elements in infiltrated water including chromium, selenium, and vanadium. Laboratory results are consistent with the field data and show sorption of arsenic in 10 cm (0.3 feet) columns to about 2 g/L over a pH range of 6 to 8, and at influent arsenic concentrations as high as 300 g/L, without breakthrough in 50 pore volumes. Column results suggest that the insitu treatment may remove arsenic in a range of hydrogeologic settings, and would not necessarily be restricted to alkaline alluvial aquifers common throughout the southwestern United States. Radiolabeled arsenic-73 experiments show that although arsenic is initially weakly sorbed (and potentially mobile), with time arsenic is incorporated into amorphous materials. One year after sorption onto surface exchange sites, most sorbed arsenic is incorporated into crystalline oxide minerals on the surfaces of primary mineral grains and is less mobile. Results of the study suggest that long-term land use restrictions on sites used for in-situ treatment of arsenic may not be needed to control water applied to surface materials. This minimizes some regulatory concerns about future land use at sites used for in-situ arsenic treatment. However, future land uses that may alter reduction-oxidation conditions in the subsurface should be avoided, such as infiltration of stormwater recharge or recharge with other water having high organic carbon concentrations (including unsewered residential land use, dairy or other confined animal operations).

Quantitative framework for preferential flow initiation and partitioning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nimmo, John R.

2016-01-01

A model for preferential flow in macropores is based on the short-range spatial distribution of soil matrix infiltrability. It uses elementary areas at two different scales. One is the traditional representative elementary area (REA), which includes a sufficient heterogeneity to typify larger areas, as for measuring field-scale infiltrability. The other, called an elementary matrix area (EMA), is smaller, but large enough to represent the local infiltrability of soil matrix material, between macropores. When water is applied to the land surface, each EMA absorbs water up to the rate of its matrix infiltrability. Excess water flows into a macropore, becoming preferential flow. The land surface then can be represented by a mesoscale (EMA-scale) distribution of matrix infiltrabilities. Total preferential flow at a given depth is the sum of contributions from all EMAs. Applying the model, one case study with multi-year field measurements of both preferential and diffuse fluxes at a specific depth was used to obtain parameter values by inverse calculation. The results quantify the preferential–diffuse partition of flow from individual storms that differed in rainfall amount, intensity, antecedent soil water, and other factors. Another case study provided measured values of matrix infiltrability to estimate parameter values for comparison and illustrative predictions. These examples give a self-consistent picture from the combination of parameter values, directions of sensitivities, and magnitudes of differences caused by different variables. One major practical use of this model is to calculate the dependence of preferential flow on climate-related factors, such as varying soil wetness and rainfall intensity.

Documentation of Computer Program INFIL3.0 - A Distributed-Parameter Watershed Model to Estimate Net Infiltration Below the Root Zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2008-01-01

This report documents the computer program INFIL3.0, which is a grid-based, distributed-parameter, deterministic water-balance watershed model that calculates the temporal and spatial distribution of daily net infiltration of water across the lower boundary of the root zone. The bottom of the root zone is the estimated maximum depth below ground surface affected by evapotranspiration. In many field applications, net infiltration below the bottom of the root zone can be assumed to equal net recharge to an underlying water-table aquifer. The daily water balance simulated by INFIL3.0 includes precipitation as either rain or snow; snowfall accumulation, sublimation, and snowmelt; infiltration into the root zone; evapotranspiration from the root zone; drainage and water-content redistribution within the root-zone profile; surface-water runoff from, and run-on to, adjacent grid cells; and net infiltration across the bottom of the root zone. The water-balance model uses daily climate records of precipitation and air temperature and a spatially distributed representation of drainage-basin characteristics defined by topography, geology, soils, and vegetation to simulate daily net infiltration at all locations, including stream channels with intermittent streamflow in response to runoff from rain and snowmelt. The model does not simulate streamflow originating as ground-water discharge. Drainage-basin characteristics are represented in the model by a set of spatially distributed input variables uniquely assigned to each grid cell of a model grid. The report provides a description of the conceptual model of net infiltration on which the INFIL3.0 computer code is based and a detailed discussion of the methods by which INFIL3.0 simulates the net-infiltration process. The report also includes instructions for preparing input files necessary for an INFIL3.0 simulation, a description of the output files that are created as part of an INFIL3.0 simulation, and a sample problem that illustrates application of the code to a field setting. Brief descriptions of the main program routine and of each of the modules and subroutines of the INFIL3.0 code, as well as definitions of the variables used in each subroutine, are provided in an appendix.

Coupling surface water (Delft3D) to groundwater (MODFLOW) in the Bay-Delta community model: the effect of major abstractions in the Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendriks, D.; Ball, S. M.; Van der Wegen, M.; Verkaik, J.; van Dam, A.

2016-12-01

We present a coupled groundwater-surface water model for the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley that consists of a combination of a spatially-distributed groundwater model (Modflow) based on the USGS Central Valley model(1) and the Flexible Mesh (FM) surface water model of the Bay Area(2). With this coupled groundwater-surface water model, we assessed effects of climate, surface water abstractions and groundwater pumping on surface water and groundwater levels, groundwater-surface water interaction and infiltration/seepage fluxes. Results show that the effect of climate (high flow and low flow) on surface water and groundwater is significant and most prominent in upstream areas. The surface water abstractions cause significant local surface water levels decrease (over 2 m), which may cause inflow of bay water during low flow periods, resulting in salinization of surface water in more upstream areas. Groundwater level drawdown due to surface water withdrawal is moderate and limited to the area of the withdrawals. The groundwater pumping causes large groundwater level drawdowns (up to 0.8 m) and significant changes in seepage/infiltration fluxes in the model. However, the effect on groundwater-surface water exchange is relatively small. The presented model instrument gives a sound first impression of the effects of climate and water abstraction on both surface water and groundwater. The combination of Modflow and Flexible Mesh has potential for modelling of groundwater-surface water exchange in deltaic areas, also in other parts of the world. However, various improvements need to be made in order to make the simulation results useful in practice. In addition, a water quality aspect could be added to assess salinization processes as well as groundwater-surface water aspects of water and soil pollution. (1) http://ca.water.usgs.gov/projects/central-valley/central-valley-hydrologic-model.html (2) www.d3d-baydelta.org

Modeling snowmelt infiltration in seasonally frozen ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budhathoki, S.; Ireson, A. M.

2017-12-01

In cold regions, freezing and thawing of the soil govern soil hydraulic properties that shape the surface and subsurface hydrological processes. The partitioning of snowmelt into infiltration and runoff has also important implications for integrated water resource management and flood risk. However, there is an inadequate representation of the snowmelt infiltration into frozen soils in most land-surface and hydrological models, creating the need for improved models and methods. Here we apply, the Frozen Soil Infiltration Model, FroSIn, which is a novel algorithm for infiltration in frozen soils that can be implemented in physically based models of coupled flow and heat transport. In this study, we apply the model in a simple configuration to reproduce observations from field sites in the Canadian prairies, specifically St Denis and Brightwater Creek in Saskatchewan, Canada. We demonstrate the limitations of conventional approaches to simulate infiltration, which systematically over-predict runoff and under predict infiltration. The findings show that FroSIn enables models to predict more reasonable infiltration volumes in frozen soils, and also represent how infiltration-runoff partitioning is impacted by antecedent soil moisture.

Use of hydrologic budgets and hydrochemistry to determine ground-water and surface-water interactions for Rapid Creek, Western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Mark T.

1995-01-01

The study of ground-water and surface-water interactions often employs streamflow-gaging records and hydrologic budgets to determine ground-water seepage. Because ground-water seepage usually is computed as a residual in the hydrologic budget approach, all uncertainty of measurement and estimation of budget components is associated with the ground-water seepage. This uncertainty can exceed the estimate, especially when streamflow and its associated error of measurement, is large relative to other budget components. In a study of Rapid Creek in western South Dakota, the hydrologic budget approach with hydrochemistry was combined to determine ground-water seepage. The City of Rapid City obtains most of its municipal water from three infiltration galleries (Jackson Springs, Meadowbrook, and Girl Scout) constructed in the near-stream alluvium along Rapid Creek. The reach of Rapid Creek between Pactola Reservoir and Rapid City and, in particular the two subreaches containing the galleries, were studied intensively to identify the sources of water to each gallery. Jackson Springs Gallery was found to pump predominantly ground water with a minor component of surface water. Meadowbrook and Girl Scout Galleries induce infiltration of surface water from Rapid Creek but also have a significant component of ground water.

Biological soil crust succession impact on soil moisture and temperature in the sub-surface along a rainfall gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaady, E.; Yizhaq, H.; Ashkenazy, Y.

2012-04-01

Biological soil crusts produce mucilage sheets of polysaccharides that cover the soil surface. This hydrophobic coating can seal the soil micro-pores and thus cause reduction of water permeability and may influence soil temperature. This study evaluates the impact of crust composition on sub-surface water and temperature over time. We hypothesized that the successional stages of biological soil crusts, affect soil moisture and temperature differently along a rainfall gradient throughout the year. Four experimental sites were established along a rainfall gradient in the western Negev Desert. At each site three treatments; crust removal, pure sand (moving dune) and natural crusted were monitored. Crust successional stage was measured by biophysiological and physical measurements, soil water permeability by field mini-Infiltrometer, soil moisture by neutron scattering probe and temperature by sensors, at different depths. Our main interim conclusions from the ongoing study along the rainfall gradient are: 1. the biogenic crust controls water infiltration into the soil in sand dunes, 2. infiltration was dependent on the composition of the biogenic crust. It was low for higher successional stage crusts composed of lichens and mosses and high with cyanobacterial crust. Thus, infiltration rate controlled by the crust is inverse to the rainfall gradient. Continuous disturbances to the crust increase infiltration rates, 3. despite the different rainfall amounts at the sites, soil moisture content below 50 cm is almost the same. We therefore predict that climate change in areas that are becoming dryer (desertification) will have a positive effect on soil water content and vice versa.

Importance of rodents for hydrology: lessons learnt from various field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Schaik, Loes; Zangerlé, Anne; Schneider, Anne-Kathrin; Schröder, Boris; Eccard, Jana

2017-04-01

organisms are known to create soil macropores of different sizes and with varying extent and orientation: most commonly earthworms, rodents, moles and roots. Preferential flow through macropore networks is dynamic and typically occurs when short individual macropores become connected at the hillslope scale as the nodes between the macropores become wet. Large lateral macropores may contribute to rapid subsurface stormflow of water and solutes at hillslope scale and supply a significant part of the catchment scale discharge during high intensity rainfall events even under relatively dry catchment state. Outflow from soil pipes, especially in the valley bottom or along the banking near to streams, is frequently observed, however, it remains a challenge to measure the spatial distribution, extent and connectivity of macropores at hill slope scales. We hypothesize that local information on organism abundances may be used as an indicator for spatial variability in infiltration, water storage and fluxes at the small scale and that knowledge on the landscape scale spatial distribution of organisms can provide information on connectivity of macropores at hillslope scale. Here we summarize the lessons learnt during three years of measurements aimed at determining the influence of rodent burrows on soil hydrology in a meso-scale catchment. Within the Attert Catchment (297 km2) in Luxembourg we performed sprinkling experiments with a brilliant blue tracer on twelve plots, of which six directly above rodent burrow openings and six on a surface without a rodent burrow opening, in order to examine the influence of the burrow openings on the infiltration pattern. Then we tested the extent of flow through mice burrows in different forest types, with varying geology and slope, by supplying 5 Liters of water with brilliant blue tracer directly to 24 burrow openings at soil surface. We excavated the burrows to measure how far the water was transported laterally in the burrow. Though we have serendipitous evidence of lateral water flow through large macropores in deeper soil layers from other projects, with the experiments we performed with the purpose to characterize this, the water did not seem to infiltrate into the burrow openings at the soil surface at all and the infiltration pattern under burrows was not different from that in soils without these openings. The five liter of brilliant blue dyed water which we poured into burrow openings did not flow far into the burrows, it generally infiltrated straight away into the surrounding soil. These results seem to show that the infiltration of water to rodent macropores during high intensity events does not take place at the soil surface but rather through other macropores, e.g. earthworm channels, which connect to deeper lateral channels. Also the lateral flow of water through the rodent burrows is apparently more effective in the deeper soils, where we occasionally saw a burrow with completely blue walls but little infiltration into the surrounding matrix.

Effect of resin infiltration and microabrasion on the microhardness, surface roughness and morphology of incipient carious lesions.

PubMed

Yazkan, Basak; Ermis, R Banu

2018-02-15

The effects of resin infiltration and microabrasion on incipient carious lesions by surface microhardness, roughness and morphological assessments, and resistance to further acid attack of treated lesions were evaluated. Eighty artificially-induced incipient lesions were randomly divided into five groups (n = 16): resin infiltration with an adhesive resin (Excite F, Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein), resin infiltration with a resin infiltrant (Icon, DMG, Hamburg, Germany), microabrasion without polishing (Opalustre, Ultradent, South Jordan, UT, USA), microabrasion with polishing (Opalustre, Ultradent, Diamond Excel, FGM, Joinville, SC, Brazil), and distilled water (control group). All specimens were exposed to demineralization for another 10 d. Microhardness, roughness and morphological assessments were done at baseline, following initial demineralization, treatment and further demineralization. Data were analysed by the Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman's and Bonferroni tests (p < .05). Enamel lesions treated with resin infiltrant and microabrasion demonstrated similar hardness values, with a nonsignificant difference compared with sound enamel. Resin infiltration demonstrated lower roughness values than those of microabrasion, and the values did not reach the values of sound enamel. Further demineralization for 10 d did not affect the hardness but increased the roughness of infiltrated and microabraded enamel surfaces. Polishing did not influence the roughness of microabraded enamel surfaces. After resin infiltration, porosities on enamel were sealed completely. The surface structure was similar to that of the enamel conditioning pattern for microabraded enamel lesions. Within the limitations of this study, the icon infiltration and microabrasion technique appeared to be effective for improving microhardness. Icon appeared to provide reduced roughness, although not equal to sound enamel. Further research is needed to elucidate their clinical relevance.

Wetlands inform how climate extremes influence surface water expansion and contraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderhoof, Melanie K.; Lane, Charles R.; McManus, Michael G.; Alexander, Laurie C.; Christensen, Jay R.

2018-03-01

Effective monitoring and prediction of flood and drought events requires an improved understanding of how and why surface water expansion and contraction in response to climate varies across space. This paper sought to (1) quantify how interannual patterns of surface water expansion and contraction vary spatially across the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) and adjacent Northern Prairie (NP) in the United States, and (2) explore how landscape characteristics influence the relationship between climate inputs and surface water dynamics. Due to differences in glacial history, the PPR and NP show distinct patterns in regards to drainage development and wetland density, together providing a diversity of conditions to examine surface water dynamics. We used Landsat imagery to characterize variability in surface water extent across 11 Landsat path/rows representing the PPR and NP (images spanned 1985-2015). The PPR not only experienced a 2.6-fold greater surface water extent under median conditions relative to the NP, but also showed a 3.4-fold greater change in surface water extent between drought and deluge conditions. The relationship between surface water extent and accumulated water availability (precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration) was quantified per watershed and statistically related to variables representing hydrology-related landscape characteristics (e.g., infiltration capacity, surface storage capacity, stream density). To investigate the influence stream connectivity has on the rate at which surface water leaves a given location, we modeled stream-connected and stream-disconnected surface water separately. Stream-connected surface water showed a greater expansion with wetter climatic conditions in landscapes with greater total wetland area, but lower total wetland density. Disconnected surface water showed a greater expansion with wetter climatic conditions in landscapes with higher wetland density, lower infiltration and less anthropogenic drainage. From these findings, we can expect that shifts in precipitation and evaporative demand will have uneven effects on surface water quantity. Accurate predictions regarding the effect of climate change on surface water quantity will require consideration of hydrology-related landscape characteristics including wetland storage and arrangement.

Comparison of algorithms and parameterisations for infiltration into organic-covered permafrost soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infiltration into frozen and unfrozen soils is critical in hydrology, controlling active layer soil water dynamics and influencing runoff. Few Land Surface Models (LSMs) and Hydrological Models (HMs) have been developed, adapted or tested for frozen conditions and permafrost soils. Considering the v...

Measurement and evaluation of percolation drainage systems capacity in real conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovic, G.; Zelenakova, M.

2017-10-01

The drainage system must ensure a safe disposal of the surface water without endangering the buildings and safety of people. Despite the common use of rainwater infiltration facilities, there is still only limited data available evaluating the long-term capacity of such systems especially for underground infiltration facilities. This study presents experimental measurements and evaluation of long-term infiltration efficiency in real conditions and emphasizes the importance of hydrogeological survey. The measurements of infiltration efficiency were applied to an existing percolation drainage system - infiltration shafts. Infiltration shafts were made in year 2007 so that its drainage operation takes more than 8 years. This study was started in 2011 and still continues and presents 5 years measurements of infiltration efficiency for this infiltration facility.

The role of trees in urban stormwater management | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Urban impervious surfaces convert precipitation to stormwater runoff, which causes water quality and quantity problems. While traditional stormwater management has relied on gray infrastructure such as piped conveyances to collect and convey stormwater to wastewater treatment facilities or into surface waters, cities are exploring green infrastructure to manage stormwater at its source. Decentralized green infrastructure leverages the capabilities of soil and vegetation to infiltrate, redistribute, and otherwise store stormwater volume, with the potential to realize ancillary environmental, social, and economic benefits. To date, green infrastructure science and practice have largely focused on infiltration-based technologies that include rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements. However, a narrow focus on infiltration overlooks other losses from the hydrologic cycle, and we propose that arboriculture – the cultivation of trees and other woody plants – deserves additional consideration as a stormwater control measure. Trees interact with the urban hydrologic cycle by intercepting incoming precipitation, removing water from the soil via transpiration, enhancing infiltration, and bolstering the performance of other green infrastructure technologies. However, many of these interactions are inadequately understood, particularly at spatial and temporal scales relevant to stormwater management. As such, the reliable use of trees for stormwater control depe

Design and Simulation of Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors for Environmental Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmood, Aseel I.; Ibrahim, Rawa Kh; Mahmood, Aml I.; Ibrahim, Zainab Kh

2018-05-01

In this work a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensor based on Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) infiltrated with water samples has been proposed. To accurate detection of the sample properties, gold is used as plasmonic material. The air holes of PCF has been infiltrated with water samples, the optical properties of these samples has been taken from samples collected from Al-Qadisiya and Wathba lab. (east Tigris, Wathba, and Al-Rasheed) water projects at Baghdad- Iraq. Finite Element Method (FEM) has been used to study the sensor performance and fiber properties. From the numerical investigation we get maximum sensitivity circa 164.3 nm/RIU in the sensing range of 1.33 (of STD water) to 1.3431 (of river sample). The proposed sensor could be developed to detect f various high refractive index (RI) chemicals like the heavy metals in water.

Droplet Kinetic Energy from Center-Pivot Sprinklers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The kinetic energy of discrete water drops impacting a bare soil surface is generally observed to lead to a drastic reduction in water infiltration rate due to soil surface seal formation. Under center-pivot sprinkler irrigation, kinetic energy transferred to the soil prior to crop canopy developmen...

Numerical model of water flow in a fractured basalt vadose zone: Box Canyon Site, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doughty, Christine

2000-12-01

A numerical model of a fractured basalt vadose zone has been developed on the basis of the conceptual model described by Faybishenko et al. [[his issue]. The model has been used to simulate a ponded infiltration test in order to investigate infiltration through partially saturated fractured basalt. A key question addressed is how the fracture pattern geometry and fracture connectivity within a single basalt flow of the Snake River Plain basalt affect water infiltration. The two-dimensional numerical model extends from the ground surface to a perched water body 20 m below and uses an unconventional quasi-deterministic approach with explicit but highly simplified representation of major fractures and other important hydrogeologic features. The model adequately reproduces the majority of the field observation and provides insights into the infiltration process that cannot be obtained by data collection alone, demonstrating its value as a component of field studies.

Application of Tracer-Injection Techniques to Demonstrate Surface-Water and Ground-Water Interactions Between an Alpine Stream and the North Star Mine, Upper Animas River Watershed, Southwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, Winfield G.; Moore, Bryan

2003-01-01

Tracer-injection studies were done in Belcher Gulch in the upper Animas River watershed, southwestern Colorado, to determine whether the alpine stream infiltrates into underground mine workings of the North Star Mine and other nearby mines in the area. The tracer-injection studies were designed to determine if and where along Belcher Gulch the stream infiltrates into the mine. Four separate tracer-injec-tion tests were done using lithium bromide (LiBr), optical brightener dye, and sodium chloride (NaCl) as tracer solu-tions. Two of the tracers (LiBr and dye) were injected con-tinuously for 24 hours, one of the NaCl tracers was injected continuously for 12 hours, and one of the NaCl tracers was injected over a period of 1 hour. Concentration increases of tracer constituents were detected in water discharging from the North Star Mine, substantiating a surface-water and ground-water connection between Belcher Gulch and the North Star Mine. Different timing and magnitude of tracer breakthroughs indicated multiple flow paths with different residence times from the stream to the mine. The Pittsburgh and Sultan Mines were thought to physically connect to the North Star Mine, but tracer breakthroughs were inconclusive in water from these mines. From the tracer-injection tests and synoptic measure-ments of streamflow discharge, a conceptual model was devel-oped for surface-water and ground-water interactions between Belcher Gulch and the North Star Mine. This information, combined with previous surface geophysical surveys indicat-ing the presence of subsurface voids, may assist with decision-making process for preventing infiltration and for the remedia-tion of mine drainage from these mines.

Intracavitary moderator balloon combined with (252)Cf brachytherapy and boron neutron capture therapy, improving dosimetry in brain tumour and infiltrations.

PubMed

Brandão, S F; Campos, T P R

2015-07-01

This article proposes a combination of californium-252 ((252)Cf) brachytherapy, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and an intracavitary moderator balloon catheter applied to brain tumour and infiltrations. Dosimetric evaluations were performed on three protocol set-ups: (252)Cf brachytherapy combined with BNCT (Cf-BNCT); Cf-BNCT with a balloon catheter filled with light water (LWB) and the same set-up with heavy water (HWB). Cf-BNCT-HWB has presented dosimetric advantages to Cf-BNCT-LWB and Cf-BNCT in infiltrations at 2.0-5.0 cm from the balloon surface. However, Cf-BNCT-LWB has shown superior dosimetry up to 2.0 cm from the balloon surface. Cf-BNCT-HWB and Cf-BNCT-LWB protocols provide a selective dose distribution for brain tumour and infiltrations, mainly further from the (252)Cf source, sparing the normal brain tissue. Malignant brain tumours grow rapidly and often spread to adjacent brain tissues, leading to death. Improvements in brain radiation protocols have been continuously achieved; however, brain tumour recurrence is observed in most cases. Cf-BNCT-LWB and Cf-BNCT-HWB represent new modalities for selectively combating brain tumour infiltrations and metastasis.

Movement of water infiltrated from a recharge basin to wells.

PubMed

O'Leary, David R; Izbicki, John A; Moran, Jean E; Meeth, Tanya; Nakagawa, Brandon; Metzger, Loren; Bonds, Chris; Singleton, Michael J

2012-01-01

Local surface water and stormflow were infiltrated intermittently from a 40-ha basin between September 2003 and September 2007 to determine the feasibility of recharging alluvial aquifers pumped for public supply, near Stockton, California. Infiltration of water produced a pressure response that propagated through unconsolidated alluvial-fan deposits to 125 m below land surface (bls) in 5 d and through deeper, more consolidated alluvial deposits to 194 m bls in 25 d, resulting in increased water levels in nearby monitoring wells. The top of the saturated zone near the basin fluctuates seasonally from depths of about 15 to 20 m. Since the start of recharge, water infiltrated from the basin has reached depths as great as 165 m bls. On the basis of sulfur hexafluoride tracer test data, basin water moved downward through the saturated alluvial deposits until reaching more permeable zones about 110 m bls. Once reaching these permeable zones, water moved rapidly to nearby pumping wells at rates as high as 13 m/d. Flow to wells through highly permeable material was confirmed on the basis of flowmeter logging, and simulated numerically using a two-dimensional radial groundwater flow model. Arsenic concentrations increased slightly as a result of recharge from 2 to 6 µg/L immediately below the basin. Although few water-quality issues were identified during sample collection, high groundwater velocities and short travel times to nearby wells may have implications for groundwater management at this and at other sites in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers. Ground Water © 2011, National Ground Water Association. Published 2011. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Droplet kinetic energy of moving spray-plate center-pivot irrigation sprinklers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The kinetic energy of discrete water drops impacting a bare soil surface generally leads to a drastic reduction in water infiltration rate due to formation of a seal on the soil surface. Under center-pivot sprinkler irrigation, kinetic energy transferred to the soil prior to crop canopy development ...

Untangling the effects of urban development on subsurface storage in Baltimore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaskar, Aditi S.; Welty, Claire; Maxwell, Reed M.; Miller, Andrew J.

2015-02-01

The impact of urban development on surface flow has been studied extensively over the last half century, but effects on groundwater systems are still poorly understood. Previous studies of the influence of urban development on subsurface storage have not revealed any consistent pattern, with results showing increases, decreases, and negligible change in groundwater levels. In this paper, we investigated the effects of four key features that impact subsurface storage in urban landscapes. These include reduced vegetative cover, impervious surface cover, infiltration and inflow (I&I) of groundwater and storm water into wastewater pipes, and other anthropogenic recharge and discharge fluxes including water supply pipe leakage and well and reservoir withdrawals. We applied the integrated groundwater-surface water-land surface model ParFlow.CLM to the Baltimore metropolitan area. We compared the base case (all four features) to simulations in which an individual urban feature was removed. For the Baltimore region, the effect of infiltration of groundwater into wastewater pipes had the greatest effect on subsurface storage (I&I decreased subsurface storage 11.1% relative to precipitation minus evapotranspiration after 1 year), followed by the impact of water supply pipe leakage and lawn irrigation (combined anthropogenic discharges and recharges led to a 7.4% decrease) and reduced vegetation (1.9% increase). Impervious surface cover led to a small increase in subsurface storage (0.56% increase) associated with decreased groundwater discharge as base flow. The change in subsurface storage due to infiltration of groundwater into wastewater pipes was largest despite the smaller spatial extent of surface flux modifications, compared to other features.

Rainfall-runoff characteristics and effects of increased urban density on streamflow and infiltration in the eastern part of the San Jacinto River basin, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guay, Joel R.

2002-01-01

To better understand the rainfall-runoff characteristics of the eastern part of the San Jacinto River Basin and to estimate the effects of increased urbanization on streamflow, channel infiltration, and land-surface infiltration, a long-term (1950?98) time series of monthly flows in and out of the channels and land surfaces were simulated using the Hydrologic Simulation Program- FORTRAN (HSPF) rainfall-runoff model. Channel and land-surface infiltration includes rainfall or runoff that infiltrates past the zone of evapotranspiration and may become ground-water recharge. The study area encompasses about 256 square miles of the San Jacinto River drainage basin in Riverside County, California. Daily streamflow (for periods with available data between 1950 and 1998), and daily rainfall and evaporation (1950?98) data; monthly reservoir storage data (1961?98); and estimated mean annual reservoir inflow data (for 1974 conditions) were used to calibrate the rainfall-runoff model. Measured and simulated mean annual streamflows for the San Jacinto River near San Jacinto streamflow-gaging station (North-South Fork subbasin) for 1950?91 and 1997?98 were 14,000 and 14,200 acre-feet, respectively, a difference of 1.4 percent. The standard error of the mean for measured and simulated annual streamflow in the North-South Fork subbasin was 3,520 and 3,160 acre-feet, respectively. Measured and simulated mean annual streamflows for the Bautista Creek streamflow-gaging station (Bautista Creek subbasin) for 1950?98 were 980 acre-feet and 991 acre-feet, respectively, a difference of 1.1 percent. The standard error of the mean for measured and simulated annual streamflow in the Bautista Creek subbasin was 299 and 217 acre-feet, respectively. Measured and simulated annual streamflows for the San Jacinto River above State Street near San Jacinto streamflow-gaging station (Poppet subbasin) for 1998 were 23,400 and 23,500 acre-feet, respectively, a difference of 0.4 percent. The simulated mean annual streamflow for the State Street gaging station at the outlet of the study basin and the simulated mean annual basin infiltration (combined infiltration from all the channels and land surfaces) were 8,720 and 41,600 acre-feet, respectively, for water years 1950-98. Simulated annual streamflow at the State Street gaging station ranged from 16.8 acre-feet in water year 1961 to 70,400 acre-feet in water year 1993, and simulated basin infiltration ranged from 2,770 acre-feet in water year 1961 to 149,000 acre-feet in water year 1983.The effects of increased urbanization on the hydrology of the study basin were evaluated by increasing the size of the effective impervious and non-effective impervious urban areas simulated in the calibrated rainfall-runoff model by 50 and 100 percent, respectively. The rainfall-runoff model simulated a long-term time series of monthly flows in and out of the channels and land surfaces using daily rainfall and potential evaporation data for water years 1950?98. Increasing the effective impervious and non-effective impervious urban areas by 100 percent resulted in a 5-percent increase in simulated mean annual streamflow at the State Street gaging station, and a 2.2-percent increase in simulated basin infiltration. Results of a frequency analysis of the simulated annual streamflow at the State Street gaging station showed that when effective impervious and non-effective impervious areas were increased 100 percent, simulated annual streamflow increased about 100 percent for low-flow conditions and was unchanged for high-flow conditions. The simulated increase in streamflow at the State Street gaging station potentially could infiltrate along the stream channel further downstream, outside of the model area.

Alteration of natural (37)Ar activity concentration in the subsurface by gas transport and water infiltration.

PubMed

Guillon, Sophie; Sun, Yunwei; Purtschert, Roland; Raghoo, Lauren; Pili, Eric; Carrigan, Charles R

2016-05-01

High (37)Ar activity concentration in soil gas is proposed as a key evidence for the detection of underground nuclear explosion by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. However, such a detection is challenged by the natural background of (37)Ar in the subsurface, mainly due to Ca activation by cosmic rays. A better understanding and improved capability to predict (37)Ar activity concentration in the subsurface and its spatial and temporal variability is thus required. A numerical model integrating (37)Ar production and transport in the subsurface is developed, including variable soil water content and water infiltration at the surface. A parameterized equation for (37)Ar production in the first 15 m below the surface is studied, taking into account the major production reactions and the moderation effect of soil water content. Using sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification, a realistic and comprehensive probability distribution of natural (37)Ar activity concentrations in soil gas is proposed, including the effects of water infiltration. Site location and soil composition are identified as the parameters allowing for a most effective reduction of the possible range of (37)Ar activity concentrations. The influence of soil water content on (37)Ar production is shown to be negligible to first order, while (37)Ar activity concentration in soil gas and its temporal variability appear to be strongly influenced by transient water infiltration events. These results will be used as a basis for practical CTBTO concepts of operation during an OSI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Infiltration characteristics of soil water on loess slope land under intermittent and repetitive rainfall conditions].

PubMed

Li, Yi; Shao, Ming-An

2008-07-01

Based on the experiments of controlled intermittent and repetitive rainfall on slope land, the infiltration and distribution characteristics of soil water on loess slope land were studied. The results showed that under the condition of intermittent rainfall, the cumulative runoff during two rainfall events increased linearly with time, and the wetting front also increased with time. In the interval of the two rainfall events, the wetting front increased slowly, and the infiltration rate was smaller on steeper slope than on flat surface. During the second rainfall event, there was an obvious decreasing trend of infiltration rate with time. The cumulative infiltration on 15 degrees slope land was larger than that of 25 degrees slope land, being 178 mm and 88 mm, respectively. Under the condition of repetitive rainfall, the initial infiltration rate during each rainfall event was relatively large, and during the first rainfall, both the infiltration rate and the cumulative infiltration at various stages were larger than those during the other three rainfall events. However, after the first rainfall, there were no obvious differences in the infiltration rate among the next three rainfall events. The more the rainfall event, the deeper the wetting front advanced.

The herbicide glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA in the Lavaux vineyard area, western Switzerland: proof of widespread export to surface waters. Part II: the role of infiltration and surface runoff.

PubMed

Daouk, Silwan; De Alencastro, Luiz F; Pfeifer, Hans-Rudolf

2013-01-01

Two parcels of the Lavaux vineyard area, western Switzerland, were studied to assess to which extent the widely used herbicide, glyphosate, and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were retained in the soil or exported to surface waters. They were equipped at their bottom with porous ceramic cups and runoff collectors, which allowed retrieving water samples for the growing seasons 2010 and 2011. The role of slope, soil properties and rainfall regime in their export was examined and the surface runoff/throughflows ratio was determined with a mass balance. Our results revealed elevated glyphosate and AMPA concentrations at 60 and 80 cm depth at parcel bottoms, suggesting their infiltration in the upper parts of the parcels and the presence of preferential flows in the studied parcels. Indeed, the succession of rainy days induced the gradual saturation of the soil porosity, leading to rapid infiltration through macropores, as well as surface runoff formation. Furthermore, the presence of more impervious weathered marls at 100 cm depth induced throughflows, the importance of which in the lateral transport of the herbicide molecules was determined by the slope steepness. Mobility of glyphosate and AMPA into the unsaturated zone was thus likely driven by precipitation regime and soil characteristics, such as slope, porosity structure and layer permeability discrepancy. Important rainfall events (>10 mm/day) were clearly exporting molecules from the soil top layer, as indicated by important concentrations in runoff samples. The mass balance showed that total loss (10-20%) mainly occurred through surface runoff (96%) and, to a minor extent, by throughflows in soils (4%), with subsequent exfiltration to surface waters.

Assessing the Impact of Riparian Soil-Water Dynamics on Streambank Erosion

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Occurrence of streambank failure is closely related to changes in pore-water pressure. Pore-water pressure in a streambank is affected, among others, by infiltrating rainfall, streambank-material texture, riparian vegetation, and interactions between surface water and groundwater. Also, the reduct...

Infiltration into cropped soils: effect of rain and sodium adsorption ratio-impacted irrigation water.

PubMed

Suarez, Donald L; Wood, James D; Lesch, Scott M

2008-01-01

The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and salinity criteria for water suitability for irrigation have been developed for conditions where irrigation water is the only water source. It is not clear that these criteria are applicable to environments where there is a combination of rain and irrigation during the growing season. The interaction of rainfall with irrigation water is expected to result in increased sodicity hazard because of the low electrical conductivity of rain. In this study we examined the effects of irrigation waters of SAR 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mmol(1/2) L(-1/2) and electrical conductivities of 1 and 2 dS m(-1) on the infiltration rate of two soils with alternating cycles of rain (simulated with a rainfall sprinkler) and irrigation water, separated by drying cycles. The infiltration rate of surface samples from two soils, Kobase silty clay (fine, smectitic, frigid, Torrertic Haplustept) and Glendive very fine sandy loam (coarse-loamy, mixed superactive, calcareous, frigid Aridic Ustifluvent) were evaluated under alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cropped conditions for over 140 d and under full canopy cover. Reductions in infiltration were observed for both soils for SAR above 2, and the reductions became more severe with increasing SAR. Saturated hydraulic conductivity measurements taken from undisturbed cores at the end of the experiment were highly variable, suggesting that in situ infiltration measurements may be preferred when evaluating SAR effects.

Surface Runoff and Snowmelt Infiltration into the Soil on Plowlands in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe Zones of the East European Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barabanov, A. T.; Dolgov, S. V.; Koronkevich, N. I.; Panov, V. I.; Petel'ko, A. I.

2018-01-01

Long-term series of observations over the spring water balance elements on fields with hydrologically contrasting agricultural backgrounds―a loose soil after fall moldboard plowing and a plowland compacted by 12-16% compared to the former soil (perennial grasses, winter crops, stubble)―have been analyzed. The values of surface runoff and water infiltration into the soil in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of European Russia have been calculated for the spring (flooding) period and the entire cold season. The hydrological role of fall plowing has been shown, and water balance elements for the current (1981-2016) and preceding (1957-1980) periods have been compared. A significant decrease in runoff and an increase of water reserve in the soil have been revealed on all plowland types. Consequences of changes in the spring water balance on plowland have been analyzed.

A review of the bioretention system for sustainable storm water management in urban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafique, Muhammad

2016-10-01

Bioretention basins/rain garden is a very suitable low-impact development (LID) practice for storm water management around the globe. By using this practice in urban areas, flash flooding problems can be decreased and the environment of an area can be improved. The concept of bioretention was introduced a few decades ago and has been proven to be the best management practice (BMP) for storm water in urban areas. Due to urbanisation, natural surface areas are converted into hard surfaces such as roads, through which water cannot infiltrate into the ground. Due to this, infiltration decreases and surface run-off increases, which causes depletion of ground water continuously. In this study, we mainly explain the bioretention concept and its function as derived from different studies. This review includes different scientists' results for the performance of the bioretention system at different locations. A summary of the research findings by different scientists on the performance of bioretention systems is also provided, including the hydrologic and water quality performances. Finally, future work necessary to enhance the performance and widespread use of bioretention systems is also explained.

Storm Water Infiltration and Focused Groundwater Recharge in a Rain Garden: Finite Volume Model and Numerical Simulations for Different Configurations and Climates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aravena, J.; Dussaillant, A. R.

2006-12-01

Source control is the fundamental principle behind sustainable management of stormwater. Rain gardens are an infiltration practice that provides volume and water quality control, recharge, and multiple landscape, ecological and economic potential benefits. The fulfillment of these objectives requires understanding their behavior during events as well as long term, and tools for their design. We have developed a model based on Richards equation coupled to a surface water balance, solved with a 2D finite volume Fortran code which allows alternating upper boundary conditions, including ponding, which is not present in available 2D models. Also, it can simulate non homogeneous water input, heterogeneous soil (layered or more complex geometries), and surface irregularities -e.g. terracing-, so as to estimate infiltration and recharge. The algorithm is conservative; being an advantage compared to available finite difference and finite element methods. We will present performance comparisons to known models, to experimental data from a bioretention cell, which receives roof water to its surface depression planted with native species in an organic-rich root zone soil layer (underlain by a high conductivity lower layer that, while providing inter-event storage, percolates water readily), as well as long term simulations for different rain garden configurations. Recharge predictions for different climates show significant increases from natural recharge, and that the optimal area ratio (raingarden vs. contributing impervious area) reduces from 20% (humid) to 5% (dry).

Spatial multi-criteria analysis for selecting potential sites for aquifer recharge via harvesting and infiltration of surface runoff in north Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinel, Anke; Schelkes, Klaus; Subah, Ali; Himmelsbach, Thomas

2016-11-01

In (semi-)arid regions, available water resources are scarce and groundwater resources are often overused. Therefore, the option to increase available water resources by managed aquifer recharge (MAR) via infiltration of captured surface runoff was investigated for two basins in northern Jordan. This study evaluated the general suitability of catchments to generate sufficient runoff and tried to identify promising sites to harvest and infiltrate the runoff into the aquifer for later recovery. Large sets of available data were used to create regional thematic maps, which were then combined to constraint maps using Boolean logic and to create suitability maps using weighted linear combination. This approach might serve as a blueprint which could be adapted and applied to similar regions. The evaluation showed that non-committed source water availability is the most restricting factor for successful water harvesting in regions with <200 mm/a rainfall. Experiences with existing structures showed that sediment loads of runoff are high. Therefore, the effectiveness of any existing MAR scheme will decrease rapidly to the point where it results in an overall negative impact due to increased evaporation if maintenance is not undertaken. It is recommended to improve system operation and maintenance, as well as monitoring, in order to achieve a better and constant effectiveness of the infiltration activities.

Effect of oil pollution on fresh groundwater in Kuwait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Sulaimi, J.; Viswanathan, M. N.; Székely, F.

1993-11-01

Massive oil fires in Kuwait were the aftermath of the Gulf War. This resulted in the pollution of air, water, and soil, the magnitude of which is unparalleled in the history of mankind. Oil fires damaged several oil well heads, resulting in the flow of oil, forming large oil lakes. Products of combustion from oil well fires deposited over large areas. Infiltrating rainwater, leaching out contaminants from oil lakes and products of combustion at ground surface, can reach the water table and contaminate the groundwater. Field investigations, supported by laboratory studies and mathematical models, show that infiltration of oil from oil lakes will be limited to a depth of about 2 m from ground surface. Preliminary mathematical models showed that contaminated rainwater can infiltrate and reach the water table within a period of three to four days, particularly at the Raudhatain and Umm Al-Aish regions. These are the only regions in Kuwait where fresh groundwater exists. After reaching the water table, the lateral movement of contaminants is expected to be very slow under prevailing hydraulic gradients. Groundwater monitoring at the above regions during 1992 showed minor levels of vanadium, nickel, and total hydrocarbons at certain wells. Since average annual rainfall in the region is only 120 mm/yr, groundwater contamination due to the infiltration of contaminated rainwater is expected to be a long-term one.

Seasonal movement of the Slumgullion landslide determined from global positioning system surveys and field instrumentation, July 1998-March 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coe, J.A.; Ellis, W.L.; Godt, J.W.; Savage, W.Z.; Savage, J.E.; Michael, J.A.; Kibler, J.D.; Powers, P.S.; Lidke, D.J.; Debray, S.

2003-01-01

Measurements of landslide movement made by global positioning system surveys and extensometers over a 3.5-year period show that the Slumgullion landslide in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado moved throughout the monitoring period, but that daily velocities varied on a seasonal basis. Landslide velocities peaked in the early spring and summer in response to snowmelt and summer thunderstorms, respectively. Velocities were slowest in mid-winter when air and soil temperatures were coldest and precipitation was generally low and/or in the form of snow with a low water content. We hypothesize that the seasonal variability in velocities is due to ground-water levels and corresponding pore pressures that decrease when surface water is unavailable or cannot infiltrate frozen landslide material, and increase when surface water from melting snow or rainfall infiltrates unfrozen landslide material. We also suggest that patches of bouldery debris and fractures (created by continuous movement of the landslide) are conduits through which surface water can infiltrate, regardless of the frozen or unfrozen state of the landslide matrix material. Therefore, the availability of surface water is more important than landslide temperature in controlling the rate of landslide movement. This hypothesis is supported by field instrumentation data that show (1) landslide velocities coinciding with precipitation amounts regardless of the depth of freezing of landslide material, (2) spring and annual landslide velocities that were greatest when the depth of freezing was also the greatest, and (3) a rapid (several weeks or less) velocity and pore pressure response to rainfall. The persistent, but seasonally variable movement of the landslide, fits the bathtub model for landslide movement described by Baum and Reid [Baum, R.L., Reid, M.E., 2000. Ground water isolation by low-permeability clays in landslide shear zones. In: Bromhead, E.N., Dixon, N., Ibsen, M.-L. (Eds.), Landslides in Research, Theory and Practice. Proc. 8th Int. Symp. on Landslides, Cardiff, Wales, vol. 1, 139-144]. In their model, the landslide is isolated both mechanically and hydrologically from adjacent materials by low permeability clays. These clays cause the landslide to retain water. Our data support this model by suggesting that pore pressures at the basal landslide surface are always adequate to maintain landslide movement and that any infiltration of water at the surface of the landslide is adequate to rapidly increase landslide velocity. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization and evaluation of two arroyos for managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in the Pojoaque River Basin, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, 2014–15

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Andrew J.; Cordova, Jeffrey; Teeple, Andrew; Payne, Jason; Carruth, Rob

2017-02-22

In order to provide long-term storage of diverted surface water from the Rio Grande as part of the Aamodt water rights settlement, managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in Pojoaque River Basin arroyos was proposed as an option. The initial hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of two arroyos located within the Pojoaque River Basin was performed in 2014 and 2015 in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate the potential suitability of these two arroyos as sites for managed aquifer recharge through surface infiltration.The selected reaches were high-gradient (average 3.0–3.5 percent) braided channels filled with unconsolidated sand and gravel-sized deposits that were generally 30–50 feet thick. Saturation was not observed in the unconsolidated channel sands in four subsurface borings but was found at 7–60 feet below the contact between the unconsolidated channel sands and the bedrock. The poorly to well-cemented alluvial deposits that make up the bedrock underlying the unconsolidated channel material is the Tesuque Formation. The individual beds of the Tesuque Formation are reported to be highly heterogeneous and anisotropic, and the bedrock at the site was observed to have variable moisture and large changes in lithology. Surface electrical-resistivity geophysical survey methods showed a sharp contrast between the electrically resistive unconsolidated channel sands and the highly conductive bedrock; however, because of the high conductivity, the resistivity methods were not able to image the water table or preferential flow paths (if they existed) in the bedrock.Infiltration rates measured by double-ring and bulk infiltration tests on a variety of channel morphologies in the study reaches were extremely large (9.7–94.5 feet per day), indicating that the channels could potentially accommodate as much as 6.6 cubic feet per second of applied water without generating surface runoff out of the reach; however, the small volume available for storage in the unconsolidated channel sands (about 410 acre-feet in the east arroyo and about 190 acre-feet in the west arroyo) and the potential for the infiltrating water to preferentially flow over the bedrock contact and out of the reach present a challenge for storing water. Although a detailed assessment of the infiltration rate of the Tesuque Formation is beyond the scope of this investigation, one double-ring infiltrometer test was conducted on an outcrop, resulting in an estimated infiltration rate of about 4 feet per day.The shallow groundwater observed in this investigation was determined to be recharged locally on the basis of groundwater elevations and geochemical and isotopic signatures. The channel sands and shallow bedrock were observed to be weathered, indicating contact with oxic groundwater following deposition. This observation was supported by whole-rock elemental analysis and mineralogy of several core samples. The downward groundwater gradient between the shallow wells and those wells screened at greater depths suggests that the shallow groundwater is recharged by local precipitation and has the potential to migrate to the deeper aquifer units. The two age-dating tracers measured in this investigation, however, demonstrate that the shallow groundwater flow paths are very slow and that the deeper flow paths are likely part of a larger regional system.The composition of the shallow, native groundwater suggests that storing water diverted from the Rio Grande is not likely to leach constituents of concern that would cause the stored water to exceed health-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Levels.

Ground-water flow and numerical simulation of recharge from streamflow infiltration near Pine Nut Creek, Douglas County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maurer, Douglas K.

2002-01-01

Ground-water flow and recharge from infiltration near Pine Nut Creek, east of Gardnerville, Nevada, were simulated using a single-layer numerical finite-difference model as part of a study made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Carson Water Subconservancy District. The model was calibrated to 190 water-level measurements made in 27 wells in December 2000, and in 9 wells from August 1999 through April 2001. The purpose of this study was to estimate reasonable limits for the approximate volume of water that may be stored by recharge through infiltration basins, and the rate at which recharged water would dissipate or move towards the valley floor. Measured water levels in the study area show that infiltration from the Allerman Canal and reservoir has created a water-table mound beneath them that decreases the hydraulic gradient east of the canal and increases the gradient west of the canal. North of Pine Nut Creek, the mound causes ground water to flow toward the northern end of the reservoir. South of Pine Nut Creek, relatively high water levels probably are maintained by the mound beneath the Allerman Canal and possibly by greater rates of recharge from the southeast. Water-level declines near Pine Nut Creek from August 1999 through April 2001 probably are caused by dissipation of recharge from infiltration of Pine Nut Creek streamflow in the springs of 1998 and 1999. Using the calibrated model, a simulation of recharge through a hypothetical infiltration basin covering 12.4 acres near Pine Nut Creek applied 700 acre-feet per year of recharge over a six-month period, for a total of 3,500 acre-feet after 5 consecutive years. This recharge requires a diversion rate of about 2 cubic feet per second and an infiltration rate of 0.3 foot per day. The simulations showed that recharge of 3,500 acre-feet caused water levels near the basin to rise over 70 feet, approaching land surface, indicating 3,500 acre-feet is the maximum that may be stored in a 5-year period, given the basin location and surface area used in the simulations. Greater amounts probably could be stored if separate infiltration basins were installed at different locations along the Pine Nut Creek alluvial fan, applying the recharge over a larger area. The water-table mound resulting from recharge extended 7,000 feet north, west, and south of the infiltration basin. After recharge ceased, water levels near the center of the mound declined rapidly to within 20 feet of initial levels after 2 years, and within 10 feet of initial levels after 7 years. The recharge mound dissipates laterally across the modeled area at decreasing rates over time. A water-level rise of 1 foot moved westward towards the valley floor 660 feet from peak conditions after 1 year, and averaged 550 feet, 440 feet, and 330 feet per year for the periods 1-4, 4-7, and 7-10 years, respectively, after recharge ceased. Simulations of subsequent pumping from hypothetical wells near the infiltration basin were made by applying pumping near the basin beginning 1 year after recharge of 3,500 acre-feet ceased. Pumping was applied over a 6-month period for 4 years from one well at 400 acre-feet per year, withdrawing 1,600 acre-feet or 45 percent of that recharged, and from two wells totaling 800 acre-feet per year, withdrawing 3,200 acre-feet or 90 percent of that recharged. Pumping of 1,600 acre-feet caused water-levels near the infiltration basin to decline only slightly below initial levels. Pumping of 3,200 acre-feet caused water-levels near the infiltration basin to decline a maximum of 30 feet below initial levels, with smaller declines extending laterally in all directions for 4,000 feet from the pumping wells. Water-level declines are a result of pumping at a rate sufficient to withdraw the majority of the water recharged through the infiltration basin. Although the declines may affect water levels in nearby domestic wells, the simulations show that water levels recover quickly after

Simulating Heterogeneous Infiltration and Contaminant leaching Processes at Chalk River, Ontario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, M. A.; Ireson, A. M.; Keim, D.

2015-12-01

A study is conducted at a waste management area in Chalk River, Ontario to characterize flow and contaminant transport with the aim of contributing to improved hydrogeological risk assessment in the context of waste management. Field monitoring has been performed to gain insights into the unsaturated zone characteristics, moisture dynamics, and contaminant transport rates. The objective is to provide quantitative estimates of surface fluxes (quantification of infiltration and evaporation) and investigations of unsaturated zone processes controlling water infiltration and spatial variability in head distributions and flow rates. One particular issue is to examine the effectiveness of the clayey soil cap installed to prevent infiltration of water into the waste repository and the top sand soil cover above the clayey layer to divert the infiltrated water laterally. The spatial variability in the unsaturated zone properties and associated effects on water flow and contaminant transport observed at the site, have led to a concerted effort to develop improved model of flow and transport based on stochastic concepts. Results obtained through the unsaturated zone model investigations are combined with the hydrogeological and geochemical components and develop predictive tools to assess the long term fate of the contaminants at the waste management site.

Characterizing Heterogeneity in Infiltration Rates During Managed Aquifer Recharge.

PubMed

Mawer, Chloe; Parsekian, Andrew; Pidlisecky, Adam; Knight, Rosemary

2016-11-01

Infiltration rate is the key parameter that describes how water moves from the surface into a groundwater aquifer during managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Characterization of infiltration rate heterogeneity in space and time is valuable information for MAR system operation. In this study, we utilized fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) observations and the phase shift of the diurnal temperature signal between two vertically co-located fiber optic cables to characterize infiltration rate spatially and temporally in a MAR basin. The FO-DTS measurements revealed spatial heterogeneity of infiltration rate: approximately 78% of the recharge water infiltrated through 50% of the pond bottom on average. We also introduced a metric for quantifying how the infiltration rate in a recharge pond changes over time, which enables FO-DTS to be used as a method for monitoring MAR and informing maintenance decisions. By monitoring this metric, we found high-spatial variability in how rapidly infiltration rate changed during the test period. We attributed this variability to biological pore clogging and found a relationship between high initial infiltration rate and the most rapid pore clogging. We found a strong relationship (R 2  = 0.8) between observed maximum infiltration rates and electrical resistivity measurements from electrical resistivity tomography data taken in the same basin when dry. This result shows that the combined acquisition of DTS and ERT data can improve the design and operation of a MAR pond significantly by providing the critical information needed about spatial variability in parameters controlling infiltration rates. © 2016, National Ground Water Association.

Thermal and hydraulic considerations regarding the fate of water discharged by the outflow channels to the Martian northern plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clifford, S. M.

1993-01-01

The identification of possible shorelines in the Martian northern plains suggests that the water discharged by the circum-Chryse outflow channels may have led to the formation of transient seas, or possibly even an ocean, covering as much as one-third of the planet. Speculations regarding the possible fate of this water have included local ponding and reinfiltration into the crust; freezing, sublimation, and eventual cold-trapping at higher latitudes; or the in situ survival of this now frozen water to the present day -- perhaps aided by burial beneath a protective cover of eolian sediment or lavas. Although neither cold-trapping at higher latitudes nor the subsequent freezing and burial of flood waters can be ruled out, thermal and hydraulic considerations effectively eliminate the possibility that any significant reassimilation of this water by local infiltration has occurred given climatic conditions resembling those of today. The arguments against the local infiltration of flood water into the northern plains are two-fold. First, given the climatic and geothermal conditions that are thought to have prevailed on Mars during the Late Hesperian (the period of peak outflow channel activity in the northern plains), the thickness of the cryosphere in Chryse Planitia is likely to have exceeded 1 km. A necessary precondition for the widespread occurrence of groundwater is that the thermodynamic sink represented by the cryosphere must already be saturated with ice. For this reason, the ice-saturated cryosphere acts as an impermeable barrier that effectively precludes the local resupply of subpermafrost groundwater by the infiltration of water discharged to the surface by catastraphic floods. Note that the problem of local infiltration is not significantly improved even if the cryosphere were initially dry, for as water attempts to infiltrate the cold, dry crust, it will quickly freeze, creating a seal that prevents any further infiltration from the ponded water above. The second argument against the local infiltration of flood water in the northern plains is based on hydraulic considerations. Repeated impacts have likely brecciated the Martian crust down to a depth of roughly 10 km. Given a value of permeability no greater than that inferred for the top 10 km of the Earth's crust (approximately 10(exp -2) darcies), a timescale as much as a billion years or more for the Martian groundwater system to achieve hydrostatic equilibrium, and the approximately 2-4 km elevation difference between the outflow channel source regions and the northern plains, the water confined beneath the frozen crust of the northern plains should have been under a significant hydraulic head. Thus, the existence of a hydraulic pathway between the ponded flood waters above the northern plains and the confined aquifer lying beneath it would not have led to the infiltration of flood water back into the crust, but rather the additional expulsion of groundwater onto the surface.

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff.

PubMed

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Cahn, Michael

2017-05-15

Urban stormwater and agriculture irrigation runoff contain a complex mixture of contaminants that are often toxic to adjacent receiving waters. Runoff may be treated with simple systems designed to promote sorption of contaminants to vegetation and soils and promote infiltration. Two example systems are described: a bioswale treatment system for urban stormwater treatment, and a vegetated drainage ditch for treating agriculture irrigation runoff. Both have similar attributes that reduce contaminant loading in runoff: vegetation that results in sorption of the contaminants to the soil and plant surfaces, and water infiltration. These systems may also include the integration of granulated activated carbon as a polishing step to remove residual contaminants. Implementation of these systems in agriculture and urban watersheds requires system monitoring to verify treatment efficacy. This includes chemical monitoring for specific contaminants responsible for toxicity. The current paper emphasizes monitoring of current use pesticides since these are responsible for surface water toxicity to aquatic invertebrates.

Rapid transport from the surface to wells in fractured rock: a unique infiltration tracer experiment.

PubMed

Levison, Jana K; Novakowski, Kent S

2012-04-01

A unique infiltration tracer experiment was performed whereby a fluorescent dye was applied to the land surface in an agricultural field, near Perth, Ontario, Canada, to simulate the transport of solutes to two pumped monitoring wells drilled into the granitic gneiss aquifer. This experiment, interpreted using the discrete-fracture capability of the numerical model HydroGeoSphere, showed that solute transport from the surface through thin soil (less than 2m) to wells in fractured bedrock can be extremely rapid (on the order of hours). Also, it was demonstrated that maximum concentrations of contaminants originating from the ground surface will not necessarily be the highest in the shallow aquifer horizon. These are important considerations for both private and government-owned drinking water systems that draw water from shallow fractured bedrock aquifers. This research illustrates the extreme importance of protecting drinking water at the source. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulation of ground-water flow, surface-water flow, and a deep sewer tunnel system in the Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dunning, C.P.; Feinstein, D.T.; Hunt, R.J.; Krohelski, J.T.

2004-01-01

Numerical models were constructed for simulation of ground-water flow in the Menomonee Valley Brownfield, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An understanding of ground-water flow is necessary to develop an efficient program to sample ground water for contaminants. Models were constructed in a stepwise fashion, beginning with a regional, single-layer, analytic-element model (GFLOW code) that provided boundary conditions for a local, eight layer, finite-difference model (MODFLOW code) centered on the Menomonee Valley Brownfield. The primary source of ground water to the models is recharge over the model domains; primary sinks for ground water within the models are surface-water features and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Inline Storage System (ISS). Calibration targets were hydraulic heads, surface-water fluxes, vertical gradients, and ground-water infiltration to the ISS. Simulation of ground-water flow by use of the MODFLOW model indicates that about 73 percent of recharge within the MODFLOW domain circulates to the ISS and 27 percent discharges to gaining surface-water bodies. In addition, infiltration to the ISS comes from the following sources: 36 percent from recharge within the model domain, 45 percent from lateral flow into the domain, 15 percent from Lake Michigan, and 4 percent from other surface-water bodies. Particle tracking reveals that the median traveltime from the recharge point to surface-water features is 8 years; the median time to the ISS is 255 years. The traveltimes to the ISS are least over the northern part of the valley, where dolomite is near the land surface. The distribution of traveltimes in the MODFLOW simulation is greatly influenced by the effective porosity values assigned to the various lithologies.

Spatial variability of induced ground-water recharge beneath the Russian River, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberry, D. O.; Hatch, C. E.; Cox, M. H.; Zamora, C.; Cloud, A.; Constantz, J. E.; Seymour, D.

2004-12-01

The Sonoma County Water Agency extracts water from the alluvial aquifer adjacent to and beneath the Russian River via large-volume Ranney-type collector wells. To aid in this extraction, the stage of the river is increased approximately 3 meters by an inflatable dam. In addition, raising the dam allows water to be diverted into infiltration basins that are located adjacent to the river. Removal of aquifer water induces large fluxes from surface water to ground water through the beds of the infiltration basins and the river. Total extraction during maximum summer withdrawals via five collector wells indicates an average flux from surface water to ground water through the riverbed and infiltration basins of 153 cm/d. Measurements of flux using in-river and in-pond piezometers, diurnal sediment-temperature data, and seepage meters, indicate that actual seepage fluxes are spatially variable and large seepage fluxes are concentrated in specific locations, some of which may not be intuitive. For example, we expected greatest induced seepage fluxes to occur above laterals that extend beneath the river and deliver water to a collector well. Seepage flux along a transverse transect of the riverbed that was located above laterals from one of the collector wells averaged 10 cm/d. At the same time, seepage flux along a transect that was 500 m upstream, and farther from the influence of the collector-well system, averaged 40 cm/d. Seepage fluxes from the central portion of one of the recharge basins averaged 3 cm/d whereas seepage fluxes near the margin of that infiltration basin averaged 250 cm/d. Seepage fluxes derived from in-stream-piezometer Darcy calculations were surprisingly consistent with seepage fluxes derived from seepage-meter measurements. Seepage fluxes derived from temperature measurements were slightly less comparable to the piezometer and seepage-meter measurements. The 121 cm/d average of all seepage-flux measurements was similar to the spatially-integrated rate (153 cm/d) based on the volume of water extracted from the river by the pumping wells divided by the affected area of the riverbed and the flooded infiltration ponds.

Project Work Plan: Sequestration of Strontium-90 Subsurface Contamination in the Hanford 100-N Area by Surface Infiltration of an Apatite Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Szecsody, Jim E.

2006-04-30

We propose to develop an infiltration strategy that defines the precipitation rate of an apatite-forming solution and Sr-90 sequestration processes under variably saturated (low water content) conditions. We will develop this understanding through small-scale column studies, intermediate-scale two-dimensional (2-D) experiments, and numerical modeling to quantify individual and coupled processes associated with apatite formation and Sr-90 transport during and after infiltration of the Ca-citrate-PO4 solution. Development of capabilities to simulate these coupled biogeochemical processes during both injection and infiltration will be used to determine the most cost-effective means to emplace an in situ apatite barrier with a longevity of 300 yearsmore » to permanently sequester Sr-90 until it decays. Biogeochemical processes that will be investigated are citrate biodegradation and apatite precipitation rates at varying water contents as a function of water content. Coupled processes that will be investigated include the influence of apatite precipitation (which occupies pore space) on the hydraulic and transport properties of the porous media during infiltration.« less

18 CFR 430.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... with respect to the collection, retention and outflow of water. Ground water protected area means the... of water to an aquifer by infiltration of precipitation through the soil, infilitration from surface... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true Definitions. 430.5...

18 CFR 430.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... with respect to the collection, retention and outflow of water. Ground water protected area means the... of water to an aquifer by infiltration of precipitation through the soil, infilitration from surface... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Definitions. 430.5...

18 CFR 430.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... with respect to the collection, retention and outflow of water. Ground water protected area means the... of water to an aquifer by infiltration of precipitation through the soil, infilitration from surface... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Definitions. 430.5...

A cellular automata approach for modeling surface water runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jozefik, Zoltan; Nanu Frechen, Tobias; Hinz, Christoph; Schmidt, Heiko

2015-04-01

This abstract reports the development and application of a two-dimensional cellular automata based model, which couples the dynamics of overland flow, infiltration processes and surface evolution through sediment transport. The natural hill slopes are represented by their topographic elevation and spatially varying soil properties infiltration rates and surface roughness coefficients. This model allows modeling of Hortonian overland flow and infiltration during complex rainfall events. An advantage of the cellular automata approach over the kinematic wave equations is that wet/dry interfaces that often appear with rainfall overland flows can be accurately captured and are not a source of numerical instabilities. An adaptive explicit time stepping scheme allows for rainfall events to be adequately resolved in time, while large time steps are taken during dry periods to provide for simulation run time efficiency. The time step is constrained by the CFL condition and mass conservation considerations. The spatial discretization is shown to be first-order accurate. For validation purposes, hydrographs for non-infiltrating and infiltrating plates are compared to the kinematic wave analytic solutions and data taken from literature [1,2]. Results show that our cellular automata model quantitatively accurately reproduces hydrograph patterns. However, recent works have showed that even through the hydrograph is satisfyingly reproduced, the flow field within the plot might be inaccurate [3]. For a more stringent validation, we compare steady state velocity, water flux, and water depth fields to rainfall simulation experiments conducted in Thies, Senegal [3]. Comparisons show that our model is able to accurately capture these flow properties. Currently, a sediment transport and deposition module is being implemented and tested. [1] M. Rousseau, O. Cerdan, O. Delestre, F. Dupros, F. James, S. Cordier. Overland flow modeling with the Shallow Water Equation using a well balanced numerical scheme: Adding efficiency or sum more complexity?. 2012. [2] Fritz R. Fiedler, J. A. Ramirez. A numerical method for simulating discontinuous shallow flow over an infiltrating surface. In. J. Numer. Mech. Fluids 200: 32: 219-240. [3] C. Mügler, O. Planchon, J. Patin, S. Weill, N. Silvera, P. Richard, E. Mouche. Comparison of Roughness models to simulate overland flow and tracer transport experiments under simulated rainfall at plot scale. Journal of Hydrology. 402 (2011) 25-40.

Effects of Small-scale Vegetation-related Roughness on Overland Flow and Infiltration in Semi-arid Grassland and Shrublands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedford, D.

2012-12-01

We studied the effects of small-scale roughness on overland flow/runoff and the spatial pattern of infiltration. Our semi-arid sites include a grassland and shrubland in Central New Mexico and a shrubland in the Eastern Mojave Desert. Vegetation exerts strong controls on small-scale surface roughness in the form of plant mounds and other microtopography such as depressions and rills. We quantified the effects of densely measured soil surface heterogeneity using model simulations of runoff and infiltration. Microtopographic roughness associated with vegetation patterns, on the scale of mm-cm's in height, has a larger effect on runoff and infiltration than spatially correlated saturated conductivity. The magnitude and pattern of the effect of roughness largely depends on the vegetation and landform type, and rainfall depth and intensity. In all cases, runoff and infiltration amount and patterns were most strongly affected by depression storage. In the grassland we studied in central New Mexico, soil surface roughness had a large effect on runoff and infiltration where vegetation mounds coalesced, forming large storage volumes that require filling and overtopping in order for overland flow to concentrate into runoff. Total discharge over rough surfaces was reduced 100-200% compared to simulations in which no surface roughness was accounted for. For shrublands, total discharge was reduced 30-40% by microtopography on gently sloping alluvial fans and only 10-20% on steep hillslopes. This difference is largely due to the lack of storage elements on steep slopes. For our sites, we found that overland flow can increase infiltration by up to 2.5 times the total rainfall by filling depressions. The redistribution of water via overland flow can affect up to 20% of an area but varies with vegetation type and landform. This infiltration augmentation by overland flow tends to occur near the edges of vegetation canopies where overland flow depths are deep and infiltration rates are moderate. Infiltration augmentation is greatest in microtopographic depressions and flow threads. These results show that some vegetation-landform settings are efficient at trapping and concentrating the primary limiting resource, and demonstrate the importance of micro-scale soil characteristics for the ecohydrologic function of semi-arid environments. Since other essential attributes for plant ecosystems, such as nutrients, likely co-vary with water availability, further research is needed to elucidate ecosystem dynamics that may lead to self-organized behavior and determine thresholds for ecosystem stability.

Event-based estimation of water budget components using the network of multi-sensor capacitance probes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A time-scale-free approach was developed for estimation of water fluxes at boundaries of monitoring soil profile using water content time series. The approach uses the soil water budget to compute soil water budget components, i.e. surface-water excess (Sw), infiltration less evapotranspiration (I-E...

Wetlands inform how climate extremes influence surface water expansion and contraction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vanderhoof, Melanie; Lane, Charles R.; McManus, Michael L.; Alexander, Laurie C.; Christensen, Jay R.

2018-01-01

Effective monitoring and prediction of flood and drought events requires an improved understanding of how and why surface water expansion and contraction in response to climate varies across space. This paper sought to (1) quantify how interannual patterns of surface water expansion and contraction vary spatially across the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) and adjacent Northern Prairie (NP) in the United States, and (2) explore how landscape characteristics influence the relationship between climate inputs and surface water dynamics. Due to differences in glacial history, the PPR and NP show distinct patterns in regards to drainage development and wetland density, together providing a diversity of conditions to examine surface water dynamics. We used Landsat imagery to characterize variability in surface water extent across 11 Landsat path/rows representing the PPR and NP (images spanned 1985–2015). The PPR not only experienced a 2.6-fold greater surface water extent under median conditions relative to the NP, but also showed a 3.4-fold greater change in surface water extent between drought and deluge conditions. The relationship between surface water extent and accumulated water availability (precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration) was quantified per watershed and statistically related to variables representing hydrology-related landscape characteristics (e.g., infiltration capacity, surface storage capacity, stream density). To investigate the influence stream connectivity has on the rate at which surface water leaves a given location, we modeled stream-connected and stream-disconnected surface water separately. Stream-connected surface water showed a greater expansion with wetter climatic conditions in landscapes with greater total wetland area, but lower total wetland density. Disconnected surface water showed a greater expansion with wetter climatic conditions in landscapes with higher wetland density, lower infiltration and less anthropogenic drainage. From these findings, we can expect that shifts in precipitation and evaporative demand will have uneven effects on surface water quantity. Accurate predictions regarding the effect of climate change on surface water quantity will require consideration of hydrology-related landscape characteristics including wetland storage and arrangement.

Simulation of groundwater flow and interaction of groundwater and surface water on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juckem, Paul F.; Fienen, Michael N.; Hunt, Randall J.

2014-01-01

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Indian Health Service are interested in improving the understanding of groundwater flow and groundwater/surface-water interaction on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation (Reservation) in southwest Vilas County and southeast Iron County, Wisconsin, with particular interest in an understanding of the potential for contamination of groundwater supply wells and the fate of wastewater that is infiltrated from treatment lagoons on the Reservation. This report describes the construction, calibration, and application of a regional groundwater flow model used to simulate the shallow groundwater flow system of the Reservation and water-quality results for groundwater and surface-water samples collected near a system of waste-water-treatment lagoons. Groundwater flows through a permeable glacial aquifer that ranges in thickness from 60 to more than 200 feet (ft). Seepage and drainage lakes are common in the area and influence groundwater flow patterns on the Reservation. A two-dimensional, steady-state analytic element groundwater flow model was constructed using the program GFLOW. The model was calibrated by matching target water levels and stream base flows through the use of the parameter-estimation program, PEST. Simulated results illustrate that groundwater flow within most of the Reservation is toward the Bear River and the chain of lakes that feed the Bear River. Results of analyses of groundwater and surface-water samples collected downgradient from the wastewater infiltration lagoons show elevated levels of ammonia and dissolved phosphorus. In addition, wastewater indicator chemicals detected in three downgradient wells and a small downgradient stream indicate that infiltrated wastewater is moving southwest of the lagoons toward Moss Lake. Potential effects of extended wet and dry periods (within historical ranges) were evaluated by adjusting precipitation and groundwater recharge in the model and comparing the resulting simulated lake stage and water budgets to stages and water budgets from the calibrated model. Simulated lake water budgets and water level changes illustrate the importance of understanding the position of a lake within the hydrologic system (headwater or downstream), the type of lake (surface-water drainage or seepage lake), and the role of groundwater in dampening the effects of large-scale changes in weather patterns on lake levels. Areas contributing recharge to drinking-water supply wells on the Reservation were delineated using forward particle tracking from the water table to the well. Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses were used to produce maps showing the probability of groundwater capture for areas around each well nest. At the Main Pumphouse site near the Village of Lac du Flambeau, most of the area contributing recharge to the wells occurs downgradient from a large wetland between the wells and the wastewater infiltration lagoons. Nonetheless, a small potential for the wells to capture infiltrated wastewater is apparent when considering uncertainty in the model parameter values. At the West Pumphouse wells south of Flambeau Lake, most of the area contributing recharge is between the wells and Tippecanoe Lake. The extent of infiltrated wastewater from two infiltration lagoons was tracked using the groundwater flow model and Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses. Wastewater infiltrated from the lagoons flows predominantly south toward Moss Lake as it integrates with the regional groundwater flow system. The wastewater-plume-extent simulations support the area-contributing-recharge simulations, indicating that there is a possibility, albeit at low probability, that some wastewater could be captured by water-supply wells. Comparison of simulated water-table contours indicate that the lagoons may mound the water table approximately 4 ft, with diminishing levels of mounding outward from the lagoons. Four scenarios, representing potential alternatives for wastewater management, were simulated (at current discharge rates) to evaluate the potential extent of wastewater in the aquifer and discharge to surface-water bodies associated with each management scenario. Wastewater simulated to infiltrate through a hypothetical diffuser below a wetland south of the current lagoons appears to discharge to the overlying wetland and would likely discharge to Moss Lake as overland flow. Wastewater simulated to discharge to a small lake (Mindy Lake) between Moss and Fence Lakes appears to spread radically over a large area between the lakes. Wastewater simulated to discharge to lagoons south and northeast of the current lagoons also appears to spread radially, but the areas of the aquifer with the highest probability of encountering waste-water contamination would likely be between the lagoons and the nearest lake, where the wastewater would eventually discharge. Probability results for the wastewater-plume-extent scenarios are sensitive to the number of mathematical water particles used to represent infiltrating wastewater and the level of detail in the synthetic grid used for the probability analysis. Thus, probability results from wastewater-plume-extent simulations are qualitative only; however, it is expected that illustrations of relatively high or low probability will be useful as a general guide for decision making. Management problems requiring quantitative estimates of probability are best re-cast into problems evaluating the area that contributes recharge to the location of interest, which is not dependent upon the number of simulated particles or the resolution of a synthetic grid.

Long-term Metal Performance of Three Permeable Pavements ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA constructed a 4,000-m2 parking lot surfaced with three permeable pavements (permeable interlocking concrete pavers, pervious concrete, and porous asphalt) on the Edison Environmental Center in Edison, NJ in 2009. Samples from each permeable pavement infiltrate were collected for six years beginning in January 2010 and analyzed for twenty-two metals. Although the infiltrate metals concentrations varied by surface, metal concentrations in more than 99% of the permeable pavement infiltrate samples met both the groundwater effluent limitations and maximum contaminant levels in national primary drinking water regulations for barium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel and zinc. Arsenic, cadmium, lead and antimony met those standards in 60% to 98% of the samples with no measurable difference found among pavements. Aluminum and iron in pervious concrete and porous asphalt infiltrates met standards at more than 90%, however permeable interlocking concrete paver infiltrates have 50% and 93% samples exceeds standards, respectively. Concentrations of arsenic, iron, potassium, lithium, magnesium, antimony, tin, manganese, and zinc in all permeable pavement infiltrates decreased with time, whereas, aluminum, barium, calcium, chromium and strontium in porous asphalt infiltrates increased. Most metal concentrations in permeable pavement infiltrates either exhibited no significant difference between snow/no-snow seasons or showed statistically larger concentrations

Infiltration of pesticides in surface water into nearby drinking water supply wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malaguerra, F.; Albrechtsen, H.; Binning, P. J.

2010-12-01

Drinking water wells are often placed near streams because streams often overly permeable sediments and the water table is near the surface in valleys, and so pumping costs are reduced. The lowering of the water table by pumping wells can reverse the natural flow from the groundwater to the stream, inducing infiltration of surface water to groundwater and consequently to the drinking water well. Many attenuation processes can take place in the riparian zone, mainly due to mixing, biodegradation and sorption. However, if the water travel time from the surface water to the pumping well is too short, or if the compounds are poorly degradable, contaminants can reach the drinking water well at high concentrations, jeopardizing drinking water quality. Here we developed a reactive transport model to evaluate the risk of contamination of drinking water wells by surface water pollution. The model was validated using data of a tracer experiment in a riparian zone. Three compounds were considered: an older pesticide MCPP (Mecoprop) which is mobile and persistent, glyphosate (Roundup), a new biodegradable and strongly sorbed pesticide, and its degradation product AMPA. Global sensitivity analysis using the method of Morris was employed to identify the dominant model parameters. Results showed that the presence of an aquitard and its characteristics (degree of fracturing and thickness), pollutant properties and well depth are the crucial factors affecting the risk of drinking water well contamination from surface water. Global sensitivity analysis results were compared with rank correlation statistics between pesticide concentrations and geological parameters derived from a comprehensive database of Danish drinking water wells. Aquitard thickness and well depth are the most critical parameters in both the model and observed data.

Interfacial spreading effects on one-dimensional organic liquid imbibition in water-wetted porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, J. F.; Simmons, C. S.; Cary, J. W.

1992-10-01

The spreading coefficient, Csp, determines whether an organic immiscible liquid, OIL, will form a lens ( Csp < 0) or will spread spontaneously ( Csp > 0) on a water surface. An OIL that forms a lens does not perfectly wet the water surface and therefore has a contact angle greater than 0°. The one-dimensional rate at which an OIL spreads spontaneously on a water surface is proportional to the square root of Csp. Of the OIL's that pose a contaminant threat to the subsurface, the majority has a non-zero Csp. To test the influence of such interfacial spreading phenomena on OIL infiltration in a pristine vadose zone, upward OIL and water imbibition infiltration experiments were performed in glass-bead columns, moistened with water, by using OIL's with different Csp. An analytical model for saturated liquid front rise was used to inversely estimate the effective capillary pressure head at the front and the average liquid conductivity. A nonspreading OIL ( Csp ≪ 0) exhibited a reduced capillary pressure head in the water-wetted glass beads. A spontaneously spreading OIL ( Csp ≫0) manifested an enhanced capillary pressure head. Reduced capillary pressure head was associated with an increase in average conductivity, and enhanced capillary pressure head was associated with a decrease in average conductivity when compared to the average water conductivity during water imbibition. The employed experimental method and mathematical analysis of dynamic flow, subject to interfacial spreading phenomena, are practical for quantifying parameters for use in sharp-front OIL infiltration models, but more research is needed to determine how to incorporate the spreading coefficient in numerical multiphase flow models.

Ephemeral-stream channel and basin-floor infiltration and recharge in the Sierra Vista subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin, Southeastern Arizona: Chapter J in Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Professional Paper 1703)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coes, A.L.; Pool, D.R.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Leake, Stanley A.

2007-01-01

The timing and location of streamflow in the San Pedro River are partially dependent on the aerial distribution of recharge in the Sierra Vista subwatershed. Previous investigators have assumed that recharge in the subwatershed occurs only along the mountain fronts by way of stream-channel infiltration near the contact between low-permeability rocks of the mountains and the basin fill. Recent studies in other alluvial basins of the Southwestern United States, however, have shown that significant recharge can occur through the sediments of ephemeral stream channels at locations several kilometers distant from the mountains. The purpose of this study was to characterize the spatial distribution of infiltration and subsequent recharge through the ephemeral channels in the Sierra Vista subwatershed.Infiltration fluxes in ephemeral channels and through the basin floor of the subwatershed were estimated by using several methods. Data collected during the drilling and coring of 16 boreholes included physical, thermal, and hydraulic properties of sediments; chloride concentrations of sediments; and pore-water stable-isotope values and tritium activity. Surface and subsurface sediment temperatures were continuously measured at each borehole.Twelve boreholes were drilled in five ephemeral stream channels to estimate infiltration within ephemeral channels. Active infiltration was verified to at least 20 meters at 11 of the 12 borehole sites on the basis of low sediment-chloride concentrations, high soil-water contents, and pore-water tritium activity similar to present-day precipitation. Consolidated sediments at the twelfth site prevented core recovery and estimation of infiltration. Analytical and numerical methods were applied to determine the surface infiltration flux required to produce the observed sediment-temperature fluctuations at six sites. Infiltration fluxes were determined for summer ephemeral flow events only because no winter flows were recorded at the sites during the monitoring period.Four boreholes were drilled in the basin floor to estimate infiltration in areas between ephemeral channels. Infiltration fluxes through the basin floor ranged from less than 1 centimeter to 6 centimeters per year. At a site in semiconsolidated to consolidated basin-fill conglomerate, the long-term infiltration fluxes were very low (less than 1 centimeter per year). Chloride, tritium, and stable-isotope data indicate long periods of no net deep downward percolation flux beneath the basin floor. At a site in unconsolidated to semiconsolidated basin-fill sand and gravel, infiltration fluxes were high (2 to 6 centimeters per year). Chloride, tritium, and stable-isotope data indicate active infiltration to 8 meters, and a decrease in infiltration below 8 meters. The change in the infiltration rate below 8 meters is controlled by an increase in the silt and clay content of the sediment.Ephemeral-channel recharge for the entire subwatershed was estimated by upscaling the calculated infiltration fluxes and weighting the fluxes by streamflow duration, evaporation, and transpiration. In contrast to previous assumptions, recharge from ephemeral-streamflow infiltration occurs not only near the mountain fronts, but also along significant lengths of ephemeral channels. Although most of the ephemeral streams in the subwatershed flow less than a few days per year, the available streamflow quickly infiltrates past depths where it is available for evapotranspiration. This water likely stays in the unsaturated zone until it is vertically displaced by infiltrated water from subsequent streamflows and eventually recharges the regional aquifer. Ephemeral-channel infiltration during 2001 and 2002 was estimated to account for about 12 to 19 percent of the estimated average annual recharge in the Sierra Vista subwatershed.

Ionic-Liquid-Infused Nanostructures as Repellent Surfaces.

PubMed

Galvan, Yaraset; Phillips, Katherine R; Haumann, Marco; Wasserscheid, Peter; Zarraga, Ramon; Vogel, Nicolas

2018-06-12

In order to prepare lubricant-infused repellent coatings on silica nanostructures using low vapor pressure ionic liquids as lubricants, we study the wetting behavior of a set of imidazolium-based ionic liquids with different alkyl side chains as a function of the applied surface functionalities. We take advantage of the structural color of inverse opals prepared from a colloidal coassembly technique to study the infiltration of ionic liquids into these nanoporous structures. We find that the more hydrophobic ionic liquids with butyl and hexyl side chains can completely infiltrate inverse opals functionalized with mixed self-assembled monolayers composed of imidazole groups and aliphatic hydrocarbon chains, which we introduce via silane chemistry. These molecular species reflect the chemical nature of the ionic liquid, thereby increasing the affinity between the liquid and solid surface. The mixed surface chemistry provides sufficiently small contact angles with the ionic liquid to infiltrate the nanopores while maximizing the contact angle with water. As a result, the mixed monolayers enable the design of a stable ionic liquid/solid interface that is able to repel water as a test liquid. Our results underline the importance of matching chemical affinities to predict and control the wetting behavior in complex, multiphase systems.

40 CFR 149.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... significant amount of water to a well or spring. (b) Recharge means a process, natural or artificial, by which water is added to the saturated zone of an aquifer. (c) Recharge Area means an area in which water reaches the zone of saturation (ground water) by surface infiltration; in addition, a major recharge area...

40 CFR 149.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... significant amount of water to a well or spring. (b) Recharge means a process, natural or artificial, by which water is added to the saturated zone of an aquifer. (c) Recharge Area means an area in which water reaches the zone of saturation (ground water) by surface infiltration; in addition, a major recharge area...

A simulation-optimization model for Stone column-supported embankment stability considering rainfall effect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deb, Kousik, E-mail: kousik@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in; Dhar, Anirban, E-mail: anirban@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in; Purohit, Sandip, E-mail: sandip.purohit91@gmail.com

Landslide due to rainfall has been and continues to be one of the most important concerns of geotechnical engineering. The paper presents the variation of factor of safety of stone column-supported embankment constructed over soft soil due to change in water level for an incessant period of rainfall. A combined simulation-optimization based methodology has been proposed to predict the critical surface of failure of the embankment and to optimize the corresponding factor of safety under rainfall conditions using an evolutionary genetic algorithm NSGA-II (Non-Dominated Sorted Genetic Algorithm-II). It has been observed that the position of water table can be reliablymore » estimated with varying periods of infiltration using developed numerical method. The parametric study is presented to study the optimum factor of safety of the embankment and its corresponding critical failure surface under the steady-state infiltration condition. Results show that in case of floating stone columns, period of infiltration has no effect on factor of safety. Even critical failure surfaces for a particular floating column length remain same irrespective of rainfall duration.« less

Intracavitary moderator balloon combined with 252Cf brachytherapy and boron neutron capture therapy, improving dosimetry in brain tumour and infiltrations

PubMed Central

Brandão, S F

2015-01-01

Objective: This article proposes a combination of californium-252 (252Cf) brachytherapy, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and an intracavitary moderator balloon catheter applied to brain tumour and infiltrations. Methods: Dosimetric evaluations were performed on three protocol set-ups: 252Cf brachytherapy combined with BNCT (Cf-BNCT); Cf-BNCT with a balloon catheter filled with light water (LWB) and the same set-up with heavy water (HWB). Results: Cf-BNCT-HWB has presented dosimetric advantages to Cf-BNCT-LWB and Cf-BNCT in infiltrations at 2.0–5.0 cm from the balloon surface. However, Cf-BNCT-LWB has shown superior dosimetry up to 2.0 cm from the balloon surface. Conclusion: Cf-BNCT-HWB and Cf-BNCT-LWB protocols provide a selective dose distribution for brain tumour and infiltrations, mainly further from the 252Cf source, sparing the normal brain tissue. Advances in knowledge: Malignant brain tumours grow rapidly and often spread to adjacent brain tissues, leading to death. Improvements in brain radiation protocols have been continuously achieved; however, brain tumour recurrence is observed in most cases. Cf-BNCT-LWB and Cf-BNCT-HWB represent new modalities for selectively combating brain tumour infiltrations and metastasis. PMID:25927876

Fire-induced water repellency: An erosional factor in wildland environments

Treesearch

Leonard F. DeBano

2000-01-01

Watershed managers and scientists throughout the world have been aware of fire-induced water-repellent soils for over three decades. Water repellency affects many hydrologic processes, including infiltration, overland flow, and surface erosion (rill and sheet erosion). This paper describes; the formation of fire-induced water-repellent soils, the effect of soil water...

Exploiting Soil Moisture, Precipitation, and Streamflow Observations to Evaluate Soil Moisture/Runoff Coupling in Land Surface Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crow, W. T.; Chen, F.; Reichle, R. H.; Xia, Y.; Liu, Q.

2018-05-01

Accurate partitioning of precipitation into infiltration and runoff is a fundamental objective of land surface models tasked with characterizing the surface water and energy balance. Temporal variability in this partitioning is due, in part, to changes in prestorm soil moisture, which determine soil infiltration capacity and unsaturated storage. Utilizing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Soil Moisture Active Passive Level-4 soil moisture product in combination with streamflow and precipitation observations, we demonstrate that land surface models (LSMs) generally underestimate the strength of the positive rank correlation between prestorm soil moisture and event runoff coefficients (i.e., the fraction of rainfall accumulation volume converted into stormflow runoff during a storm event). Underestimation is largest for LSMs employing an infiltration-excess approach for stormflow runoff generation. More accurate coupling strength is found in LSMs that explicitly represent subsurface stormflow or saturation-excess runoff generation processes.

Trench infiltration for managed aquifer recharge to permeable bedrock

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, V.M.; Watt, D.E.

2011-01-01

Managed aquifer recharge to permeable bedrock is increasingly being utilized to enhance resources and maintain sustainable groundwater development practices. One such target is the Navajo Sandstone, an extensive regional aquifer located throughout the Colorado Plateau of the western United States. Spreading-basin and bank-filtration projects along the sandstone outcrop's western edge in southwestern Utah have recently been implemented to meet growth-related water demands. This paper reports on a new cost-effective surface-infiltration technique utilizing trenches for enhancing managed aquifer recharge to permeable bedrock. A 48-day infiltration trench experiment on outcropping Navajo Sandstone was conducted to evaluate this alternative surface-spreading artificial recharge method. Final infiltration rates through the bottom of the trench were about 0.5 m/day. These infiltration rates were an order of magnitude higher than rates from a previous surface-spreading experiment at the same site. The higher rates were likely caused by a combination of factors including the removal of lower permeability soil and surficial caliche deposits, access to open vertical sandstone fractures, a reduction in physical clogging associated with silt and biofilm layers, minimizing viscosity effects by maintaining isothermal conditions, minimizing chemical clogging caused by carbonate mineral precipitation associated with algal photosynthesis, and diminished gas clogging associated with trapped air and biogenic gases. This pilot study illustrates the viability of trench infiltration for enhancing surface spreading of managed aquifer recharge to permeable bedrock. ?? 2010.

Simulating the volatilization of solvents in unsaturated soils during laboratory and field infiltration experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cho, H. Jean; Jaffe, Peter R.; Smith, James A.

1993-01-01

This paper describes laboratory and field experiments which were conducted to study the dynamics of trichloroethylene (TCE) as it volatilized from contaminated groundwater and diffused in the presence of infiltrating water through the unsaturated soil zone to the land surface. The field experiments were conducted at the Picatinny Arsenal, which is part of the United States Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. In both laboratory and field settings the gas and water phase concentrations of TCE were not in equilibrium during infiltration. Gas-water mass transfer rate constants were calibrated to the experimental data using a model in which the water phase was treated as two phases: a mobile water phase and an immobile water phase. The mass transfer limitations of a volatile organic compound between the gas and liquid phases were described explicitly in the model. In the laboratory experiment the porous medium was nonsorbing, and water infiltration rates ranged from 0.076 to 0.28 cm h−1. In the field experiment the water infiltration rate was 0.34 cm h−1, and sorption onto the soil matrix was significant. The laboratory-calibrated gas-water mass transfer rate constant is 3.3×10−4 h−1 for an infiltration rate of 0.076 cm h−1 and 1.4×10−3 h−1 for an infiltration rate of 0.28 cm h−1. The overall mass transfer rate coefficients, incorporating the contribution of mass transfer between mobile and immobile water phases and the variation of interfacial area with moisture content, range from 3×10−4 h−1 to 1×10−2 h−1. A power law model relates the gas-water mass transfer rate constant to the infiltration rate and the fraction of the water phase which is mobile. It was found that the results from the laboratory experiments could not be extrapolated to the field. In order to simulate the field experiment the very slow desorption of TCE from the soil matrix was incorporated into the mathematical model. When desorption from the soil matrix was added to the model, the calibrated gas-water mass transfer rate constant is 2 orders of magnitude lower than that predicted using the power law model developed for the nonsorbing laboratory soil.

Effects of sol-gel processed silica coating on bond strength of resin cements to glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic.

PubMed

Xie, Haifeng; Wang, Xiaozu; Wang, Yu; Zhang, Feimin; Chen, Chen; Xia, Yang

2009-02-01

The aim of this study was to verify the effects of sol-gel processed silica coating on the bond strength between resin cement and glass-infiltrated aluminum oxide ceramic. Silica coatings were prepared on glass-infiltrated aluminum oxide ceramic surface via the sol-gel process. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Fourier Transmission Infrared spectrum (FTIR), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were used for coating characterization. Forty-eight blocks of glass-infiltrated aluminum oxide ceramic were fabricated. The ceramic surfaces were polished following sandblasting. Three groups of specimens (16 for each group) with different surface treatment were prepared. Group P: no treatment; group PO: treated with silane solution; group PTO: silica coating via sol-gel process, followed by silane application. Composite cylinders were luted with resin cement to the test specimens. Half of the specimens in each group were stored in distilled water for 24 h and the other half were stored in distilled water for 30 days before shear loading in a universal testing machine until failure. Selected ceramic surfaces were analyzed to identify the failure mode using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Nanostructured silica coatings were prepared on glass-infiltrated aluminum oxide ceramic surfaces by the sol-gel process. The silicon element on the ceramic surface increased significantly after the coating process. The mean shear bond strength values (standard deviation) before artificial aging were: group P: 1.882 +/- 0.156 MPa; group PO: 2.177 +/- 0.226 MPa; group PTO: 3.574 +/- 0.671 MPa. Statistically significant differences existed between group PTO and group P, and group PTO and groups PO. The failure mode for group P and group PO was adhesive, while group PTO was mixed. The mean shear bond strength values (standard deviation) after artificial aging were: group P: 1.594 +/- 0.111 MPa; group PO: 2.120 +/- 0.339 MPa; group PTO: 2.955 +/- 0.113 MPa. Statistically significant differences existed between each two groups after artificial aging, group P had the lowest bond durability, and group PTO had the highest bond durability. The sol-gel process is an effective way to prepare silica coating on dental glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic. Sol-gel processed silica coating can improve the resin bond strength of glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic.

High Severity Wildfire Effect On Rainfall Infiltration And Runoff: A Cellular Automata Based Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vergara-Blanco, J. E.; Leboeuf-Pasquier, J.; Benavides-Solorio, J. D. D.

2017-12-01

A simulation software that reproduces rainfall infiltration and runoff for a storm event in a particular forest area is presented. A cellular automaton is utilized to represent space and time. On the time scale, the simulation is composed by a sequence of discrete time steps. On the space scale, the simulation is composed of forest surface cells. The software takes into consideration rain intensity and length, individual forest cell soil absorption capacity evolution, and surface angle of inclination. The software is developed with the C++ programming language. The simulation is executed on a 100 ha area within La Primavera Forest in Jalisco, Mexico. Real soil texture for unburned terrain and high severity wildfire affected terrain is employed to recreate the specific infiltration profile. Historical rainfall data of a 92 minute event is used. The Horton infiltration equation is utilized for infiltration capacity calculation. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is employed to reproduce the surface topography. The DEM is displayed with a 3D mesh graph where individual surface cells can be observed. The plot colouring renders water content development at the cell level throughout the storm event. The simulation shows that the cumulative infiltration and runoff which take place at the surface cell level depend on the specific storm intensity, fluctuation and length, overall terrain topography, cell slope, and soil texture. Rainfall cumulative infiltration for unburned and high severity wildfire terrain are compared: unburned terrain exhibits a significantly higher amount of rainfall infiltration.It is concluded that a cellular automaton can be utilized with a C++ program to reproduce rainfall infiltration and runoff under diverse soil texture, topographic and rainfall conditions in a forest setting. This simulation is geared for an optimization program to pinpoint the locations of a series of forest land remediation efforts to support reforestation or to minimize runoff.

ENGINEERING BULLETIN: LANDFILL COVERS

EPA Science Inventory

Landfill covers are used at Superfund sites to minimize surface water infiltration and control gas migration. In many cases covers are used in conjunction with other waste treatment technologies, such as slurry walls, ground water pump-and-treat systems, and gas collection. This ...

Predicted Infiltration for Sodic/Saline Soils from Reclaimed Coastal Areas: Sensitivity to Model Parameters

PubMed Central

She, Dongli; Yu, Shuang'en; Shao, Guangcheng

2014-01-01

This study was conducted to assess the influences of soil surface conditions and initial soil water content on water movement in unsaturated sodic soils of reclaimed coastal areas. Data was collected from column experiments in which two soils from a Chinese coastal area reclaimed in 2007 (Soil A, saline) and 1960 (Soil B, nonsaline) were used, with bulk densities of 1.4 or 1.5 g/cm3. A 1D-infiltration model was created using a finite difference method and its sensitivity to hydraulic related parameters was tested. The model well simulated the measured data. The results revealed that soil compaction notably affected the water retention of both soils. Model simulations showed that increasing the ponded water depth had little effect on the infiltration process, since the increases in cumulative infiltration and wetting front advancement rate were small. However, the wetting front advancement rate increased and the cumulative infiltration decreased to a greater extent when θ 0 was increased. Soil physical quality was described better by the S parameter than by the saturated hydraulic conductivity since the latter was also affected by the physical chemical effects on clay swelling occurring in the presence of different levels of electrolytes in the soil solutions of the two soils. PMID:25197699

Predicted infiltration for sodic/saline soils from reclaimed coastal areas: sensitivity to model parameters.

PubMed

Liu, Dongdong; She, Dongli; Yu, Shuang'en; Shao, Guangcheng; Chen, Dan

2014-01-01

This study was conducted to assess the influences of soil surface conditions and initial soil water content on water movement in unsaturated sodic soils of reclaimed coastal areas. Data was collected from column experiments in which two soils from a Chinese coastal area reclaimed in 2007 (Soil A, saline) and 1960 (Soil B, nonsaline) were used, with bulk densities of 1.4 or 1.5 g/cm(3). A 1D-infiltration model was created using a finite difference method and its sensitivity to hydraulic related parameters was tested. The model well simulated the measured data. The results revealed that soil compaction notably affected the water retention of both soils. Model simulations showed that increasing the ponded water depth had little effect on the infiltration process, since the increases in cumulative infiltration and wetting front advancement rate were small. However, the wetting front advancement rate increased and the cumulative infiltration decreased to a greater extent when θ₀ was increased. Soil physical quality was described better by the S parameter than by the saturated hydraulic conductivity since the latter was also affected by the physical chemical effects on clay swelling occurring in the presence of different levels of electrolytes in the soil solutions of the two soils.

Fill and spill drives runoff connectivity over frozen ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coles, A. E.; McDonnell, J. J.

2018-03-01

Snowmelt-runoff processes on frozen ground are poorly understood at the hillslope scale. This is especially true for hillslopes on the northern Great Plains of North America where long periods of snow-covered frozen ground with very shallow slopes mask any spatial patterns and process controls on connectivity and hillslope runoff generation. This study examines a 4.66 ha (46,600 m2) hillslope on the northern Great Plains during the 2014 spring snowmelt season to explore hillslope runoff processes. Specifically, we explore the spatial patterns of runoff production source areas and examine how surface topography and patterns of snow cover, snow water equivalent, soil water content, and thawed layer depth - which we measured on a 10 m grid across our 46,600 m2 hillslope - affect melt water partitioning and runoff connectivity. A key question was whether or not the controls on connectivity are consistent with the fill and spill mechanism found in rain-dominated and unfrozen soil domains. The contrast between the slow infiltration rates into frozen soil and the relatively fast rates of snowmelt delivery to the soil surface resulted in water accumulation in small depressions under the snowpack. Consequently, infiltration was minimal over the 12 day melt period. Instead, nested filling of micro- and meso-depressions was followed by macro-scale, whole-slope spilling. This spilling occurred when large patches of ponded water exceeded the storage capacity behind downslope micro barriers in the surface topography, and flows from them coalesced to drive a rapid increase in runoff at the hillslope outlet. These observations of ponded water and flowpaths followed mapable fill and spill locations based on 2 m resolution digital topographic analysis. Interestingly, while surface topography is relatively unimportant under unfrozen conditions at our site because of low relief and high infiltrability, surface topography shows episodically critical importance for connectivity and runoff generation when the ground is frozen.

Falling head ponded infiltration in the nonlinear limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triadis, D.

2014-12-01

The Green and Ampt infiltration solution represents only an extreme example of behavior within a larger class of very nonlinear, delta function diffusivity soils. The mathematical analysis of these soils is greatly simplified by the existence of a sharp wetting front below the soil surface. Solutions for more realistic delta function soil models have recently been presented for infiltration under surface saturation without ponding. After general formulation of the problem, solutions for a full suite of delta function soils are derived for ponded surface water depleted by infiltration. Exact expressions for the cumulative infiltration as a function of time, or the drainage time as a function of the initial ponded depth may take implicit or parametric forms, and are supplemented by simple asymptotic expressions valid for small times, and small and large initial ponded depths. As with surface saturation without ponding, the Green-Ampt model overestimates the effect of the soil hydraulic conductivity. At the opposing extreme, a low-conductivity model is identified that also takes a very simple mathematical form and appears to be more accurate than the Green-Ampt model for larger ponded depths. Between these two, the nonlinear limit of Gardner's soil is recommended as a physically valid first approximation. Relative discrepancies between different soil models are observed to reach a maximum for intermediate values of the dimensionless initial ponded depth, and in general are smaller than for surface saturation without ponding.

Atomic force microscopy and tridimensional topography analysis of human enamel after resinous infiltration and storage in water.

PubMed

Taher, Nadia M

2013-04-01

To evaluate the effect of water storage on surface roughness (Ra) of human enamel after treatment with resin infiltrant and fissure sealant, by utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM) and microtomography. This study was conducted after registration and ethical approval clarification at the College of Dentistry Research Center, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between January 2011 and August 2011. Thirty enamel surface specimens were prepared from caries-free human premolar teeth. Specimens were divided into 3 groups: Group I, was the control; Group II, a resin infiltrant (Icon) was applied on the enamel surfaces; and Group III, the teeth were treated with fissure sealant (SealRite). All specimens were stored in distilled water for 6 months and then, subjected to AFM Veeco CP11 1.2 analysis. A few specimens were scanned by skyscan-1072-x-ray microtomography. The Ra mean readings were recorded and statistical analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 16 at the significance level of p<0.05. No significant differences in the mean Ra were recorded among the 3 groups, (Group I = 0.21+/-0.057), (Group II = 0.23+/-0.075), and (Group III = 0.20+/-0.039) at p=0.747. The AFM images of enamel surface show thin and inhomogeneous Icon resin in Group II, meanwhile, the SealRite in Group III showed a homogeneous layer in all specimens. The microtomography supported the findings of the AFM images. The persistence of the SealRite in all specimens revealed its low solubility in water and its protective effect on enamel surface.

Hydrologic conditions controlling runoff generation immediately after wildfire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebel, Brian A.; Moody, John A.; Martin, Deborah A.

2012-01-01

We investigated the control of postwildfire runoff by physical and hydraulic properties of soil, hydrologic states, and an ash layer immediately following wildfire. The field site is within the area burned by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Colorado, USA. Physical and hydraulic property characterization included ash thickness, particle size distribution, hydraulic conductivity, and soil water retention curves. Soil water content and matric potential were measured indirectly at several depths below the soil surface to document hydrologic states underneath the ash layer in the unsaturated zone, whereas precipitation and surface runoff were measured directly. Measurements of soil water content showed that almost no water infiltrated below the ash layer into the near-surface soil in the burned site at the storm time scale (i.e., minutes to hours). Runoff generation processes were controlled by and highly sensitive to ash thickness and ash hydraulic properties. The ash layer stored from 97% to 99% of rainfall, which was critical for reducing runoff amounts. The hydrologic response to two rain storms with different rainfall amounts, rainfall intensity, and durations, only ten days apart, indicated that runoff generation was predominantly by the saturation-excess mechanism perched at the ash-soil interface during the first storm and predominantly by the infiltration-excess mechanism at the ash surface during the second storm. Contributing area was not static for the two storms and was 4% (saturation excess) to 68% (infiltration excess) of the catchment area. Our results showed the importance of including hydrologic conditions and hydraulic properties of the ash layer in postwildfire runoff generation models.

Impacts of wildfire severity on hydraulic conductivity in forest, woodland, and grassland soils (Chapter 7)

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary

2011-01-01

Forest, woodland, and grassland watersheds throughout the world are major sources of high quality water for human use because of the nature of these soils to infiltrate, store, and transmit most precipitation instead of quickly routing it to surface runoff. This characteristic of these wildland soils is due to normally high infiltration rates, porosities, and hydraulic...

Simultaneous concentration of bovine viruses and agricultural zoonotic bacteria from water using sodocalcic glass wool filters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infiltration and runoff from manured agricultural fields can result in livestock pathogens reaching groundwater and surface waters. Here, we measured the effectiveness of glass wool filters to simultaneously concentrate enteric viruses and bacteria of bovine origin from water. The recovery efficienc...

Surfactant and Irrigation Effects on Runoff, Erosion, and Water Retention of Three Wettable Soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Surfactants are chemical compounds that change the contact angle of water on solid surfaces and are commonly used to increase infiltration into hydrophobic soil. Since production fields with water-repellent soil often contain areas of wettable soil, surfactants applied to such fields will likely be ...

Surfactant and irrigation effects on wettable soils: Runoff, erosion, and water retention responses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Surfactants are chemical compounds that change the contact angle of water on solid surfaces and are commonly used to increase infiltration into hydrophobic soil. Since production fields with water-repellent soil often contain areas of wettable soil, surfactants applied to such fields will likely be ...

The use of acetone to enhance the infiltration of HA nanoparticles into a demineralized dentin collagen matrix.

PubMed

Besinis, Alexandros; van Noort, Richard; Martin, Nicolas

2016-03-01

This study investigates the role of acetone, as a carrier for nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) in solution, to enhance the infiltration of fully demineralized dentin with HA nanoparticles (NPs). Dentin specimens were fully demineralized and subsequently infiltrated with two types of water-based nano-HA solutions (one containing acetone and one without). Characterization of the dentin surfaces and nano-HA particles was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface wettability and infiltration capacity of the nano-HA solutions were quantified by means of contact angle measurements and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Contact angle measurements were taken at baseline and repeated at regular intervals to assess the effect of acetone. The P and Ca levels of infiltrated dentin specimens were measured and compared to sound dentin and non-infiltrated controls. The presence of acetone resulted in an eight-fold decrease in the contact angles of the nano-HA solutions recorded on the surface of demineralized dentin compared to nano-HA solutions without acetone (one-way ANOVA, p<0.05). Perfect wetting of the demineralized dentin surface was achieved 5min after the application of the nano-HA solution containing acetone. Infiltration of demineralized dentin with the nano-HA solution containing acetone restored the lost mineral content by 50%, whereas the mean mineralization values for P and Ca in dentin treated with the acetone-free nano-HA solution were less than 6%. Acetone was shown to act as a vehicle to enhance the capacity to infiltrate demineralized dentin with HA NPs. The successful infiltration of dentin collagen with HA NPs provides a suitable scaffold, whereby the infiltrated HA NPs have the potential to act as seeds that may initiate heterogenous mineral growth when exposed to an appropriate mineral-rich environment. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Update to permeable pavement research at the Edison ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract: The EPA’s Urban Watershed Management Branch (UWMB) has been monitoring the permeable pavement demonstration site at the Edison Environmental Center, NJ since 2010. This site has three different types of permeable pavement including: interlocking concrete permeable pavers; porous concrete; and permeable asphalt. The parking lot is instrumented with water content reflectometers and thermistors for continuous monitoring and has four lined sections for each surface to capture permeable pavement infiltrate for water quality analyses.Previous technical releases concerning the demonstration site focused on monitoring techniques, observed chloride and nutrient concentrations, and infiltration and evaporation rates. Thispresentation summarizes past findings and addresses current water quality efforts. This presentation summarizes past findings and addresses current water quality efforts.

Using helicopter TEM to delineate fresh water and salt water zones in the aquifer beneath the Okavango Delta, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podgorski, Joel E.; Kinzelbach, Wolfgang K. H.; Kgotlhang, Lesego

2017-09-01

The Okavango Delta is a vast wetland wilderness in the middle of the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. It is a largely closed hydrological system with most water leaving the delta by evapotranspiration. In spite of this, the channels and swamps of the delta remain surprisingly low in salinity. To help understand the hydrological processes at work, we reanalyzed a previous inversion of data collected from a helicopter transient electromagnetic (HTEM) survey of the entire delta and performed an inversion of a high resolution dataset recorded during the same survey. Our results show widespread infiltration of fresh water to as much as ∼200 m depth into the regional saline aquifer. Beneath the western delta, freshwater infiltration extends to only about 80 m depth. Hydrological modeling with SEAWAT confirms that this may be due to rebound of the regional saltwater-freshwater interface following the cessation of surface flooding over this part of the delta in the 1880s. Our resistivity models also provide evidence for active and inactive saltwater fingers to as much as ∼100 m beneath islands. These results demonstrate the great extent of freshwater infiltration across the delta and also show that all vegetated areas along the delta's channels and swamps are potential locations for transferring solutes from surface water to an aquifer at depth.

Soft-bed experiments beneath Engabreen, Norway: Regelation, infiltration, basal slip and bed deformation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iverson, N.R.; Hooyer, T.S.; Fischer, U.H.; Cohen, D.; Moore, P.L.; Jackson, M.; Lappegard, G.; Kohler, J.

2007-01-01

To avoid some of the limitations of studying soft-bed processes through boreholes, a prism of simulated till (1.8 m ?? 1.6 m ?? 0.45 m) with extensive instrumentation was constructed in a trough blasted in the rock bed of Engabreen, a temperate glacier in Norway. Tunnels there provide access to the bed beneath 213 m of ice. Pore-water pressure was regulated in the prism by pumping water to it. During experiments lasting 7-12 days, the glacier regelated downward into the prism to depths of 50-80 mm, accreting ice-infiltrated till at rates predicted by theory. During periods of sustained high pore-water pressure (70-100% of overburden), ice commonly slipped over the prism, due to a water layer at the prism surface. Deformation of the prism was activated when this layer thinned to a sub-millimeter thickness. Shear strain in the till was pervasive and decreased with depth. A model of slip by ploughing of ice-infiltrated till across the prism surface accounts for the slip that occurred when effective pressure was sufficiently low or high. Slip at low effective pressures resulted from water-layer thickening that increased non-linearly with decreasing effective pressure. If sufficiently widespread, such slip over soft glacier beds, which involves no viscous deformation resistance, may instigate abrupt increases in glacier velocity.

Synthesis of soil-hydraulic properties and infiltration timescales in wildfire-affected soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebel, Brian A.; Moody, John A.

2017-01-01

We collected soil-hydraulic property data from the literature for wildfire-affected soils, ash, and unburned soils. These data were used to calculate metrics and timescales of hydrologic response related to infiltration and surface runoff generation. Sorptivity (S) and wetting front potential (Ψf) were significantly different (lower) in burned soils compared with unburned soils, whereas field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) was not significantly different. The magnitude and duration of the influence of capillarity during infiltration was greatly reduced in burned soils, causing faster ponding times in response to rainfall. Ash had large values of S and Kfs but moderate values of Ψf, compared with unburned and burned soils, indicating ash has long ponding times in response to rainfall. The ratio of S2/Kfs was nearly constant (~100 mm) for unburned soils but more variable in burned soils, suggesting that unburned soils have a balance between gravity and capillarity contributions to infiltration that may depend on soil organic matter, whereas in burned soils the gravity contribution to infiltration is greater. Changes in S and Kfs in burned soils act synergistically to reduce infiltration and accelerate and amplify surface runoff generation. Synthesis of these findings identifies three key areas for future research. First, short timescales of capillary influences on infiltration indicate the need for better measurements of infiltration at times less than 1 min to accurately characterize S in burned soils. Second, using parameter values, such as Ψf, from unburned areas could produce substantial errors in hydrologic modeling when used without adjustment for wildfire effects, causing parameter compensation and resulting underestimation of Kfs. Third, more thorough measurement campaigns that capture soil-structural changes, organic matter impacts, quantitative water repellency trends, and soil-water content along with soil-hydraulic properties could drive the development of better techniques for numerically simulating infiltration in burned areas.

Experimental Investigation of 2D thermal signature and 3D X-Ray Computed Tomography in contrasting Wettable and Water-Repellent Beads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsih, Abdulkareem; Flavel, Richard; McGrath, Gavan

2017-04-01

This study presents experimental results investigating spatial patterns of infiltration and evaporation in heterogeneous water repellent media. Infrared camera measurements and 3D X-ray computed tomography imaging was performed across wet-dry cycles on glass beads with engineered patches of water repellence. The imaging revealed spatial variability in infiltration and the redistribution of water in the media resulting in differences in relative evaporation rates during drying. It appears that the spatial organization of the heterogeneity play a role in the breakdown of water repellence at the interface of the two media. This suggests a potential mechanism for self-organization of repellency spatial patterns in field soils. At the interface between wettable and water repellent beads a lateral drying front propagates towards the wettable beads from the repellent beads. During this drying the relative surface temperatures change from a relatively cooler repellent media surface to a relatively cooler wettable media surface indicating the changes in evaporative water loss between the beads of varying water repellence. The lateral drying front was confirmed using thermography in a small-scale model of glass beads with chemically induced repellence and then subjected to 3D X-ray imaging. Pore-scale imaging identified the hydrology at the interface of the two media and at the drying front giving insights into the physics of water flow in water repellent soil.

Hydraulic, water-quality, and temperature performance of three types of permeable pavement under high sediment loading conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Selbig, William R.; Buer, Nicolas

2018-05-11

Three permeable pavement surfaces - asphalt (PA), concrete (PC), and interlocking pavers (PIP) - were evaluated side-by-side to measure changes to the infiltrative capacity and water quality of stormwater runoff originating from a conventional asphalt parking lot in Madison, Wisconsin. During the 24-month monitoring period (2014-16), all three permeable pavements resulted in statistically significant reductions in the cumulative load of solids (total suspended solids and suspended sediment), total phosphorus, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Enterococci. Most of the removal occurred through capture and retention in the void spaces of each permeable surface and aggregate base. The largest reduction in total suspended solids was for PC at 80 percent, followed by PIP and PA at 69 and 65 percent, respectively. Reductions (generally less than 50 percent) in total phosphorus also were observed, which might have been tempered by increases in the dissolved fraction observed in PIP and PA. Conversely, PC results indicated a slight reduction in dissolved phosphorus but failed to meet statistical significance. E. coli and Enterococci were reduced by about 80 percent for PC, almost twice the amount observed for PIP and PA.Results for the PIP and PC surfaces initially indicated higher pollutant load reduction than results for the PA surface. The efficiency of PIP and PC surfaces capturing sediment, however, led to a decline in infiltration rates that resulted in more runoff flowing over, not through, the permeable surface. This result led to a decline in treatment until the permeable surface was partially restored through maintenance practices, to which PIP responded more dramatically than PC or PA. Conversely, the PA surface was capable of infiltrating most of the influent runoff volume during the monitoring period and, thus, continued to provide some level of treatment. The combined effect of underdrain and overflow drainage resulted in similar pollutant treatment for all three permeable surfaces.Temperatures below each permeable surface generally followed changes in air temperature with a more gradual response observed in deeper layers. Therefore, permeable pavement may do little to mitigate heated runoff during summer. During winter, deeper layers remained above freezing even when air temperature was below freezing. Although temperatures were not high enough to melt snow or ice accumulated on the surface, temperatures below each permeable pavement did allow void spaces to remain open, which promoted infiltration of melted ice and snow as air temperatures rose above freezing. These open void spaces could potentially reduce the need for application of deicing agents in winter because melted snow and ice would infiltrate, thereby preventing refreezing of pooled water in what is known as the “black ice” effect.

Numerical Analysis of Infiltration Into a Sand Profile Bounded by a Capillary Fringe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curtis, Alan A.; Watson, Keith K.

1980-04-01

The rapid response sometimes observed in a tile drain system following surface ponding of water is discussed in terms of the air compressibility effect. An earlier numerical study describing water movement into a bounded profile with a lower boundary impermeable to the passage of both air and water is reviewed with particular reference to the validity of the time-dependent boundary condition transformation used in simulating the inhibiting effects of the air pressure increase on infiltration. The extension of the transformation approach to a profile bounded by a capillary fringe is then considered in detail, and the results of numerical analyses are presented for infiltration into two columns of a fine sand initially in hydraulic equilibrium from a prior gravity drainage regime. The shorter column develops a steady state flow condition at short times which is consistent with earlier experimental findings. In contrast, the pressure of the entrapped air in the longer column gradually increases as infiltration proceeds until the analysis is terminated when air escape through the lower boundary is imminent.

Discussion of pore pressure transmission under rain infiltration in a soil layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S. Y.; Jan, C. D.

2017-12-01

The vadose zone (or unsaturated zone) denotes the geologic media between ground surface and the water table in situ where the openings, or pores, in the soil (rock) layers are partially filled with water and air. In this landscape, rainwater infiltrates into soils advancing through this vadose zone and could generates a shallow saturation zone at soil bedrock boundary due to permeability contrast. This saturation zone leads to downslope shallow subsurface storm runoff that contributes to a part of saturation overland flow, dominating water reaching river channels. Hence, unsaturated processes (e.g., rain infiltration) is an important issue that can determine the timing and magnitude of positive pore pressure and discharge peaks, and the characteristics of runoff, water chemistry, hillslope stability is also tie to the processes. In this study, we investigated the transmission of pore pressure evolution in the vadose zone for diverse soil materials based on poroelasticity theory. Commonly, a traditional way is to utilize the Richard's equation to predict pore pressure evolution under unsaturated rain infiltration, ignoring the inertial effect on the process. Here we relax this limitation and propose two reference time tk and tep that can represent the arriving time at a certain depth of wave propagation and dissipation, respectively. Form ground surface to a depth of 1 m, tk has significant differences under nearly unsaturated conditions for diverse soil properties; however, no evident variations in tk can be observed under nearly saturated conditions. Values of tep for loose, cohesionless soils are much greater but decreases to the smallest one (within 1 day) than those for other soil properties under a nearly saturated condition. Results indicate that transient pore pressure transmission is mainly dominated by dynamic wave propagation but the effect of dissipation could become more important with increase in water saturation.

Hydrogeophysical monitoring of water infiltration processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bevilacqua, Ivan; Cassiani, Giorgio; Deiana, Rita; Canone, Davide; Previati, Maurizio

2010-05-01

Non-invasive subsurface monitoring is growing in the last years. Techniques like ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be useful in soil water content monitoring (e.g., Vereecken et al., 2006). Some problems remain (e.g. spatial resolution), but the scale is consistent with many applications and hydrological models. The research has to to provide even more quantitative tools, without remaining in the qualitative realm. This is a very crucial step in the way to provide data useful for hydrological modeling. In this work a controlled field infiltration experiment has been done in August 2009 in the experimental site of Grugliasco, close to the Agricultural Faculty of the University of Torino, Italy. The infiltration has been monitored in time lapse by ERT, GPR, and TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry). The sandy soil characteristics of the site has been already described in another experiment [Cassiani et al. 2009a].The ERT was èperformed in dipole-dipole configuration, while the GPR had 100 MHz and 500 MHz antennas in WARR configuration. The TDR gages had different lengths. The amount of water which was sprinkled was also monitored in time.Irrigation intensity has been always smaller than infiltration capacity, in order not toh ave any surface ponding. Spectral induced polarization has been used to infer constitutive parameters from soil samples [Cassiani et al. 2009b]. 2D Richards equation model (Manzini and Ferraris, 2004) has been then calibrated with the measurements. References. Cassiani, G., S. Ferraris, M. Giustiniani, R. Deiana and C.Strobbia, 2009a, Time-lapse surface-to-surface GPR measurements to monitor a controlled infiltration experiment, in press, Bollettino di Geofisica Teorica ed Applicata, Vol. 50, 2 Marzo 2009, pp. 209-226. Cassiani, G., A. Kemna, A.Villa, and E. Zimmermann, 2009b, Spectral induced polarization for the characterization of free-phase hydrocarbon contamination in sediments with low clay content, Near Surface Geophysics, special issue on Hydrogeophysics, p. 547-562. Manzini G., and Ferraris S. 2004. Mass-conservative finite-volume methods on 2-D unstructured grids for the Richards equation, 'Advances in Water Resources' 27(12):1199-1215, 2004. content with ground penetrating radar: A review. Vadose Zone Journal 2, 476-491. Vereecken H., Binley A., Cassiani G., Kharkhordin I., Revil A. and Titov K. 2006. Applied Hydrogeophysics. Springer-Verlag.

Interannual to multidecadal climate forcings on groundwater resources of the U.S. West Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Velasco, Elzie M.; Gurdak, Jason J.; Dickinson, Jesse; Ferré, T.P.A.; Corona, Claudia

2017-01-01

Study regionThe U.S. West Coast, including the Pacific Northwest and California Coastal Basins aquifer systems.Study focusGroundwater response to interannual to multidecadal climate variability has important implications for security within the water–energy–food nexus. Here we use Singular Spectrum Analysis to quantify the teleconnections between AMO, PDO, ENSO, and PNA and precipitation and groundwater level fluctuations. The computer program DAMP was used to provide insight on the influence of soil texture, depth to water, and mean and period of a surface infiltration flux on the damping of climate signals in the vadose zone.New hydrological insights for the regionWe find that PDO, ENSO, and PNA have significant influence on precipitation and groundwater fluctuations across a north-south gradient of the West Coast, but the lower frequency climate modes (PDO) have a greater influence on hydrologic patterns than higher frequency climate modes (ENSO and PNA). Low frequency signals tend to be preserved better in groundwater fluctuations than high frequency signals, which is a function of the degree of damping of surface variable fluxes related to soil texture, depth to water, mean and period of the infiltration flux. The teleconnection patterns that exist in surface hydrologic processes are not necessarily the same as those preserved in subsurface processes, which are affected by damping of some climate variability signals within infiltrating water.

REMOTE SENSING FOR DETECTING SWINE ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Surface runoff from animal feeding operations (AFO's) and its infiltration into ground water can
pose a number of risks to water quality mainly because of the amount of animal manure and wastewater they produce. Excess nutrients generated by livestock facilities can lead to a...

Tillage impact on herbicide loss by surface runoff and lateral subsurface flow

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is worldwide interest in conservation tillage practices because they can reduce surface runoff, agrichemical, and sediment loss from farm fields. Since these practices typically increase infiltration, their use may increase subsurface transport of water-soluble contaminants. Thus, to assess lo...

Biological Soil Crusts are Ecohydrological Hotspots in Dryland and Subhumid Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belnap, J.; Chamizo de la Piedra, S.

2015-12-01

Dry and subhumid lands cover ~41% of Earth's terrestrial surface and biocrusts are often a dominant lifeform in these regions. These soil surface communities are known to be critical component in determining dryland hydrologic cycles by altering infiltration, runoff and evaporation processes; thus, they create a hotspot for ecohydrologic processes. Biocrust properties, such as micro-topography and the spatial distribution of overall cover and individual species, are believed to be the most influential; these properties vary with climate. Across the gradient from higher potential evapo-transpiration (PET; lower rainfall/higher temperatures such as hyper-arid deserts) to lower PET (higher rainfall/lower temperature such as semi-arid steppe), the external morphology of biocrusts generally goes from very smooth to highly roughened, with water residence time thus increasing as well. This change in PET is also accompanied by increasing species number and biomass; while these changes increase water absorption, they also clogs soil pores. It has long been believed that as biocrust roughness, species, and biomass increases, so does water infiltration and retention. However, the majority of these studies have occurred at a very small (< 2m2) spatial scale. Interesting, when done at the small scale, the current dogma holds: smooth biocrusts with low biomass decrease infiltration and increase runoff, whereas roughened ones with higher biomass increase infiltration. However, studies done at larger spatial scales across a gradient of roughness, species composition, and biomass, show biocrusts almost always increase infiltration and decrease runoff, regardless of biocrust characteristics. This finding runs counter to long-held views regarding the role of biocrusts in hydrologic cycles. These findings have large implications for modelling of soil moisture cycles in drylands under current and future conditions and the concept of ecohydrologic hotspots and hot moments in drylands.

Resistivity profiling to locate an infiltration area and the possible recovery of the dried Andara lake (Picos de Europa National Park, Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallastegui, Jorge; Olona, Javier; Farias, Pedro; González-Cortina, Juan Manuel; Fernández-Viejo, Gabriela; López, Carlos; Cadenas, Patricia

2013-04-01

The Ándara Lake constituted the third mass of water by extension (approximately 19000 m2) within the calcareous Picos de Europa Massif in NW Spain, but only a small pond remains today (about 1250 m2). The lake developed in a former glacial valley and its sudden draining occurred in the second decade of the 20th century, during the development of underground Pb-Zn mining, between 1889 and 1929, in the vicinity. Old mining maps show that there were shallow galleries active below the bottom of the ancient lake. The present study was requested by the Picos de Europa National Park Administration (Spanish Ministry of Environment) with the purpose of: i) localizing the areas of water infiltration and ii) establishing the cause of the draining, specially its possible relation with the mining activity in the surroundings. With this aim a geological study of the substrate of the lake was made, followed by a series of electrical resistivity profiles. Three resistivity parallel profiles were recorded along the axis of the dried lake on the 29th July. Each profile included 56 electrodes with 5 m spacing for a total profile length of 275 m. Data was recorded in both dipole-dipole and Schlumberger array configuration. The western profile had been recorded earlier in the summer (30th June) and was also repeated towards the end of the season (3rd September) in order to evaluate the evolution of the infiltrations. The results showed two areas of infiltration to the NE and SW of the present-day pond. Both of them cut across the underlying carboniferous limestone. However. the southwestern anomaly does not reach the surface and may be related with water flowing in karstic conduits in the limestone. The northeastern one reached the surface and the anomaly decreased as the pond dried during the summer allowing us to interpret it as the main area of infiltration. This area coincides with the intersection of two seams exploited both on the surface and by underground mining. This corroborates the relationship between the water disappearance and the mining activities, which is an indispensable condition for the National Park management to consider taking any future actions aimed to a possible recovery of the original water mass.

Temporal evolution of water repellency and preferential flow in the post-fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alanís, Nancy; Jordán, Antonio; Zavala, Lorena M.

2015-04-01

Forest fires usually intensify erosive process due to the reduction of vegetation cover and degradation of aggregation in the topsoil. Another common effect of wildifres is the development of soil water repellency, which in turn favors the formation of runoff, inhibiting or delaying infiltration. Under these conditions, infiltration occurs only when ponded water or runoff flow finds macropores and cracks in the soil surface, producing preferential flow pathways. When water infiltrates through these paths, a significant portion of the soil remains dry, limiting the supply of nutrients to the roots, favoring the rapid leaching of nutrients and agrochemicals, and other impacts on flora and hydrological processes at hillslope- or basin-scale. The existence of irregular wetting fronts has been observed frequently in burned or unburned water repellent soils. Although some authors have suggested that preferential flow paths may be more or less permanent in the case of unburned soils, the temporal evolution of preferential flow has been rarely studied in burned soils during the post-fire, after water repellency decreases or disappears. This research focuses on the temporal evolution of water repellency and preferential flows in an area affected by fire.

Collector design for measuring high intensity time variant sprinkler application rates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peak water application rate in relation to soil water infiltration rate and soil surface storage capacity is important in the design of center pivot sprinkler irrigation systems for efficient irrigation and soil erosion control. Measurement of application rates of center pivot irrigation systems ha...

Air Permeability and Infiltration Differences Associated with Grass and Gravel Streambeds in an Urban Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witte, B.; Ferlin, C.; Gallo, E. L.; Lohse, K. A.; Meixner, T.; Brooks, P. D.; Ferre, T. A.

2010-12-01

Storm water infiltration and recharge is a key component of sustainable water resource management in rapidly expanding urban areas of arid and semi-arid regions. Near surface streambed permeability affects the partitioning of stream flows to infiltration and subsequent groundwater recharge, or increasing runoff to be conveyed downstream. Therefore, in this study, we assessed how air permeability varied among distinct stream beds of ephemeral urban washes in the semi-arid southwest. A Soil Core Air Permeameter (SCAP) was used to quantify in situ air permeability at sixteen sites in the Tucson, Arizona metropolitan area. Significant air permeability differences between gravel and grass lined ephemeral stream beds were found, where the average air permeability at the gravel sites was 3.58 x10-2 ± 1.11 x 10-2 mm2 (mean ± std error) and the air permeability at the grass sites was 7.13 x 10-3 ± 2.02 x 10-3 mm2. A previously published linear correlation between air permeability and saturated hydraulic conductivity was used to predict saturated hydraulic conductivity at the ephemeral stream beds of this study. Preliminary results suggest that the predicted saturated hydraulic conductivity values are comparable to ring infiltration measurements taken in the field. Findings from this study indicate that the higher porosity and decreased vegetation at the gravel lined urban washes enhanced infiltration rates, which may lead to decreased storm water runoff. However, higher infiltration rates at gravel lined sites may result in less time for processing of potential pollutants with negative implications for water quality.

Field-Measured Infiltration Properties of Mojave Desert Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, K. S.; Nimmo, J. R.; Winfield, K. A.; Schmidt, K. M.; Miller, D. M.; Stock, J. D.; Singha, K.

2005-12-01

Characteristics typical of alluvial desert soils, such as depositional stratification, desert pavement, biotic crusts, and vesicular horizons strongly influence soil moisture and its variability. Knowledge of infiltration capacity, water retention, and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is central to the assessment of water availability to plants and animals after infiltration events. These hydraulic parameters are directly related to the degree of soil development. The frequency and magnitude of storm events in conjunction with degree of soil development also affect runoff and erosion. Our purpose is to examine field soil-water behavior and determine unsaturated hydraulic properties needed for large-scale modeling of soil moisture. The results of this study will be used in conjunction with surficial geologic mapping of the Mojave Desert in evaluations of ecological habitat quality. We conducted infiltration/redistribution experiments on three different-aged deposits in the Mojave National Preserve: (1) recently deposited wash sediments, (2) a soil of early Holocene age, and (3) a highly developed soil of late Pleistocene age. In each experiment we ponded water in a 1-m-diameter infiltration ring for 2.3 hr. For several weeks we monitored water content and matric pressure to depths of 1.5 m, and distances of 6 m from the infiltration ring. Measuring techniques included surface electrical resistance tomography, dielectric-constant probes, heat-dissipation probes, and tensiometers. Analysis of the subsurface measurements using an instantaneous-profile technique gives the retention and K properties that will be used in predictive modeling. In each experiment the infiltration rate was nearly constant in time, with infiltration capacity 4 times greater in the youngest than in the oldest soil. Average infiltration flux densities within the ring during the period of ponding were 0.80 m/hr in the active wash, 0.45 m/hr in the Holocene soil, and 0.21 m/hr in the Pleistocene soil. All three deposits have significant gravel (30-70% within the uppermost 1.5 m) with the percentage of silt and clay increasing with deposit age. The low infiltration capacity in the oldest soil is consistent with the presence of the more highly developed vesicular horizon and accumulation of illuvial silt. Depositional stratification in the active wash did not impede downward flow to the same degree as in the early Holocene-age soil, which has some soil horizon development and sparse biotic crust. Infiltrated water spread laterally to at least 1 m beyond the ring perimeter at all sites; the presence of a buried clay-rich horizon in the active wash enhanced spreading at depth to 2 m.

Preparation and Microcosmic Structural Analysis of Recording Coating on Inkjet Printing Media

PubMed Central

Jiang, Bo; Liu, Weiyan; Bai, Yongping; Huang, Yudong; Liu, Li; Han, Jianping

2011-01-01

Preparation of recording coating on inkjet printing (RC-IJP) media was proposed. The microstructure and roughness of RC-IJP was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The surface infiltration process of RC-IJP was studied by a liquid infiltration instrument. The distribution of C, O and Si composites on recording coating surface is analyzed by energy dispersive spectrum (EDS). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the nanoscale silica could be dissolved uniformly in water. Finally, the print color is shown clearly by the preparative recording coating. PMID:21954368

Negative trade-off between changes in vegetation water use and infiltration recovery after reforesting degraded pasture land in the Nepalese Lesser Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghimire, C. P.; Bruijnzeel, L. A.; Lubczynski, M. W.; Bonell, M.

2014-03-01

This work investigates the trade-off between increases in vegetation water use and rain water infiltration afforded by soil improvement after reforesting severely degraded grassland in the Lesser Himalaya of Central Nepal. The hillslope hydrological functioning (surface- and sub-soil hydraulic conductivities and overland flow generation) and the evapotranspiration (rainfall interception and transpiration) of the following contrasting vegetation types were quantified and examined in detail: (i) a nearly undisturbed natural broad-leaved forest; (ii) a mature, intensively-used pine plantation; and (iii) a highly degraded pasture. Planting pines increased vegetation water use relative to the pasture and natural forest situation by 355 and 55 mm year-1, respectively. On balance, the limited amount of extra infiltration afforded by the pine plantation relative to the pasture (only 90 mm year-1 due to continued soil degradation associated with regular harvesting of litter and understory vegetation in the plantation) proved insufficient to compensate the higher water use of the pines. As such, observed declines in dry season flows in the study area are thought to reflect the higher water use of the pines although the effect could be moderated by better forest and soil management promoting infiltration. In contrast, a comparison of the water use of the natural forest and degraded pasture suggests that replacing the latter by (mature) broad-leaved forest would (ultimately) have a near-neutral effect on dry season flows as the approximate gains in infiltration and evaporative losses were very similar (ca. 300 m year-1 each). The results of the present study underscore the need for proper forest management for optimum hydrological functioning as well as the importance of protecting the remaining natural forests in the region.

Negative trade-off between changes in vegetation water use and infiltration recovery after reforesting degraded pasture land in the Nepalese Lesser Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghimire, C. P.; Bruijnzeel, L. A.; Lubczynski, M. W.; Bonell, M.

2014-12-01

This work investigates the trade-off between increases in vegetation water use and rain water infiltration afforded by soil improvement after reforesting severely degraded grassland in the Lesser Himalaya of central Nepal. The hillslope hydrological functioning (surface and subsurface soil hydraulic conductivities and overland flow generation) and the evapotranspiration (rainfall interception and transpiration) of the following contrasting vegetation types were quantified and examined in detail: (i) a nearly undisturbed, natural broadleaved forest; (ii) a 25-year-old, intensively-used pine plantation; and (iii) a highly degraded pasture. Planting pines increased vegetation water use relative to the pasture and natural forest situation by 355 and 55 mm year-1, respectively. On balance, the limited amount of extra infiltration afforded by the pine plantation relative to the pasture (only 90 mm year-1 due to continued soil degradation associated with regular harvesting of litter and understory vegetation in the plantation) proved insufficient to compensate the higher water use of the pines. As such, observed declines in dry season flows in the study area are thought to mainly reflect the higher water use of the pines although the effect could be moderated by better forest and soil management promoting infiltration. In contrast, a comparison of the water use of the natural forest and degraded pasture suggests that replacing the latter by (mature) broadleaved forest would (ultimately) have a near-neutral effect on dry season flows as the approximate gains in infiltration and evaporative losses were very similar (ca. 300 mm year-1 each). The results of the present study underscore the need for proper forest management for optimum hydrological functioning as well as the importance of protecting the remaining natural forests in the region.

Flow Classification and Cave Discharge Characteristics in Unsaturated Karst Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariethoz, G.; Mahmud, K.; Baker, A.; Treble, P. C.

2015-12-01

In this study we utilize the spatial array of automated cave drip monitoring in two large chambers of the Golgotha Cave, SW Australia, developed in Quaternary aeolianite (dune limestone), with the aim of understanding infiltration water movement via the relationships between infiltration, stalactite morphology and groundwater recharge. Mahmud et al. (2015) used the Terrestrial LiDAR measurements to analyze stalactite morphology and to characterize possible flow locations in this cave. Here we identify the stalactites feeding the drip loggers and classify each as matrix (soda straw or icicle), fracture or combined-flow. These morphology-based classifications are compared with flow characteristics from the drip logger time series and the discharge from each stalactite is calculated. The total estimated discharge from each area is compared with infiltration estimates to better understand flow from the surface to the cave ceilings of the studied areas. The drip discharge data agrees with the morphology-based flow classification in terms of flow and geometrical characteristics of cave ceiling stalactites. No significant relationships were observed between the drip logger discharge, skewness and coefficient of variation with overburden thickness, due to the possibility of potential vadose-zone storage volume and increasing complexity of the karst architecture. However, these properties can be used to characterize different flow categories. A correlation matrix demonstrates that similar flow categories are positively correlated, implying significant influence of spatial distribution. The infiltration water comes from a larger surface area, suggesting that infiltration is being focused to the studied ceiling areas of each chamber. Most of the ceiling in the cave site is dry, suggesting the possibility of capillary effects with water moving around the cave rather than passing through it. Reference:Mahmud et al. (2015), Terrestrial Lidar Survey and Morphological Analysis to Identify Infiltration Properties in the Tamala Limestone, Western Australia, IEEE JSTARS, DOI: 10.1109/JSTARS.2015.2451088, in Press.

Evaluation of different field methods for measuring soil water infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pla-Sentís, Ildefonso; Fonseca, Francisco

2010-05-01

Soil infiltrability, together with rainfall characteristics, is the most important hydrological parameter for the evaluation and diagnosis of the soil water balance and soil moisture regime. Those balances and regimes are the main regulating factors of the on site water supply to plants and other soil organisms and of other important processes like runoff, surface and mass erosion, drainage, etc, affecting sedimentation, flooding, soil and water pollution, water supply for different purposes (population, agriculture, industries, hydroelectricity), etc. Therefore the direct measurement of water infiltration rates or its indirect deduction from other soil characteristics or properties has become indispensable for the evaluation and modelling of the previously mentioned processes. Indirect deductions from other soil characteristics measured under laboratory conditions in the same soils, or in other soils, through the so called "pedo-transfer" functions, have demonstrated to be of limited value in most of the cases. Direct "in situ" field evaluations have to be preferred in any case. In this contribution we present the results of past experiences in the measurement of soil water infiltration rates in many different soils and land conditions, and their use for deducing soil water balances under variable climates. There are also presented and discussed recent results obtained in comparing different methods, using double and single ring infiltrometers, rainfall simulators, and disc permeameters, of different sizes, in soils with very contrasting surface and profile characteristics and conditions, including stony soils and very sloping lands. It is concluded that there are not methods universally applicable to any soil and land condition, and that in many cases the results are significantly influenced by the way we use a particular method or instrument, and by the alterations in the soil conditions by the land management, but also due to the manipulation of the surface soil before and during the measurement. Due to the commonly found high variability, natural or induced by land management, of the soil surface and subsurface hydrological properties, and to the limitations imposed by the requirements of water for the measurements, there is proposed a simple and handy method, which do not use high volumes of water, adaptable to very different soil and land conditions, and that allow many repeated measurements with acceptable accuracy for most of the purposes. References Pla, I., 1997. A soil water balance model for monitoring soil erosion processes and effects on steep lands in the tropics. Soil Technology. 11(1):17-30. Elsevier Pla, I., 2006. Hydrological approach for assessing desertification processes in the Mediterranean region. In W.G. Kepner et al. (Editors), Desertification in the Mediterranean Region. A Security Issue. 579-600 Springer. Heidelberg (Germany) Reynolds W.D., B.T. Bowman, R.R. Brunke, C.F. Drury and C.S. Tan. 2000. Comparison of Tension Infiltrometer, Pressure Infiltrometer, and Soil Core Estimates of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity . Soil Science Society of America Journal 64:478-484 Segal, E., S.A.Bradford, P. Shouse; N. Lazarovich, and D. Corwin. 2008. Integration of Hard and Soft Data to Characterize Field-Scale Hydraulic Properties for Flow and Transport Studies. Vadose Zone J 7:878-889 Young, E. 1991. Infiltration measurements, a review. Hydrological processes 5: 309-320.

Impact of climate variations on Managed Aquifer Recharge infiltration basins.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barquero, Felix; Stefan, Catalin

2017-04-01

KEYWORDS: Managed Aquifer Recharge, field scale infiltration unit, climatic conditions, numerical model Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is a technique that is gaining more attention as a sustainable alternative for areas where water scarcity is increasing. Main concept relies on facilitating the vertical infiltration of a source of fresh water (river water, rainwater, reclaimed water, etc). The groundwater acts as storage of water for further use in the future, for example in times of water scarcity. In some MAR types the soil itself can be used even as a filter for the removal of specific organic and inorganic compounds. In order to promote the benefits of MAR in different zones of the globe with variable climate conditions, including the effects of climate change, a numerical model (HYDRUS 2D/3D) is being set up. Coupled with the model a field-scale rapid infiltration unit (4m x 5m x 1.5m) was constructed with the capacity to log different MAR key parameters in the soil (tension, water content, temperature and electrical conductivity) in space and time. These data will feed the model for its calibration using specific hydrogeological characteristics of the packing material and hydraulic characteristics of the infiltrated fluid. The unit is located in the city of Pirna (German), 200 m north from the Elbe River where the groundwater level varies seasonally between 6 and 9 m below the ground surface. Together with the field scale rapid infiltration unit, a set of multi-parametric sensors (measuring in time: water stage, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature) in six monitoring wells, located on the basin surroundings, were installed. The purpose of these sensors is to estimate, via tracer experiments, the time that the infiltrated water needed to reach the groundwater and the flow speed in which it travelled once it reached the saturated zone. Once calibrated, the model will be able to estimate the flow behaviour under variable climate conditions (temperature, precipitation and evaporation), representative for different climatic zones in the globe. The simulation results of the different climate models reported by the IPCC will also be considered for critical zones where fresh water availability will decrease considerably. In the field, the first results confirmed the arrival, after 14 days of travel time, of the infiltrated river water front to the monitoring wells located next to the infiltration unit. Further tracer experiments have to be performed in order to catch a stronger breakthrough curve in more than one observation point. Interesting open questions arise from the data stored in the trench sensors. How the change of the travel velocity depends on different external parameters like time of operation, cyclic wetting and drying regime and temperature, will be analysed together with the results of the ongoing experiments.

Fate of individual sewage disposal system wastewater within regolith in mountainous terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dano, Kathleen; Poeter, Eileen; Thyne, Geoff

2008-06-01

In order to improve understanding of the fate of septic tank or individual sewage disposal system (ISDS) effluent in regolith overlying fractured-rock aquifers, effluent from an ISDS in such a setting was tracked via geophysical, hydrological, and geochemical methods. Under typical precipitation conditions, the effluent entered the fractured bedrock within 5 m of the boundary of the constructed infiltration area. During a period of unusually high spring recharge, the plume migrated between 50 and 100 m within the regolith before infiltrating the fractured bedrock. The chemical signature of the effluent is similar to that required to account for the decline in water quality, suggesting a causative relationship (as estimated from mass-balance models of the surface-water chemistry near the mouth of the basin). The elevated salt content of the effluent during periods of high natural recharge to the infiltration area correlates with elevated salt concentrations in surface and groundwater at the basin scale, suggesting that some of the effluent salt load may be stored in the unsaturated zone during dry periods and flushed during periods of elevated natural recharge.

Geospatial application of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) Model

Treesearch

D. C. Flanagan; J. R. Frankenberger; T. A. Cochrane; C. S. Renschler; W. J. Elliot

2011-01-01

The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model is a process-based technology for prediction of soil erosion by water at hillslope profile, field, and small watershed scales. In particular, WEPP utilizes observed or generated daily climate inputs to drive the surface hydrology processes (infiltration, runoff, ET) component, which subsequently impacts the rest of the...

Fiber Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing of Recharge Basin Percolation Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, M.; Allen, E. M.; Hutchinson, A.

2014-12-01

Infiltration (spreading) basins are a central component of managed aquifer and recovery operations around the world. The concept is simple. Water is percolated into an aquifer where it can be withdrawn at a later date. However, managing infiltration basins can be complicated by entrapped air in sediments, strata of low permeability, clogging of the recharge surface, and biological growth, among other factors. Understanding the dynamics of percolation in light of these complicating factors provides a basis for making management decisions that increase recharge efficiency. As an aid to understanding percolation dynamics, fiber optic distribute temperature sensing (DTS) was used to track heat as a tracer of water movement in an infiltration basin. The diurnal variation of temperature in the basin was sensed at depth. The time lag between the oscillating temperature signal at the surface and at depth indicated the velocity of water percolation. DTS fiber optic cables were installed horizontally along the basin and vertically in boreholes to measure percolation behavior. The horizontal cable was installed in trenches at 0.3 and 1 m depth, and the vertical cable was installed using direct push technology. The vertical cable was tightly wound to produce a factor of 10 increase in spatial resolution of temperature measurements. Temperature was thus measured every meter across the basin and every 10 cm to a depth of 10 m. Data from the trenched cable suggested homogeneous percolation across the basin, but infiltration rates were a function of stage indicating non-ideal percolation. Vertical temperature monitoring showed significant lateral flow in sediments underlying the basin both during saturation and operation of the basin. Deflections in the vertical temperature profile corresponded with fine grained layers identified in core samples indicating a transient perched water table condition. The three-dimensional flow in this relatively homogenous surficial geology calls into question the relevance of simple wetting models for predicting percolation behavior in infiltration basins.

Climatic Forecasting of Net Infiltration at Yucca Montain Using Analogue Meteororological Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B. Faybishenko

At Yucca Mountain, Nevada, future changes in climatic conditions will most likely alter net infiltration, or the drainage below the bottom of the evapotranspiration zone within the soil profile or flow across the interface between soil and the densely welded part of the Tiva Canyon Tuff. The objectives of this paper are to: (a) develop a semi-empirical model and forecast average net infiltration rates, using the limited meteorological data from analogue meteorological stations, for interglacial (present day), and future monsoon, glacial transition, and glacial climates over the Yucca Mountain region, and (b) corroborate the computed net-infiltration rates by comparing themmore » with the empirically and numerically determined groundwater recharge and percolation rates through the unsaturated zone from published data. In this paper, the author presents an approach for calculations of net infiltration, aridity, and precipitation-effectiveness indices, using a modified Budyko's water-balance model, with reference-surface potential evapotranspiration determined from the radiation-based Penman (1948) formula. Results of calculations show that net infiltration rates are expected to generally increase from the present-day climate to monsoon climate, to glacial transition climate, and then to the glacial climate. The forecasting results indicate the overlap between the ranges of net infiltration for different climates. For example, the mean glacial net-infiltration rate corresponds to the upper-bound glacial transition net infiltration, and the lower-bound glacial net infiltration corresponds to the glacial transition mean net infiltration. Forecasting of net infiltration for different climate states is subject to numerous uncertainties-associated with selecting climate analogue sites, using relatively short analogue meteorological records, neglecting the effects of vegetation and surface runoff and runon on a local scale, as well as possible anthropogenic climate changes.« less

[Relationship between groundwater quality index of nutrition element and organic matter in riparian zone and water quality in river].

PubMed

Hua-Shan, Xu; Tong-Qian, Zhao; Hong-Q, Meng; Zong-Xue, Xu; Chao-Hon, Ma

2011-04-01

Riparian zone hydrology is dominated by shallow groundwater with complex interactions between groundwater and surface water. There are obvious relations of discharge and recharge between groundwater and surface water. Flood is an important hydrological incident that affects groundwater quality in riparian zone. By observing variations of physical and chemical groundwater indicators in riparian zone at the Kouma section of the Yellow River Wetland, especially those took place in the period of regulation for water and sediment at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, relationship between the groundwater quality in riparian zone and the flood water quality in the river is studied. Results show that there will be great risk of nitrogen, phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and organic matter permeating into the groundwater if floodplain changes into farmland. As the special control unit of nitrogen pollution between rivers and artificial wetlands, dry fanning areas near the river play a very important role in nitrogen migration between river and groundwater. Farm manure as base fertilizer may he an important source of phosphorus leak and loss at the artificial wetlands. Phosphorus leaks into the groundwater and is transferred along the hydraulic gradient, especially during the period of regulation for water and sediment at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. The land use types and farming systems of the riparian floodplain have a major impact on the nitrate nitrogen contents of the groundwater. Nitrogen can infiltrate and accumulate quickly at anaerobic conditions in the fish pond area, and the annual nitrogen achieves a relatively balanced state in lotus area. In those areas, the soil is flooded and at anaerobic condition in spring and summer, nitrogen infiltrates and denitrification significantly, but soil is not flooded and at aerobic condition in the autumn and winter, and during these time, a significant nitrogen nitrification process occurs. In the area between 50 m and 200 m from the river bank, which is the efficient microbial nitrogen purification unit, nitrification-denitrification is intensive. Farm manure is an important source of organic matter loss at the artificial wetlands. Floodplain has sandy soil texture, with high infiltration capacity and low water and fertilizer conservation ability. Such features are prone for the loss of surface soil nutrition and organic matter if agricultural activities taken place in these areas change the land use of wetlands and apply extensive fertilizer. The infiltrated nutrition elements and organic matter can pollute the groundwater and the river. Compared with the losses of nutrition element and organic matter caused by surface runoff, the infiltrated process is even more prominent. As typical floodplain groundwater-river ecotone, the area between 50 m and 200 m from the river bank is a momentous pollution purification unit. Rational protection for this region is critical for the conservation of water quality in the river and groundwater.

Installing artificial macropores in degraded soils to enhance vertical infiltration and increase soil carbon content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Yasushi; Fujihara, Atsushi; Yamagishi, Kazuto

2014-12-01

Of all terrestrial media (including vegetation and the atmosphere), soil is the largest store of carbon. Soils also have important functions such as water storage and plant support roles. However, at present, these characteristics do not fully function, because of, for example, climate-change-induced heavy rainfall would wash away the organic-rich surface soils. In this study, artificial macropores were introduced into exposed soil plots for the purpose of enhancing infiltration, and fibrous material was inserted to reinforce the macropore structure. As expected, the capillary force caused by the fibers drew surface water deeper into the soil profile before saturation. Additionally, the same capillary force promoted vertical transport, while micropores (matrix) enhanced horizontal flow. Our results show that infiltration was more effective in the fiber-containing macropores than in empty macropores. Additionally, our column experiments showed that artificial macropores reduced surface runoff when the rainfall intensities were 2, 4, and 20 mm · h-1 but not for 80 mm · h-1. In field experiments, soil moisture sensors installed at depths of 10, 30, and 50 cm responded well to rainfall, showing that artificial macropores were able to successfully introduce surface water into the soil profile. One year after the artificial macropores were installed, a field survey carried out to assess soil organic matter and plant growth showed that plant biomass had doubled and that there was a significant increase in soil carbon. This novel technique has many advantages as it mimics natural processes, is low cost, and has a simple structure.

Aquifer recharge with stormwater runoff in urban areas: Influence of vadose zone thickness on nutrient and bacterial transfers from the surface of infiltration basins to groundwater.

PubMed

Voisin, Jérémy; Cournoyer, Benoit; Vienney, Antonin; Mermillod-Blondin, Florian

2018-10-01

Stormwater infiltration systems (SIS) have been built in urban areas to reduce the environmental impacts of stormwater runoff. Infiltration basins allow the transfer of stormwater runoff to aquifers but their abilities to retain contaminants depend on vadose zone properties. This study assessed the influence of vadose zone thickness (VZT) on the transfer of inorganic nutrients (PO 4 3- , NO 3 - , NH 4 + ), dissolved organic carbon (total -DOC- and biodegradable -BDOC-) and bacteria. A field experiment was conducted on three SIS with a thin vadose zone (<3 m) and three SIS with a thick vadose zone (>10 m). Water samples were collected at three times during a rainy period of 10 days in each infiltration basin (stormwater runoff), in the aquifer impacted by infiltration (impacted groundwater) and in the same aquifer but upstream of the infiltration area (non-impacted groundwater). Inorganic nutrients, organic matter, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured on all water samples. Bacterial community structures were investigated on water samples through a next-generation sequencing (NGS) scheme of 16S rRNA gene amplicons (V5-V6). The concentrations of DO and phosphate measured in SIS-impacted groundwaters were significantly influenced by VZT due to distinct biogeochemical processes occurring in the vadose zone. DOC and BDOC were efficiently retained in the vadose zone, regardless of its thickness. Bacterial transfers to the aquifer were overall low, but data obtained on day 10 indicated a significant bacterial transfer in SIS with a thin vadose zone. Water transit time and water saturation of the vadose zone were found important parameters for bacterial transfers. Most bacterial taxa (>60%) from impacted groundwaters were not detected in stormwater runoff and in non-impacted groundwaters, indicating that groundwater bacterial communities were significantly modified by processes associated with infiltration (remobilization of bacteria from vadose zone and/or species sorting). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of surface runoff genesis on a subsurface drained soil affected by surface crusting: A field investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augeard, Bénédicte; Kao, Cyril; Chaumont, Cédric; Vauclin, Michel

Artificial drainage has been subject to widespread criticism because of its impact on water quality and because there is suspicion that it may have detrimental effects on flood genesis. The present work aims at a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling infiltration and surface runoff genesis, particularly in soils with artificial drainage and affected by surface crusting. A field experiment was conducted during one drainage season (November 2003-March 2004) in the Brie region (80 km east of Paris, France) on a subsurface drained silty soil. Water table elevation and surface runoff were monitored above the drain and at midpoint between drains. Soil water pressure head was measured at various depths and locations between the midpoint and the drain. Soil surface characteristics (microtopography and degree of structural and sedimentary crust development) were recorded regularly on the experimental site and on other plots of various drainage intensities. The results show that the first surface runoff events were induced by high water table. However, runoff was higher at midpoint between the drains because water table reached the soil surface at that point, thus considerably reducing infiltration capacity compared to that above the drain. Comparing different plots, the area with older drainage installation (1948) yielded the most surface runoff. Wider drain spacing, smaller drain depth and possible plugging may have led to a greater area of saturated soil between drains. During the winter period, the impact of raindrops induced the formation of a structural crust on the soil surface. Furthermore, the development of the sedimentary crust, which was favored by water actually flowing on the soil surface during the high water table periods could be correlated with surface runoff volume. The formation of this crust had a significant impact on runoff occurrence at the end of the winter. Therefore, poorly drained fields presented more favorable conditions for both Horton type runoff and saturation excess runoff. Drainage effectively reduces surface runoff occurrences not only by lowering the water table in winter but also by limiting soil surface sealing.

The impact of sewage-contaminated river water on groundwater ammonium and arsenic concentrations at a riverbank filtration site in central Delhi, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groeschke, Maike; Frommen, Theresa; Taute, Thomas; Schneider, Michael

2017-11-01

The groundwater abstracted at a well field near the Yamuna River in Central Delhi, India, has elevated ammonium (NH4 +) concentrations up to 35 mg/L and arsenic (As) concentrations up to 0.146 mg/L, constituting a problem with the provision of safe drinking and irrigation water. Infiltrating sewage-contaminated river water is the primary source of the NH4 + contamination in the aquifer, leading to reducing conditions which probably trigger the release of geogenic As. These conclusions are based on the evaluation of six 8-27-m deep drillings, and 13 surface-water and 69 groundwater samples collected during seven field campaigns (2012-2013). Results indicate that losing stream conditions prevail and the river water infiltrates into the shallow floodplain aquifer (up to 16 m thickness), which consists of a 1-2-m thick layer of calcareous nodules (locally known as kankar) overlain by medium sand. Because of its higher hydraulic conductivity (3.7 × 10-3 m/s, as opposed to 3.5 × 10-4 m/s in the sand), the kankar layer serves as the main pathway for the infiltrating water. However, the NH4 + plume front advances more rapidly in the sand layer because of its significantly lower cation exchange capacity. Elevated As concentrations were only observed within the NH4 + plume indicating a causal connection with the infiltrating reducing river water.

User's guide to the Variably Saturated Flow (VSF) process to MODFLOW

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thoms, R. Brad; Johnson, Richard L.; Healy, Richard W.

2006-01-01

A new process for simulating three-dimensional (3-D) variably saturated flow (VSF) using Richards' equation has been added to the 3-D modular finite-difference ground-water model MODFLOW. Five new packages are presented here as part of the VSF Process--the Richards' Equation Flow (REF1) Package, the Seepage Face (SPF1) Package, the Surface Ponding (PND1) Package, the Surface Evaporation (SEV1) Package, and the Root Zone Evapotranspiration (RZE1) Package. Additionally, a new Adaptive Time-Stepping (ATS1) Package is presented for use by both the Ground-Water Flow (GWF) Process and VSF. The VSF Process allows simulation of flow in unsaturated media above the ground-water zone and facilitates modeling of ground-water/surface-water interactions. Model performance is evaluated by comparison to an analytical solution for one-dimensional (1-D) constant-head infiltration (Dirichlet boundary condition), field experimental data for a 1-D constant-head infiltration, laboratory experimental data for two-dimensional (2-D) constant-flux infiltration (Neumann boundary condition), laboratory experimental data for 2-D transient drainage through a seepage face, and numerical model results (VS2DT) of a 2-D flow-path simulation using realistic surface boundary conditions. A hypothetical 3-D example case also is presented to demonstrate the new capability using periodic boundary conditions (for example, daily precipitation) and varied surface topography over a larger spatial scale (0.133 square kilometer). The new model capabilities retain the modular structure of the MODFLOW code and preserve MODFLOW's existing capabilities as well as compatibility with commercial pre-/post-processors. The overall success of the VSF Process in simulating mixed boundary conditions and variable soil types demonstrates its utility for future hydrologic investigations. This report presents a new flow package implementing the governing equations for variably saturated ground-water flow, four new boundary condition packages unique to unsaturated flow, the Adaptive Time-Stepping Package for use with both the GWF Process and the new VSF Process, detailed descriptions of the input and output files for each package, and six simulation examples verifying model performance.

100-NR-2 Apatite Treatability Test: Fall 2010 Tracer Infiltration Test (White Paper)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vermeul, Vincent R.; Fritz, Brad G.; Fruchter, Jonathan S.

The primary objectives of the tracer infiltration test were to 1) determine whether field-scale hydraulic properties for the compacted roadbed materials and underlying Hanford fm. sediments comprising the zone of water table fluctuation beneath the site are consistent with estimates based laboratory-scale measurements on core samples and 2) characterize wetting front advancement and distribution of soil moisture achieved for the selected application rate. These primary objectives were met. The test successfully demonstrated that 1) the remaining 2 to 3 ft of compacted roadbed material below the infiltration gallery does not limit infiltration rates to levels that would be expected tomore » eliminate near surface application as a viable amendment delivery approach and 2) the combined aqueous and geophysical monitoring approaches employed at this site, with some operational adjustments based on lessons learned, provides an effective means of assessing wetting front advancement and the distribution of soil moisture achieved for a given solution application. Reasonably good agreement between predicted and observed tracer and moisture front advancement rates was observed. During the first tracer infiltration test, which used a solution application rate of 0.7 cm/hr, tracer arrivals were observed at the water table (10 to 12 ft below the bottom of the infiltration gallery) after approximately 5 days, for an advancement rate of approximately 2 ft/day. This advancement rate is generally consistent with pre-test modeling results that predicted tracer arrival at the water table after approximately 5 days (see Figure 8, bottom left panel). This agreement indicates that hydraulic property values specified in the model for the compacted roadbed materials and underlying Hanford formation sediments, which were based on laboratory-scale measurements, are reasonable estimates of actual field-scale conditions. Additional work is needed to develop a working relationship between resistivity change and the associated change in moisture content so that 4D images of moisture content change can be generated. Results from this field test will be available for any future Ca-citrate-PO4 amendment infiltration tests, which would be designed to evaluate the efficacy of using near surface application of amendments to form apatite mineral phases in the upper portion of the zone of water table fluctuation.« less

Cosmic ray soil moisture observing systems comos in cap fields at El Reno Oklahoma

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil water content (SWC) partitions rainfall into runoff and infiltration, modulates surface and atmospheric exchanges of water and energy, affects plant growth and crop yields, and impacts chemical and biological activities of soil, among other things. Thus, SWC, especially over large scales, is a...

Improved or unimproved urban areas effect on soil and water quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Construction in urban areas usually results in compacted soil, which restricts plant growth and infiltration. Nutrients may be lost in storm runoff water and sediment. The purpose of this study was to determine if existing lawns benefit from aeration and surface compost additions without negative im...

Evaluating the Accuracy of Common Runoff Estimation Methods for New Impervious Hot-Mix Asphalt

EPA Science Inventory

Accurately predicting runoff volume from impervious surfaces for water quality design events (e.g., 25.4 mm) is important for sizing green infrastructure stormwater control measures to meet water quality and infiltration design targets. The objective of this research was to quan...

Determination of kinetic energy applied by center pivot sprinklers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The kinetic energy of discrete drops impacting a bare soil surface is generally observed to lead to a drastic reduction in water infiltration rate due to soil surface seal formation. Under center pivot sprinkler irrigation, kinetic energy transferred to the soil prior to crop canopy development can...

Using artificial sweeteners to identify contamination sources and infiltration zones in a coupled river-aquifer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bichler, Andrea; Muellegger, Christian; Hofmann, Thilo

2014-05-01

In shallow or unconfined aquifers the infiltration of contaminated river water might be a major threat to groundwater quality. Thus, the identification of possible contamination sources in coupled surface- and groundwater systems is of paramount importance to ensure water quality. Micropollutants like artificial sweeteners are promising markers for domestic waste water in natural water bodies. Compounds, such as artificial sweeteners, might enter the aquatic environment via discharge of waste water treatment plants, leaky sewer systems or septic tanks and are ubiquitously found in waste water receiving waters. The hereby presented field study aims at the (1) identification of contamination sources and (2) delineation of infiltration zones in a connected river-aquifer system. River bank filtrate in the groundwater body was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using a combined approach of hydrochemical analysis and artificial sweeteners (acesulfame ACE) as waste water markers. The investigated aquifer lies within a mesoscale alpine head water catchment and is used for drinking water production. It is hypothesized that a large proportion of the groundwater flux originates from bank filtrate of a nearby losing stream. Water sampling campaigns in March and July 2012 confirmed the occurrence of artificial sweeteners at the investigated site. The municipal waste water treatment plant was identified as point-source for ACE in the river network. In the aquifer ACE was present in more than 80% of the monitoring wells. In addition, water samples were classified according to their hydrochemical composition, identifying two predominant types of water in the aquifer: (1) groundwater influenced by bank filtrate and (2) groundwater originating from local recharge. In combination with ACE concentrations a third type of water could be discriminated: (3) groundwater influence by bank filtrate but infiltrated prior to the waste water treatment plant. Moreover, the presence of ACE at elevated concentrations in aquifer zones dominated by local recharge indicated another point-source of domestic waste water. The combined analysis of ACE and conventional hydrochemical data proved to be useful to identify different sources of waste water. It is shown that the combination of physicochemical parameters and artificial sweeteners allow for a clear delineation of infiltration areas in the investigated aquifer system.

Infiltration and recharge at Sand Hollow, an upland bedrock basin in southwestern Utah: Chapter I in Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Professional Paper 1703)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, Victor M.; Solomon, D. Kip; Gardner, Philip M.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Leake, Stanley A.

2007-01-01

Permeable bedrock aquifers in arid regions of the southwestern United States are being used increasingly as a source of water for rapidly growing populations, yet in many areas little is known about recharge processes and amounts available for sustainable development. Environmental tracers were used in this study to investigate infiltration and recharge to the Navajo Sandstone at Sand Hollow in the eastern Mojave Desert of southwestern Utah. Average annual precipitation is about 210 millimeters per year. Tracers included bromide, chloride, deuterium, oxygen-18, and tritium. The basin-wide average recharge rate, based on ground-water chloride mass balance, is about 8 millimeters per year, or 4 percent of precipitation. However, infiltration and recharge are highly variable spatially within Sand Hollow. Recharge primarily occurs both as focused infiltration of runoff from areas of outcropping bedrock and as direct infiltration beneath coarse surficial soils. Locations with higher rates generally have lower vadose-zone and ground-water chloride concentrations, smaller vadose-zone oxygen-18 evaporative shifts, and higher ground-water tritium concentrations. Infiltration rates estimated from vadose-zone tritium concentrations at borehole sites within Sand Hollow range from 1 to more than 57 millimeters per year; rates calculated from average vadose-zone chloride concentrations between land surface and the bottom of the chloride bulge range from 0 to 9 millimeters per year; rates calculated from average vadose-zone chloride concentrations below the chloride bulge range from 0.5 to 15 millimeters per year; and rates calculated from ground-water chloride concentrations range from 3 to 60 millimeters per year. A two-end-member deuterium-mixing model indicates that about 85 percent of ground-water recharge in Sand Hollow occurs in the 50 percent of the basin covered by coarser soils and bedrock. Vadose-zone chloride concentrations at individual boreholes represent as much as 12,000 years of accumulation, whereas vadose-zone tritium has only been accumulating during the past 50 years. Environmental tracers at Sand Hollow indicate the possibility of a cyclical recharge pattern from higher infiltration rates earlier in the Holocene to lower rates later in the Holocene, back again to higher infiltration rates during the past 50 years.

Sources of oxygen flux in groundwater during induced bank filtration at a site in Berlin, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohfahl, Claus; Massmann, Gudrun; Pekdeger, Asaf

2009-05-01

The microbial degradation of pharmaceuticals found in surface water used for artificial recharge is strongly dependent on redox conditions of the subsurface. Furthermore the durability of production wells may decrease considerably with the presence of oxygen and ferrous iron due to the precipitation of trivalent iron oxides and subsequent clogging. Field measurements are presented for oxygen at a bank filtration site in Berlin, Germany, along with simplified calculations of different oxygen pathways into the groundwater. For a two-dimensional vertical cross-section, oxygen input has been calculated for six scenarios related to different water management strategies. Calculations were carried out in order to assess the amount of oxygen input due to (1) the infiltration of oxic lake water, (2) air entrapment as a result of water table oscillations, (3) diffusive oxygen flux from soil air and (4) infiltrating rainwater. The results show that air entrapment and infiltrating lake water during winter constitute by far the most important mechanism of oxygen input. Oxygen input by percolating rainwater and by diffusive delivery of oxygen in the gas phase is negligible. The results exemplify the importance of well management as a determining factor for water oscillations and redox conditions during artificial recharge.

River infiltration to a subtropical alluvial aquifer inferred using multiple environmental tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamontagne, S.; Taylor, A. R.; Batlle-Aguilar, J.; Suckow, A.; Cook, P. G.; Smith, S. D.; Morgenstern, U.; Stewart, M. K.

2015-06-01

Chloride (Cl-), stable isotope ratios of water (δ18O and δ2H), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), tritium (3H), carbon-14 (14C), noble gases (4He, Ne, and Ar), and hydrometry were used to characterize groundwater-surface water interactions, in particular infiltration rates, for the Lower Namoi River (New South Wales, Australia). The study period (four sampling campaigns between November 2009 and November 2011) represented the end of a decade-long drought followed by several high-flow events. The hydrometry showed that the river was generally losing to the alluvium, except when storm-derived floodwaves in the river channel generated bank recharge—discharge cycles. Using 3H/14C-derived estimates of groundwater mean residence time along the transect, infiltration rates ranged from 0.6 to 5 m yr-1. However, when using the peak transition age (a more realistic estimate of travel time in highly dispersive environments), the range in infiltration rate was larger (4-270 m yr-1). Both river water (highest δ2H, δ18O, SF6, 3H, and 14C) and an older groundwater source (lowest δ2H, δ18O, SF6, 3H, 14C, and highest 4He) were found in the riparian zone. This old groundwater end-member may represent leakage from an underlying confined aquifer (Great Artesian Basin). Environmental tracers may be used to estimate infiltration rates in this riparian environment but the presence of multiple sources of water and a high dispersion induced by frequent variations in the water table complicates their interpretation.

The Eco-Hydrological Role of Physical Surface Sealing in Dry Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sela, Shai; Svoray, Tal; Assouline, Shmuel

2016-04-01

Soil surface sealing is a widespread natural process in dry environments occurring frequently in bare soil areas between vegetation patches. The low hydraulic conductivity that characterizes the seal layer reduces both infiltration and evaporation fluxes from the soil, and thus has the potential to affect local vegetation water availability and consequently transpiration rates. This effect is investigated here using two separate physically based models - a runoff model, and a root water uptake model. High resolution rainfall data is used to demonstrate the seal layer effect on runoff generation and vegetation water availability, while the seal layer effect on vegetation water uptake is studied using a long-term climatic dataset (44 years) from three dry sites presenting a climatic gradient in the Negev Desert, Israel. The Feddes water uptake parameters for the dominant shrub at the study site (Sarcopoterium spinosum) were acquired using an inverse calibration procedure using data from a lysimeter experiment. The results indicate that the presence of surface sealing increases significantly vegetation water availability through runoff generation. Following water infiltration, the shrub transpiration generally increases if the shrub is surrounded by a seal layer, but this effect can switch from positive to negative depending on initial soil water content, rainfall intensity, and the duration of the subsequent drying intervals. These factors have a marked effect on inter-annual variability of the seal layer effect on the shrub transpiration, which on average was found to be 26% higher under sealed conditions than in the case of unsealed soil surfaces. These results shed light on the importance of surface sealing on the eco-hydrology of dry environments and its contribution to the resilience of woody vegetation.

Green Infrastructure

EPA Science Inventory

Large paved surfaces keep rain from infiltrating the soil and recharging groundwater supplies. Alternatively, Green infrastructure uses natural processes to reduce and treat stormwater in place by soaking up and storing water. These systems provide many environmental, social, an...

Characterising the dynamics of surface water-groundwater interactions in intermittent and ephemeral streams using streambed thermal signatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, Gabriel C.; Halloran, Landon J. S.; Cuthbert, Mark O.; Andersen, Martin S.; Acworth, R. Ian; Tellam, John H.

2017-09-01

Ephemeral and intermittent flow in dryland stream channels infiltrates into sediments, replenishes groundwater resources and underpins riparian ecosystems. However, the spatiotemporal complexity of the transitory flow processes that occur beneath such stream channels are poorly observed and understood. We develop a new approach to characterise the dynamics of surface water-groundwater interactions in dryland streams using pairs of temperature records measured at different depths within the streambed. The approach exploits the fact that the downward propagation of the diel temperature fluctuation from the surface depends on the sediment thermal diffusivity. This is controlled by time-varying fractions of air and water contained in streambed sediments causing a contrast in thermal properties. We demonstrate the usefulness of this method with multi-level temperature and pressure records of a flow event acquired using 12 streambed arrays deployed along a ∼ 12 km dryland channel section. Thermal signatures clearly indicate the presence of water and characterise the vertical flow component as well as the occurrence of horizontal hyporheic flow. We jointly interpret thermal signatures as well as surface and groundwater levels to distinguish four different hydrological regimes: [A] dry channel, [B] surface run-off, [C] pool-riffle sequence, and [D] isolated pools. The occurrence and duration of the regimes depends on the rate at which the infiltrated water redistributes in the subsurface which, in turn, is controlled by the hydraulic properties of the variably saturated sediment. Our results have significant implications for understanding how transitory flows recharge alluvial sediments, influence water quality and underpin dryland ecosystems.

Soil sealing and vesicular layer formation as initial structure development and its effect on infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badorreck, A.; Gerke, H. H.; Weller, U.; Vontobel, P.

2009-04-01

In the Lusatia mining district (NE-Germany) an artificial catchment was constructed to study initial ecosystem development and runoff generation. As a key process in this early stage, we investigate the surface structure dynamics as it strongly influences erosion, infiltration, matter dynamics, and vegetation establishment. The presented work focuses on observations of soil pore structure formation at the surface at five sites in the catchment and in an adjacent "younger" area composed of comparable sediments. Moreover we've conducted infiltration experiments in the lab and field to relate the soil pore structure to the hydraulic properties. The surface soil was sampled in cylindrical rings (10 cm³) down to 2 cm depth from which bulk density profiles were obtained using X-ray computed tomography (CT) (at UFZ- Halle, Germany) with a resolution of 0.084 mm. The influence of structure on infiltration was investigated using neutron radiography (at the NEUTRA facility of the Paul-Scherrer-Institut, Villigen, Switzerland) to visualise two-dimensional (2D) infiltration patterns. The slab-type samples were equilibrated to different initial water contents and then exposed to drip irrigation (to simulate rainfall) while a series of neutron radiographs were taken. In addition, field measurements with a miniature tension infiltrometer were conduced. The micro-tomographies exhibit formation of surface sealing whose thickness and intensity vary with silt and clay content. The CT images show several coarser- and finer-textured micro-layers at the sample surfaces that were formed as a consequence of repeated washing in of finer particles in underlying coarser sediment. In micro-depressions, the uppermost layers consist of sorted fine sand and silt due to wind erosion. Similar as for desert pavements, a vesicular pore structure developed in these sediments on top, but also scattered in fine sand- and silt-enriched micro-layers. The infiltration rates were severely affected by the surface crusts; however, the rates were independent of the vesicular pore layer.

The influence of small mammal burrowing activity on water storage at the Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Landeen, D.S.

The amount and rate at which water may penetrate a protective barrier and come into contact with buried radioactive waste is a major concern. Because burrowing animals eventually will reside on the surface of any protective barrier, the effect these burrow systems may have on the loss or retention of water needs to be determined. The first section of this document summarizes the known literature relative to small mammals and the effects that burrowing activities have on water distribution, infiltration, and the overall impact of burrows on the ecosystem. Topics that are summarized include burrow air pressures, airflow, burrow humidity,more » microtopography, mounding, infiltration, climate, soil evaporation, and discussions of large pores relative to water distribution. The second section of this document provides the results of the study that was conducted at the Hanford Site to determine what effect small mammal burrows have on water storage. This Biointrusion task is identified in the Permanent Isolation Surface Barrier Development Plan in support of protective barriers. This particular animal intrusion task is one part of the overall animal intrusion task identified in Animal Intrusion Test Plan.« less

Ground-water geochemistry of the Albuquerque-Belen Basin, central New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderholm, S.K.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this study was to define the areal distribution of different water types, use the distribution to help define the groundwater flow system, and identify processes resulting in differences in groundwater quality in the Albuquerque-Belen Basin in central New Mexico. The chemistry of surface water inflow from adjacent areas, which infiltrates and recharges the aquifer along the basin margin, affects the groundwater quality in the eastern and southeastern areas of the basin. Groundwater in the eastern area generally has a specific conductance less than 400 microsiemens, and calcium and bicarbonate are the dominant ions. Mixing of recharge, groundwater inflow, and surface inflow from adjacent areas, which have different chemical compositions, is the major process affecting groundwater quality in the southwestern, western, and northern areas of the basin. In these areas, there is a large range in specific conductance and distribution of dissolved ions. Groundwater quality in the Rio Grande valley is affected by the infiltration of excess irrigation water. The excess irrigation water generally has a larger specific conductance than other groundwater in the valley, so mixing of these waters results in shallow groundwater generally having larger specific conductance than the deeper groundwater. (USGS)

Long-term reclaimed water application effects on phosphorus leaching potential in rapid infiltration basins.

PubMed

Moura, Daniel R; Silveira, Maria L; O'Connor, George A; Wise, William R

2011-09-01

Rapid infiltration basins (RIBs) are effective tools for wastewater treatment and groundwater recharge, but continuous application of wastewater can increase soil P concentrations and subsequently impact groundwater quality. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the effects of reclaimed water infiltration rate and "age" of RIBs on soil P concentrations at various depths, and (2) estimate the degree (percentage) of sorption equilibrium reached between effluent P and soil attained during reclaimed water application to different RIBs. The study was conducted in four contrasting cells of a RIB system with up to a 25 year history of secondary wastewater application. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 300 cm depth at 30 cm intervals and analyzed for water extractable phosphorus (WEP) and oxalate extractable P, Al, and Fe concentrations. Water extractable P and P saturation ratio (PSR) values were generally greater in the cells receiving reclaimed water compared to control soils, suggesting that reclaimed water P application can increase soil P concentrations and the risk of P movement to greater depths. Differences between treatment and control samples were more evident in cells with longer histories of reclaimed water application due to greater P loading. Data also indicated considerable spatial variability in WEP concentrations and PSR values, especially within cells from RIBs characterized by fast infiltration rates. This occurs because wastewater-P flows through surface soils much faster than the minimum time required for sorption equilibrium to occur. Studies should be conducted to investigate soil P saturation at deeper depths to assess possible groundwater contamination.

A method of determining surface runoff by

Treesearch

Donald E. Whelan; Lemuel E. Miller; John B. Cavallero

1952-01-01

To determine the effects of watershed management on flood runoff, one must make a reliable estimate of how much the surface runoff can be reduced by a land-use program. Since surface runoff is the difference between precipitation and the amount of water that soaks into the soil, such an estimate must be based on the infiltration capacity of the soil.

A new silica-infiltrated Y-TZP obtained by the sol-gel method.

PubMed

Campos, T M B; Ramos, N C; Machado, J P B; Bottino, M A; Souza, R O A; Melo, R M

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate silica infiltration into dental zirconia (VITA In-Ceram 2000 YZ, Vita Zahnfabrik) and its effects on zirconia's surface characteristics, structural homogeneity and bonding to a resin cement. Infiltration was performed by immersion of the pre-sintered zirconia specimens in silica sols for five days (ZIn). Negative (pure zirconia specimens, ZCon-) and positive controls (specimens kept in water for 5 days, ZCon+) were also performed. After sintering, the groups were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), grazing angle X-ray diffraction (DRXR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements, optical profilometry, biaxial flexural test and shear bonding test. Weibull analysis was used to determine the Weibull modulus (m) and characteristic strength (σ0) of all groups. There were no major changes in strength for the infiltrated group, and homogeneity (m) was also increased. A layer of ZrSiO4 was formed on the surface. The bond strength to resin cement was improved after zirconia infiltration, acid conditioning and the use of an MDP primer. The sol-gel method is an efficient and simple method to increase the homogeneity of zirconia. Infiltration also improved bonding to resin cement. The performance of a zirconia infiltrated by silica gel improved in at least two ways: structural homogeneity and bonding to resin cement. The infiltration is simple to perform and can be easily managed in a prosthesis laboratory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bond strength between a polymer-infiltrated ceramic network and a composite for repair: effect of several ceramic surface treatments.

PubMed

Silva, Pollyanna Nogueira Ferreira da; Martinelli-Lobo, Carolina Machado; Bottino, Marco Antonio; Melo, Renata Marques de; Valandro, Luiz Felipe

2018-01-01

The effects of several ceramic surface treatments on bond strength of a polymer-infiltrated ceramic network and resin composite as repair material were evaluated. CAD-CAM blocks of a polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (Vita Enamic) were sliced and subjected to aging process, followed by embedding in acrylic resin. The bonding/repair area was treated as follows (n = 30): C- without treatment; UA- universal adhesive application; FM- 10% hydrofluoric acid and silane application; OM-airborne-particle abrasion with aluminum oxide and silane application; RP- tribochemical silica coating; and CA- surface grinding and application of universal adhesive. Composite resin cylinders were made on the treated surface. Specimens from each group were assigned randomly to two subgroups (n = 15) considering storage condition: Baseline (shear tests after 48 hours) or Storage (tests after 6 months under distilled water). The treated surfaces were analyzed by goniometry, roughness, and SEM. Two-way ANOVA and 1-way ANOVA were applied to analyze the bond data and roughness / contact angle data, respectively, followed by Tukey's test (α = 5%). Surface treatments and storage conditions affected bond strengths (p < 0.01). Surface grinding (CA) followed by universal adhesive promoted the highest value of bond strength (14.5 ± 4.8 MPa for baseline, 8.5 ± 3.4 MPa for storage) and the roughest ceramic surface. Grinding with silicon carbide paper (simulating diamond bur) followed by the application of a universal adhesive system is the best option for repairing fractures of the polymer-infiltrated ceramic network.

Scaling considerations related to interactions of hydrologic, pedologic and geomorphic processes (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidle, R. C.

2013-12-01

Hydrologic, pedologic, and geomorphic processes are strongly interrelated and affected by scale. These interactions exert important controls on runoff generation, preferential flow, contaminant transport, surface erosion, and mass wasting. Measurement of hydraulic conductivity (K) and infiltration capacity at small scales generally underestimates these values for application at larger field, hillslope, or catchment scales. Both vertical and slope-parallel saturated flow and related contaminant transport are often influenced by interconnected networks of preferential flow paths, which are not captured in K measurements derived from soil cores. Using such K values in models may underestimate water and contaminant fluxes and runoff peaks. As shown in small-scale runoff plot studies, infiltration rates are typically lower than integrated infiltration across a hillslope or in headwater catchments. The resultant greater infiltration-excess overland flow in small plots compared to larger landscapes is attributed to the lack of preferential flow continuity; plot border effects; greater homogeneity of rainfall inputs, topography and soil physical properties; and magnified effects of hydrophobicity in small plots. At the hillslope scale, isolated areas with high infiltration capacity can greatly reduce surface runoff and surface erosion at the hillslope scale. These hydropedologic and hydrogeomorphic processes are also relevant to both occurrence and timing of landslides. The focus of many landslide studies has typically been either on small-scale vadose zone process and how these affect soil mechanical properties or on larger scale, more descriptive geomorphic studies. One of the issues in translating laboratory-based investigations on geotechnical behavior of soils to field scales where landslides occur is the characterization of large-scale hydrological processes and flow paths that occur in heterogeneous and anisotropic porous media. These processes are not only affected by the spatial distribution of soil physical properties and bioturbations, but also by geomorphic attributes. Interactions among preferential flow paths can induce rapid pore water pressure response within soil mantles and trigger landslides during storm peaks. Alternatively, in poorly developed and unstructured soils, infiltration occurs mainly through the soil matrix and a lag time exists between the rainfall peak and development of pore water pressures at depth. Deep, slow-moving mass failures are also strongly controlled by secondary porosity within the regolith with the timing of activation linked to recharge dynamics. As such, understanding both small and larger scale processes is needed to estimate geomorphic impacts, as well as streamflow generation and contaminant migration.

Soil management and green water in sloping rainfed vineyards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

José Marqués Pérez, María; Ruíz-Colmenero, Marta; García-Díaz, Andrés; Bienes Allas, Ramón

2017-04-01

Improved crop production in areas with restricted water availability is of particular interest. Farmers need to maximize the water use efficiency when the possibilities of further extension of irrigation are limited and water is becoming scarce and expensive. Water in rainfed crops depends on rainfall depth and soil characteristics such as texture and structure, water holding capacity, previous moisture, infiltration, soil surface conditions, steepness and slope length. Land management practices can be used to maximise water availability. In previous studies the unwillingness of farmers to change their practices towards more sustainable use was mainly due to the worry about water competition. This work is aimed at understanding the influence of management practices in the water partitioning of this land use. This study was conducted in a sloping vineyard in the centre of Spain. A rain gauge recorded rainfall depth and intensity in the area. Three different soil management practices were considered: 1) traditional tillage, 2) permanent cover and 3) mowed cover of cereals, both sown in the strips between vines. Two moisture sensors were buried at 10 and 35 cm depths. Three replicates per management practice were performed. It is expected that the lack of tillage increase the potential for litter to protect the soil surface against raindrop impact and to contribute to increasing soil organic carbon, and the corresponding increase in infiltration and water holding capacity. The analysis of two years of daily records of rainfall, runoff and soil moisture are intended to establish any influence of management practices on the partitioning of water. Particularly, the so-called "green water" was estimated, i.e. the fraction of rainfall that infiltrates into the soil and will be further available to plants. Soil characteristics such as texture, structure, moisture, infiltration were established. In addition simulated rainfalls carried out in summer and winter over bounded plots having different management practices allowed the record of runoff per minute and further influence in soil moisture. After rainfalls soils were at field capacity and progressively dried in undisturbed conditions. Particle size analysis shows that this soil has 58 % sand, 18% silt and 24% clay, corresponding to a Sandy Clay Loam texture. Total porosity in the topsoil ranges from 49 to 51%, although according to previous studies only the 28% is effective to stock water in their micro and mesopores. In the upper 35 cm these soils are able to store from 0.05 to 0.25 m3 of water per m3 of soil depending on the seasons. At the same time, variations of runoff / infiltration were also noticed depending on the seasons and treatments.

Determination of near-saturated hydraulic conductivity by automated minidisk infiltrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klipa, Vladimir; Snehota, Michal; Dohnal, Michal; Zumr, David

2013-04-01

Numerical models in surface and subsurface hydrology require knowledge of infiltration properties of soils for their routine use in the field of water management, environmental protection or agriculture. A new automated tension infiltration module has been designed at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague to facilitate the measurements of near-saturated hydraulic conductivity. In the proposed infiltration module the amount of infiltrated water is registered via changes of buoyant force of stationary float attached to the load cell. Presented setup consists of six mini-disk infiltrometer modules held in the light aluminum frame and two Mariotte's bottles. Three infiltrometer modules connected to each Mariotte's bottle allow performing six simultaneous measurements at two different pressure heads. Infiltration modules are connected to the automatic data logging system and consist of: plastic cover with the integrated load cell and the float, reservoir tube (external diameter of 50 mm), and sintered stainless steel plate (diameter of 44.5 mm). The newly developed device was used for determination of near-saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils in experimental catchments Uhlirska (Jizera Mountains, Northern Bohemia) and Kopaninsky creek (Bohemian-Moravian Highlands). The acquired data show a good agreement with the data obtained from previous measurements.

Transient Infiltration Analysis for Infinite Slopes using the Modified Function of Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Seboong; Achmad Zaky, Fauzi; Mog Park, Young

2016-04-01

The hydraulic behaviors in the soil layer are crucial to the transient infiltration analysis into natural slopes, in which unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (HC) can be evaluated theoretically from soil water retention curves (SWRC) by Mualem's equation. In the nonlinear infiltration analysis, the solution by some of smooth SWRCs is not converge for heavy rainfall condition, since the gradient of HCs is extremely steep near saturation. The van Genuchten's SWRC model has been modified near saturation and subsequently an analytical HC function was proposed to improve the van Genuchten-Mualem HC. Using the examples on 1-D infiltration analysis by the modified HC model, it is validated that any solutions can be converged for various rainfall conditions to keep numerical stability. Stability analysis based on unsaturated effective stress could simulate the infinite slope failure by the proposed HC model. The pore water pressure and the ratio of saturation increased from the surface to shallow depth (˜1m) and the factor of safety decreased gradually due to infiltration. Acknowledgements This research is supported by grants from Korean NRF (2012M3A2A1050974 and 2015R1A2A2A01), which are greatly appreciated.

Latex-modified concrete overlay containing Type K cement.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

Hydraulic cement concrete overlays are usually placed on bridges to reduce the infiltration of water and chloride ions and to improve skid resistance, ride quality, and surface appearance. Constructed in accordance with prescription specifications, s...

A SEMI-AUTOMATED APPROACH FOR DETECTING AND LOCATING SWINE ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS OVER REGIONAL AREAS

EPA Science Inventory

Surface runoff from animal feeding operations (AFO's) and its infiltration into ground water can
pose a number of risks to water quality mainly because of the amount of animal manure and wastewater they produce. Excess nutrients generated by livestock facilities can lead to a...

Numerical demonstration of surfactant concentration-dependent capillarity and viscosity effects on infiltration from a constant flux line source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, Eric J.; Smith, James E.

2006-09-01

SummarySurface infiltration line sources can deliver surfactant solutions for agricultural purposes or for use in subsurface remediation. Though the prediction of water distribution below a line source has received considerable attention in the scientific literature, little has been has been reported on how infiltration of surfactant solution from a line source differs from water infiltration. Few numerical models are capable of simulating surfactant-induced changes in moisture characteristic and hydraulic conductivity properties of unsaturated soil, so it is difficult to assess the importance of these effects when designing surfactant application schemes. We investigated surfactant infiltration behavior by using the variably-saturated flow and transport model HYDRUS-2D [Simunek, J., Sejna, M., van Genuchten, M.Th., 1999. The HYDRUS-2D software package for simulating the two-dimensional movement of water, heat, and multiple solutes in variably-saturated media, Version 2.0. IGWMC-TPS-53C. International Ground Water Modeling Center, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO] which was modified by [Henry, E.J., Smith, J.E., Warrick, A.W., 2002. Two-dimensional modeling of flow and transport in the vadose zone with surfactant-induced flow. Water Resour. Res. 38. DOI: doi:10.1029/2001WR000674] to incorporate surfactant effects on unsaturated flow. Significant differences were found between pure water and surfactant solution infiltration into a fine sand that was initially at residual moisture content. The surfactant solution wetted a larger area, both horizontally and vertically, relative to water, while the distribution of water within the wetted zone was more uniform than in the surfactant system. The surfactant system exhibited transient localized drainage and rewetting caused by surfactant-induced capillary pressure gradients within the wetting front. A standard unsaturated flow model (i.e., one that does not include surfactant effects on flow) is not capable of capturing the transient flow behavior. However, our results show that by using an effective scaled media (ESM) approach a standard model can be used to simulate later-time hydraulic conditions in a surfactant system.

Water infiltration and surface soil structural properties as influenced by animal traffic in the Southern Piedmont USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Surface-soil structural condition in long-term perennial pastures is expected to be modified by how forage is (a) harvested through haying or grazing and (b) stimulated through source of nutrient application. We determined the effects of harvest management and nutrient source on macropore filling, ...

Characterizing droplet kinetic energy applied by moving spray-plate center pivot irrigation sprinklers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The kinetic energy of discrete drops impacting a bare soil surface is generally observed to lead to a drastic reduction in water infiltration rate due to soil surface seal formation. Under center pivot sprinkler irrigation, kinetic energy transferred to the soil prior to crop canopy development can...

Streambed infiltration and ground-water flow from the trout creek drainage, an intermittent tributary to the Humboldt River, north-central Nevada: Chapter K in Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Professional Paper 1703)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Harrill, James R.; Wood, James L.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Leake, Stanley A.

2007-01-01

Ground water is abundant in many alluvial basins of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province of the western United States. Water enters these basins by infiltration along intermittent and ephemeral channels, which originate in the mountainous regions before crossing alluvial fans and piedmont alluvial plains. Water also enters the basins as subsurface ground-water flow directly from the mountains, where infiltrated precipitation recharges water-bearing rocks and sediments at these higher elevations. Trout Creek, a typical intermittent stream in the Middle Humboldt River Basin in north-central Nevada, was chosen to develop methods of estimating and characterizing streambed infiltration and ground-water recharge in mountainous terrains. Trout Creek has a drainage area of about 4.8 × 107 square meters. Stream gradients range from more than 1 × 10–1 meter per meter in the mountains to 5 × 10–3 meter per meter at the foot of the piedmont alluvial plain. Trout Creek is perennial in short reaches upstream of a northeast-southwest trending normal fault, where perennial springs discharge to the channel. Downstream from the fault, the water table drops below the base of the channel and the stream becomes intermittent.Snowmelt generates streamflow during March and April, when streamflow extends onto the piedmont alluvial plain for several weeks in most years. Rates of streambed infiltration become highest in the lowest reaches, at the foot of the piedmont alluvial plain. The marked increases in infiltration are attributed to increases in streambed permeability together with decreases in channel-bed armoring, the latter which increases the effective area of the channel. Large quartzite cobbles cover the streambed in the upper reaches of the stream and are absent in the lowest reach. Such changes in channel deposits are common where alluvial fans join piedmont alluvial plains. Poorly sorted coarse and fine sediments are deposited near the head of the fan, while finer-grained but better sorted gravels and sands are deposited near the foot.All flow in Trout Creek is lost to infiltration in the upper and middle reaches of the channel during years of normal to below-normal precipitation. During years of above-normal precipitation, streamflow extends beyond the piedmont alluvial plain to the lower reaches of the channel, where high rates of infiltration result in rapid stream loss. The frequency and duration of streambed infiltration is sufficient to maintain high water contents and low chloride concentrations, compared with interchannel areas, to depths of at least 6 m beneath the channel. Streamflow, streambed infiltration, and unsaturated-zone thickness are all highly variable along intermittent streams, resulting in recharge that is highly variable as well.Average annual ground-water recharge in the mountainous part of the Trout Creek drainage upstream of Marigold Mine was estimated on the basis of chloride balance to be 5.2 × 105 cubic meters. Combined with an average annual surface runoff exiting the mountains of 3.4 × 105cubic meters, the total annual volume of inflow to alluvial-basin sediments from the mountainous part of the Trout Creek is 8.6 × 105 cubic meters, assuming that all runoff infiltrates the stream channel. This equates to about 7 percent of average annual precipitation, which is about the same percentage estimated for ground-water recharge using the original Maxey-Eakin method.

Ecogeomorphology of semiarid rangelands: understanding and quantifying rates and feedbacks to prevent landscape degradation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saco, Patricia; Azadi, Samira; Moreno-de las Heras, Mariano; Keesstra, Saskia

2017-04-01

In semiarid systems, hydrologic, geomorphic and ecological processes are tightly coupled through strong feedback mechanisms occurring across fine to coarse scales. These feedbacks have implications for equilibrium and resilience of the landscape and are particularly relevant for understanding the potential degradation effects of climate and anthropogenic pressures. The vegetation of these regions is sparse and often associated to the development and maintenance of spatially variable infiltration rates, with lower infiltration in the bare areas. These variable infiltration rates have been observed in many field studies and are responsible for the emergence of a runoff-runon system, and for the associated redistribution of water and sediments. We will present a modelling framework developed to understand the role of surface water connectivity in degradation processes in semiarid landscapes with patchy vegetation. Surface water connectivity in these systems is highly dynamic and emerges from non-linear feedbacks between vegetation patterns and the coevolving landforms. The model captures these feedbacks through the coupled nature of the processes included in the landform-vegetation modules. As increased surface runoff connectivity has been linked to degradation, we focus on evolving hydrologic connectivity patterns resulting from feedback effects and co-evolving structures. First, we will discuss some general results on the coevolution of semiarid rangelands, and the effects of varying abiotic and biotic conditions. Next we will present results in which we investigate changes in functional hydrologic connectivity, and the existence of tipping points as observed in several sites in Australia. These results are based on data from our recent studies along a precipitation gradient in the Mulga bioregion of Australia. The analysis from satellite images reveals a major role of surface connectivity on the spatial organization of patchy vegetation, suggesting that transitions on the distribution of vegetation leading to degradation are related to sharp variations on the landscape surface connectivity. Finally we will discuss results analysing the potential effect of soils depths on the coevolution of system structures and connectivity. The relevance and implications of these results for the successful reclamation of water-limited environments in which vegetation stability largely depends on the redistribution of the scarce water resources will be discussed.

Surface-water quality assessment of the Clover Creek basin, Pierce County, Washington, 1991-1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, K.A.

1996-01-01

Increasing urbanization in the 67-square-mile Clover Creek Basin has generated interest in the effects of land-use changes on local water quality. To investigate these effects, water-quality and streamflow data were collected from 19 surface-water sites in the basin over a 16-month period from January 1991 through April 1992. These data were used to understand the effects of surficial geology, land-use practices, and wastewater disposal practices on surface-water quality within the basin. The basin was divided into four drainage subbasins with dissimilar hydrogeologic, land-use, and water-quality characteristics. In the Upper Clover Creek subbasin, the high permeability of surficial geologic materials promotes infiltration of precipitation to ground water and thus attenuates the response of streams to rainfall. Significant interaction occurs between surface and ground water in this subbasin, and nitrate concentrations and specific conductance values, similar to those found historically in local ground water, indicate that sources such as subsurface waste-disposal systems and fertilizers are affecting surface- water quality in this area. In the Spanaway subbasin, the presence of Spanaway and Tule Lakes affects water quality, primarily because of the reduced velocity and long residence time of water in the lakes. Reduced water velocity and long residence times (1) cause settling of suspended materials, thereby reducing concentrations of suspended sediment and constituents that are bound to the sediment; (2) promote biological activity, which tends to trap nutrients in the lakes; and (3) allow dispersion to attenuate peaks in discharge and water-quality constituent concentrations. In the North Fork subbasin, the low permeability of surficial geologic materials and areas of intensive land development inhibit infiltration of precipitation and thus promote surface runoff to streams. Surface pathways provide little attenuation of storm runoff and result in rapid increases in stream discharge in response to rainfall. Substantial increases in concentrations of constituents associated with surface wash off, for example, suspended sediment, ammonia, phosphorus, and fecal coliform, also were observed in this subbasin during rainfall. In the Lower Clover Creek subbasin, which is the most downstream subbasin, stream-discharge and water-quality characteristics show the integrated effects of the entire basin. The data show that further characterization of local ground water and discharge from stormwater outfalls entering Clover Creek and its tributaries would be necessary to successfully apply a numerical water-quality model to the basin.

Estimation of biotransformation and sorption of emerging organic compounds (EOCs) during artificial recharge through a reactive barrier.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valhondo, C.; Martinez-Landa, L.; Carrera, J.; Hidalgo, J. J.; Ayora, C.

2016-12-01

The reuse of lesser quality water such as effluents from wastewater treatment plants or effluent-receiving water bodies has been promoted due to the water shortages affecting many regions of the world. Artificial recharge through infiltration basins is known to improve several water quality parameters including the attenuation of emerging organic compounds (EOCs). Many of these contaminants exhibit redox dependent biotransformation because the redox state is one of the factors controlling microbial community development. Together with biotransformation, sorption also affects the behavior of EOCs in their passage through the soil. We studied EOCs attenuation in an infiltration system is located in Sant Vicenç dells Horts on the Llobregat delta (Barcelona, Spain), where the local water agency has an artificial recharge pilot project . The Llobregat river water used for the artificial recharge is affected by treatment plant effluents which contain EOCs. A reactive barrier consisting of vegetable compost, clay, and iron oxide was installed in the bottom of the infiltration basin to enhance biotransformation and sorption of EOCs. The barrier releases dissolved organic carbon, which favors the development of a broad range of redox environments, and supplies neutral, cationic, and anionic surfaces to favor sorption of different types of contaminants. Results were excellent, but quantitative evaluation of the EOCs attenuation requires knowledge of the residence time distribution of infiltrated water. A tracer test was performed by adding tracers to the infiltration water and interpreting the breakthrough curves at diverse monitoring points with a 2D multilayer numerical model. The calibrated model quantify degradation, as a first order law, and sorption through a linear distribution coefficient for ten selected EOCs. Results indicate higher degradation rates and sorption coefficients in the reactive barrier than in the rest of the aquifer for nine and eight of the ten studied EOCs, respectively, which demonstrates the efficiency of the reactive barrier to enhance the removal of EOCs.

Infiltration of meteoric water in the South Tibetan Detachment (Mount Everest, Himalaya): When and why?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gébelin, Aude; Jessup, Micah J.; Teyssier, Christian; Cosca, Michael A.; Law, Richard D.; Brunel, Maurice; Mulch, Andreas

2017-04-01

The South Tibetan Detachment (STD) in the Himalayan orogen juxtaposes low-grade Tethyan Himalayan sequence sedimentary rocks over high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Himalayan crystalline core. We document infiltration of meteoric fluids into the STD footwall at 17-15 Ma, when recrystallized hydrous minerals equilibrated with low-δD (meteoric) water. Synkinematic biotite collected over 200 m of structural section in the STD mylonitic footwall (Rongbuk Valley, near Mount Everest) record high-temperature isotopic exchange with D-depleted water (δDwater = -150 ± 5‰) that infiltrated the ductile segment of the detachment most likely during mylonitic deformation, although later isotopic exchange cannot be definitively excluded. These minerals also reveal a uniform pattern of middle Miocene (15 Ma) 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages. The presence of low-δD meteoric water in the STD mylonitic footwall is further supported by hornblende and chlorite with very low δD values of -183‰ and -162‰, respectively. The δD values in the STD footwall suggest that surface-derived fluids were channeled down to the brittle-ductile transition. Migration of fluids from the Earth's surface to the active mylonitic detachment footwall may have been achieved by fluid flow along steep normal faults that developed during synconvergent extension of the upper Tethyan Himalayan plate. High heat flow helped sustain buoyancy-driven fluid convection over the timescale of detachment tectonics. Low δD values in synkinematic fluids are indicative of precipitation-derived fluids sourced at high elevation and document that the ground surface above this section of the STD had already attained similar-to-modern topographic elevations in the middle Miocene.

Water resources of the Pittsburgh area, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noecker, Max; Greenman, D.W.; Beamer, N.H.

1954-01-01

The per capita use of water in the Pittsburgh area in 1951 was 2, 000 gallons per day fgpd) or twice the per capita use in Pennsylvania as a whole. An average of about 3, 040 million gallons of water was withdrawn from the streams and from the ground each day. Of this amount, nearly 190 million gallons per day (mgd), or 6 percent, was for domestic public water supply. Industry, including public utilities generating steam for electric energy, used approximately 2, 900 mgd, of which about 42 mgd was purchased from public supply sources. In spite of this tremendous demand for water, a sufficient quantity was available to satisfy the needs of the area without serious difficulty. Acid mine drainage presents the greatest single pollution problem in the Pittsburgh area at the present time (1953) because no practical means has been found for its control. The waters of several of the rivers are strongly acid for this reason. Of the three major rivers in the area, Monongahela River waters have the greatest acid concentration and Allegheny River waters the least. Untreated domestic and industrial wastes are additional sources of stream pollution in the area. Much of the water is hard and corrosive, and occasionally has objectionable color, odor, and taste. The treatment used by public water-supply systems using river water is adequate at all times for removal of water-borne causes of disease. Attention is being concentrated on improving the quality of present supplies rather than developing new supplies from upstream tributaries. Present supplies are being improved by providing treatment facilities for disposal of wastes,, by reduction of acid mine drainage discharged into the streams, and by providing storage to augment low flows. The underground water resources are vitally important to the area. The use of ground water in the Pittsburgh area has doubled in the past two decades and in 1951 more ground water was used in Allegheny County than in any other county in Pennsylvania. On the average about 63 mgd was pumped from the ground, not including 1.5 mgd pumped for air conditioning. Most of the present-day wells in the "Triangle area" of Pittsburgh have large yields and many operate continuously throughout the summer. The result has been a marked seasonal decline in water levels in some parts of the Triangle area, especially near the center of pumping. It appears that the maximum rate of summertime use has been reached in this localized area. Water from wells near rivers often has chemical characteristics similar to those of water from the adjacent stream because the well water is supplied largely by river infiltration. The ground water in the Pittsburgh area is generally more highly mineralized than surface water, harder, and contains higher concentrations of iron and manganese, all the result of solution of aquifer minerals by the water during its passage through the ground. Nevertheless, ground water commonly is less corrosive than surface water, contains little or no suspended sediment, and is free of pathogenic bacteria. Both sediment and bacteria are present in considerable quantities in the river water of this area. Water from wells supplied largely by river infiltration may have a temperature variation throughout a year of as much as 30 to 35 F and a variation in hardness of as much as 130 ppm. Certain types of chemicals having objectionable tastes and odors are not always removed by the natural infiltration of the river water to wells but pathogenic bacteria and sediment are. There is only a small range throughout a year in the temperature and chemical quality of water in individual wells farther from the rivers. Such water is generally harder and contains more dissolved solids than water supplied by river infiltration. There is no immediate likelihood of a shortage of water in the area. Present withdrawals of surface water are spread throughout the major river valleys so that the water returned to the stream after use is available for reuse in essentially undiminished quantity. Ground-water use can be increased manyfold without depleting the supply if advantage is taken of the favorable opportunities for inducing the infiltration of surface water into the alluvial aquifers in the major stream valleys. Ground-water recharge supplied by the rivers will reduce the local flow of the rivers by the amount of the infiltration; however most of the ground water used is discharged to streams near the areas of withdrawal.

Ecological engineering to control bioclogging: an original field study coupling infiltration and biological measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gette-bouvarot, Morgane; Mermillod-Blondin, Florian; Lassabatere, Laurent; Lemoine, Damien; Delolme, Cécile; Volatier, Laurence

2014-05-01

Infiltration systems are increasingly used in urban areas for several purposes such as flood prevention and groundwater recharge. However, their functioning is often impacted by clogging that leads to decreases in hydraulic and water treatment performances. These systems are commonly built with sand as infiltration medium, a media subject to rapid clogging by the combined and overlapping processes of pore occlusion by fine particles and biofilm development. In a previous study, we pointed out that the phototrophic component of biofilms developed at the surface layer of infiltration systems (algae, cyanobacteria) could reduce by up to 60-fold the saturated hydraulic conductivity. Consequently, it appears crucial to control biofilm growth to maintain porous infiltration media performances. The present study aimed to test the influence of biotic (addition of animals or macrophytes) and abiotic (light reduction) treatments on biofilm development and associated hydraulic properties in an infiltration device dedicated to aquifer recharge with river water in Lyon Area (France). Twenty-five benthic enclosures were used to test 5 "treatments" on non-manipulated surface layer under field conditions. Three biotic treatments consisted in the introduction of: (i) an invertebrate acting as algae grazer (Viviparus viviparus), (ii) an invertebrate that digs galleries in sediments (Tubifex tubifex), and (iii) a macrophyte that could inhibit benthic biofilm by allelopathic activity (Vallisneria spiralis L). The fourth treatment was designed to simulate shading. The last "treatment" was a control which monitored the evolution of the system during the experiment without manipulation (addition of macro-organisms or shading). Each treatment was replicated five times. The experiment was conducted for 6 weeks, and sampling of the surface layer (0-1 cm) was carried out in each enclosure at the beginning (t0) and the end (tf). We coupled biological characterizations (organic matter, algal biomass, bacterial abundances, microbial enzymatic activities, EPS composition, and photosynthetic efficiency) with in situ hydraulic conductivity measurements (falling head method, five measures per enclosure at t0 and tf). Our results showed that some treatments could regulate benthic biofilm growth and improve infiltration rate. For instance, V. viviparus treatment resulted in a decrease in chlorophyll-a, EPS sugar and protein contents and an associated increase of infiltration rate, while it decreased in the control treatment. These results are very promising for the future development of ecological engineering solutions to prevent biological clogging in systems dedicated to infiltration. To our knowledge, this study is the first to highlight such potential role of macro-organisms under field conditions.

Intra-basin variability of snowmelt water balance calculations in a subarctic catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCartney, Stephen E.; Carey, Sean K.; Pomeroy, John W.

2006-03-01

The intra-basin variability of snowmelt and melt-water runoff hydrology in an 8 km2 subarctic alpine tundra catchment was examined for the 2003 melt period. The catchment, Granger Creek, is within the Wolf Creek Research Basin, Yukon, which is typical of mountain subarctic landscapes in northwestern Canada. The study catchment was segmented into nine internally uniform zones termed hydrological response units (HRUs) based on their similar hydrological, physiographic, vegetation and soil properties. Snow accumulation exhibited significant variability among the HRUs, with greatest snow water equivalent in areas of tall shrub vegetation. Melt began first on southerly exposures and at lower elevations, yet average melt rates for the study period varied little among HRUs with the exception of those with steep aspects. In HRUs with capping organic soils, melt water first infiltrated this surface horizon, satisfying its storage capacity, and then percolated into the frozen mineral substrate. Infiltration and percolation into frozen mineral soils was restricted where melt occurred rapidly and organic soils were thin; in this case, melt-water delivery rates exceeded the frozen mineral soil infiltration rate, resulting in high runoff rates. In contrast, where there were slower melt rates and thick organic soils, infiltration was unlimited and runoff was suppressed. The snow water equivalent had a large impact on runoff volume, as soil storage capacity was quickly surpassed in areas of deep snow, diverting the bulk of melt water laterally to the drainage network. A spatially distributed water balance indicated that the snowmelt freshet was primarily controlled by areas with tall shrub vegetation that accumulate large quantities of snow and by alpine areas with no capping organic soils. The intra-basin water balance variability has important implications for modelling freshet in hydrological models.

Urban RoGeR: Merging process-based high-resolution flash flood model for urban areas with long-term water balance predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiler, M.

2016-12-01

Heavy rain induced flash floods are still a serious hazard and generate high damages in urban areas. In particular in the spatially complex urban areas, the temporal and spatial pattern of runoff generation processes at a wide spatial range during extreme rainfall events need to be predicted including the specific effects of green infrastructure and urban forests. In addition, the initial conditions (soil moisture pattern, water storage of green infrastructure) and the effect of lateral redistribution of water (run-on effects and re-infiltration) have to be included in order realistically predict flash flood generation. We further developed the distributed, process-based model RoGeR (Runoff Generation Research) to include the relevant features and processes in urban areas in order to test the effects of different settings, initial conditions and the lateral redistribution of water on the predicted flood response. The uncalibrated model RoGeR runs at a spatial resolution of 1*1m² (LiDAR, degree of sealing, landuse), soil properties and geology (1:50.000). In addition, different green infrastructures are included into the model as well as the effect of trees on interception and transpiration. A hydraulic model was included into RoGeR to predict surface runoff, water redistribution, and re-infiltration. During rainfall events, RoGeR predicts at 5 min temporal resolution, but the model also simulates evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge during rain-free periods at a longer time step. The model framework was applied to several case studies in Germany where intense rainfall events produced flash floods causing high damage in urban areas and to a long-term research catchment in an urban setting (Vauban, Freiburg), where a variety of green infrastructures dominates the hydrology. Urban-RoGeR allowed us to study the effects of different green infrastructures on reducing the flood peak, but also its effect on the water balance (evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge). We could also show that infiltration of surface runoff from areas with a low infiltration (lateral redistribution) reduce the flood peaks by over 90% in certain areas and situations. Finally, we also evaluated the model to long-term runoff observations (surface runoff, ET, roof runoff) and to flood marks in the selected case studies.

Performance specification for high performance concrete overlays on bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

Hydraulic cement concrete overlays are usually placed on bridges to reduce the infiltration of water and chloride ions and to improve skid resistance, ride quality, and surface appearance. Constructed in accordance with prescription specifications, s...

Analysis of shallow-groundwater dynamic responses to water supply change in the Haihe River plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Z.; Lin, W.; Pengfei, L.

2015-05-01

When the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is completed, the water supply pattern of the Haihe River plain in North China will change significantly due to the replenishment of water sources and groundwater-exploitation control. The water-cycle-simulation model - MODCYCLE, has been used in simulating the groundwater dynamic balance for 2001-2010. Then different schemes of water supply in 2020 and 2030 were set up to quantitatively simulate the shallow-groundwater dynamic responses in the future. The results show that the total shallow-groundwater recharge is mainly raised by the increases in precipitation infiltration and surface-water irrigation infiltration. Meanwhile, the decrease of groundwater withdrawal contributes to reduce the total discharge. The recharge-discharge structure of local groundwater was still in a negative balance but improved gradually. The shallow-groundwater level in most parts was still falling before 2030, but more slowly. This study can benefit the rational exploitation of water resources in the Haihe River plain.

Difficulties in the evaluation and measuring of soil water infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pla-Sentís, Ildefonso

2013-04-01

Soil water infiltration is the most important hydrological parameter for the evaluation and diagnosis of the soil water balance and soil moisture regime. Those balances and regimes are the main regulating factors of the on site water supply to plants and other soil organisms and of other important processes like runoff, surface and mass erosion, drainage, etc, affecting sedimentation, flooding, soil and water pollution, water supply for different purposes (population, agriculture, industries, hydroelectricity), etc. Therefore the evaluation and measurement of water infiltration rates has become indispensable for the evaluation and modeling of the previously mentioned processes. Infiltration is one of the most difficult hydrological parameters to evaluate or measure accurately. Although the theoretical aspects of the process of soil water infiltration are well known since the middle of the past century, when several methods and models were already proposed for the evaluation of infiltration, still nowadays such evaluation is not frequently enough accurate for the purposes being used. This is partially due to deficiencies in the methodology being used for measuring infiltration, including some newly proposed methods and equipments, and in the use of non appropriate empirical models and approaches. In this contribution we present an analysis and discussion about the main difficulties found in the evaluation and measurement of soil water infiltration rates, and the more commonly committed errors, based on the past experiences of the author in the evaluation of soil water infiltration in many different soils and land conditions, and in their use for deducing soil water balances under variable and changing climates. It is concluded that there are not models or methods universally applicable to any soil and land condition, and that in many cases the results are significantly influenced by the way we use a particular method or instrument, and by the alterations in the soil conditions by the land management, but also due to the manipulation of the soil before and during the measurement. Direct "in situ" field evaluations have to be preferred in any case to indirect deductions from other soil characteristics measured under laboratory conditions in the same soils, or in other soils, through the so called "pedo-transfer" functions, or through the use of stochastic models such as the SCS Curve Number Method, or of other models using empirical or physical approaches, which have demonstrated to be of limited value in most of the cases. References Philip, J. R., 1954., An infiltration equation with physical significance: Soil Sci..,v. 77, p. 153-157. Philip, J. R., 1958. The theory of infiltration, pt. 7: Soil Sci., v. 85, no. 6, p. 333-337. Pla, I.1981. Simuladores de lluvia para el estudio de relaciones suelo-agua bajo agricultura de secano en los trópicos. Rev. Fac. Agron. XII(1-2):81-93.Maracay (Venezuela) Pla, I. 1986. A routine laboratory index to predict the effects of soil sealing on soil and water conservation. En "Assesment of Soil Surface Sealing and Crusting". 154-162.State Univ. of Ghent.Gante (Bélgica Pla, I., 1997. A soil water balance model for monitoring soil erosion processes and effects on steep lands in the tropics. Soil Technology. 11(1):17-30. Elsevier Pla, I., M.C. Ramos, S. Nacci, F. Fonseca y X. Abreu. 2005. Soil moisture regime in dryland vineyards of Catalunya (Spain) as influenced by climate, soil and land management. "Integrated Soil and Water Management for Orchard Development". FAO Land and Water Bulletin 10. 41-49. Roma (Italia). Pla, I., 2006. Hydrological approach for assessing desertification processes in the Mediterranean region. In W.G. Kepner et al. (Editors), Desertification in the Mediterranean Region. A Security Issue. 579-600 Springer. Heidelberg (Germany) Pla, I. 2011. Evaluación y Modelización Hidrológica para el Diagnóstico y Prevención de "Desastres Naturales". Gestión y Ambiente 14 (3): 17-22. UN-Medellín (Colombia). ISSN 0124.177X Pla, I. 2011. Medición y evaluación de propiedades físicas de los suelos: dificultades y errores más frecuentes. II-Propiedades hidrológicas. Suelos Ecuatoriales 40 (2): 94-127 Reynolds W.D., B.T. Bowman, R.R. Brunke, C.F. Drury and C.S. Tan. 2000. Comparison of Tension Infiltrometer, Pressure Infiltrometer, and Soil Core Estimates of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity . Soil Science Society of America Journal 64:478-484 Richards, L. A., 1952. Report of the Subcommittee on Permeability and Infiltration, Committee on Terminology, Soil Science Society of America: Soil Sci. Soc.America Proc., v. 16, p. 85-88. Segal, E., S.A.Bradford, P. Shouse; N. Lazarovich, and D. Corwin. 2008. Integration of Hard and Soft Data to Characterize Field-Scale Hydraulic Properties for Flow and Transport Studies. Vadose Zone J 7:878-889 Young, E. 1991. Infiltration measurements, a review. Hydrological processes 5: 309-320

Effects of underground mining and mine collapse on the hydrology of selected basins in West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hobba, William A.

1993-01-01

The effects of underground mining and mine collapse on areal hydrology were determined at one site where the mined bed of coal lies above major streams and at two sites where the bed of coal lies below major streams. Subsidence cracks observed at land surface generally run parallel to predominant joint sets in the rocks. The mining and subsidence cracks increase hydraulic conductivity and interconnection of water-bearing rock units, which in turn cause increased infiltration of precipitation and surface water, decreased evapotranspiration, and higher base flows in some small streams. Water levels in observation wells in mined areas fluctuate as much as 100 ft annually. Both gaining and losing streams are found in mined areas. Mine pumpage and drainage can cause diversion of water underground from one basin to another. Areal and single-well aquifer tests indicated that near-surface rocks have higher transmissivity in a mine-subsided basin than in unmined basins. Increased infiltration and circulation through shallow subsurface rocks increase dissolved mineral loads in streams, as do treated and untreated contributions from mine pumpage and drainage. Abandoned and flooded underground mines make good reservoirs because of their increased transmissivity and storage. Subsidence cracks were not detectable by thermal imagery, but springs and seeps were detectable.

The Perspective of Riverbank Filtration in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Teng, Y.; Zhai, Y.; Zuo, R.

2014-12-01

Sustainable drinking water supply can affect the health of people, and the surrounding ecosystems. According to statistics of the monitoring program of drinking water sources in 309 at or above prefecture level of China in 2013, the major pollutants index were total phosphorus, ammonia and manganese in surface drinking water sources, respectively, iron, ammonia and manganese in groundwater drinking water sources, respectively. More than 150 drinking water emergency environmental accidents happened since 2006, 52 of these accidents led to the disruption of water supply in waterworks, and a population of over ten million were affected. It indicated that there is a potential risk for people's health by the use of river water directly and it is necessary to require alternative techniques such as riverbank filtration for improving the drinking water quality. Riverbank filtration is an inexpensive natural process, not only smoothing out normal pollutant concentration found in surface water but also significantly reducing the risk from such emergency events as chemical spill into the river. Riverbank filtration technique has been used in many countries more than 100 years, including China. In China, in 1950s, the bank infiltration technique was first applied in northeast of China. Extensive bank infiltration application was conducted in 1980s, and more than 300 drinking water sources utilities bank infiltration established mainly near the Songhua River Basin, the Yellow River Basin, Haihe River Basin. However, the comparative lack of application and researches on riverbank filtration have formed critical scientific data gap in China. As the performance of riverbank filtration technique depend on not only the design and setting such as well type, pumping rate, but also the local hydrogeology and environmental properties. We recommend more riverbank filtration project and studies to be conducted to collect related significant environmental geology data in China. Additionally, the experience has demonstrated a number of water quality improvements associated with riverbank filtration. It is important to stress that the fate and behavior of emerging organic contaminants during riverbank filtration should be taken into special consideration.

Effects of landscape-based green infrastructure on stormwater ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The development of impervious surfaces in urban and suburban catchments affects their hydrological behavior by decreasing infiltration, increasing peak hydrograph response following rainfall events, and ultimately increasing the total volume of water and mass of pollutants reaching streams. These changes have deleterious effects on downstream surface waters. Consequently, strategies to mitigate these impacts are now components of contemporary urban development and stormwater management. This study evaluates the effectiveness of landscape green infrastructure (GI) in reducing stormwater runoff volumes and controlling peak flows in four subdivision-scale suburban catchments (1.88 – 12.97 acres) in Montgomery County, MD, USA. Stormwater flow rates during runoff events were measured in five minute intervals at each catchment outlet. One catchment was built with GI vegetated swales on all parcels with the goal of intercepting, conveying, and infiltrating stormwater before it enters the sewer network. The remaining catchments were constructed with traditional gray infrastructure and “end-of-pipe” best management practices (BMPs) that treat stormwater before entering streams. This study compared characteristics of rainfall-runoff events at the green and gray infrastructure sites to understand their effects on suburban hydrology. The landscape GI strategy generally reduced rainfall-runoff ratios compared to gray infrastructure because of increased infiltration, ul

Changes of physicochemical and microbiologicalparameters of infiltration water at Debina intake in Poznan, unique conditions - a flood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kołaska, Sylwia; Jeż-Walkowiak, Joanna; Dymaczewski, Zbysław

2018-02-01

The paper presents characteristics of Debina infiltration intake which provides water for Poznan and neighbouring communes. The evaluation of effectiveness of infiltration process has been done based on the quality parameters of river water and infiltration water. The analysed water quality parameters are as follows: temperature, iron, manganese, DOCKMnO4, TOC, turbidity, colour, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, conductivity, total hardness, carbonate hardness, pH, heavy metals, detergents and microorganisms. The paper also includes an assessment of the impact of flood conditions on the quality of infiltration water and operation of infiltration intake. In this part of the paper the following parameters were taken into account: iron, manganese, DOCKMnO4, TOC, turbidity, colour, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, conductivity, total hardness, the total number of microorganisms in 36°C (mesophilic), the total number of microorganisms in 22°C (psychrophilic), coli bacteria, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Enterococci. Analysis of the effects of flood on infiltration process leads to the following conclusions: the deterioration of infiltration water quality was due to the deterioration of river water quality, substantial shortening of groundwater passage and partial disappearance of the aeration zone. The observed deterioration of infiltration water quality did not affect the treated water quality, produced at water treatment plant.

Transport and fate of nitrate at the ground-water/surface-water interface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puckett, L.J.; Zamora, C.; Essaid, H.; Wilson, J.T.; Johnson, H.M.; Brayton, M.J.; Vogel, J.R.

2008-01-01

Although numerous studies of hyporheic exchange and denitrification have been conducted in pristine, high-gradient streams, few studies of this type have been conducted in nutrient-rich, low-gradient streams. This is a particularly important subject given the interest in nitrogen (N) inputs to the Gulf of Mexico and other eutrophic aquatic systems. A combination of hydrologic, mineralogical, chemical, dissolved gas, and isotopic data, were used to determine the processes controlling transport and fate of NO3- in streambeds at five sites across the USA. Water samples were collected from streambeds at depths ranging from 0.3 to 3 m at three to five points across the stream and in two to five separate transects. Residence times of water ranging from 0.28 to 34.7 d m-1 in the streambeds of N-rich watersheds played an important role in allowing denitrification to decrease NO3- concentrations. Where potential electron donors were limited and residence times were short, denitrification was limited. Consequently, in spite of reducing conditions at some sites, NO3- was transported into the stream. At two of the five study sites, NO3- in surface water infiltrated the streambeds and concentrations decreased, supporting current models that NO3- would be retained in N-rich streams. At the other three study sites, hydrogeologic controls limited or prevented infiltration of surface water into the streambed, and ground-water discharge contributed to NO 3- loads. Our results also show that in these low hydrologic-gradient systems, storm and other high-flow events can be important factors for increasing surface-water movement into streambeds. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Electrical resistivity imaging study of near-surface infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lampousis, Angelos

High resolution electrical resistivity images (ERI method) were obtained during vadose zone infiltration experiments on agricultural soils in cooperation with Cornell University's Agricultural Stewardship Program, Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Extension Education Center, Riverhead, New York [ as well as Cornell University's Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center (LIHREC) in Riverhead, New York]. One natural soil was also studied. Infiltration was monitored by means of image analysis of two-dimensional array resistivity generated by a Syscal Kid Switch resistivity system (Griffiths et al., 1990). The data was inverted with the computer program RES2DINV (Loke, 2004). The agricultural soils considered were Riverhead sandy loam (RdA), Haven loam (HaA), and Bridgehampton silt loam (BgA). The natural site was located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The soils there are classified as Schoharie silty clay loam. The electrical images of the three sites were compared against established soil properties, including particle size distribution, available water capacity, and soluble salts (from the literature), as well as against site-specific soil samples and penetrometer data, which were collected along with the geophysical measurements. This research evaluates the potential of acquiring high resolution, non-destructive measurements of infiltration in the uppermost 1.5 meter of the vadose zone. The results demonstrate that resistivity differences can detect infiltration in soils typical of the north-eastern United States. Temporal and spatial variations of soil water content in the upper 1.5 meters (relevant to agriculture) of the subsurface can be monitored successfully and non-destructively with ERI. The sensitivity of the method is higher in subsurface environments that demonstrate high overall apparent resistivity values (e.g. high sand content). Under conditions of increased soil heterogeneity, instead of the formation of a continuous water plume as occurred in the homogeneous agricultural soils, the location of the infiltrated water seems to be highly influenced by the soil heterogeneity, and the water front is scattered into discontinuous layers and travels in additional directions. The geophysical results during infiltration correlate well with soil compaction data. It follows that the ERI method can be used as a proxy for soil compaction and water content variations in agricultural applications. In a natural environment, ERI successfully maps the tree root zone of mature trees. Applications include continuous water content monitoring in high value cash crops, such as viticulture (precision agriculture).

Residence times and mixing of water in river banks: implications for recharge and groundwater-surface water exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unland, N. P.; Cartwright, I.; Cendón, D. I.; Chisari, R.

2014-12-01

Bank exchange processes within 50 m of the Tambo River, southeast Australia, have been investigated through the combined use of 3H and 14C. Groundwater residence times increase towards the Tambo River, which suggests the absence of significant bank storage. Major ion concentrations and δ2H and δ18O values of bank water also indicate that bank infiltration does not significantly impact groundwater chemistry under baseflow and post-flood conditions, suggesting that the gaining nature of the river may be driving the return of bank storage water back into the Tambo River within days of peak flood conditions. The covariance between 3H and 14C indicates the leakage and mixing between old (~17 200 years) groundwater from a semi-confined aquifer and younger groundwater (<100 years) near the river, where confining layers are less prevalent. It is likely that the upward infiltration of deeper groundwater from the semi-confined aquifer during flooding limits bank infiltration. Furthermore, the more saline deeper groundwater likely controls the geochemistry of water in the river bank, minimising the chemical impact that bank infiltration has in this setting. These processes, coupled with the strongly gaining nature of the Tambo River are likely to be the factors reducing the chemical impact of bank storage in this setting. This study illustrates the complex nature of river groundwater interactions and the potential downfall in assuming simple or idealised conditions when conducting hydrogeological studies.

Effect of Fruits Waste in Biopore Infiltration Hole Toward The Effectiveness of Water Infiltration Rate on Baraya Campus Land of Hasanuddin University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santosa, Slamet

2018-03-01

The infiltration of water into the soil decreases due to the transfer of soill function or the lack of soil biopores. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the use of fruits waste toward the water infiltration rate. Observation of the water level decrease is done every 5 minutes interval. Observation of biopore water infiltration rate was done after fruits waste decomposed for 15 and 30 days. Result of standard water infiltration rate at the first of 5 minutes is 2.18 mm/min, then decreases at interval of 5 minutes on next time as the soil begins to saturate the water. Baraya campus soil observed in soil depths of 100cm has a dusty texture character, grayish brown color and clumping structure. Soil character indicates low porosity. While biopore water infiltration rate at the first of 5 minute interval is 6.61and 6.95 mm/min on banana waste; 5.55 and 6.61mm/min on papaya waste and 4.26 and 5.39 mm/min on mango waste. The effectiveness of water infiltration rate is 44.45% and 41.93% on banana; 44.61% and 30.09% on papaya and 15.79% and 28.36% on mango. Study concluded that banana waste causes the water infiltration rate most effective in biopore infiltration hole.

Non-uniform overland flow-infiltration model for roadside swales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Serrana, María; Gulliver, John S.; Nieber, John L.

2017-09-01

There is a need to quantify the hydrologic performance of vegetated roadside swales (drainage ditches) as stormwater control measures (SCMs). To quantify their infiltration performance in both the side slope and the channel of the swale, a model has been developed for coupling a Green-Ampt-Mein-Larson (GAML) infiltration submodel with kinematic wave submodels for both overland flow down the side slope and open channel flow for flow in the ditch. The coupled GAML submodel and overland flow submodel has been validated using data collected in twelve simulated runoff tests in three different highways located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, MN. The percentage of the total water infiltrated into the side slope is considerably greater than into the channel. Thus, the side slope of a roadside swale is the main component contributing to the loss of runoff by infiltration and the channel primarily conveys the water that runs off the side slope, for the typical design found in highways. Finally, as demonstrated in field observations and the model, the fraction of the runoff/rainfall infiltrated (Vi∗) into the roadside swale appears to increase with a dimensionless saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks∗), which is a function of the saturated hydraulic conductivity, rainfall intensity, and dimensions of the swale and contributing road surface. For design purposes, the relationship between Vi∗ and Ks∗ can provide a rough estimate of the fraction of runoff/rainfall infiltrated with the few essential parameters that appear to dominate the results.

STWIR, a microorganism transport with infiltration and runoff add-on module for the KINEROS2 runoff and erosion model: documentation and user manual

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Runoff from manured fields is often considered to be the source of microorganisms in the surface water used for irrigation, recreation, and household needs. Concerns about microbial safety of this water resulted in development of predictive models for estimating the concentrations and total numbers ...

Response curves for phosphorus plume lengths from reactive-solute-transport simulations of onland disposal of wastewater in noncarbonate sand and gravel aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, John A.

2005-01-01

Surface-water resources in Massachusetts often are affected by eutrophication, excessive plant growth, which has resulted in impaired use for a majority of the freshwater ponds and lakes and a substantial number of river-miles in the State. Because supply of phosphorus usually is limiting to plant growth in freshwater systems, control of phosphorus input to surface waters is critical to solving the impairment problem. Wastewater is a substantial source of phosphorus for surface water, and removal of phosphorus before disposal may be necessary. Wastewater disposed onland by infiltration loses phosphorus from the dissolved phase during transport through the subsurface and may be an effective disposal method; quantification of the phosphorus loss can be simulated to determine disposal feasibility. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, initiated a project to simulate distance of phosphorus transport in the subsurface for plausible conditions of onland wastewater disposal and subsurface properties. A coupled one-dimensional unsaturated-zone and three-dimensional saturated-zone reactive-solute-transport model (PHAST) was used to simulate lengths of phosphorus plumes. Knowledge of phosphorus plume length could facilitate estimates of setback distances for wastewater-infiltration sites from surface water that would be sufficient to protect the surface water from eutrophication caused by phosphorus transport through the subsurface and ultimate discharge to surface water. The reactive-solute-transport model PHAST was used to simulate ground-water flow, solute transport, equilibrium chemistry for dissolved and sorbed species, and kinetic regulation of organic carbon decomposition and phosphate mineral formation. The phosphorus plume length was defined for the simulations as the maximum extent of the contour for the 0.015 milligram-per-liter concentration of dissolved phosphorus downgradient from the infiltration bed after disposal cessation. Duration of disposal before cessation was assumed to be 50 years into an infiltration bed of 20,000 square feet at the rate of 3 gallons per square foot per day. Time for the maximum extent of the phosphorus plume to develop is on the order of 100 years after disposal cessation. Simulations indicated that phosphorus transport beyond the extent of the 0.015 milligram-per-liter concentration contour was never more than 0.18 kilogram per year, an amount that would likely not alter the ecology of most surface water. Simulations of phosphorus plume lengths were summarized in a series of response curves. Simulated plume lengths ranged from 200 feet for low phosphorus-concentration effluents (0.25 milligram per liter) and thick (50 feet) unsaturated zones to 3,400 feet for high phosphorus-concentration effluents (14 milligrams per liter) discharged directly into the aquifer (unsaturated-zone thickness of 0 feet). Plume length was nearly independent of unsaturated-zone thickness at phosphorus concentrations in the wastewater that were less than 2 milligrams per liter because little or no phosphorus mineral formed at low phosphorus concentrations. For effluents of high phosphorus concentration, plume length varied from 3,400 feet for unsaturated-zone thickness of 0 to 2,550 feet for unsaturated-zone thickness of 50 feet. Model treatments of flow and equilibrium-controlled chemistry likely were more accurate than rates of kinetically controlled reactions, notably precipitation of iron-phosphate minerals; the kinetics of such reactions are less well known and thus less well defined in the model. Sensitivity analysis indicated that many chemical and physical aquifer properties, such as hydraulic gradient and model width, did not affect the simulated plume length appreciably, but duration of discharge, size of infiltration bed, amount of dispersion, and number of sorption sites on the aquifer sediments did affect plume length ap

Estimating harvested rainwater at greenhouses in south Portugal aquifer Campina de Faro for potential infiltration in Managed Aquifer Recharge.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Luís; Monteiro, José Paulo; Leitão, Teresa; Lobo-Ferreira, João Paulo; Oliveira, Manuel; Martins de Carvalho, José; Martins de Carvalho, Tiago; Agostinho, Rui

2015-04-01

The Campina de Faro (CF) aquifer system, located on the south coast of Portugal, is an important source of groundwater, mostly used for agriculture purposes. In some areas, this multi-layered aquifer is contaminated with high concentration of nitrates, possibly arising from excessive usage of fertilizers, reaching to values as high as 300 mg/L. In order to tackle this problem, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques are being applied at demonstration scale to improve groundwater quality through aquifer recharge, in both infiltration basins at the river bed of ephemeral river Rio Seco and existing traditional large diameter wells located in this aquifer. In order to assess the infiltration capacity of the existing infrastructures, in particular infiltration basins and large diameter wells at CF aquifer, infiltration tests were performed, indicating a high infiltration capacity of the existing infrastructures. Concerning the sources of water for recharge, harvested rainwater at greenhouses was identified in CF aquifer area as one of the main potential sources for aquifer recharge, once there is a large surface area occupied by these infrastructures at the demo site. This potential source of water could, in some cases, be redirected to the large diameter wells or to the infiltration basins at the riverbed of Rio Seco. Estimates of rainwater harvested at greenhouses were calculated based on a 32 year average rainfall model and on the location of the greenhouses and their surface areas, the latter based on aerial photograph. Potential estimated annual rainwater intercepted by greenhouses at CF aquifer accounts an average of 1.63 hm3/year. Nonetheless it is unlikely that the totality of this amount can be harvested, collected and redirected to aquifer recharge infrastructures, for several reasons, such as the lack of appropriate greenhouse infrastructures, conduits or a close location between greenhouses and large diameter wells and infiltration basins. Anyway, this value is a good indication of the total amount of the harvested rainfall that could be considered for future MAR solutions. Given the estimates on the greenhouse harvested rainwater and the infiltration capacity of the infiltration basins and large diameter wells, it is intended to develop groundwater flow models in order to assess the nitrate washing rate in the CF aquifer. This work is being developed under the scope of MARSOL Project (MARSOL-GA-2013-619120), in which Campina de Faro aquifer system is one of the several case studies. This project aims to demonstrate that MAR is a sound, safe and sustainable strategy that can be applied with great confidence in finding solutions to water scarcity in Southern Europe.

Comparing a simple methodology to evaluate hydrodynamic parameters with rainfall simulation experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Prima, Simone; Bagarello, Vincenzo; Bautista, Inmaculada; Burguet, Maria; Cerdà, Artemi; Iovino, Massimo; Prosdocimi, Massimo

2016-04-01

Studying soil hydraulic properties is necessary for interpreting and simulating many hydrological processes having environmental and economic importance, such as rainfall partition into infiltration and runoff. The saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, exerts a dominating influence on the partitioning of rainfall in vertical and lateral flow paths. Therefore, estimates of Ks are essential for describing and modeling hydrological processes (Zimmermann et al., 2013). According to several investigations, Ks data collected by ponded infiltration tests could be expected to be unusable for interpreting field hydrological processes, and particularly infiltration. In fact, infiltration measured by ponding give us information about the soil maximum or potential infiltration rate (Cerdà, 1996). Moreover, especially for the hydrodynamic parameters, many replicated measurements have to be carried out to characterize an area of interest since they are known to vary widely both in space and time (Logsdon and Jaynes, 1996; Prieksat et al., 1994). Therefore, the technique to be applied at the near point scale should be simple and rapid. Bagarello et al. (2014) and Alagna et al. (2015) suggested that the Ks values determined by an infiltration experiment carried applying water at a relatively large distance from the soil surface could be more appropriate than those obtained with a low height of water pouring to explain surface runoff generation phenomena during intense rainfall events. These authors used the Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters (BEST) procedure for complete soil hydraulic characterization (Lassabatère et al., 2006) to analyze the field infiltration experiment. This methodology, combining low and high height of water pouring, seems appropriate to test the effect of intense and prolonged rainfall events on the hydraulic characteristics of the surface soil layer. In fact, an intense and prolonged rainfall event has a perturbing effect on the soil surface and, reasonably, it can better be represented by the high runs than the low runs (Alagna et al., 2015). Obviously, this methodology is also simpler than an approach involving soil characterization both before and after natural or simulated rainfall since it needs less equipment and field work. On the other hand, rainfall simulation experiments are more realistic and accurate, but also more sophisticated and costly (Cerdà, 1997). Rainfall simulation is often used to measure the infiltration process (e.g., Bhardwaj and Singh, 1992; Cerdà, 1999, 1997, 1996; Cerdà and Doerr, 2007; Iserloh et al., 2013; Liu et al., 2011; Tricker, 1979), and it has become an important method for assessing the subjects of soil erosion and soil hydrological processes (Iserloh et al., 2013). Its application allows a quick, specific and reproducible assessment of the meaning and impact of several factors, such as slope, soil type (infiltration, permeability), soil moisture, splash effect of raindrops (aggregate stability), surface structure, vegetation cover and vegetation structure (Bowyer-Bower and Burt, 1989). The objectives of this investigation are: (i) to compare infiltration rates measured by applying water at a relatively large distance from the soil surface with those obtained by rainfall simulation experiments and (ii) to verify if the Ks values determined with the BEST procedure are in line with the occurrence of runoff measured with a more robust methodology. Acknowledgements The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 603498 (RECARE project). References Alagna, V., Bagarello, V., Di Prima, S., Giordano, G., Iovino, M., 2015. Testing infiltration run effects on the estimated hydrodynamic parameters of a sandy-loam soil. Submitted to Geoderma. Bagarello, V., Castellini, M., Di Prima, S., Iovino, M., 2014. Soil hydraulic properties determined by infiltration experiments and different heights of water pouring. Geoderma 213, 492-501. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.08.032 Bhardwaj, A., Singh, R., 1992. Development of a portable rainfall simulator infiltrometer for infiltration, runoff and erosion studies. Agricultural Water Management 22, 235-248. doi:10.1016/0378-3774(92)90028-U Bouwer, H., 1966. Rapid field measurement of air entry value and hydraulic conductivity of soil as significant parameters in flow system analysis. Water Resour. Res. 2, 729-738. doi:10.1029/WR002i004p00729 Bowyer-Bower, T.A.S., Burt, T.P., 1989. Rainfall simulators for investigating soil response to rainfall. Soil Technology 2, 1-16. doi:10.1016/S0933-3630(89)80002-9 Cerdà, A., 1999. Simuladores de lluvia y su aplicación a la Geomorfologia: estado de la cuestión. Cuadernos de investigación geográfica 45-84. Cerdà, A., 1997. Seasonal changes of the infiltration rates in a Mediterranean scrubland on limestone. Journal of Hydrology 198, 209-225. doi:10.1016/S0022-1694(96)03295-7 Cerdà, A., 1996. Seasonal variability of infiltration rates under contrasting slope conditions in southeast Spain. Geoderma 69, 217-232. doi:10.1016/0016-7061(95)00062-3 Cerdà, A., Doerr, S.H., 2007. Soil wettability, runoff and erodibility of major dry-Mediterranean land use types on calcareous soils. Hydrol. Process. 21, 2325-2336. doi:10.1002/hyp.6755 Iserloh, T., Ries, J.B., Arnáez, J., Boix-Fayos, C., Butzen, V., Cerdà, A., Echeverría, M.T., Fernández-Gálvez, J., Fister, W., Geißler, C., Gómez, J.A., Gómez-Macpherson, H., Kuhn, N.J., Lázaro, R., León, F.J., Martínez-Mena, M., Martínez-Murillo, J.F., Marzen, M., Mingorance, M.D., Ortigosa, L., Peters, P., Regüés, D., Ruiz-Sinoga, J.D., Scholten, T., Seeger, M., Solé-Benet, A., Wengel, R., Wirtz, S., 2013. European small portable rainfall simulators: A comparison of rainfall characteristics. CATENA 110, 100-112. doi:10.1016/j.catena.2013.05.013 Lassabatère, L., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., Soria Ugalde, J.M., Cuenca, R., Braud, I., Haverkamp, R., 2006. Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer Parameters through Infiltration Experiments - BEST. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70, 521. doi:10.2136/sssaj2005.0026 Liu, H., Lei, T.W., Zhao, J., Yuan, C.P., Fan, Y.T., Qu, L.Q., 2011. Effects of rainfall intensity and antecedent soil water content on soil infiltrability under rainfall conditions using the run off-on-out method. Journal of Hydrology 396, 24-32. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.10.028 Logsdon, S.D., Jaynes, D.B., 1996. Spatial Variability of Hydraulic Conductivity in a Cultivated Field at Different Times. Soil Science Society of America Journal 60, 703. doi:10.2136/sssaj1996.03615995006000030003x Prieksat, M.A., Kaspar, T.C., Ankeny, M.D., 1994. Positional and Temporal Changes in Ponded Infiltration in a Corn Field. Soil Science Society of America Journal 58, 181. doi:10.2136/sssaj1994.03615995005800010026x Tricker, A.S., 1979. The design of a portable rainfall simulator infiltrometer. Journal of Hydrology 41, 143-147. doi:10.1016/0022-1694(79)90111-2 van De Giesen, N.C., Stomph, T.J., de Ridder, N., 2000. Scale effects of Hortonian overland flow and rainfall-runoff dynamics in a West African catena landscape. Hydrol. Process. 14, 165-175. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(200001)14:1<165::AID-HYP920>3.0.CO;2-1 Zimmermann, A., Schinn, D.S., Francke, T., Elsenbeer, H., Zimmermann, B., 2013. Uncovering patterns of near-surface saturated hydraulic conductivity in an overland flow-controlled landscape. Geoderma 195-196, 1-11. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.11.002

Water-vapor movement through unsaturated alluvium in Amargosa Desert near Beatty, Nevada - Current understanding and continuing studies: A section in Joint US Geological Survey, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission workshop on research related to low-level radioactive waste disposal, May 4-6, 1993, National Center, Reston, Virginia; Proceedings (WRI 95-4015)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Stevens, Peter R.; Nicholson, Thomas J.

1996-01-01

Disposal of low-level radioactive wastes has been a concern since the 1950's. These wastes commonly are buried in shallow trenches (Fischer, 1986, p. 2). Water infiltrating into the trenches is considered the principal process by which contaminants are transported away from the buried wastes, although gaseous transport in some areas may be important. Arid regions in the western United States have been suggested as places that could provide safe containment of the wastes, because little or no water would infiltrate into the trenches (Richardson, 1962), and because thick unsaturated zones would slow contaminant movement. Although burial in arid regions may greatly reduce the amount of water coming in contact with the waste and consequently may provide longterm containment, insufficient data are available on the effectiveness of burial in such regions. Of particular interest is the potential for contaminant movement, either as liquid or vapor, through unsaturated sediments to land surface or to underlying ground water.Since 1962, low-level radioactive wastes have been buried at a disposal facility in the Amargosa Desert, about 17 km south of Beatty, Nevada (fig. 50). This facility is in one of the most arid regions of the United States. Annual precipitation at the disposal facility averaged 82 mm for 1985-92; the minimum was 14 mm, recorded for 1989 (Wood and Andraski, 1992, p. 12).Investigations to determine the hydrogeology, water movement, and potential for contaminant movement at the facility began in 1976. Results from an initial study indicated that a potential exists for deep percolation of infiltrated water at the burial site (Nichols, 1987), assuming that the only water loss is by evaporation because the trenches are kept clear of vegetation. Results from a subsequent study of water movement beneath an undisturbed, vegetated site indicate that percolation of infiltrated water may be limited to the uppermost 9 m of sediments, on the basis of water potentials, subsurface temperatures, water content, and sodium chloride content of the sediments (Fischer, 1992, p. 1). One objective of a third study that began in 1987 is to determine how the typical procedure of burying wastes alters water movement and affects the potential for deep percolation of infiltrated water (Andraski, these proceedings). In addition to these studies, a fourth began in 1992 to determine the importance of vapor movement through the unsaturated zone.The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current understanding of water movement (as liquid and vapor) through the upper 13 m of unsaturated sediments beneath the undisturbed, vegetated site and to present plans for determining the importance of watervapor movement from land surface to the water table.

ESTIMATING AND PROJECTING IMPERVIOUS COVER IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Urban/suburban land constitutes the fastest growing land use class in the Southeastern United States. Predominant development practices increase impervious surface--areas preventing infiltration of water into the underlying soil. Uncontrolled increase of impervious areas (roads,...

ESTIMATING AND PROJECTING IMPERVIOUS COVER IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Urban/suburban land use constitutes the fastest growing land use class in the Southeastern United States. Predominant development practices increase impervious surface--areas preventing infiltration of water into the underlying soil. Uncontrolled increase of impervious areas (ro...

Monitoring and modeling infiltration-recharge dynamics of managed aquifer recharge with desalinated seawater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganot, Yonatan; Holtzman, Ran; Weisbrod, Noam; Nitzan, Ido; Katz, Yoram; Kurtzman, Daniel

2017-09-01

We study the relation between surface infiltration and groundwater recharge during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) with desalinated seawater in an infiltration pond, at the Menashe site that overlies the northern part of the Israeli Coastal Aquifer. We monitor infiltration dynamics at multiple scales (up to the scale of the entire pond) by measuring the ponding depth, sediment water content and groundwater levels, using pressure sensors, single-ring infiltrometers, soil sensors, and observation wells. During a month (January 2015) of continuous intensive MAR (2.45 × 106 m3 discharged to a 10.7 ha area), groundwater level has risen by 17 m attaining full connection with the pond, while average infiltration rates declined by almost 2 orders of magnitude (from ˜ 11 to ˜ 0.4 m d-1). This reduction can be explained solely by the lithology of the unsaturated zone that includes relatively low-permeability sediments. Clogging processes at the pond-surface - abundant in many MAR operations - are negated by the high-quality desalinated seawater (turbidity ˜ 0.2 NTU, total dissolved solids ˜ 120 mg L-1) or negligible compared to the low-permeability layers. Recharge during infiltration was estimated reasonably well by simple analytical models, whereas a numerical model was used for estimating groundwater recharge after the end of infiltration. It was found that a calibrated numerical model with a one-dimensional representative sediment profile is able to capture MAR dynamics, including temporal reduction of infiltration rates, drainage and groundwater recharge. Measured infiltration rates of an independent MAR event (January 2016) fitted well to those calculated by the calibrated numerical model, showing the model validity. The successful quantification methodologies of the temporal groundwater recharge are useful for MAR practitioners and can serve as an input for groundwater flow models.

Absorption of water and lubricating oils into porous nylon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertrand, P. A.

1995-01-01

Oil and water absorption from air into sintered porous nylon can be described by infiltration into the pores of the material. This process can be modeled by a diffusion-like mechanism. For water absorption, we find a formal diffusion coefficient of 1.5 x 10(exp -4)sq cm/min when the nylon is initially dry. The diffusion coefficient is 4 x 10(exp -6)sq cm/min when the nylon is oil-impregnated prior to air exposure. In a 52% RH atmosphere, dry nylon absorbs 3% w/w water, and oil-impregnated nylon absorbs 0.6% w/w water. For oil absorption there are three steps: (1) surface absorption and infiltration into (2) larger and (3) smaller pores. Surface absorption is too fast to be measured in these experiments. The diffusion coefficient for the second step is 6 x 10(exp -4)sq cm/min for SRG-60 oil into dry nylon and 4 x 10(exp -4)sq cm/min for air-equilibrated nylon. The diffusion coefficient for the third step is about 1 x 10(exp -6)sq cm/min for both cases. The total amount of oil absorbed is 31% w/w. The interaction between water and nylon is not as strong as that between water and cotton-phenolic: oil can replace water, and only a small amount of water can enter previously oil-impregnated nylon.

Land cover effects on infiltration and preferential flow pathways in the high rainfall zone of Madagascar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwartendijk, Bob; van Meerveld, Ilja; Ravelona, Maafaka; Razakamanarivo, Herintsitohaina; Ghimire, Chandra; Bruijnzeel, Sampurno; Jones, Julia

2015-04-01

Shortened slash-and-burn cycles exhaust agricultural land and have resulted in extensive tracts of highly degraded land across the tropics. Land degradation typically results in decreased rainfall infiltration due to a reduced field-saturated hydraulic conductivity of the topsoil because of a progressive decline in soil organic matter, exposure to raindrop impact, surface sealing and compaction. This results, in turn, in enhanced surface runoff and erosion, and consequently less subsurface flow and groundwater recharge. On the other hand, natural vegetation regrowth or active reforestation can lead to a renewed accumulation of soil organic matter, macropore development and increased infiltration rates. As part of the P4GES project (Can Paying 4 Global Ecosystem Services values reduce poverty?; www.p4ges.org), we study the effects of land use change and reforestation on water resources in the Corridor Ankeniheny-Zahamena (CAZ) in eastern Madagascar. In this poster, we present the results of infiltration and preferential flow measurements in four different land uses in the southern part of the CAZ: (i) closed canopy forest, (ii) 3-14 year-old regrowth on fallow land (savokas), (iii) exhausted and severely degraded land (tany maty), and (iv) recently reforested sites (6-8 years old). The results show that infiltrability increases significantly after several years of forest regrowth after land abandonment, but it remains unclear whether active replanting decreases the time required for restoration of soil hydrological functioning. Preferential flow pathways differed strikingly between the respective land cover types: infiltration in mature forests was predominantly characterized by macropore flow (preferential flow pathways), whereas infiltration in exhausted agricultural land was dominated by matrix flow (few preferential flow pathways). Occurrence of preferential flow pathways in reforestation and fallow sites varied considerably. These results suggest that land cover significantly affects hydrological flow pathways and that natural regeneration and active reforestation of degraded land can result in increased infiltration and a reduced likelihood for surface runoff.

Hydrogeologic data and water-quality data from a thick unsaturated zone at a proposed wastewater-treatment facility site, Yucca Valley, San Bernardino County, California, 2008-11

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Leary, David; Clark, Dennis A.; Izbicki, John A.

2015-01-01

Water levels in the observation well ranged from about 367 to 370 feet below land surface during the period of the study. Measured saturated hydraulic conductivity of core material ranged from 2.1 to 11.0 feet per day. Average vertical infiltration rates in the pilot-scale infiltration pond ranged from 0.7 to 2.4 feet per day. Both denitrifying and nitrate-reducing bacteria were present in drill cutting material in most probable numbers ranging from below detection limits to 2,400,000 for denitrifying and to 93,000 for nitrate-reducing bacteria.

Artificial recharge through a thick, heterogeneous unsaturated zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, J.A.; Flint, A.L.; Stamos, C.L.

2008-01-01

Thick, heterogeneous unsaturated zones away from large streams in desert areas have not previously been considered suitable for artificial recharge from ponds. To test the potential for recharge in these settings, 1.3 ?? 10 6 m3 of water was infiltrated through a 0.36-ha pond along Oro Grande Wash near Victorville, California, between October 2002 and January 2006. The pond overlies a regional pumping depression 117 m below land surface and is located where thickness and permeability of unsaturated deposits allowed infiltration and saturated alluvial deposits were sufficiently permeable to allow recovery of water. Because large changes in water levels caused by nearby pumping would obscure arrival of water at the water table, downward movement of water was measured using sensors in the unsaturated zone. The downward rate of water movement was initially as high as 6 m/d and decreased with depth to 0.07 m/d; the initial time to reach the water table was 3 years. After the unsaturated zone was wetted, water reached the water table in 1 year. Soluble salts and nitrate moved readily with the infiltrated water, whereas arsenic and chromium were less mobile. Numerical simulations done using the computer program TOUGH2 duplicated the downward rate of water movement, accumulation of water on perched zones, and its arrival at the water table. Assuming 10 ?? 10 6 m3 of recharge annually for 20 years, a regional ground water flow model predicted water level rises of 30 m beneath the ponds, and rises exceeding 3 m in most wells serving the nearby urban area.

Water movement through a thick unsaturated zone underlying an intermittent stream in the western Mojave Desert, southern California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, J.A.; Radyk, J.; Michel, R.L.

2000-01-01

Previous studies indicated that small amounts of recharge occur as infiltration of intermittent streamflow in washes in the upper Mojave River basin, in the western Mojave Desert, near Victorville, California. These washes flow only a few days each year after large storms. To reach the water table, water must pass through an unsaturated zone that is more than 130 m thick. Results of this study, done in 1994-1998, showy that infiltration to depths below the root zone did not occur at control sites away from the wash. At these sites, volumetric water contents were as low as 0.01 and water potentials (measured as the combination of solute and matric potentials using a water activity meter) were as negative as -14,000 kPa. Water-vapor movement was controlled by highly negative solute potentials associated with the accumulation of soluble salts in the unsaturated zone. Highly negative matric potentials above and below the zone of maximum solute accumulation result from movement of water vapor toward the highly negative solute potentials at that depth. The ??18O and ??D (delta oxygen-18 and delta deuterium) isotopic composition of water in coarse-grained deposits plots along a Rayleigh distillation line consistent with removal of water in coarse-grained layers by vapor transport. Beneath Oro Grande Wash, water moved to depths below the root zone and, presumably, to the water table about 130 m below land surface. Underneath Oro Grande Wash, volumetric water contents were as high as 0.27 and water potentials (measured as matric potential using tensiometers) were between -1.8 and -50 kPa. On the basis of tritium data, water requires at least 180-260 years to infiltrate to the water table. Clay layers impede the downward movement of water. Seasonal changes in water vapor composition underneath the wash are consistent with the rapid infiltration of a small quantity of water to great depths and subsequent equilibration of vapor with water in the surrounding material. It may be possible to supplement natural recharge from the wash with imported water. Recharge to the wash may be advantageous because the unsaturated zone is not as dry as most areas in the desert and concentrations of soluble salts are generally lower underneath the wash.Previous studies indicated that small amounts of recharge occur as infiltration of intermittent streamflow in washes in the upper Mojave River basin, in the western Mojave Desert, near Victorville, California. These washes flow only a few days each year after large storms. To reach the water table, water must pass through an unsaturated zone that is more than 130 m thick. Results of this study, done in 1994-1998, show that infiltration to depths below the root zone did not occur at control sites away from the wash. At these sites, volumetric water contents were as low as 0.01 and water potentials (measured as the combination of solute and matric potentials using a water activity meter) were as negative as -14,000 kPa. Water-vapor movement was controlled by highly negative solute potentials associated with the accumulation of soluble salts in the unsaturated zone. Highly negative matric potentials above and below the zone of maximum solute accumulation result from movement of water vapor toward the highly negative solute potentials at that depth. The ??18O and ??D (delta oxygen-18 and delta deuterium) isotopic composition of water in coarse-grained deposits plots along a Rayleigh distillation line consistent with removal of water in coarse-grained layers by vapor transport. Beneath Oro Grande Wash, water moved to depths below the root zone and, presumably, to the water table about 130 m below land surface. Underneath Oro Grande Wash, volumetric water contents were as high as 0.27 and water potentials (measured as matric potential using tensiometers) were between -1.8 and -50 kPa. On the basis of tritium data, water requires at least 180-260 years to infiltrate to the water table. Clay layers impede the downwa

Tracing recharge to aquifers beneath an Asian megacity with Cl/Br and stable isotopes: the example of Dhaka, Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoque, M. A.; McArthur, J. M.; Sikdar, P. K.; Ball, J. D.; Molla, T. N.

2014-06-01

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is home to a population of 15 million people, whose water supply is 85% drawn from groundwater in aquifers that underlie the city. Values of Cl/Br >500 are common in groundwater beneath western Dhaka in areas <3 km from the river, and in rivers and sewers around and within the city. The study shows that groundwater beneath western Dhaka is strongly influenced by infiltration of effluent from leaking sewers and unsewered sanitation, and by river-bank infiltration from the Turag-Buriganga river system which bounds the western limit of the city. River-bank infiltration from other rivers around Dhaka is minor. Values of Cl/Br and Cl concentrations reveal that 23 % of wells sampled in Dhaka are influenced by saline connate water in amounts up to 1%. This residual natural salinity compromises the use of electrical conductivity of groundwater as a method for defining pathways of recharge by contaminated surface waters. Concentrations of As, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, F, Ni, NO3, Pb, Sb, Se and U in groundwater samples are less than WHO health-based guideline values for drinking water.

Spatial distribution of heavy metals in the surface soil of source-control stormwater infiltration devices - Inter-site comparison.

PubMed

Tedoldi, Damien; Chebbo, Ghassan; Pierlot, Daniel; Branchu, Philippe; Kovacs, Yves; Gromaire, Marie-Christine

2017-02-01

Stormwater runoff infiltration brings about some concerns regarding its potential impact on both soil and groundwater quality; besides, the fate of contaminants in source-control devices somewhat suffers from a lack of documentation. The present study was dedicated to assessing the spatial distribution of three heavy metals (copper, lead, zinc) in the surface soil of ten small-scale infiltration facilities, along with several physical parameters (soil moisture, volatile matter, variable thickness of the upper horizon). High-resolution samplings and in-situ measurements were undertaken, followed by X-ray fluorescence analyses and spatial interpolation. Highest metal accumulation was found in a relatively narrow area near the water inflow zone, from which concentrations markedly decreased with increasing distance. Maximum enrichment ratios amounted to >20 in the most contaminated sites. Heavy metal patterns give a time-integrated vision of the non-uniform infiltration fluxes, sedimentation processes and surface flow pathways within the devices. This element indicates that the lateral extent of contamination is mainly controlled by hydraulics. The evidenced spatial structure of soil concentrations restricts the area where remediation measures would be necessary in these systems, and suggests possible optimization of their hydraulic functioning towards an easier maintenance. Heterogeneous upper boundary conditions should be taken into account when studying the fate of micropollutants in infiltration facilities with either mathematical modeling or soil coring field surveys. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Experimental Investigation of Infiltration in a Shallow Karst System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellin, A.; Becker, M. W.; Borsato, A.

2008-12-01

We present preliminary results of a field investigation of infiltration in a karst terrain in the Dolomiti del Brenta ridge, North-East Italy. A sub-horizontal cave 40 m deep drains a small catchment of about 6,000 m2 at the elevation of 2,600 m a.s.l. in a fractured triassic dolomite formation. The surface is characterized by a thin soil cover, vertical fractures, and karst collapse features (dolines). Water infiltrates through the dolines and vertical shafts which are connected to an unsaturated cave system. Within the cave, water discharge, temperature, and electric conductivity are recorded. Meterological conditions were measured at a weather station installed within the cave contributing area. Furthermore, in order to study residence time distribution in the summer 2007 we conducted a tracer experiment by injecting fluorescein in one of the dolines and recording its concentration within the cave. The recorded time series are statistically non-stationary with a wavelet spectrum strongly variable in time. However, a closer inspection of the water discharge wavelet spectrum reveals three periods in which the local power spectrum is nearly time invariant: November-April, April -July and August-October. In the first period we observe a slow exponential decline of the water discharge. The season is dominated by release of water from subsurface storage, in absence of surface input. In the second period, the system is dominated by snowmelt with a time lag that reduces from 9 hours to 1 hour through the melting season. The variation in time apparently corresponds with reduction in snowpack thickness. In the final period, the system is dominated by rainfall. The lag time in this period is on the order of 1 hour or less. These results suggest that in this hydrologic system the distribution of the residence time, and thus the transfer function relating input to output signals, is not state invariant, as typically assumed in applications. Rather, hydraulic residence time is seasonally variable and linked to both surface and subsurface hydrologic conditions.

Hydrological regime shift in a constructed catchment: Effect of vegetation encroachment on surface runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinz, C.; Caviedes-Voullieme, D.; Andezhath Mohanan, A.; Brueck, Y.; Zaplata, M.

2017-12-01

The Hühnerwasser catchment (Chicken Creek) was constructed to provide discharge for a small stream in the post-mining landscape of Lusatia, Germany. It has an area of 6 ha and quaternary sands with a thickness of 2-4 m were dumped on to a clay liner to prevent deep drainage. After completion of the construction the catchment was left to develop on its own without intervention and has been monitored since 2005. The upper part of the catchment discharges water and sediment into the lower part forming an alluvial fan. Below the alluvial fan is a pond receiving all surface and subsurface water from the upper catchment. After the formation of the drainage network vegetation started growing and surface runoff decreased until the water balance was dominated by evapotranspiration. This regime shift and the rate at which it happened depends on the vegetation encroachment into the rills and the interrill areas. Based on the hypothesis that vegetation will increase surface roughness and infiltration behavior, aerial photos were used to map rills and vegetation within and outside the rills for the last 10 years to obtain a time series of change. Observational evidence clearly shows that vegetation encroaches from the bottom, from the interrill areas as well as from the top. The rills themselves did not change their topology, however, the width of the erosion rills and gully increased at the bottom. For a subcatchment area a high resolution a physical based numerical model of overland flow was developed to explicitly assess the importance of increasing roughness and infiltration capacity for surface runoff. For the purpose of analyzing the effect of rainfall variability a rainfall generator was developed to carry out large sets of simulations. The simulations provide a means to assess how the roughness/infiltration feedback affects the rate of regime shift for a set of parameters that are consistent with the observed hydrological behavior of the drainage network.

Sewer infiltration/inflow: long-term monitoring based on diurnal variation of pollutant mass flux.

PubMed

Bares, V; Stránský, D; Sýkora, P

2009-01-01

The paper deals with a method for quantification of infiltrating groundwater based on the variation of diurnal pollutant load and continuous water quality and quantity monitoring. Although the method gives us the potential to separate particular components of wastewater hygrograph, several aspects of the method should be discussed. Therefore, the paper investigates the cost-effectiveness, the relevance of pollutant load from surface waters (groundwater) and the influence of measurement time step. These aspects were studied in an experimental catchment of Prague sewer system, Czech Republic, within a three-month period. The results indicate high contribution of parasitic waters on night minimal discharge. Taking into account the uncertainty of the results and time-consuming maintenance of the sensor, the principal advantages of the method are evaluated. The study introduces a promising potential of the discussed measuring concept for quantification of groundwater infiltrating into the sewer system. It is shown that the conventional approach is sufficient and cost-effective even in those catchments, where significant contribution of foul sewage in night minima would have been assumed.

Identifying biogeochemical processes beneath stormwater infiltration ponds in support of a new best management practice for groundwater protection

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Reilly, Andrew M.; Chang, Ni-Bin; Wanielista, Martin P.; Xuan, Zhemin; Schirmer, Mario; Hoehn, Eduard; Vogt, Tobias

2011-01-01

 When applying a stormwater infiltration pond best management practice (BMP) for protecting the quality of underlying groundwater, a common constituent of concern is nitrate. Two stormwater infiltration ponds, the SO and HT ponds, in central Florida, USA, were monitored. A temporal succession of biogeochemical processes was identified beneath the SO pond, including oxygen reduction, denitrification, manganese and iron reduction, and methanogenesis. In contrast, aerobic conditions persisted beneath the HT pond, resulting in nitrate leaching into groundwater. Biogeochemical differences likely are related to soil textural and hydraulic properties that control surface/subsurface oxygen exchange. A new infiltration BMP was developed and a full-scale application was implemented for the HT pond. Preliminary results indicate reductions in nitrate concentration exceeding 50% in soil water and shallow groundwater beneath the HT pond.

Soluble calcium amendments: reducing pathogen losses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. Its application to agricultural fields may increase water infiltration, reduce soil erosion, and decrease nutrient losses from applications of animal manures. It may also reduce fecal bacterial contamination of surface ...

ESTIMATING AND PROJECTING IMPERVIOUS COVER IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Urban/suburban land use is the most rapidly growing land use class. Along with increased development inevitably comes increased impervious surface--areas preventing infiltration of water into the underlying soil. The extensive hydrological alteration of watersheds associated wi...

Effects of landscape-based green infrastructure on stormwater runoff in suburban developments

EPA Science Inventory

The development of impervious surfaces in urban and suburban catchments affects their hydrological behavior by decreasing infiltration, increasing peak hydrograph response following rainfall events, and ultimately increasing the total volume of water and mass of pollutants reachi...

Hydrochemical variation in the springs water between Jerusalem-Ramallah Mountains and Jericho Fault, Palestine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khayat, Saed; Möller, Peter; Geyer, Stefan; Marei, Amer; Siebert, Christian; Hilo, Fayez Abu

2009-06-01

The spatial and temporal changes of the composition of the groundwater from the springs along the Wadi Qilt stream running from the Jerusalem-Ramallah Mountains towards the Jericho Plain is studied during the hydrological year 2006/2007. The residence time and the intensity of recharge play an important role in controlling the chemical composition of spring water which mainly depends on distance from the main recharge area. A very important factor is the oxidation of organics derived from sewage and garbage resulting in variable dissolved CO2 and associated HCO3 - concentration. High CO2 yields lower pH values and thus under-saturation with respect to calcite and dolomite. Low CO2 concentrations result in over-saturation. Only at the beginning and at the end of the rainy season calcite saturation is achieved. The degradation of dissolved organic matter is a major source for increasing water hardness. Besides dissolution of carbonates dissolved species such as nitrate, chloride, and sulfate are leached from soil and aquifer rocks together with only small amounts of Mg. Mg not only originates from carbonates but also from Mg-Cl waters are leached from aquifer rocks. Leaching of Mg-Cl brines is particularly high at the beginning of the winter season and lowest at its end. Two zones of recharge are distinguishable. Zone 1 represented by Ein Fara and Ein Qilt is fed directly through the infiltration of meteoric water and surface runoff from the mountains along the eastern mountain slopes with little groundwater residence time and high flow rate. The second zone is near the western border of Jericho at the foothills, which is mainly fed by the under-groundwater flow from the eastern slopes with low surface infiltration rate. This zone shows higher groundwater residence time and slower flow rate than zone 1. Groundwater residence time and the flow rate within the aquifer systems are controlled by the geological structure of the aquifer, the amount of active recharge to the aquifer, and the recharge mechanism. The results of this study may be useful in increasing the efficiency of freshwater exploitation in the region. Some precautions, however, should be taken in future plans of artificial recharge of the aquifers or surface-water harvesting in the Wadi. Because of evaporation and associated groundwater deterioration, the runoff water should be artificially infiltrated in zones of Wadis with high storage capacity of aquifers. Natural infiltration along the Wadis lead to evaporation losses and less quality of groundwater.

Simulation of infiltration and redistribution of intense rainfall using Land Surface Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Anna; Verhoef, Anne; Cloke, Hannah

2016-04-01

Flooding from intense rainfall (FFIR) can cause widespread damage and disruption. Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models provide distributed information about atmospheric conditions, such as precipitation, that can lead to a flooding event. Short duration, high intensity rainfall events are generally poorly predicted by NWP models, because of the high spatiotemporal resolution required and because of the way the convective rainfall is described in the model. The resolution of NWP models is ever increasing. Better understanding of complex hydrological processes and the effect of scale is important in order to improve the prediction of magnitude and duration of such events, in the context of disaster management. Working as part of the NERC SINATRA project, we evaluated how the Land Surface Model (LSM) components of NWP models cope with high intensity rainfall input and subsequent infiltration problems. Both in terms of the amount of water infiltrated in the soil store, as well as the timing and the amount of surface and subsurface runoff generated. The models investigated are SWAP (Soil Water Air Plant, Alterra, the Netherlands, van Dam 1997), JULES (Joint UK Land Environment Simulator a component of Unified Model in UK Met Office, Best et al. 2011) and CHTESSEL (Carbon and Hydrology- Tiled ECMWF Scheme for Surface Exchanges over Land, Balsamo et al. 2009) We analysed the numerical aspects arising from discontinuities (or sharp gradients) in forcing and/or the model solution. These types of infiltration configurations were tested in the laboratory (Vachaud 1971), for some there are semi-analytical solutions (Philip 1957, Parlange 1972, Vanderborght 2005) or reference numerical solutions (Haverkamp 1977, van Dam 2000, Vanderborght 2005). The maximum infiltration by the surface, Imax, is in general dependent on atmospheric conditions, surface type, soil type, soil moisture content θ, and surface orographic factor σ. The models used differ in their approach to describe and deal with this top boundary condition definition. All three LSMs discretise the spatial derivative in the Richards equation (∂/∂z) using central finite differences, which is a 2nd order method, that according to Godunov's theorem is non-monotone. It is prone to producing non-physical oscillations in the solution. We performed a mesh and timestep dependence study for hypothetical soil columns and showed the presence of the oscillations in Jules and SWAP solutions. We also investigated the rainfall/runoff partition and redistribution in case of intense rainfall using these three models.

Quantifying the Effect of Soil Water Repellency on Infiltration Parameters Using a Dry Sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shillito, R.; Berli, M.; Ghezzehei, T. A.; Kaminski, E.

2017-12-01

Water infiltration into less than perfectly wettable soils has usually been considered an exceptional case—in fact, it may be the rule. Infiltration into soils exhibiting some degree of water repellency has important implications in agricultural irrigation, post-fire runoff, golf course and landscape management, and spill and contaminant mitigation. Beginning from fundamental principles, we developed a physically-based model to quantify the effect of water repellency on infiltration parameters. Experimentally, we used a dry silica sand and treated it to achieve various known degrees of water repellency. The model was verified using data gathered from multiple upward infiltration (wicking) experiments using the treated sand. The model also allowed us to explore the effect of initial soil moisture conditions on infiltration into water-repellent soils, and the physical interpretation of the simple water drop penetration time test. These results provide a fundamental step in the physically-based understanding of how water infiltrates into a less than perfectly wettable porous media.

Experimental evaluation of four infiltration models for calcareous soil irrigated with treated untreated grey water and fresh water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharaibeh, M. A.; Eltaif, N. I.; Alrababah, M. A.; Alhamad, M. N.

2009-04-01

Infiltration is vital for both irrigated and rainfed agriculture. The knowledge of infiltration characteristics of a soil is the basic information required for designing an efficient irrigation system. The objective of the present study was to model soil infiltration using four models: Green and Ampt, Horton, Kostaikov and modified Kostiakov. Infiltration tests were conducted on field plot irrigated with treated, untreated greywater and fresh water. The field water infiltration data used in these models were based on double ring infiltrometer tests conducted for 4 h. The algebraic parameters of the infiltration models and nonlinear least squares regression were fitted using measured infiltration time [I (t)] data. Among process-based infiltration models, the Horton model performed best and matched the measured I (t) data with lower sum of squares (SS).

Characterizing Hydrological Processes in Vadose Zone by Direct Infiltration Water Sampling.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Y.; Higashi, N.; Somura, H.; Takeda, I.; Inoue, M.

2007-12-01

These days, planted forest mountainside was roughly maintained due to the population descent and small birth rate. Because thinning operation would delayed, forest was always dark and floor weed was rare. Management induced non point source pollution like surface soil erosion was suspected, however, we could not approach to the source with the stream water analysis. Therefore, direct soil water sampling device using glass fiber capillary force was developed to examine hydrological processes in watershed. In our design, water was collected just by the capillary force and let the excess water down through so that infiltration water was truly sampled and solute concentration kept the same quality as in soil water. The experiment was conducted at two neighboring Japanese cedar planted forest under different management, i.e., south slope was roughly maintained and west slope was well maintained by thinning operation. Load discharges were higher in south slope and lower in west slope. Infiltration water analysis revealed that ion concentration was gradually decreased at west slope, however in south slope, it dropped to lower level in soil water and increased again in stream water. The trend showed that soil buffering function was poor in south slope. Actually, disk permeameter survey revealed that hydraulic conductivity was small in south slope; TOC and biological activity were lower. This entire soil environment explained the water environmental differences in stream water. Because changes in soil environment affects water environment in the future, monitoring or examination of soil environment was considered as preventive measure for environmentally sound water and solute circulation in watershed.

Modeling rainfall infiltration on hillslopes using Flux-concentration relation and time compression approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jie; Chen, Li; Yu, Zhongbo

2018-02-01

Rainfall infiltration on hillslopes is an important issue in hydrology, which is related to many environmental problems, such as flood, soil erosion, and nutrient and contaminant transport. This study aimed to improve the quantification of infiltration on hillslopes under both steady and unsteady rainfalls. Starting from Darcy's law, an analytical integral infiltrability equation was derived for hillslope infiltration by use of the flux-concentration relation. Based on this equation, a simple scaling relation linking the infiltration times on hillslopes and horizontal planes was obtained which is applicable for both small and large times and can be used to simplify the solution procedure of hillslope infiltration. The infiltrability equation also improved the estimation of ponding time for infiltration under rainfall conditions. For infiltration after ponding, the time compression approximation (TCA) was applied together with the infiltrability equation. To improve the computational efficiency, the analytical integral infiltrability equation was approximated with a two-term power-like function by nonlinear regression. Procedures of applying this approach to both steady and unsteady rainfall conditions were proposed. To evaluate the performance of the new approach, it was compared with the Green-Ampt model for sloping surfaces by Chen and Young (2006) and Richards' equation. The proposed model outperformed the sloping Green-Ampt, and both ponding time and infiltration predictions agreed well with the solutions of Richards' equation for various soil textures, slope angles, initial water contents, and rainfall intensities for both steady and unsteady rainfalls.

Trend-outflow method for understanding interactions of surface water with groundwater and atmospheric water for eight reaches of the Upper Rio Grande

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yi; Sheng, Zhuping

2011-11-01

SummaryAtmospheric water, surface water, and groundwater interact very actively through hydrologic processes such as precipitation, infiltration, seepage, irrigation, drainage, evaporation, and evapotranspiration in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. A trend-outflow method has been developed in this paper to gain a better understanding of the interactions based on cumulated inflow and outflow data for any river reaches of interest. A general trend-outflow equation was derived by associating the net interaction of surface water with atmospheric water as a polynomial of inflow and the net interaction of surface water with groundwater as a constant based on surface water budget. Linear and quadratic relations are probably two common trend-outflow types in the real world. It was found that trend-outflows of the Upper Rio Grande reaches, Española, Albuquerque, Socorro-Engle, Palomas, and Rincon are linear with inflow, while those of reaches, Belen, Mesilla and Hueco are quadratic. Reaches Belen, Mesilla and Hueco are found as water deficit reaches mainly for irrigated agriculture in extreme drought years.

Groundwater response to the 2014 pulse flow in the Colorado River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Jeffrey; Rodriguez-Burgueno, Eliana; Ramirez-Hernandez, Jorge

2017-01-01

During the March-May 2014 Colorado River Delta pulse flow, approximately 102 × 106 m3 (82,000 acre-feet) of water was released into the channel at Morelos Dam, with additional releases further downstream. The majority of pulse flow water infiltrated and recharged the regional aquifer. Using groundwater-level and microgravity data we mapped the spatial and temporal distribution of changes in aquifer storage associated with pulse flow. Surface-water losses to infiltration were greatest around the Southerly International Boundary, where a lowered groundwater level owing to nearby pumping created increased storage potential as compared to other areas with shallower groundwater. Groundwater levels were elevated for several months after the pulse flow but had largely returned to pre-pulse levels by fall 2014. Elevated groundwater levels in the limitrophe (border) reach extended about 2 km to the east around the midway point between the Northerly and Southerly International Boundaries, and about 4 km to the east at the southern end. In the southern part of the delta, although total streamflow in the channel was less due to upstream infiltration, augmented deliveries through irrigation canals and possible irrigation return flows created sustained increases in groundwater levels during summer 2014. Results show that elevated groundwater levels and increases in groundwater storage were relatively short lived (confined to calendar year 2014), and that depressed water levels associated with groundwater pumping around San Luis, Arizona and San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora cause large, unavoidable infiltration losses of in-channel water to groundwater in the vicinity.

Field infiltration measurements in grassed roadside drainage ditches: Spatial and temporal variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Farzana; Gulliver, John S.; Nieber, J. L.

2015-11-01

Roadside drainage ditches (grassed swales) are an attractive stormwater control measure (SCM) since they can reduce runoff volume by infiltrating water into the soil, filter sediments and associated pollutants out of the water, and settle solids onto the soil surface. In this study a total of 722 infiltration measurements were collected in five swales located in Twin-Cities, MN and one swale located in Madison, WI to characterize the field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) derived from the infiltration measurements of these swales. Measurements were taken with a falling head device, the Modified Philip Dunne (MPD) infiltrometer, which allows the collection of simultaneous infiltration measurements at multiple locations with several infiltrometers. Field-saturated hydraulic conductivity was higher than expected for different soil texture classes. We hypothesize that this is due to plant roots creating macropores that break up the soil for infiltration. Statistical analysis was performed on the Kfs values to analyze the effect of initial soil moisture content, season, soil texture class and distance in downstream direction on the geometric mean Kfs value of a swale. Because of the high spatial variation of Kfs in the same swale no effect of initial soil moisture content, season and soil texture class was observed on the geometric mean Kfs value. But the distance in downstream direction may have positive or negative effect on the Kfs value. An uncertainty analysis on the Kfs value indicated that approximately twenty infiltration measurements is the minimum number to obtain a representative geometric mean Kfs value of a swale that is less than 350 m long within an acceptable level of uncertainty.

Ground-water hydrology and subsurface migration of radioisotopes at a low-level solid radioactive-waste disposal site, West Valley, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Randall, Allan D.

1977-01-01

Burial trenches for disposal of solid radioactive waste at West Valley, N.Y., are excavated in till that has very low hydraulic conductivity (about 5 x 10 to the minus 8th power centimeters per second). Fractures and root tubes with chemically oxidized and (or) reduced soil in their walls extend to 3 to 4.5 meters below natural land surface. Preliminary simulations of pressure heads with a digital model suggest that hydraulic conductivity is an order of magnitude greater in the fractured till near land surface than at greater depth. Hydraulic gradients are predominantly downward, even beneath small valleys. The upper part of a body of underlying lacustrine silt is unsaturated; in the lower, saturated part, slow lateral flow may occur. In the older trenches, water began to build up in 1971, overflowed briefly in 1975, and was pumped out in 1975-76. Water levels rose abruptly during major rainstorms in mid-1975, indicating rapid infiltration through cracks in the cover material. The new trenches have maintained low, stable water levels, perhaps because of thicker, more compact cover and less waste settlement; pressure heads near these trenches are low, locally approaching zero, perhaps because of slight infiltration and limited near-surface storage. Peak tritium concentrations in test-hole cores (generally 0.00001 to 0.001 microcuries per milliliter) were found within 3 meters of land surface and are attributed to surface contamination. Concentrations declined rapidly with depth within the fractured till; secondary peaks found at about 9 meters in three holes are attributed to lateral migration from trenches. Other radioisotopes were detected only near land surface. Samples from the walls of shallow fractures revealed no accumulation of radioisotopes. (Woodard-USGS)

High-resolution Continental Scale Land Surface Model incorporating Land-water Management in United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, S.; Pokhrel, Y. N.

2016-12-01

Land surface models have been used to assess water resources sustainability under changing Earth environment and increasing human water needs. Overwhelming observational records indicate that human activities have ubiquitous and pertinent effects on the hydrologic cycle; however, they have been crudely represented in large scale land surface models. In this study, we enhance an integrated continental-scale land hydrology model named Leaf-Hydro-Flood to better represent land-water management. The model is implemented at high resolution (5km grids) over the continental US. Surface water and groundwater are withdrawn based on actual practices. Newly added irrigation, water diversion, and dam operation schemes allow better simulations of stream flows, evapotranspiration, and infiltration. Results of various hydrologic fluxes and stores from two sets of simulation (one with and the other without human activities) are compared over a range of river basin and aquifer scales. The improved simulations of land hydrology have potential to build consistent modeling framework for human-water-climate interactions.

Simulation of ground-water/surface-water flow in the Santa Clara-Calleguas ground-water basin, Ventura County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, Randall T.; Martin, Peter; Koczot, Kathryn M.

2003-01-01

Ground water is the main source of water in the Santa Clara-Calleguas ground-water basin that covers about 310 square miles in Ventura County, California. A steady increase in the demand for surface- and ground-water resources since the late 1800s has resulted in streamflow depletion and ground-water overdraft. This steady increase in water use has resulted in seawater intrusion, inter-aquifer flow, land subsidence, and ground-water contamination. The Santa Clara-Calleguas Basin consists of multiple aquifers that are grouped into upper- and lower-aquifer systems. The upper-aquifer system includes the Shallow, Oxnard, and Mugu aquifers. The lower-aquifer system includes the upper and lower Hueneme, Fox Canyon, and Grimes Canyon aquifers. The layered aquifer systems are each bounded below by regional unconformities that are overlain by extensive basal coarse-grained layers that are the major pathways for ground-water production from wells and related seawater intrusion. The aquifer systems are bounded below and along mountain fronts by consolidated bedrock that forms a relatively impermeable boundary to ground-water flow. Numerous faults act as additional exterior and interior boundaries to ground-water flow. The aquifer systems extend offshore where they crop out along the edge of the submarine shelf and within the coastal submarine canyons. Submarine canyons have dissected these regional aquifers, providing a hydraulic connection to the ocean through the submarine outcrops of the aquifer systems. Coastal landward flow (seawater intrusion) occurs within both the upper- and lower-aquifer systems. A numerical ground-water flow model of the Santa Clara-Calleguas Basin was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey to better define the geohydrologic framework of the regional ground-water flow system and to help analyze the major problems affecting water-resources management of a typical coastal aquifer system. Construction of the Santa Clara-Calleguas Basin model required the compilation of geographic, geologic, and hydrologic data and estimation of hydraulic properties and flows. The model was calibrated to historical surface-water and ground-water flow for the period 1891-1993. Sources of water to the regional ground-water flow system are natural and artificial recharge, coastal landward flow from the ocean (seawater intrusion), storage in the coarse-grained beds, and water from compaction of fine-grained beds (aquitards). Inflows used in the regional flow model simulation include streamflows routed through the major rivers and tributaries; infiltration of mountain-front runoff and infiltration of precipitation on bedrock outcrops and on valley floors; and artificial ground-water recharge of diverted streamflow, irrigation return flow, and treated sewage effluent. Most natural recharge occurs through infiltration (losses) of streamflow within the major rivers and tributaries and the numerous arroyos that drain the mountain fronts of the basin. Total simulated natural recharge was about 114,100 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) for 1984-93: 27,800 acre-ft/yr of mountain-front and bedrock recharge, 24,100 acre-ft/yr of valley-floor recharge, and 62,200 acre-ft/yr of net streamflow recharge. Artificial recharge (spreading of diverted streamflow, irrigation return, and sewage effluent) is a major source of ground-water replenishment. During the 1984-93 simulation period, the average rate of artificial recharge at the spreading grounds was about 54,400 acre-ft/yr, 13 percent less than the simulated natural recharge rate for streamflow infiltration within the major rivers and tributaries. Estimated recharge from infiltration of irrigation return flow on the valley floors averaged about 51,000 acre-ft/yr, and treated sewage effluent averaged about 9,000 acre-ft/yr. Artificial recharge as streamflow diversion to the spreading grounds has occurred since 1929, and treated-sewage effluent has been discharged to stream channels since 1930. Under

Implementation of MAR within the Rio Grande Basin of Central New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marley, Robert; Blandford, T. Neil; Ewing, Amy; Webb, Larry; Yuhas, Katherine

2014-05-01

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has identified the Rio Grande basin within Central New Mexico as one of several regions where water supplies are over-allocated and future conflicts over the inadequate resource are highly likely. Local water providers have consistently identified managed aquifer recharge (MAR) as an important tool to provide conjunctive management of surface-water, groundwater, and reclaimed water sources in order to extend the useful life of existing water sources. However, MAR projects have been slow to take root partly due to rigorous demonstration requirements, groundwater quality protection concerns, and ongoing water right uncertainties. At first glance the several thousand meters of unconsolidated basin-fill sediments hosting the regional aquifer appear to provide an ideal environment for the subsurface storage of surplus water. However, the basin has a complex structural and depositional history that impacts the siting and overall effectiveness of MAR systems. Several recharge projects are now in various stages of implementation and are overcoming site specific challenges including source water and ambient groundwater compatibility, low-permeability sediments and compartmentalization of the aquifer by extensive faulting, well clogging, and overall water quality management. This presentation will highlight ongoing efforts of these water providers to develop full-scale recharge facilities. The performance of natural in-channel infiltration, engineered infiltration galleries, and direct injection systems designed to introduce from 500 to 5,000 mega-liters per annum to target intervals present from 150 to 600 meters below ground surface will be described. Source waters for recharge operations include inter-basin transferred surface water and highly treated reclaimed water sources requiring from minor to extensive treatment pre-recharge and post-recovery. Operational complexities have raised concerns related to long-term operation and maintenance and overall economic sustainability of these projects. Further, potential reduction in surface water return flows as a result of recharge operations and impacts to other water users during recovery of the stored water must be considered. Proposed rules for long-term storage, estimating water losses, and eventual water recovery as they relate to water rights administration within stream-connected aquifer systems will also be outlined during the presentation.

[Effects of soil crusts on surface hydrology in the semiarid Loess hilly area].

PubMed

Wei, Wei; Wen, Zhi; Chen, Li-Ding; Chen, Jin; Wu, Dong-Ping

2012-11-01

Soil crusts are distributed extensively in the Chinese Loess Plateau and play key roles in surface hydrological processes. In this study, a typical loess hilly region in Anjiagou catchment, Dingxi city, Gansu province was selected as the study region, and soil crusts in the catchment were investigated. Then, the hydrological effect of soil crusts was studied by using multi-sampling and hydrological monitoring experiments. Several key results were shown as follows. Firstly, compared with bared soil without crust cover, soil crusts can greatly reduce the bulk density, improve the porosity of soil, and raise the holding capacity of soil moisture which ranges from 1.4 to 1.9 times of that of bared soil. Secondly, the role of soil crust on rainfall interception was very significant. Moss crust was found to be strongest on rainfall interception, followed by synantectic crusts and lichen crusts. Bared soil without covering crusts was poorest in resisting rainfall splash. Thirdly, hydrological simulation experiments indicate that soil crusts play a certain positive role in promoting the water infiltration capacity, and the mean infiltration rate of the crusted soil was 2 times higher than that of the no-crust covered soils. While the accumulated infiltrated water amounts was also far higher than that of the bared soil.

Water-quality assessment of the Rio Grande Valley, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas : shallow ground-water quality and land use in the Albuquerque area, central New Mexico, 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderholm, Scott K.

1997-01-01

This report describes the quality of shallow ground water and the relations between land use and the quality of that shallow ground water in an urban area in and adjacent to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Water samples were collected from 24 shallow wells. Samples were analyzed for selected common constituents, nutrients, trace elements, radionuclides, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides. The study area, which is in the Albuquerque Basin in central New Mexico, was limited to the Rio Grande flood plain; depth to water in this area generally is less than 25 feet. The amount and composition of recharge to the shallow ground-water system are important factors that affect shallow ground-water composition in this area. Important sources of recharge that affect shallow ground-water quality in the area include infiltration of surface water, which is used in agricultural land-use areas to irrigate crops, and infiltration of septic-system effluent in residential areas. Agricultural land use represents about 28 percent of the area, and residential land use represents about 35 percent of the total study area. In most of the study area, agricultural land use is interspersed with residential land use and neither is the dominant land use in the area. Land use in the study area historically has been changing from agricultural to urban. The composition of shallow ground water in the study area varies considerably. The dissolved solids concentration in shallow ground water in the study area ranges from 272 to 1,650 milligrams per liter, although the relative percentages of selected cations and anions do not vary substantially. Calcium generally is the dominant cation and bicarbonate generally is the dominant anion. Concentrations of nutrients generally were less than 1 milligram per liter. The concentration of many trace elements in shallow ground water was below or slightly above 1 microgram per liter and there was little variation in the concentrations. Barium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and uranium were the only trace elements analyzed for that had median concentrations greater than 5 micrograms per liter. Volatile organic compounds were detected in 5 of 24 samples. Cis-1,2-dichloroethene and 1,1-dichloroethane were the most commonly detected volatile organic compounds (detected in two samples each). Pesticides were detected in 8 of 24 samples. Prometon was the most commonly detected pesticide (detected in 5 of 24 samples). Concentrations of volatile organic compounds and pesticides detected were much smaller than any U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards that have been established. Infiltration of surface water and the evaporation or transpiration of this water, which partially is the result of past and present agricultural land use, seem to affect the concentrations of common constituents in shallow ground water in the study area. The small excess chloride in shallow ground water relative to surface water that has been affected by evaporation or transpiration could be due to mixing of shallow ground water with small amounts of precipitation/bulk deposition or septic-system effluent. Infiltration of septic-system effluent (residential land use) has affected the shallow ground-water composition in parts of the study area on the basis of the small dissolved oxygen concentrations, large dissolved organic carbon concentrations, and excess chloride. Despite the loading of nitrogen to the shallow ground-water system as the result of infiltration of septic-system effluent, the small nitrogen concentrations in shallow ground water probably are due to the small dissolved oxygen concentrations and relatively large dissolved organic carbon concentrations. The small concentrations and lack of variation of most trace elements indicate that land use has not substantially affected the concentration

Detection of semi-volatile organic compounds in permeable ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract The Edison Environmental Center (EEC) has a research and demonstration permeable parking lot comprised of three different permeable systems: permeable asphalt, porous concrete and interlocking concrete permeable pavers. Water quality and quantity analysis has been ongoing since January, 2010. This paper describes a subset of the water quality analysis, analysis of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) to determine if hydrocarbons were in water infiltrated through the permeable surfaces. SVOCs were analyzed in samples collected from 11 dates over a 3 year period, from 2/8/2010 to 4/1/2013.Results are broadly divided into three categories: 42 chemicals were never detected; 12 chemicals (11 chemical test) were detected at a rate of less than 10% or less; and 22 chemicals were detected at a frequency of 10% or greater (ranging from 10% to 66.5% detections). Fundamental and exploratory statistical analyses were performed on these latter analyses results by grouping results by surface type. The statistical analyses were limited due to low frequency of detections and dilutions of samples which impacted detection limits. The infiltrate data through three permeable surfaces were analyzed as non-parametric data by the Kaplan-Meier estimation method for fundamental statistics; there were some statistically observable difference in concentration between pavement types when using Tarone-Ware Comparison Hypothesis Test. Additionally Spearman Rank order non-parame

GPR monitoring for non-uniform infiltration through a high permeable gravel layer in the test sand box

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, Seiichiro; Ishii, Nobuyuki; Morii, Toshihiro

2017-04-01

Recently capillary barriers have been known as a method to protect subsurface regions against infiltration from soil surface. It has essentially non-uniform structure of permeability or soil physical property. To identify the function of the capillary barrier, the site-characterization technique for non-uniform soil moisture distribution and infiltration process is needed. We built a sand box in which a thin high-permeable gravel layer was embedded and conducted a infiltration test, including non-uniform flow of soil water induced by capillary barrier effects. We monitored this process by various types of GPR measurements, including time-lapsed soundings with multi-frequency antenna and transmission measurements like one using cross-borehole radar. Finally we will discuss the applicability of GPR for monitoring the phenomena around the capillary barrier of soil. This work has partially supported by JSPS Grant-in-aid Scientific Research program, No.16H02580.

Land use, water and Mediterranean landscapes: modelling long-term dynamics of complex socio-ecological systems.

PubMed

Barton, C Michael; Ullah, Isaac I; Bergin, Sean

2010-11-28

The evolution of Mediterranean landscapes during the Holocene has been increasingly governed by the complex interactions of water and human land use. Different land-use practices change the amount of water flowing across the surface and infiltrating the soil, and change water's ability to move surface sediments. Conversely, water amplifies the impacts of human land use and extends the ecological footprint of human activities far beyond the borders of towns and fields. Advances in computational modelling offer new tools to study the complex feedbacks between land use, land cover, topography and surface water. The Mediterranean Landscape Dynamics project (MedLand) is building a modelling laboratory where experiments can be carried out on the long-term impacts of agropastoral land use, and whose results can be tested against the archaeological record. These computational experiments are providing new insights into the socio-ecological consequences of human decisions at varying temporal and spatial scales.

Processus et bilan des flux hydriques d'un bassin versant de milieu tropical de socle au Bénin (Donga, haut Ouémé)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamagaté, Bamory; Séguis, Luc; Favreau, Guillaume; Seidel, Jean-Luc; Descloitres, Marc; Affaton, Pascal

2007-05-01

Hydrodynamic, geochemical, and subsurface geophysical investigations, for two consecutive years with contrasting rainfall conditions, were used to characterize the hydrological processes occurring, and the water balance of a 586-km 2 watershed in Benin (Africa). The water table's monitoring shows that recharge occurs by direct infiltration of rainfall, and represents between 5 to 24% of the annual rainfall. Both surface water outflow, limited to the rainy season, and water chemistry indicate a weak groundwater contribution to river discharge. This implies that the calculated variations in annual runoff coefficients (of 14 and 28%) are mainly governed by surface and subsurface flows.

Performances of Metal Concentrations from Three Permeable Pavement Infiltrates

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designed and constructed a 4000-m2 parking lot in Edison, New Jersey in 2009. The parking lot is surfaced with three permeable pavements: permeable interlocking concrete pavers, pervious concrete, and porous asphalt. Water sampling was con...

SEMINAR PUBLICATION: DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF RCRA/CERCLA FINAL COVERS

EPA Science Inventory

Cover systems are an essential part of all land disposal facilities. Covers control moisture infiltration from the surface into closed facilities and limit the formation of leachate and its migration to ground water. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subparts G, K...

The Role of Ecologists in Designing Rain Gardens: Enhancing Nitrate removal Performance

EPA Science Inventory

Rain gardens are vegetated surface depressions designed to receive stormwater runoff from roads, roofs, and parking lots. Stormwater infiltration through rain gardens’ sandy soils is intended to have both water quantity and quality benefits, through stream peak flow reduction and...

The role of ecologists in designing rain gardens: Enhancing nitrate removal performance

EPA Science Inventory

Rain gardens are vegetated surface depressions designed to receive stormwater runoff from roads, roofs, and parking lots. Stormwater infiltration through rain gardens’ sandy soils is intended to have both water quantity and quality benefits, through stream peak flow reduction an...

Infiltration of late Palaeozoic evaporative brines in the reelfoot rift: A possible salt source for Illinois Basin formation waters and MVT mineralizing fluids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowan, E.L.; De Marsily, G.

2001-01-01

Salinities and homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits provide important insights into the regional hydrology of the Illinois basin/Reelfoot rift system in late Palaeozoic time. Although the thermal regime of this basin system has been plausibly explained, the origin of high salinities in the basin fluids remains enigmatic. Topographically driven flow appears to have been essential in forming these MVT districts, as well as many other districts worldwide. However, this type of flow is recharged by fresh water making it difficult to account for the high salinities of the mineralizing fluids over extended time periods. Results of numerical experiments carried out in this study provide a possible solution to the salinity problem presented by the MVT zinc-lead and fluorite districts at the margins of the basin system. Evaporative concentration of surface water and subsequent infiltration into the subsurface are proposed to account for large volumes of brine that are ultimately responsible for mineralization of these districts. This study demonstrates that under a range of geologically reasonable conditions, brine infiltration into an aquifer in the deep subsurface can coexist with topographically driven flow. Infiltration combined with regional flow and local magmatic heat sources in the Reelfoot rift explain the brine concentrations as well as the temperatures observed in the Southern Illinois and Upper Mississippi Valley districts.

Hydrological Effects of Recent Wildfires in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.; Stewart, R. D.

2017-12-01

In 2016, intense wildfires occurred throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains region due to severe drought conditions and high fuel loads. Most previous work on the effects of forest wildfire has concentrated on the western United States, and has shown that wildfires can induce a number of physical, chemical and biological changes in soils, including creating water repellency (hydrophobicity), altering color, decreasing structural stability, and altering nutrient availability. Drought intensity and wildfire activity are both predicted to increase in the southeastern United States, making it important to understand hydrological effects of wildfire in the forests of this region. In this study, we evaluated the effect of wildfire on soil hydrophobicity and soil water storage in two locations: Mount Pleasant Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, and Chimney Rock State Park, North Carolina. In each location unburned, moderately burned, and heavily burned sites were selected. Soil hydrophobicity was measured both in the field using water drop penetration time method at 0 cm, 2 cm, and 5 cm depth, and in the lab using WDPT method and water-solid contact angle method. Soil water content and unsaturated infiltration processes were also measured in the field using mini-disk infiltrometers. The results showed that hydrophobicity was detected after wildfires in both southeastern forests: the Mount Pleasant site had the highest hydrophobic layer in surface layer, while the Chimney Rock site had highest hydrophobicity at the 2 cm depth. Lab results were in accordance with the field results, and in both cases hysteresis between hydrophobicity and soil water content was observed. Burned soils had consistently lower soil water contents than unburned soils. The burned soils in the Mount Pleasant site had lower infiltration rates than the unburned sites, whereas in the Chimney Rock site the burned soils had higher infiltration rates. We hypothesize that the differences between the two sites may be related to the positions of hydrophobic layers in each (i.e., surface versus subsurface). Altogether, these results highlight the hydrological impacts of unprecedented wildfire activity in the southern Appalachians.

Scale and processes dominating soil erosion and sediment transport: case studies from Indonesia and Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dijk, A. I. J. M.; Bruijnzeel, L. A.

2009-04-01

Soil erosion and sediment transport at different scales of space and time are dominated by a variable set of landscape properties and processes. Research results from West Java (Indonesia) and southeast Australia are presented, taking a natural resources management perspective. The dominant role of vegetation and soil health, rainfall infiltration, and connectivity between hillslope and stream are elaborated on. In humid volcanic upland West Java, vegetative cover and associated infiltration capacity are the dominant control on surface runoff and sediment generation, with additional variation attributed to slope and soil surface structure. Use of process models to replicate and upscale field measurements highlighted that a predictive theory to link vegetative cover and infiltration capacity is lacking, and that full knowledge of the covariance between terrain attributes that promote sediment generation is needed for process based modelling. At the hillslope to catchment scale, slope gradient and a less erodible substrate became additional constraints on sediment yield. A conceptual framework relating processes, scale and sediment delivery ratio was developed. In water-limited southeast Australia, measures to reduce erosion and sediment production generally aim to intercept surface runoff, allowing runoff to infiltrate and sediment to settle on vegetated buffer strips or roadsides or in leaky dams. It is illustrated how remote sensing can help to assess the sources of sediment and hydrological connectivity at different scales and to identify opportunities for mitigation.

Removal of cyanobacterial toxins by sediment passage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruetzmacher, G.; Boettcher, G.; Chorus, I.; Bartel, H.

2003-04-01

Cyanbacterial toxins ("Cyanotoxins") comprise a wide range of toxic substances produced by cyanobacteria ("blue-green algae"). Cyanobacteria occur in surface water word wide and can be found in high concentrations during so-called algal blooms when conditions are favourable (e.g. high nutrient levels, high temperatures). Some cyanobacteria produce hepato- or neurotoxins, of which the hepatotoxic microcystins are the most common in Germany. The WHO guideline value for drinking water was set at 1 μg/L. However, maximum concentrations in surface water can reach 25 mg/L, so that a secure method for toxin elimination has to be found when this water is used as source water for drinking water production. In order to assess if cyanotoxins can be removed by sediment passage the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) conducted laboratory- and field scale experiments as well as observations on bank filtration field sites. Laboratory experiments (batch- and column experiments for adsorption and degradation parameters) were conducted in order to vary a multitude of experimental conditions. These experiments were followed by field scale experiments on the UBA's experimental field in Berlin. This plant offers the unique possibility to conduct experiments on the behaviour of various agents - such as harmful substances - during infiltration and bank filtration under well-defined conditions on a field scale, and without releasing these substances to the environment. Finally the development of microcystin concentrations was observed between infiltrating surface water and a drinking water well along a transsecte of observation wells. The results obtained show that infiltration and bank filtration normally seem to be secure treatment methods for source water contaminated by microcystins. However, elimination was shown to be difficult under the following circumstances: - dying cyanobacterial population due to insufficient light and / or nutrients, low temperatures or application of algizides (high amount of extracellular microcystins), - sandy material with low shares of clay and silt (little adsorption), - low temperatures (delayed biodegradation), - anoxic conditions (delayed biodegradation), - missing clogging layer or "schmutzdecke" (little bacteria), - no previous contact to microcystins (non adapted bacteria). It is therefore the aim of a new project financed by the KompetenzZentrum Wasser Berlin (KWB) to focus on these critical circumstances in order to find out how to optimise artificial recharge and bank filtration regarding microcystin elimination.

Precipitation v. River Discharge Controls on Water Availability to Riparian Trees in the Rhône River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, M. B.; Sargeant, C. I.; Vallet-Coulomb, C.; Evans, C.; Bates, C. R.

2014-12-01

Water availability to riparian trees in lowlands is controlled through precipitation and its infiltration into floodplain soils, and through river discharge additions to the hyporheic water table. The relative contributions of both water sources to the root zone within river floodplains vary through time, depending on climatic fluctuations. There is currently limited understanding of how climatic fluctuations are expressed at local scales, especially in 'critical zone' hydrology, which is fundamental to the health and sustainability of riparian forest ecosystems. This knowledge is particularly important in water-stressed Mediterranean climate systems, considering climatic trends and projections toward hotter and drier growing seasons, which have the potential to dramatically reduce water availability to riparian forests. Our aim is to identify and quantify the relative contributions of hyporheic (discharge) water v. infiltrated precipitation to water uptake by riparian Mediterranean trees for several distinct hydrologic years, selected to isolate contrasts in water availability from these sources. Our approach includes isotopic analyses of water and tree-ring cellulose, mechanistic modeling of water uptake and wood production, and physically based modeling of subsurface hydrology. We utilize an extensive database of oxygen isotope (δ18O) measurements in surface water and precipitation alongside recent measurements of δ18O in groundwater and soil water and in tree-ring cellulose. We use a mechanistic model to back-calculate source water δ18O based on δ18O in cellulose and climate data. Finally, we test our results via 1-D hydrologic modeling of precipitation infiltration and water table rise and fall. These steps enable us to interpret hydrologic cycle variability within the 'critical zone' and their potential impact on riparian trees.

Roles of surface water areas for water and solute cycle in Hanoi city, Viet Nam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Takeshi; Kuroda, Keisuke; Do Thuan, An; Tran Thi Viet, Nga; Takizawa, Satoshi

2013-04-01

Hanoi city, the capital of Viet Nam, has developed beside the Red river. Recent rapid urbanization of this city has reduced a large number of natural water areas such as lakes, ponds and canals not only in the central area but the suburban area. Contrary, the urbanization has increased artificial water areas such as pond for fish cultivation and landscaping. On the other hand, the urbanization has induced the inflow of waste water from households and various kinds of factories to these water areas because of delay of sewerage system development. Inflow of the waste water has induced eutrophication and pollution of these water areas. Also, there is a possibility of groundwater pollution by infiltration of polluted surface water. However, the role of these water areas for water cycle and solute transport is not clarified. Therefore, this study focuses on the interaction between surface water areas and groundwater in Hanoi city to evaluate appropriate land development and groundwater resource management. We are carrying out three approaches: a) understanding of geochemical characteristics of surface water and groundwater, b) monitoring of water levels of pond and groundwater, c) sampling of soil and pond sediment. Correlation between d18O and dD of precipitation (after GNIP), the Red River (after GNIR) and the water samples of this study showed that the groundwater is composed of precipitation, the Red River and surface water that has evaporation process. Contribution of the surface water with evaporation process was widely found in the study area. As for groundwater monitoring, the Holocene aquifers at two sites were in unconfined condition in dry season and the groundwater levels in the aquifer continued to increase through rainy season. The results of isotopic analysis and groundwater level monitoring showed that the surface water areas are one of the major groundwater sources. On the other hand, concentrations of dissolved Arsenic (filtered by 0.45um) in the pore water of the pond sediments were much higher than the pond water and closed to that of groundwater. Also, other metal elements showed the same trend. This result suggested that Arsenic and other metal elements recharged to these ponds is probably adsorbed and removed by sediments (including organic matters). That is, pond sediment plays an important role for solute transport as a filter of Arsenic and metal elements. The results of this study strongly suggest that the natural and artificial surface water areas have important roles for water cycle and solute transport in Hanoi city. Although the number of the natural water areas is decreasing, dredging of artificial water areas increases the infiltration from the surface to aquifers. Therefore, qualitative and quantitative preservation of the surface water areas is important for conservation of groundwater environment and contribute to sustainable groundwater management in Hanoi city.

The Value of GRACE Data in Improving, Assessing and Evaluating Land Surface and Climate Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Z.

2011-12-01

I will review how the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite measurements have improved land surface models that are developed for weather, climate, and hydrological studies. GRACE-derived terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes have been successfully used to assess and evaluate the improved representations of land-surface hydrological processes such as groundwater-soil moisture interaction, frozen soil and infiltration, and the topographic control on runoff production, as evident in the simulations from the latest Noah-MP, the Community Land Model, and the Community Climate System Model. GRACE data sets have made it possible to estimate key terrestrial water storage components (snow mass, surface water, groundwater or water table depth), biomass, and surface water fluxes (evapotranspiration, solid precipitation, melt of snow/ice). Many of the examples will draw from my Land, Environment and Atmosphere Dynamics group's work on land surface model developments, snow mass retrieval, and multi-sensor snow data assimilation using the ensemble Karman filter and the ensemble Karman smoother. Finally, I will briefly outline some future directions in using GRACE in land surface modeling.

Variation of Desert Soil Hydraulic Properties with Pedogenic Maturity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nimmo, J. R.; Perkins, K. S.; Mirus, B. B.; Schmidt, K. M.; Miller, D. M.; Stock, J. D.; Singha, K.

2006-12-01

Older alluvial desert soils exhibit greater pedogenic maturity, having more distinct desert pavements, vesicular (Av) horizons, and more pronounced stratification from processes such as illuviation and salt accumulation. These and related effects strongly influence the soil hydraulic properties. Older soils have been observed to have lower saturated hydraulic conductivity, and possibly greater capacity to retain water, but the quantitative effect of specific pedogenic features on the soil water retention or unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (K) curves is poorly known. With field infiltration/redistribution experiments on three different-aged soils developed within alluvial wash deposits in the Mojave National Preserve, we evaluated effective hydraulic properties over a scale of several m horizontally and to 1.5 m depth. We then correlated these properties with pedogenic features. The selected soils are (1) recently deposited sediments, (2) a soil of early Holocene age, and (3) a highly developed soil of late Pleistocene age. In each experiment we ponded water in a 1-m-diameter infiltration ring for 2.3 hr. For several weeks we monitored subsurface water content and matric pressure using surface electrical resistance imaging, dielectric-constant probes, heat-dissipation probes, and tensiometers. Analysis of these data using an inverse modeling technique gives the water retention and K properties needed for predictive modeling. Some properties show a consistent trend with soil age. Progressively more developed surface and near-surface features such as desert pavement and Av horizons are the likely cause of an observed consistent decline of infiltration capacity with soil age. Other properties, such as vertical flow retardation by layer contrasts, appear to have a more complicated soil-age dependence. The wash deposits display distinct depositional layering that has a retarding effect on vertical flow, an effect that may be less pronounced in the older Holocene soil, where the original depositional structure has a relatively modest influence. Anisotropy at the scale of centimeters is of major importance in the Pleistocene soil, with developed horizons that tend to hold water within about 0.5 m of the surface for a longer duration than in the two younger soils. Correlation of these and related pedogenic features with soil hydraulic properties is a first step toward the estimation of effective hydraulic properties of widely varying Mojave Desert soils, as needed for large-scale evaluation of soil moisture dynamics in relation to ecological habitat quality.

Improving groundwater management in rural India using simple modeling tools with minimal data requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moysey, S. M.; Oblinger, J. A.; Ravindranath, R.; Guha, C.

2008-12-01

Water scarcity is a crisis in central India that impacts the health, productivity, and quality of life of millions of people. The use of water harvesting structures (WHS) to capture runoff and enhance groundwater recharge is widely seen as a viable solution to this problem. As a result, there has been an explosion of small dam construction to extend community access to groundwater in the dry season by government agencies, non- governmental organizations, and villagers. Local perceptions of increased groundwater availability resulting from WHS infiltration, however, may produce changes in patterns of water use that shift the delivery of WHS benefits from the community to individuals. The development of policy to prevent this shift of benefits is difficult to achieve, because limited resources prohibit the widespread use of watershed assessment and monitoring tools needed to quantify the impact of any given WHS on groundwater storage. Therefore, it is essential that easily implemented assessment tools with low data needs are made available to support science-based policy making from the village to state level. This study uses a simple approach for estimating WHS contributions to subsurface infiltration in a small watershed (2.6km2) near the village of Salri, Madhya Pradesh. The infiltration is estimated using an analytical mass balance model for the WHS reservoir calibrated with water level observations. The reservoir water level was selected as calibration data because it can be monitored easily and inexpensively with community-based monitoring programs or remote sensing. Fluxes to the reservoir considered in the model are surface runoff, groundwater inflows and outflows, evaporation, and villager withdrawals. Surface runoff and villager withdrawals must be estimated from independent data sources, but in this case were found to be of minor relevance; the calibrated model suggests that most runoff contributions to the reservoir are lost through the dam overflow shortly after the start of the monsoon and villager water use is small compared to the other fluxes. Groundwater fluxes were accounted for by conceptualizing the contributing areas upstream and downstream of the reservoir as one dimensional flow tubes. This description of the flow system allows for the definition of physically-based parameters making the model useful for investigating WHS infiltration under a variety of management scenarios. To address concerns regarding the uniqueness of the model parameters, 10,000 independent model calibrations were performed using randomly selected starting parameters. Based on this Monte Carlo analysis, it was found that the mean volume of water contributed by the WHS to infiltration over the study period (Sept.-Dec., 2007) was 48.1x103m3 with a 95% confidence interval of 43.7-53.7x103m3. This volume represents 17-21% of the total natural groundwater recharge contributed by the entire watershed, which was determined independently using a surface water balance. Despite the fact that the model is easy to use and requires minimal data, the results obtained provide a powerful quantitative starting point for managing groundwater withdrawals in the dry season.

Using HEM surveys to evaluate disposal of by-product water from CBNG development in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipinski, B.A.; Sams, J.I.; Smith, B.D.; Harbert, W.

2008-01-01

Production of methane from thick, extensive coal beds in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming has created water management issues. Since development began in 1997, more than 650 billion liters of water have been produced from approximately 22,000 wells. Infiltration impoundments are used widely to dispose of by-product water from coal bed natural gas (CBNG) production, but their hydrogeologic effects are poorly understood. Helicopter electromagnetic surveys (HEM) were completed in July 2003 and July 2004 to characterize the hydrogeology of an alluvial aquifer along the Powder River. The aquifer is receiving CBNG produced water discharge from infiltration impoundments. HEM data were subjected to Occam's inversion algorithms to determine the aquifer bulk conductivity, which was then correlated towater salinity using site-specific sampling results. The HEM data provided high-resolution images of salinity levels in the aquifer, a result not attainable using traditional sampling methods. Interpretation of these images reveals clearly the produced water influence on aquifer water quality. Potential shortfalls to this method occur where there is no significant contrast in aquifer salinity and infiltrating produced water salinity and where there might be significant changes in aquifer lithology. Despite these limitations, airborne geophysical methods can provide a broadscale (watershed-scale) tool to evaluate CBNG water disposal, especially in areas where field-based investigations are logistically prohibitive. This research has implications for design and location strategies of future CBNG water surface disposal facilities within the Powder River Basin. ?? 2008 2008 Society of ExplorationGeophysicists. All rights reserved.

Removal of organic micropollutants in an artificial recharge system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valhondo, C.; Nödler, K.; Köck-Schulmeyer, M.; Hernandez, M.; Licha, T.; Ayora, C.; Carrera, J.

2012-04-01

Emerging contaminants including pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), personal care products (PCPs) and pesticides are increasingly being identified in the environment. Emerging pollutants and their transformation products show low concentration in the environment (ng/L), but the effects of the mixtures and lifelong exposure to humans are currently unknown. Many of these contaminants are removed under aerobic conditions in water treatment plants. However, several pharmaceuticals and metabolites present in wastewater are not eliminated by conventional treatment processes. Several lab studies, however, show that the behaviour of many of these micropollutants is affected by the dominant redox conditions. However, data from field experiments are limited and sometimes contradictory. Artificial recharge is a widespread technology to increase the groundwater resources. In this study we propose a design to enhance the natural remediation potential of the aquifer with the installation of a reactive layer at the bottom of the infiltration pond. This layer is a mixture of compost, aquifer material, clay and iron oxide. This layer is intended to provide an extra amount of DOC to the recharge water and to promote biodegradation by means of the development of different redox zones along the travel path through the unsaturated zone and within the aquifer. Moreover, compost, clay and iron oxide of the layer are assumed to increase sorption surfaces for neutral, cationic and anionic compounds, respectively. The infiltration system is sited in Sant Vicenç dels Horts (Barcelona, Spain). It consists of a decantation pond, receiving raw water from the Llobregat River (highly affected from treatment plant effluents), and an infiltration pond (5600 m2). The infiltration rate is around 1 m3/m2/day. The system is equipped with a network of piezometers, suction cups and tensiometers. Infiltration periods have been performed before and after the installation of the reactive layer. Water from the Infiltration pond, the unsaturated zone and groundwater have been sampled and analyzed in order to elucidate the effect of the reactive layer. First results of micropollutants under natural conditions show significant removal rates of atenolol and Ibuprofen as well as the recalcitrant behaviour of carbamazepine. Once the layer was installed, carbamazepine concentration in groundwater samples was lower than the concentration in the infiltration water. These preliminary results are promising but, however, they need to be confirmed by further analysis, which will be conducted during the next weeks.

Focused Flow During Infiltration Into Ethanol-Contaminated Unsaturated Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jazwiec, A.; Smith, J. E.

2017-12-01

The increasing commercial and industrial use of ethanol, e.g. in biofuels, has generated increased incidents of vadose zone contamination by way of ethanol spills and releases. This has increased the interest in better understanding behaviors of ethanol in unsaturated porous media and it's multiphase interactions in the vadose zone. This study uses highly controlled laboratory experiments in a 2-D (0.6mx0.6mx0.01m) flow cell to investigate water infiltration behaviors into ethanol-contaminated porous media. Ethanol and water were applied by either constant head or constant flux methods onto the surface of sands homogenously packed into the flow cell. The constant flux experiments at both low and high application rates were conducted using a rainulator with a row of hypodermic needles connected to a peristaltic pump. The constant head experiments were conducted using an 8cm diameter tension disk infiltrometer set to both low and high tensions. The presence of ethanol contamination generated solute-dependent capillarity induced focused flow (SCIFF) of water infiltration, which was primarily due to decreases in interfacial tensions at the air-liquid interfaces in the unsaturated sands as a function of ethanol concentration. SCIFF was clearly expressed as an unsaturated water flow phenomenon comprised of narrowly focused vertical flow fingers of water within the initially ethanol contaminated porous media. Using analyses of photos and video, comparisons were made between constant flux and constant head application methods. Further comparisons were made between low and high infiltration rates and the two sand textures used. A high degree of sensitivity to minor heterogeneity in relatively homogeneous sands was also observed. The results of this research have implications for rainfall infiltration into ethanol contaminated vadose zones expressing SCIFF, including implications for associated mass fluxes and the nature of flushing of ethanol from the unsaturated zone to groundwaters.

Green Infrastructure and Watershed-Scale Hydrology in a Mixed Land Cover System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoghooghi, N.; Golden, H. E.; Bledsoe, B. P.

2017-12-01

Urbanization results in replacement of pervious areas (e.g., vegetation, topsoil) with impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs, and parking lots, which cause reductions in interception, evapotranspiration, and infiltration, and increases in surface runoff (overland flow) and pollutant loads and concentrations. Research on the effectiveness of different Green Infrastructure (GI), or Low Impact Development (LID), practices to reduce these negative impacts on stream flow and water quality has been mostly focused at the local scale (e.g., plots, small catchments). However, limited research has considered the broader-scale effects of LID, such as how LID practices influence water quantity, nutrient removal, and aquatic ecosystems at watershed scales, particularly in mixed land cover and land use systems. We use the Visualizing Ecosystem Land Management Assessments (VELMA) model to evaluate the effects of different LID practices on daily and long-term watershed-scale hydrology, including infiltration surface runoff. We focus on Shayler Crossing (SHC) watershed, a mixed land cover (61% urban, 24% agriculture, 15% forest) subwatershed of the East Fork Little Miami River watershed, Ohio, United States, with a drainage area of 0.94 km2. The model was calibrated to daily stream flow at the outlet of SHC watershed from 2009 to 2010 and was applied to evaluate diverse distributions (at 25% to 100% implementation levels) and types (e.g., pervious pavement and rain gardens) of LID across the watershed. Results show reduced surface water runoff and higher rates of infiltration concomitant with increasing LID implementation levels; however, this response varies between different LID practices. The highest magnitude response in streamflow at the watershed outlet is evident when a combination of LID practices is applied. The combined scenarios elucidate that the diverse watershed-scale hydrological responses of LID practices depend primarily on the type and extent of the implemented practices. Our work provides a key advancement toward improving current understanding of the effectiveness and efficiencies of LID approaches in mixed land cover watersheds.

Shallow Groundwater Discharge into Urban Drains: Identifying the Missing Link to Define Urban Typologies for Impact Assessment of Urbanization on Water and Nutrient Balances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocampo, C. J.; Oldham, C. E.

2015-12-01

Groundwater and surface water (GW-SW) interaction in drains of many sandy coastal plain areas displays an ephemeral hydrological regime, as often shifts occur in their hydraulic functioning from a losing to a gaining water conditions upon the position of the surrounding shallow water table (SWT). Urbanization in such areas and stormwater management strategies enhancing infiltration have the potential to alter the infiltration rates and the subsurface water storage dynamics with consequences for the residence time of the water and nutrient transformations prior their discharge into receiving SW drains. Identifying first order control on the above processes will assist the improvement of assessment tools for better urban development. This work presents findings on the hydrodynamics of the GW-SW water exchange in two drains of the Perth Coastal Plain area (Western Australia, Australia) impacted by a SWT developing on a layered variable texture soil: a peri-urban drain and a restored living stream drain in urban residential area. A multi-technique approach was used to investigate water mass balance and fluxes over a reach scale and involved continuous records of hydrometric data for GW-SW interactions, passive tracers for water pathway identification, pore water temperature for vertical water exchange, and differential SW discharge using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Results highlighted differences in the GW-SW interactions between both drains under stormflow and baseflow conditions. A substantial increase of GW discharge into the drain coincided with the full development of a SWT over a seasonal scale at the peri-urban drain, which suggests a more natural water infiltration and redistribution in the subsurface. In contrast, a large volume of infiltrated rain water was discharged into the living stream over a period of few weeks regardless of the development of the surrounding SWT, which suggests the influence of underground pipe system in water redistribution. The results contributed to identify key physical parameters to define urban typologies, quantify the subsurface storage discharge and residence time, and finally assess the transport and transformations of nutrients using a generalised Damköhler number. Future work will populate the framework with other study cases.

40 CFR 440.141 - Specialized definitions and provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... shaking tables. (7) “Infiltration water” means that water which permeates through the earth into the plant... drainage, and infiltration and drainage waters which commingle with mine drainage or waters resulting from... increase in volume from precipitation or infiltration, plus the maximum volume of water runoff resulting...

40 CFR 440.141 - Specialized definitions and provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., hydrocyclones, or shaking tables. (7) “Infiltration water” means that water which permeates through the earth... drainage, and infiltration and drainage waters which commingle with mine drainage or waters resulting from... increase in volume from precipitation or infiltration, plus the maximum volume of water runoff resulting...

40 CFR 440.141 - Specialized definitions and provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., hydrocyclones, or shaking tables. (7) “Infiltration water” means that water which permeates through the earth... drainage, and infiltration and drainage waters which commingle with mine drainage or waters resulting from... increase in volume from precipitation or infiltration, plus the maximum volume of water runoff resulting...

40 CFR 440.141 - Specialized definitions and provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., hydrocyclones, or shaking tables. (7) “Infiltration water” means that water which permeates through the earth... drainage, and infiltration and drainage waters which commingle with mine drainage or waters resulting from... increase in volume from precipitation or infiltration, plus the maximum volume of water runoff resulting...

40 CFR 440.141 - Specialized definitions and provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... shaking tables. (7) “Infiltration water” means that water which permeates through the earth into the plant... drainage, and infiltration and drainage waters which commingle with mine drainage or waters resulting from... increase in volume from precipitation or infiltration, plus the maximum volume of water runoff resulting...

Enhancing soil begins with soil biology and a stable soil microclimate

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Protection of the soil resource from erosion requires reducing the surface impact from raindrop energy and maintaining soil structure and stability to allow more efficient infiltration of water into the soil column. These two processes are linked with practices associated with enhancing and maintain...

Soil moisture

Treesearch

L. L. Boersma; D. Kirkham; D. Norum; R. Ziemer; J. C. Guitjens; J. Davidson; J. N. Luthin

1971-01-01

Infiltration continues to occupy the attention of soil physicists and engineers. A theoretical and experimental analysis of the effect of surface sealing on infiltration by Edwards and Larson [1969] showed that raindrops reduced the infiltration rate by as much as 50% for a two-hour period of infiltration. The effect of raindrops on the surface infiltration rate of...

Using infrared thermography for understanding and quantifying soil surface processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Lima, João L. M. P.

2017-04-01

At present, our understanding of the soil hydrologic response is restricted by measurement limitations. In the literature, there have been repeatedly calls for interdisciplinary approaches to expand our knowledge in this field and eventually overcome the limitations that are inherent to conventional measuring techniques used, for example, for tracing water at the basin, hillslope and even field or plot scales. Infrared thermography is a versatile, accurate and fast technique of monitoring surface temperature and has been used in a variety of fields, such as military surveillance, medical diagnosis, industrial processes optimisation, building inspections and agriculture. However, many applications are still to be fully explored. In surface hydrology, it has been successfully employed as a high spatial and temporal resolution non-invasive and non-destructive imaging tool to e.g. access groundwater discharges into waterbodies or quantify thermal heterogeneities of streams. It is believed that thermal infrared imagery can grasp the spatial and temporal variability of many processes at the soil surface. Thermography interprets the heat signals and can provide an attractive view for identifying both areas where water is flowing or has infiltrated more, or accumulated temporarily in depressions or macropores. Therefore, we hope to demonstrate the potential for thermal infrared imagery to indirectly make a quantitative estimation of several hydrologic processes. Applications include: e.g. mapping infiltration, microrelief and macropores; estimating flow velocities; defining sampling strategies; identifying water sources, accumulation of waters or even connectivity. Protocols for the assessment of several hydrologic processes with the help of IR thermography will be briefly explained, presenting some examples from laboratory soil flumes and field.

Geothermic analysis of high temperature hydrothermal activities area in Western plateau of Sichuan province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.

2016-12-01

There is a high temperature hydrothermal activity area in the western plateau of Sichuan. More than 200 hot springs points have been found in the region, including 11 hot spring water temperature above local boiling point. Most of these distribute along Jinshajjiang fracture, Dege-Xiangcheng fracture, Ganzi-Litang fracture as well as Xianshuihe fracture, and form three high-temperature hydrothermal activity strips in the NW-SE direction. Using gravity, magnetic, seismic and helium isotope data, this paper analyzed the crust-mantle heat flow structure, crustal heat source distribution and water heating system. The results show that the geothermal activity mainly controlled by the "hot" crust. The ratio of crustal heat flow and surface heat flow is higher than 60%. In the high temperature hydrothermal activities area, there is lower S wave velocity zone with Vs<3.2 km/s in 15 30 km depth in middle and lower crust. Basing on the S wave velocity inversion temperature of crust-mantle, it has been found that there is a high temperature layer with 850 1000 ° in 20 40 km depth. It is the main heat source of high temperature hydrothermal activity area of western Sichuan. Our argument is that atmospheric precipitation, surface water infiltrated along the fault fracture into the crustal deep, heating by crustal hot source, and circulation to surface become high temperature hot water. Geothermal water mainly reserve in the Triassic strata of the containing water good carbonate rocks, and in the intrusive granite which is along the fault zone. The thermal energy of Surface heat thermal activities mainly comes from the high-temperature hot source which is located in the middle and lower crust. Being in the deep crustal fracture, the groundwater infiltrated to the deep crust and absorbed heat, then, quickly got back to the surface and formed high hot springs.

Biochar impact on water infiltration and water quality through a compacted subsoil layer

EPA Science Inventory

Soils in the SE USA Coastal Plain region frequently have a compacted subsoil layer (E horizon), which is a barrier for water infiltration. Four different biochars were evaluated to increase water infiltration through a compacted horizon from a Norfolk soil (fine-loamy, kaolinitic...

Water infiltration in prewetted porous media: dynamic capillary pressure and Green-Ampt modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, S.; Hilpert, M.

2013-12-01

Recently, an experimental study has shown that the modified Green-Ampt (GA) model, which accounts for a velocity-dependent capillary pressure, can describe water infiltration in dry sand columns better than the classical GA model. Studies have also shown that the initial water content of prewetted porous media affects the dynamic capillary pressure during infiltration. In this study, we performed a series of downward water infiltration experiments in prewetted sand columns for four different initial water contents: 0%, 3.3%, 6.5%, and 13.8%. We also used three different ponding heights: 10 cm, 20 cm, and 40 cm. As expected, an increase in ponding height resulted in a monotonic increase in cumulative infiltration. However, we found anomalous behavior, in that the cumulative infiltration did not monotonically decrease as the initial water content increased. When modeling the experiments with the modified GA approach, we linked this anomalous behavior to the reduction factor in the model for dynamic capillary pressure that is a function of initial water content.

Modelling spatial distribution of soil steady state infiltration rate in an urban park (Vingis Parkas, Vilnius, Lithuania)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Paulo; Cerda, Artemi; Depellegrin, Daniel; Misiune, Ieva; Bogunovic, Igor; Menchov, Oleksandr

2016-04-01

Within the hydrological process, infiltration is a key component as control the partitioning of the rainfall into runoff or soil water (Cerdà, 1997). And the infiltration process is determining the fate of the soil development and the human impact in the soil system (Brevik et al., 2015). On forest soils, the infiltration use to be high due to the macropore flow, which drainages the surface runoff usually generated by the hydrophobic response of soil reach in organic matter (Hewelke et al., 2015) or as a consequence of forest fires (Jordán et al., 2010; Pereira et al., 2014) due to the development of water repellent substances (Mao et al., 2015), which are mainly associated to the ash (Pereira et al., 2014; Pereira et al., 2015). To understand the role the infiltration plays in the soil development and the runoff generation is important, and also is necessary to understand how some factors such as vegetation, crust, stones, litter, mulches… play in the hydrological, erosional and pedological system (Cerdà, 2001; Keesstra, 2007; Liu et al., 2014; Bisantino et al., 2015; Cassinari et al., 2015, Cerdà et al., 2015; Mohawesh et al., 2015; Terribile et al., 2015). The well-know importance of the infiltration process did not resulted in the research on the infiltration on urban areas, although there is where the infiltration is more altered. Water infiltration is extremely important in urbanized areas, since the majority of the surfaces are sealed by concrete, asphalt and other materials. Soil sealing increases exponentially the impacts of flash floods and reduces soil infiltration capacity. This decreases importantly one of the most important services provided by soil: water storage and infiltration. In this context, the existence of green areas and urban parks are of major importance to mitigate the impact of human settlements in soil water infiltration. The aim of this work is to assess the spatial distribution of steady-state soil water infiltration in the larger urban park in Vilnius, Vinguis Parkas. The studied area is located near the Neris River and occupies an area of approximately 162 hectares. Inside the park a total of 95 randomly points were selected to measure soil steady infiltration, between April and September of 2016. At each sampling point, 4 infiltration measurements were carried out using a cylinder infiltrometer with 15 cm higher and a diameter of 7 cm (Cerda, 1996). Each experiment has the duration of 1 hour and the measurements of the infiltrated water were carried out 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 minutes (Cerda, 1996). The steady state infiltration value of each sampling point corresponds to the average value of the 4 measurements. In each point, the 4 measurements were separated by 5 meters to take in account the spatial variability (Neris et al., 2013). In total 380 infiltration tests were carried out (95x4). Previous to data modelling, data normality was assessed using the shapiro wilk-test and homogeneity of the variances, using Levene test, respectively. The original data was not normally distributed and, only respected the Gaussian distribution and heteroscedasticity after a logarithmic transformation. Data modelling was carried out using transformed data. The accuracy of steady-state soil infiltration spatial distribution was carried out testing several interpolation methods, as Inverse Distance to a Weight (IDW) with the power of 1,2,3,4 and 5, Local Polynomial methods, with the power of 1 and 2 Radial Basis Functions - Spline With Tension (SPT), Completely Regularized Spline (CRS), Multiquadratic (MTQ), Inverse Multiquadratic (IMTQ) and Thin Plate Spline (TPS) - and Geostatistical methods as, Ordinary Kriging (OK), Simple Kriging (SK) and Universal Kriging (UK) (Pereira et al., 2015). Methods performance was assessed calculating the Root Square Mean Error (RMSE) from the errors obtained from cross-validation. The results showed that on average steady state infiltration rate was 69 mm h-1, with a minimum of 12.72 mm h-1 and a maximum of 692.31 mm h-1. The spatial variability was extremely high (coefficient of variation of 153.71). Among the methods tested the most accurate was SK (RMSE=0.542) and the least precise TPS (RMSE=0.695). With the exception of the IDW5, all the correlations between observed and estimated values were significant at a p<0.05. All the residuals followed the normal distribution. Steady state infiltration was high in the southern and central part of the plot (where the human impact is high) and low in the northern part of the park, where forests are denser. References Bisantino, T., Bingner, R., Chouaib, W., Gentile, F., Trisorio Liuzzi, G. (2015) Estimation of runoff, peak discharge and sediment load at the event scale in a medium-size mediterranean watershed using the annagnps model Land Degradation and Development, 26, 340-355. Brevik, E. C., Cerdà, A., Mataix-Solera, J., Pereg, L., Quinton, J. N., Six, J., Van Oost, K. (2015) The interdisciplinary nature of SOIL. SOIL, 1, 117-129. Cassinari, C., Manfredi, P., Giupponi, L., Trevisan, M., Piccini, C. (2015). Relationship between hydraulic properties and plant coverage of the closed-landfill soils in Piacenza (Po Valley, Italy). Solid Earth, 6, 929-943. Cerdà, A. (1996) Seasonal variability of infiltration rates under contrasting slope conditions in southeast Spain. Geoderma, 69, 217-232. Cerdà, A., González-Pelayo, O., Giménez-Morera, A., Jordán, A., Pereira, P., Novara, A., Brevik, E.C., Prosdocimi, M., Mahmoodabadi, M., Keesstra, S., García Orenes, F., Ritsema, C. (2015) The use of barley straw residues to avoid high erosion and runoff rates on persimmon plantations in Eastern Spain under low frequency - high magnitude simulated rainfall events. Soil Research (In press) Cerdà, A. (2001) Effects of rock fragment cover on soil infiltration, interrill runoff and erosion. European Journal of Soil Science, 52, 59-68. Cerdà, A. (1997) Seasonal changes of the infiltration rates in a mediterranean scrubland on limestone. Journal of Hydrology, 198, 209-225. Hewelke, E., Szatyłowicz, J., Gnatowski, T., Oleszczuk, R. (2015) Effects of soil water repellency on moisture patterns in a degraded sapric histosol, Land Degradation and Development, DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2305 Jordán, A., González, F.A., Zavala, L.M. (2010) Re-establishment of soil water repellency after destruction by intense burning in a Mediterranean heathland (SW Spain). Hydrological Processes, 24, 736-748. Keesstra, S.D. (2007) Impact of natural reforestation on floodplain sedimentation in the Dragonja basin, SW Slovenia. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 32, 49-65. Liu, Z., Yao, Z., Huang, H., Wu, S., Liu, G. (2014) Land use and climate changes and their impacts on runoff in the Yarlung Zangbo river basin, China. Land Degradation and Development, 25, 203-215. Mao, J., Nierop, K.G.J., Rietkerk, M., Dekker, S.C. (2015) Predicting soil water repellency using hydrophobic organic compounds and their vegetation origin. SOIL, 1, 411-425. Mohawesh, Y., Taimeh, A., Ziadat, F. (2015) Effects of land use changes and soil conservation intervention on soil properties as indicators for land degradation under a Mediterranean climate Solid Earth, 6, 857-868. Neris, J., Jimenez, C., Fuentes, J., Morillas, G., Tejedor, M. (2012) Vegetation and land-use effects on soil properties and water infiltration of Andisols in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). Catena, 98, 55-62. Pereira, P., Cerda, A., Ubeda, X., Mataix-Solera, J., Arcenegui, V., Zavala, L. (2015) Modelling the impacts of wildfire on ash thickness in short-term period. Land Degradation and Development, 26, 180-192. Pereira, P., Úbeda, X., Martin, D., Mataix-Solera, J., Cerdà, A., Burguet, M. Wildfire effects on extractable elements in ash from a Pinus pinaster forest in Portugal (2014) Hydrological Processes, 28, 3681-3690. Pereira, P., Úbeda, X., Mataix-Solera, J., Oliva, M., Novara, A. (2014) Short-term changes in soil Munsell colour value, organic matter content and soil water repellency after a spring grassland fire in Lithuania. Solid Earth, 5, 209-225. Terribile, F., Agrillo, A., Bonfante, A., Buscemi, G., Colandrea, M., D'Antonio, A., De Mascellis, R., De Michele, C., Langella, G., Manna, P., Marotta, L., Mileti, F.A., Minieri, L., Orefice, N., Valentini, S., Vingiani, S., Basile, A. A (2015) Web-based spatial decision supporting system for land management and soil conservation. Solid Earth, 6, 903-928.

Investigation of artificial recharge of aquifers in Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lichtler, William F.; Stannard, David I.; Kouma, Edwin

1980-01-01

Progressive declines of ground-water levels in some areas of Nebraska prompted this investigation into the technical feasibility of recharging aquifers through wells, impoundments, pits, and canals. Information gained from a literature search and from preliminary tests was used to design several artificial-recharge experiments in Nebraska from 1977 to 1979. In well experiments, 0.46 billion gallons of water from an aquifer recharged by the Platte River was transported by pipeline and injected through a well into a sand and gravel aquifer near Aurora. Recharge was at about 730 gallons per minute during tests of 6- and 8-months duration. No evidence of clogging of the aquifer due to chemical reactions, air entrainment, or bacteria was detected in either test. In the 6-month test, evidence of clogging due to fine sediment in the recharge water was detected; however, analysis of this test indicated that recharge could have continued for several years before rehabilitation would have become necessary. Results of the 8-month test confirmed results of the earlier test until casing failure in the supply well and subsequent sediment deposition in the recharge well caused rapid water-level rise in the recharge well. In surface-spreading experiments, maximum infiltration rates from 24-foot-diameter ring infiltrometers near Aurora and Tryon were 0.4 and 11 feet per day, respectively. Results indicate that large-scale surface spreading is feasible only where low-permeability layers are absent in the subsurface. Infiltration rates from reuse pits ranged from 0.01 to 1.6 feet per day, indicating highly variable subsurface permeability. Flow measurements in an irrigation canal near Farwell indicate an infiltration rate of 0.37 feet per day. (USGS)

Influence of long term climate change on net infiltration at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Alan I.; Flint, Lorraine E.; Hevesi, Joseph A.

1993-01-01

Net infiltration and recharge at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential site for a high level nuclear waste repository, are determined both by the rock properties and past and future changes in climate. A 1-dimensional model was constructed to represent a borehole being drilled through the unsaturated zone. The rock properties were matched to the lithologies expected to be encountered in the borehole. As current paleoclimate theory assumes that 18O increases with wetter and cooler global climates, a past climate scenario, built on depletion of 18O from ocean sediments was used as a basis for climate change over the past 700,000 years. The climate change was simulated by assigning net infiltration values as a linear function of 8O. Assuming the rock properties, lithologies and climate scenarios are correct, simulations indicated that Yucca Mountain is not in steady state equilibrium at the surface (250 meters. Based on the cyclic climate inputs, the near surface is currently in a long term drying trend (for the last 3,000 years) yet recharge into the water table is continuing to occur at an average rate equivalent to the average input rate of the climate model, indicating that conditions at depth are damped out over very long time periods. The Paintbrush Tuff nonwelded units, positioned between the Tiva Canyon and Topopah Spring welded Tuff Members, do not appear to act as capillary barrier and therefore would not perch water. The low porosity vitric caprock and basal vitrophyre of the Topopah Spring Member, however, act as restrictive layers. The higher porosity rock directly above the caprock reduces the potential for the caprock to perch water leaving the basal vitrophyre as the most likely location for perched water to develop.

Monitoring and modeling very large, rapid infiltration using geophysics during the 2014 Lower Colorado River pulse flow experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, J.; Macy, J. P.; Callegary, J. B.; Lopez, J. R.

2014-12-01

In March and April 2014, an unprecedented experiment released over 100x106 cubic meters (81,000 acre-feet) of water from Morelos Dam into the normally-dry lower Colorado River below Yuma, Arizona, USA. More than half of the water released from Morelos Dam infiltrated within the limitrophe reach, a 32-km stretch between the Northern U.S.-Mexico International Boundary and the Southern International Boundary, a distance of just 32 river-kilometers. To characterize the spatial and temporal extent of infiltration, scientists from the US Geological Survey, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California carried out several geophysical surveys. Frequency-domain electromagnetic transects throughout the limitrophe reach showed that the subsurface comprised exclusively sandy material, with little finer-grained material to impede or otherwise influence infiltration. Direct current resistivity clearly imaged the rising water table near the stream channel. Both techniques provide valuable parameterization and calibration information for a surface-water/groundwater interaction model currently in development. Time-lapse gravity data were collected at 25 stations to expand the monitoring well network and provide storage-coefficient information for the groundwater model. Despite difficult field conditions, precise measurements of large gravity changes showed that changes in groundwater storage in the upper reach of the study area, where groundwater levels were highest, were constrained to the near vicinity of the river channel. Downstream near the Southern International Boundary, however, groundwater storage increased substantially over a large area, expanding into the regional aquifer that supplies irrigation water to surrounding agriculture.

Connection Zones, Surface Water - Groundwater: Aquifers Associated To Niger Central Delta, In Mali.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kone, S.

2016-12-01

Surface water infiltration recharging Mali aquifers occurs through, underlying perched hydrogeological networks, lacustrine zones of the Central Delta or inundation valleys. The mapping of both the Surface water and the Groundwater, their types and availabilities, are briefly presented, and the focus of the study is on the types of hydraulic connections between these water bodies. The aquifers hydraulically connected to the Niger Central Delta flows systems are Continental Terminal/Quaternary, and they concern some areas where either inundation or perennial surface water flow occurs. These aquifers belong to the hydrogeological Unit of Central Delta where the recharge by surface water is estimated to be five percent of the flow loss between the entry and the outlet of this hydrological system. Some attempts of simulation along with a review based on the first studies synthetized in "Synthese Hydrogeologique du Mali" would permit to pave the way to other studies on these hydraulically connected zones in Mali. A previews simulation study, about mapping the potential rate of pumping capacity, corroborates some observed structural characteristics and leads to subdivide the area in two hydrogeological sectors, and the present simulation studies focus on the sector "Macina -Diaka" where surface water are in hydraulic relation with groundwater.

Highway deicing salt dynamic runoff to surface water and subsequent infiltration to groundwater during severe UK winters.

PubMed

Rivett, Michael O; Cuthbert, Mark O; Gamble, Richard; Connon, Lucy E; Pearson, Andrew; Shepley, Martin G; Davis, John

2016-09-15

Dynamic impact to the water environment of deicing salt application at a major highway (motorway) interchange in the UK is quantitatively evaluated for two recent severe UK winters. The contaminant transport pathway studied allowed controls on dynamic highway runoff and storm-sewer discharge to a receiving stream and its subsequent leakage to an underlying sandstone aquifer, including possible contribution to long-term chloride increases in supply wells, to be evaluated. Logged stream electrical-conductivity (EC) to estimate chloride concentrations, stream flow, climate and motorway salt application data were used to assess salt fate. Stream loading was responsive to salt applications and climate variability influencing salt release. Chloride (via EC) was predicted to exceed the stream Environmental Quality Standard (250mg/l) for 33% and 18% of the two winters. Maximum stream concentrations (3500mg/l, 15% sea water salinity) were ascribed to salt-induced melting and drainage of highway snowfall without dilution from, still frozen, catchment water. Salt persistance on the highway under dry-cold conditions was inferred from stream observations of delayed salt removal. Streambed and stream-loss data demonstrated chloride infiltration could occur to the underlying aquifer with mild and severe winter stream leakage estimated to account for 21 to 54% respectively of the 70t of increased chloride (over baseline) annually abstracted by supply wells. Deicing salt infiltration lateral to the highway alongside other urban/natural sources were inferred to contribute the shortfall. Challenges in quantifying chloride mass/fluxes (flow gauge accuracy at high flows, salt loading from other roads, weaker chloride-EC correlation at low concentrations), may be largely overcome by modest investment in enhanced data acquisition or minor approach modification. The increased understanding of deicing salt dynamic loading to the water environment obtained is relevant to improved groundwater resource management, highway salt application practice, surface-water - ecosystem management, and decision making on highway drainage to ground. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Short-Term Summer Inundation as a Measure to Counteract Acidification in Rich Fens

PubMed Central

Mettrop, Ivan S.; Cusell, Casper; Kooijman, Annemieke M.; Lamers, Leon P. M.

2015-01-01

In regions with intensive agriculture, water level fluctuation in wetlands has generally become constricted within narrow limits. Water authorities are, however, considering the re-establishment of fluctuating water levels as a management tool in biodiverse, base-rich fens (‘rich fens’). This includes temporary inundation with surface water from ditches, which may play an important role in counteracting acidification in order to conserve and restore biodiversity. Inundation may result in an increased acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) for two reasons: infiltration of base-rich inundation water into peat soils, and microbial alkalinity generation under anaerobic conditions. The main objectives of this study were to test whether short-term (2 weeks) summer inundation is more effective than short-term winter inundation to restore the ANC in the upper 10 cm of non-floating peat soils, and to explain potential differences. Large-scale field experiments were conducted for five years in base-rich fens and Sphagnum-dominated poor fens. Winter inundation did not result in increased porewater ANC, because infiltration was inhibited in the waterlogged peat and evapotranspiration rates were relatively low. Also, low temperatures limit microbial alkalinity generation. In summer, however, when temperature and evapotranspiration rates are higher, inundation resulted in increased porewater Ca and HCO3 - concentrations, but only in areas with characteristic rich fen bryophytes. This increase was not only due to stronger infiltration into the soil, but also to higher microbial alkalinity generation under anaerobic conditions. In contrast, porewater ANC did not increase in Sphagnum-plots as a result of the ability of Sphagnum spp. to acidify their environment. In both rich and poor fens, flooding-induced P-mobilization remained sufficiently low to safeguard P-limited vegetation. NO3 - and NH4 + dynamics showed no considerable changes either. In conclusion, short-term summer inundation with base-rich and nutrient-poor surface water is considered beneficial in the management of non-floating rich fens, and much more effective than winter inundation. PMID:26637121

On the Maas problem of seawater intrusion combated by infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kacimov, A. R.

2008-09-01

SummaryThe problem of Maas [Maas, K. 2007. Influence of climate change on a Ghijben-Herzberg lens. J. Hydrol. 347, 223-228] for infiltration inflow into a porous flat-roofed fresh water lens floating on the interface of an ascending Darcian saline water flow is shown to be in exact match with the Polubarinova-Kochina [Polubarinova-Kochina, P.Ya., 1977. Theory of Ground Water Movement. Nauka, Moscow (in Russian)] problem for flow in a lens capped by a cambered phreatic surface with a uniform accretion. The Maas complex potential in the domain of a heavy saline water seeping beneath the lens corresponds to one of an ideal fluid flow past an elliptical cylinder that makes possible conversion of this potential into ascending-descending seepage flows with floating (but stagnant) DNAPL-LNAPL volumes. Similar matching is possible for the velocity potential of an axisymmetric flow past an ellipsoid and hydrostatic pressure of a stagnant NAPL body stored in a semi-ellipsoidal pond.

Infinite slope stability under steady unsaturated seepage conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Ning; Godt, Jonathan W.

2008-01-01

We present a generalized framework for the stability of infinite slopes under steady unsaturated seepage conditions. The analytical framework allows the water table to be located at any depth below the ground surface and variation of soil suction and moisture content above the water table under steady infiltration conditions. The framework also explicitly considers the effect of weathering and porosity increase near the ground surface on changes in the friction angle of the soil. The factor of safety is conceptualized as a function of the depth within the vadose zone and can be reduced to the classical analytical solution for subaerial infinite slopes in the saturated zone. Slope stability analyses with hypothetical sandy and silty soils are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the framework. These analyses indicate that for hillslopes of both sandy and silty soils, failure can occur above the water table under steady infiltration conditions, which is consistent with some field observations that cannot be predicted by the classical infinite slope theory. A case study of shallow slope failures of sandy colluvium on steep coastal hillslopes near Seattle, Washington, is presented to examine the predictive utility of the proposed framework.

Freeze-fracture scanning electron microscopy of Lemna minor L. (duckweed)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Echlin, P.; Pawley, J.B.; Hayes, T.L.

1979-01-01

A detailed study has been carried out on the frozen fracture faces of plant material. Roots of Lemna minor are encapsulated in different nonpenetrating polymeric cryoprotectants, rapidly cooled in melting nitrogen and transferred to the pre-cooled cold stage of the AMR Biochamber. The technique has been used to follow the course of development of the phloem tissue in the root tip. These studies have shown that the phloem parenchyma appears to develop in a regular sequence. Unetched surfaces are virtually featureless, and it is necessary to remove a surface layer of water in order to visualize the biological structure. Themore » amount of water sublimed from the fractured surface is a function of both the time of etching and the water binding capacity of the cell contents. It is not possible to etch cells infiltrated with a penetrating cryoprotectant as the glycerol-water eutectic is stable at low temperatures and no water is lost from the fractured surface. Several distinct stages have been observed during the etching process.« less

How Much Is Enough? Minimal Responses of Water Quality and Stream Biota to Partial Retrofit Stormwater Management in a Suburban Neighborhood

EPA Science Inventory

Decentralized stormwater management approaches (e.g., biofiltration swales, pervious pavement, green roofs, rain gardens) that capture, detain, infiltrate, and filter runoff are now commonly used to minimize the impacts of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces on aquatic eco...

HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING FOR PLANNING AND LOCATING ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Surface runoff of animal waste and its infiltration into groundwater can pose a number of risks to water quality mainly because of the amount of animal manure and wastewater they produce. Excess nutrients from livestock facilities can lead to groundwater and soil contaminatio...

Long term stability of microbial diversity and activity potential in severely disturbed arid lands of the southwest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Arid land cryptobiotic soil crusts govern water infiltration, soil aggregate stability and nutrient cycling between soil microbial communities and vascular plants. Surface mining involves removal of topsoil and associated crust and storage in mixed mounds for extended periods. The exposed subsoil an...

Effects of sodium polyacrylate on water retention and infiltration capacity of a sandy soil.

PubMed

Zhuang, Wenhua; Li, Longguo; Liu, Chao

2013-01-01

Based on the laboratory study, the effects of sodium polyacrylate (SP) was investigated at 5 rates of 0, 0.08, 0.2, 0.5, and 1%, on water retention, saturated hydraulic conductivity(Ks), infiltration characteristic and water distribution profiles of a sandy soil. The results showed that water retention and available water capacity effectively increased with increasing SP rate. The Ks and the rate of wetting front advance and infiltration under certain pond infiltration was significantly reduced by increasing SP rate, which effectively reduced water in a sandy soil leaking to a deeper layer under the plough layer. The effect of SP on water distribution was obviously to the up layer and very little to the following deeper layers. Considering both the effects on water retention and infiltration capacity, it is suggested that SP be used to the sandy soil at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0.5%.

Physical and Social Impacts on Hydrologic Properties of Residential Lawn Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. L.; Band, L. E.

2009-12-01

Land development practices result in compacted soils that filter less water, increase surface runoff and decrease groundwater infiltration. Literature review of soil infiltration rates reveals that developed sites’ rates, 0.1 to 24 cm/hr, are reduced when compared to rates of undeveloped sites, 14.7 to 48.7 cm/hr. Yet, most hydrologic models neglect the impacts of residential soil compaction on infiltration and runoff. The objectives of this study included: determination of differences between soil properties of forested and residential lawn sites in Baltimore Ecosystem Study; parcel-scale location impacts on soil properties; and the impact of social and physical factors on the distribution of soil properties of residential lawns. Infiltration measures were collected in situ using a Cornell Sprinkle Infiltrometer and soil cores were collected for water retention and texture analysis. These soil properties were paired with GIS data relating to age of house construction, property value, parcel area, percent canopy cover per parcel and parcel distance from stream. The study finds that saturated infiltration rates in residential lawn soils are significantly lower than forest soils due to reduced macroporosity of residential lawn soils. Intra-parcel differences in bulk density and soil depth indicate that runoff from residential lawns is more likely from near-house and near-curb locations than the mid-front or backyards. The range of infiltration rate, bulk density and percent organic matter can be explained by readily attainable social and physical factors—age of house construction and parcel distance to stream. The impacts of land management on soil properties appear to be more prominent than percent canopy.

Update on Advection-Diffusion Purge Flow Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brieda, Lubos

2015-01-01

Gaseous purge is commonly used in sensitive spacecraft optical or electronic instruments to prevent infiltration of contaminants and/or water vapor. Typically, purge is sized using simplistic zero-dimensional models that do not take into account instrument geometry, surface effects, and the dependence of diffusive flux on the concentration gradient. For this reason, an axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was recently developed to model contaminant infiltration and removal by purge. The solver uses a combined Navier-Stokes and Advection-Diffusion approach. In this talk, we report on updates in the model, namely inclusion of a particulate transport model.

Using MODFLOW with CFP to understand conduit-matrix exchange in a karst aquifer during flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spellman, P.; Screaton, E.; Martin, J. B.; Gulley, J.; Brown, A.

2011-12-01

Karst springs may reverse flow when allogenic runoff increases river stage faster than groundwater heads and may exchange of surface water with groundwater in the surrounding aquifer matrix. Recharged flood water is rich in nutrients, metals, and organic matter and is undersaturated with respect to calcite. Understanding the physical processes controlling this exchange of water is critical to understanding metal cycling, redox chemistry and dissolution in the subsurface. Ultimately the magnitude of conduit-matrix exchange should be governed by head gradients between the conduit and the aquifer which are affected by the hydraulic conductivity of the matrix, conduit properties and antecedent groundwater heads. These parameters are interrelated and it is unknown which ones exert the greatest control over the magnitude of exchange. This study uses MODFLOW-2005 coupled with the Conduit Flow Processes (CFP) package to determine how physical properties of conduits and aquifers influence the magnitude of surface water-groundwater exchange. We use hydraulic data collected during spring reversals in a mapped underwater cave that sources Madison Blue Spring in north-central Florida to explore which factors are most important in governing exchange. The simulation focused on a major flood in 2009, when river stage increased by about 10 meters over 9 days. In a series of simulations, we varied hydraulic conductivity, conduit diameter, roughness height and tortuosity in addition to antecedent groundwater heads to estimate the relative effects of each parameter on the magnitude of conduit-matrix exchange. Each parameter was varied across plausible ranges for karst aquifers. Antecedent groundwater heads were varied using well data recorded through wet and dry seasons throughout the spring shed. We found hydraulic conductivity was the most important factor governing exchange. The volume of exchange increased by about 61% from the lowest value (1.8x10-6 m/d) to the highest value (6 m/d) of matrix hydraulic conductivity. Other factors increased the amount of exchange by 1% or less, with tortuosity (which varied from 1 to 2) being most significant with a 1% increase, followed by conduit diameter (1 to 5 m) and roughness height (0.1 to 5m) with increases in exchange of 0.4% and 0.3% respectively. Antecedent aquifer conditions were also seen to exert important controls on influencing exchange with greater exchange occurring in floods following dry periods than during wet periods. These preliminary results indicate that heterogeneity of the hydraulic conductivity across karst aquifers will control the distribution of flood waters that enter into the aquifer matrix. Because flood waters are typically undersaturated with respect to the carbonate minerals, the location of this infiltrated water into the highest hydraulic conductivity zones should enhance dissolution, thereby increasing hydraulic conductivity in a feedback loop that will enhance future infiltration of floodwater. Portions of the aquifer prone to infiltrating flood water and dissolution will also be most sensitive to contamination from surface water infiltration.

Chemical spring water measurements coupled with 2d u.d.e.c hydromechanical modelling as an investigation methodology of water infiltration influence on large moving rock mass stability : application to the "la clapière" landslide (france, 06).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cappa, F.; Guglielmi, Y.; Soukatchoff, V. M.; Mudry, J.; Bertrand, C.; Charmoille, A.

2003-04-01

We present an investigation method of water infiltration influence on Large Moving Rock Mass (LMRM) stability. In the case of huge unstable mountainous slopes, it has been clearly shown that the main driving of instability is gravity and that the major triggering and increasing factor is water located in interstices and fractures of rocks (Noverraz &al., 1998). More particularly, groundwater originates from a localized hydro-mechanical deformation inside fractures that can induce a generalized destabilization of large rock masses (Guglielmi, 1999). However, the understanding of groundwater mechanical effects on landslides and their neighbouring environment is rendered more complex given the large anisotropy of the rock mass as well as the difficulties to apply classic hydrogeological investigation methods in a moving environment. For these reasons, we developped an indirect investigation method based on chemical groundwater measurements coupled with a two-dimensional hydro-mechanical modelling with the Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC) numerical program, taking the example of the La Clapière landslide (Alpes-Maritimes, France). The methodology we develop firstly establishes a hydro-mechanical conceptual scheme through the analysis of geological, hydrogeological, hydrogeochemistry and landslide velocity measurements. Then, a two-dimensional numerical modelling with UDEC was performed to test the influence of the locations and the intensities of water infiltrations on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of La Clapière’s slope. A geological and hydrogeological analysis reveals a perched saturated zone connected by large conducting-flow fractures to a basal aquifer. The correlations of spring water chemistry data and meteorological events on the slope highlight a large variability of groundwater transits in the slope in time (transit durations of 1 to 21 days) and in space. Infiltration transients correlate with landslide accelerations. Infiltration yields range between 0.4 and 0.8 l.s-1. The most intensive hydro-mechanical response of the landslide is linked to snowmelt in a stable area in the upper part of the slope located between 1800 and a 2500 m high. On the one hand modeling hydro-mechanical effects with UDEC considers a model corresponding to a slope without any unstable zone, and on the other hand, a model including a failure surface in order to simulate the current instability. In the two numerical tests, calculations show that the most unstabilizing water infiltration corresponds to water infiltrations located in the middle part of the slope for weak flow rates of 0.75 l.s-1. This is due to the water infiltration influence on the spatial distribution of strain fields. This result fits with field measurements. This methodology can easily be applied to the monitoring of landslide movements. As it gives relevant information on the spatial and temporal effects of various meteoric infiltrations, it can be applied to improve remedial protocols. This work was partly funded by the French National Program on Natural Hazards (PNRN) and Retina European Program. Guglielmi Y., 1999. Apport de la mesure des couplages hydromécaniques à la connaissance hydrogéologique des réservoirs fissurés. Habilitation à diriger des recherches, Université de Franche-Comté, E.A. 2642 Géosciences : Déformation, Écoulement, Transfert. 187 p. Noverraz F., BonnardC., Dupraz H., and Huguenin L., 1998. Grands glissements de versants et climat. Rapport final PNR 31, vdf hochschulverlag AG an der ETH Zürich, 314 p.

A look inside 'black box' hydrograph separation models: A study at the hydrohill catchment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kendall, C.; McDonnell, Jeffery J.; Gu, W.

2001-01-01

Runoff sources and dominant flowpaths are still poorly understood in most catchments; consequently, most hydrograph separations are essentially 'black box' models where only external information is used. The well-instrumented 490 m2 Hydrohill artificial grassland catchment located near Nanjing (China) was used to examine internal catchment processes. Since groundwater levels never reach the soil surface at this site, two physically distinct flowpaths can unambiguously be defined: surface and subsurface runoff. This study combines hydrometric, isotopic and geochemical approaches to investigating the relations between the chloride, silica, and oxygen isotopic compositions of subsurface waters and rainfall. During a 120 mm storm over a 24 h period in 1989, 55% of event water input infiltrated and added to soil water storage; the remainder ran off as infiltration-excess overland flow. Only about 3-5% of the pre-event water was displaced out of the catchment by in-storm rainfall. About 80% of the total flow was quickflow, and 10% of the total flow was pre-event water, mostly derived from saturated flow from deeper soils. Rain water with high ??18O values from the beginning of the storm appeared to be preferentially stored in shallow soils. Groundwater at the end of the storm shows a wide range of isotopic and chemical compositions, primarily reflecting the heterogeneous distribution of the new and mixed pore waters. High chloride and silica concentrations in quickflow runoff derived from event water indicate that these species are not suitable conservative tracers of either water sources or flowpaths in this catchment. Determining the proportion of event water alone does not constrain the possible hydrologic mechanisms sufficiently to distinguish subsurface and surface flowpaths uniquely, even in this highly controlled artificial catchment. We reconcile these findings with a perceptual model of stormflow sources and flowpaths that explicitly accounts for water, isotopic, and chemical mass balance. Copyright ?? 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Electrical Resistance Imaging for Evaluation of Soil-Water Behavior in Desert Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nimmo, J. R.; Perkins, K. S.; Schmidt, K. M.; Miller, D. M.; Stock, J. D.; Singha, K.

2009-05-01

As part of an effort to evaluate habitat types in the Mojave National Preserve, we conducted infiltration/redistribution experiments to investigate unsaturated hydraulic properties and soil-water dynamics. Two investigated locations contrasted sharply in degree of pedogenic development: (1) recently deposited sediments in an active wash and (2) a highly developed soil of late Pleistocene age. Water flow through these materials may be strongly influenced by such features as biotic crusts, vesicular horizons, textural variations, calcic horizons, preferential flow paths, and other forms of vertical and lateral spatial variability. In each location we ponded water in a 1-m-diameter infiltration ring for 2.3 h, generating 1.93 m of infiltration in the active wash and 0.52 m in the Pleistocene soil. Combining input flux data with quantitative knowledge of water content and soil water pressure over space and time provides a basis for estimating soil hydraulic properties. TDR probes and tensiometers, placed outside but within a few m of the infiltration pond at depths to 1.5 m, provided subsurface hydraulic data. In addition to probe measurements, we conducted electrical resistance imaging (ERI) measurements during the infiltration period and for six days of redistribution. Electrodes were in two crossed lines at the surface, 24 in each, at 0.5 m spacing. On each line data were collected over an eight- minute period using a hybrid geometry, with 0 to 6 electrodes skipped between those used for the measurement. Relative change in the inverted resistivities relates to relative change in soil water content. Spatially exhaustive and minimally invasive characterization is valuable because of the extreme difficulty of quantifying soil-moisture distribution over a broad heterogeneous area using a set of individual probes. Soil moisture data directly under the ponded area are especially important, and ERI was our only means for such measurements because probe installation would have required either power drilling machinery (not permitted at this wilderness location), or the punching of holes in surficial layers whose flow-impeding effects are crucial to the system under investigation. ERI results show that the relatively coarse and homogeneous active wash sediments have minimal small-scale variation in water content and comparatively little ability to retain water over time. In the older soil, infiltrated water does not go nearly as deep, but spreads to a slightly greater lateral extent; both effects are consistent with the development of horizons that contrast sharply in texture, structure, or calcification. Water content in this developed soil shows pronounced spatial variability, especially in the direction across rather than down the alluvial fan. Certain small (<1 m3) parcels of the Pleistocene soil at depths less than 0.5 m have especially great ability to retain water. The juxtaposition of these with parcels of soil that strongly transmit but weakly retain water creates a net enhancing effect on the root-accessible soil's ability to hold water over extended time, as is vital in a climate of infrequent infiltration. Present ERI results indicate the basic spatial distribution of resistivity and its evolution over time. The rate of spreading of subsurface water, as well as the shape, character, and heterogeneity of its distribution, can be inferred from these, so the results already have substantial ecohydrologic value. Advances in ERI data inversion and water- content calibration would lead toward greatly enhanced value for quantifying unsaturated hydraulic properties and water fluxes.

Calibration and validation of a small-scale urban surface water flood event using crowdsourced images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Daniel; Yu, Dapeng; Pattison, Ian

2017-04-01

Surface water flooding occurs when intense precipitation events overwhelm the drainage capacity of an area and excess overland flow is unable to infiltrate into the ground or drain via natural or artificial drainage channels, such as river channels, manholes or SuDS. In the UK, over 3 million properties are at risk from surface water flooding alone, accounting for approximately one third of the UK's flood risk. The risk of surface water flooding is projected to increase due to several factors, including population increases, land-use alterations and future climatic changes in precipitation resulting in an increased magnitude and frequency of intense precipitation events. Numerical inundation modelling is a well-established method of investigating surface water flood risk, allowing the researcher to gain a detailed understanding of the depth, velocity, discharge and extent of actual or hypothetical flood scenarios over a wide range of spatial scales. However, numerical models require calibration of key hydrological and hydraulic parameters (e.g. infiltration, evapotranspiration, drainage rate, roughness) to ensure model outputs adequately represent the flood event being studied. Furthermore, validation data such as crowdsourced images or spatially-referenced flood depth collected during a flood event may provide a useful validation of inundation depth and extent for actual flood events. In this study, a simplified two-dimensional inertial based flood inundation model requiring minimal pre-processing of data (FloodMap-HydroInundation) was used to model a short-duration, intense rainfall event (27.8 mm in 15 minutes) that occurred over the Loughborough University campus on the 28th June 2012. High resolution (1m horizontal, +/- 15cm vertical) DEM data, rasterised Ordnance Survey topographic structures data and precipitation data recorded at the University weather station were used to conduct numerical modelling over the small (< 2km2), contained urban catchment. To validate model outputs and allow a reconstruction of spatially referenced flood depth and extent during the flood event, crowdsourced images were obtained from social media (Twitter) and from individuals present during the flood event via the University noticeboards, as well as using dGPS flood depth data collected at one of the worst affected areas. An investigation into the sensitivity of key model parameters suggests that the numerical model code is highly sensitivity to changes within the recommended range of roughness and infiltration values, as well as changes in DEM and building mesh resolutions, but less sensitive to changes in evapotranspiration and drainage capacity parameters. The study also demonstrates the potential of using crowdsourced images to validate urban surface water flood models and inform parameterisation when calibrating numerical inundation models.

Characteristics of water infiltration in layered water repellent soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrophobic soil can influence soil water infiltration, but information regarding the impacts of different levels of hydrophobicity within a layered soil profile is limited. An infiltration study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of hydrophobicity and the position of the hyd...

Quantification of sewer system infiltration using delta(18)O hydrograph separation.

PubMed

Prigiobbe, V; Giulianelli, M

2009-01-01

The infiltration of parasitical water into two sewer systems in Rome (Italy) was quantified during a dry weather period. Infiltration was estimated using the hydrograph separation method with two water components and delta(18)O as a conservative tracer. The two water components were groundwater, the possible source of parasitical water within the sewer, and drinking water discharged into the sewer system. This method was applied at an urban catchment scale in order to test the effective water-tightness of two different sewer networks. The sampling strategy was based on an uncertainty analysis and the errors have been propagated using Monte Carlo random sampling. Our field applications showed that the method can be applied easily and quickly, but the error in the estimated infiltration rate can be up to 20%. The estimated infiltration into the recent sewer in Torraccia is 14% and can be considered negligible given the precision of the method, while the old sewer in Infernetto has an estimated infiltration of 50%.

Documentation of the Santa Clara Valley regional ground-water/surface-water flow model, Santa Clara Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, R.T.; Li, Zhen; Faunt, C.C.

2004-01-01

The Santa Clara Valley is a long, narrow trough extending about 35 miles southeast from the southern end of San Francisco Bay where the regional alluvial-aquifer system has been a major source of water. Intensive agricultural and urban development throughout the 20th century and related ground-water development resulted in ground-water-level declines of more than 200 feet and land subsidence of as much as 12.7 feet between the early 1900s and the mid-1960s. Since the 1960s, Santa Clara Valley Water District has imported surface water to meet growing demands and reduce dependence on ground-water supplies. This importation of water has resulted in a sustained recovery of the ground-water flow system. To help support effective management of the ground-water resources, a regional ground-water/surface-water flow model was developed. This model simulates the flow of ground water and surface water, changes in ground-water storage, and related effects such as land subsidence. A numerical ground-water/surface-water flow model of the Santa Clara Valley subbasin of the Santa Clara Valley was developed as part of a cooperative investigation with the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The model better defines the geohydrologic framework of the regional flow system and better delineates the supply and demand components that affect the inflows to and outflows from the regional ground-water flow system. Development of the model includes revisions to the previous ground-water flow model that upgraded the temporal and spatial discretization, added source-specific inflows and outflows, simulated additional flow features such as land subsidence and multi-aquifer wellbore flow, and extended the period of simulation through September 1999. The transient-state model was calibrated to historical surface-water and ground-water data for the period 197099 and to historical subsidence for the period 198399. The regional ground-water flow system consists of multiple aquifers that are grouped into upper- and lower-aquifer systems. Ground-water inflow occurs as natural recharge in the form of streamflow infiltration and areal infiltration of precipitation along stream channels, artificial recharge from infiltration of imported water at recharge ponds and along selected stream channels, and leakage along selected transmission pipelines. Ground-water outflow occurs as evapotranspiration, stream base flow, discharge through pumpage from wells, and subsurface flow to the San Francisco Bay. The geohydrologic framework of the regional ground-water flow system was represented as six model layers. The hydraulic properties were redefined on the basis of cell-based lithologic properties that were delineated in terms of aggregate thicknesses of coarse-grained, fine-grained, and mixed textural categories. The regional aquifer systems also are dissected by several laterally extensive faults that may form at least partial barriers to the lateral flow of ground water. The spatial extent of the ground-water flow model was extended and refined to cover the entire Santa Clara Valley, including the Evergreen subregion. The temporal discretization was refined and the period of simulation was extended to 197099. The model was upgraded to MODFLOW-2000 (MF2K) and was calibrated to fit historical ground-water levels, streamflow, and land subsidence for the period 197099. The revised model slightly overestimates measured water levels with an root-mean-square error of -7.34 feet. The streamflow generally shows a good match on gaged creeks and rivers for flows greater than 1.2 cubic feet per second. The revised model also fits the measured deformation at the borehole extensometer site located near San Jose within 16 to 27 percent and the extensometer site near Sunnyvale within 3 percent of the maximum measured seasonal deformation for the deepest extensometers. The total ground-water inflow and outflow of about 225,500 acre-feet per

Electrical Imaging of Infiltration in Agricultural Soils on Long Island, New York

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lampousis, A.; Kenyon, P. M.; Sanwald, K.; Steiner, N.

2007-12-01

High resolution electrical resistivity imaging of vadose zone infiltration experiments was conducted on agricultural soils by the City College and Graduate Center of CUNY, in cooperation with Cornell University's Agricultural Stewardship Program and Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center (LIHREC) in Riverhead, New York. Measurements were made in active vineyards with a commercial resistivity imaging system, using a half- meter electrode spacing. Soils considered were Riverhead sandy loam (RdA), Haven loam (HaA), and Bridgehampton silty loam (BgA). The Riverhead and Haven soils are the most common types found on eastern Long Island. The Bridgehampton is considered the most fertile. Soil samples and measurements of soil compaction were collected at the same time as the geophysical measurements. In addition, remote sensing data were obtained for the three sites and processed to produce normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data to evaluate potential correlations between vegetation vigor, soil texture and water migration patterns. Applications of this study include continuous water content monitoring in high value cash crops (precision agriculture). Changes in electrical resistivity during infiltration are clearly visible at all three locations. Preliminary analysis of the results shows correlations of baseline resistivity with particle size distributions and correlations between changes in resistivity during infiltration and soil compaction data. Time-lapse electrical images of the three sites will also be compared with published properties for these soils, including particle size distribution, saturated hydraulic conductivity, available water capacity, and surface texture.

Intrinsic vulnerability assessment of shallow aquifers of the sedimentary basin of southwestern Nigeria

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

The shallow groundwater of the multi-layered sedimentary basin aquifer of southwestern Nigeria was assessed based on its intrinsic vulnerability property. The vulnerability evaluation involves determining the protective cover and infiltration condition of the unsaturated zone in the basin. This was achieved using the PI (P stands for protective cover effectiveness of the overlying lithology and I indicates the degree of infiltration bypass) vulnerability method of the European vulnerability approach. The PI method specifically measures the protection cover and the degree to which the protective cover is bypassed. Intrinsic parameters assessed were the subsoil, lithology, topsoil, recharge and fracturing for the protective cover. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of topsoil, infiltration processes and the lateral surface and subsurface flow were evaluated for the infiltration bypassed. The results show moderate to very low vulnerability areas. Low vulnerability areas were characterised by lithology with massive sandstone and limestone, subsoils of sandy loam texture, high slopes and high depth to water table. The moderate vulnerability areas were characterised by high rainfall and high recharge, low water table, unconsolidated sandstones and alluvium lithology. The intrinsic vulnerability properties shown in vulnerability maps will be a useful tool in planning and monitoring land use activities that can be of impact in groundwater pollution.

Surface-water hydrology of the Western New York Nuclear Service Center Cattaraugus County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kappel, W.M.; Harding, W.E.

1987-01-01

Precipitation data were collected from October 1980 through September 1983 from three recording gages at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, and surface water data were collected at three continuous-record gaging stations and one partial-record gage on streams that drain a 0.7 sq km part of the site. Seepage from springs was measured periodically during the study. The data were used to identify runoff characteristics at the waste burial ground and the reprocessing plant area, 400 meters to the north. Preliminary water budgets for April 1982 through March 1983 were calculated to aid in the development of groundwater flow models to the two areas. Nearly 80% of the measured runoff from the burial ground area was storm runoff; the remaining 20% was base flow. In contrast, only 30% of the runoff leaving the reprocessing plant area was storm runoff, and 70% was base flow. This difference is attributed to soil composition. The burial ground soil consists of clayey silty till that limits infiltration and causes most precipitation to flow to local channels as direct runoff. In contrast, the reprocessing plant area is overlain by alluvial sand and gravel that allows rapid infiltration of precipitation and subsequent steady discharge from the water table to nearby stream channels and seepage faces. Measured total annual runoff and estimated evapotranspiration from the reprocessing plant area exceeded the precipitation by 35%, which suggests that the groundwater basin is larger than the surface water basin. The additional outflow probably includes underflow from bedrock upgradient from the plant, water leakage from plant facilities, and groundwater flow from adjacent basins. (Author 's abstract)

The potential roles of biological soil crusts in dryland hydrologic cycles

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, J.

2006-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are the dominant living cover in many drylands of the world. They possess many features that can influence different aspects of local hydrologic cycles, including soil porosity, absorptivity, roughness, aggregate stability, texture, pore formation, and water retention. The influence of biological soil crusts on these factors depends on their internal and external structure, which varies with climate, soil, and disturbance history. This paper presents the different types of biological soil crusts, discusses how crust type likely influences various aspects of the hydrologic cycle, and reviews what is known and not known about the influence of biological crusts on sediment production and water infiltration versus runoff in various drylands around the world. Most studies examining the effect of biological soil crusts on local hydrology are done by comparing undisturbed sites with those recently disturbed by the researchers. Unfortunately, this greatly complicates interpretation of the results. Applied disturbances alter many soil features such as soil texture, roughness, aggregate stability, physical crusting, porosity, and bulk density in ways that would not necessarily be the same if crusts were not naturally present. Combined, these studies show little agreement on how biological crusts affect water infiltration or runoff. However, when studies are separated by biological crust type and utilize naturally occurring differences among these types, results indicate that biological crusts in hyperarid regions reduce infiltration and increase runoff, have mixed effects in and regions, and increase infiltration and reduce runoff in semiarid cool and cold drylands. However, more studies are needed before broad generalizations can be made on how biological crusts affect infiltration and runoff. We especially need studies that control for sub-surface soil features such as bulk density, micro- and macropores, and biological crust structure. Unlike the mixed effects of biological crusts on infiltration and runoff among regions, almost all studies show that biological crusts reduce sediment production, regardless of crust or dryland type.

The potential roles of biological soil crusts in dryland hydrologic cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belnap, Jayne

2006-10-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are the dominant living cover in many drylands of the world. They possess many features that can influence different aspects of local hydrologic cycles, including soil porosity, absorptivity, roughness, aggregate stability, texture, pore formation, and water retention. The influence of biological soil crusts on these factors depends on their internal and external structure, which varies with climate, soil, and disturbance history. This paper presents the different types of biological soil crusts, discusses how crust type likely influences various aspects of the hydrologic cycle, and reviews what is known and not known about the influence of biological crusts on sediment production and water infiltration versus runoff in various drylands around the world. Most studies examining the effect of biological soil crusts on local hydrology are done by comparing undisturbed sites with those recently disturbed by the researchers. Unfortunately, this greatly complicates interpretation of the results. Applied disturbances alter many soil features such as soil texture, roughness, aggregate stability, physical crusting, porosity, and bulk density in ways that would not necessarily be the same if crusts were not naturally present. Combined, these studies show little agreement on how biological crusts affect water infiltration or runoff. However, when studies are separated by biological crust type and utilize naturally occurring differences among these types, results indicate that biological crusts in hyperarid regions reduce infiltration and increase runoff, have mixed effects in arid regions, and increase infiltration and reduce runoff in semiarid cool and cold drylands. However, more studies are needed before broad generalizations can be made on how biological crusts affect infiltration and runoff. We especially need studies that control for sub-surface soil features such as bulk density, micro- and macropores, and biological crust structure. Unlike the mixed effects of biological crusts on infiltration and runoff among regions, almost all studies show that biological crusts reduce sediment production, regardless of crust or dryland type.

Wind effects on water and salt loss in playa lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torgersen, T.

1984-10-01

The theory behind wind stress induced setup of water surface slope on a playa lake is reviewed. Due to the low gradient of the bottom in most playa lakes (1-20 cm km -1), the advance and retreat of lake waters due to wind stress can expose or cover many square kilometers. It is even possible for the surface slope to exceed the bottom slope and thereby create a "roving" lake. Such water movements can transport lake water over undersaturated "shore" sediments and water can therefore infiltrate and be lost without an increase in lake salinity. This case is demonstrated with data from Lake George, New South Wales, Australia. Such wind effects need to be examined for their relation to the diagenesis of sediments, the composition of the bitterns, and the salt budget of playa lakes.

An application of thermometry to the study of ground water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schneider, Robert

1962-01-01

The precise measurement of fluctuations in ground-water temperature, based on monthly readings in shallow glacial-outwash aquifers (up to about 70 feet deep), is useful in the study of ground-water movement and recharge. In addition to the study of natural phenomena in the hydrologic cycle, thermometry may be used as a tool in making detailed studies of (1) the effects of inducing the infiltration of surface water, (2) artificial recharge, (3) the effects of injecting petroleum products or radioactive or other wastes into the ground, and (4) ground-water movement in mines.

Flood induced infiltration affecting a bank filtrate well at the River Enns, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wett, Bernhard; Jarosch, Hannes; Ingerle, Kurt

2002-09-01

Bank filtration employs a natural filtration process of surface water on its flow path from the river to the well. The development of a stable filter layer is of major importance to the quality of the delivered water. Flooding is expected to destabilise the riverbed, to reduce the filter efficiency of the bank and therefore to endanger the operation of water supply facilities near the riverbank. This paper provides an example of how bank storage in an unconfined alluvial aquifer causes a significant decrease of the seepage rate after a high-water event. Extensive monitoring equipment has been installed in the river bank of the oligotrophic alpine River Enns focusing on the first metre of the flow path. Head losses measured by multilevel probes throughout a year characterise the development of the hydraulic conductivity of different riverbed layers. Concentration profiles of nitrate, total ions and a NaCl tracer have been used to study infiltration rates of river water and its dilution with groundwater. Dynamic modelling was applied in order to investigate the propagation of flood induced head elevation and transport of pollutants.

Effect of river excavation on a bank filtration site - assessing transient surface water - groundwater interaction by 3D heat and solute transport modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W.; Oswald, S. E.; Munz, M.; Strasser, D.

2017-12-01

Bank filtration is widely used either as main- or pre-treatment process for water supply. The colmation of the river bottom as interface to groundwater plays a key role for hydraulic control of flow paths and location of several beneficial attenuation processes, such as pathogen filtration, mixing, biodegradation and sorption. Along the flow path, mixing happens between the `young' infiltrated water and ambient `old' groundwater. To clarify the mechanisms and their interaction, modelling is often used for analysing spatial and temporal distribution of the travelling time, quantifying mixing ratios, and estimating the biochemical reaction rates. As the most comprehensive tool, 2-D or 3-D spatially-explicit modelling is used in several studies, and for area with geological heterogeneity, the adaptation of different natural tracers could constrain the model in respect to model non-uniqueness and improve the interpretation of the flow field. In our study, we have evaluated the influence of a river excavation and bank reconstruction project on the groundwater-surface water exchange at a bank filtration site. With data from years of field site monitoring, we could include besides heads and temperature also the analysis of stable isotope data and ions to differentiate between infiltrated water and groundwater. Thus, we have set up a 3-D transient heat and mass transport groundwater model, taking the strong local geological heterogeneity into consideration, especially between river and water work wells. By transferring the effect of the river excavation into a changing hydraulic conductivity of the riverbed, model could be calibrated against both water head and temperature time-series observed. Finally, electrical conductivity dominated by river input was included as quasi-conservative tracer. The `triple' calibrated, transient model was then used to i) understand the flow field and quantify the long term changes in infiltration rate and distribution brought by the excavation ii) compare among temperature, electrical conductivity and stable isotope values calculated and interpret the performance and deviations iii) analyse from this modelling basis about the implications of the excavation induced changes on further water quality data and travelling time distributions, also with seasonal aspects.

River water infiltration enhances denitrification efficiency in riparian groundwater.

PubMed

Trauth, Nico; Musolff, Andreas; Knöller, Kay; Kaden, Ute S; Keller, Toralf; Werban, Ulrike; Fleckenstein, Jan H

2018-03-01

Nitrate contamination in ground- and surface water is a persistent problem in countries with intense agriculture. The transition zone between rivers and their riparian aquifers, where river water and groundwater interact, may play an important role in mediating nitrate exports, as it can facilitate intensive denitrification, which permanently removes nitrate from the aquatic system. However, the in-situ factors controlling riparian denitrification are not fully understood, as they are often strongly linked and their effects superimpose each other. In this study, we present the evaluation of hydrochemical and isotopic data from a 2-year sampling period of river water and groundwater in the riparian zone along a 3rd order river in Central Germany. Based on bi- and multivariate statistics (Spearman's rank correlation and partial least squares regression) we can show, that highest rates for oxygen consumption and denitrification in the riparian aquifer occur where the fraction of infiltrated river water and at the same time groundwater temperature, are high. River discharge and depth to groundwater are additional explanatory variables for those reaction rates, but of minor importance. Our data and analyses suggest that at locations in the riparian aquifer, which show significant river water infiltration, heterotrophic microbial reactions in the riparian zone may be fueled by bioavailable organic carbon derived from the river water. We conclude that interactions between rivers and riparian groundwater are likely to be a key control of nitrate removal and should be considered as a measure to mitigate high nitrate exports from agricultural catchments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental Assessment: Installation Development at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

column, or in topographic depressions. Water is then utilized by plants and is respired, or it moves slowly into groundwater and/or eventually to surface...water bodies where it slowly moves through the hydrologic cycle. Removal of vegetation decreases infiltration into the soil column and thereby...School District JP-4 jet propulsion fuel 4 kts knots Ldn Day- Night Average Sound Level Leq equivalent noise level Lmax maximum sound level lb pound

Color stability of resin used for caries infiltration after exposure to different staining solutions.

PubMed

Borges, Ab; Caneppele, Tmf; Luz, M; Pucci, Cr; Torres, Crg

2014-01-01

PURPOSE : The aim of this study was to investigate the staining behavior of demineralized enamel infiltrated by low-viscosity resin. METHODS AND MATERIALS : Bovine enamel/dentin cylindrical samples (3 × 2 mm) were assigned into four groups (n=45) according to the enamel treatment: sound enamel (control), demineralization + artificial saliva, demineralization + daily application of 0.05% NaF, demineralization + resin infiltration (Icon, DMG). Artificial white spot lesions were produced in groups with demineralization. After the treatments, color was assessed by spectrophotometry, using the CIE L*a*b* system. The specimens (n=15) were then immersed in deionized water, red wine, or coffee for 10 minutes daily for eight days. Color was measured again, and the specimens were repolished with sandpaper discs. The final color was assessed. Data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance and Tukey tests (α=0.05). A paired t-test was used for comparison between staining and repolishing conditions. RESULTS : There were significant differences for surface treatment and dye after staining and repolishing. Immersion in wine and coffee resulted in significantly increased color alteration (ΔE) compared with water (p=0.001). The resin-infiltrated group exhibited the highest staining values (p=0.001). The repolishing procedures resulted in significantly decreased color change. The exposure of specimens to colored solutions resulted in significant color alteration. The demineralized enamel treated with resin infiltration showed significantly higher staining than all other tested groups; however, the repolishing of the specimens minimized the staining effect.

Managed aquifer recharge of treated wastewater: water quality changes resulting from infiltration through the vadose zone.

PubMed

Bekele, Elise; Toze, Simon; Patterson, Bradley; Higginson, Simon

2011-11-01

Secondary treated wastewater was infiltrated through a 9 m-thick calcareous vadose zone during a 39 month managed aquifer recharge (MAR) field trial to determine potential improvements in the recycled water quality. The water quality improvements of the recycled water were based on changes in the chemistry and microbiology of (i) the recycled water prior to infiltration relative to (ii) groundwater immediately down-gradient from the infiltration gallery. Changes in the average concentrations of several constituents in the recycled water were identified with reductions of 30% for phosphorous, 66% for fluoride, 62% for iron and 51% for total organic carbon when the secondary treated wastewater was infiltrated at an applied rate of 17.5 L per minute with a residence time of approximately four days in the vadose zone and less than two days in the aquifer. Reductions were also noted for oxazepam and temazepam among the pharmaceuticals tested and for a range of microbial pathogens, but reductions were harder to quantify as their magnitudes varied over time. Total nitrogen and carbamazepine persisted in groundwater down-gradient from the infiltration galleries. Infiltration does potentially offer a range of water quality improvements over direct injection to the water table without passage through the unsaturated zone; however, additional treatment options for the non-potable water may still need to be considered, depending on the receiving environment or the end use of the recovered water. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of bimodal distribution to the detection of changes in uranium concentration in drinking water collected by random daytime sampling method from a large water supply zone.

PubMed

Garboś, Sławomir; Święcicka, Dorota

2015-11-01

The random daytime (RDT) sampling method was used for the first time in the assessment of average weekly exposure to uranium through drinking water in a large water supply zone. Data set of uranium concentrations determined in 106 RDT samples collected in three runs from the water supply zone in Wroclaw (Poland), cannot be simply described by normal or log-normal distributions. Therefore, a numerical method designed for the detection and calculation of bimodal distribution was applied. The extracted two distributions containing data from the summer season of 2011 and the winter season of 2012 (nI=72) and from the summer season of 2013 (nII=34) allowed to estimate means of U concentrations in drinking water: 0.947 μg/L and 1.23 μg/L, respectively. As the removal efficiency of uranium during applied treatment process is negligible, the effect of increase in uranium concentration can be explained by higher U concentration in the surface-infiltration water used for the production of drinking water. During the summer season of 2013, heavy rains were observed in Lower Silesia region, causing floods over the territory of the entire region. Fluctuations in uranium concentrations in surface-infiltration water can be attributed to releases of uranium from specific sources - migration from phosphate fertilizers and leaching from mineral deposits. Thus, exposure to uranium through drinking water may increase during extreme rainfall events. The average chronic weekly intakes of uranium through drinking water, estimated on the basis of central values of the extracted normal distributions, accounted for 3.2% and 4.1% of tolerable weekly intake. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization for capillary barriers effects in a sand box test using time-lapsed GPR measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, S.; Ishii, N.; Morii, T.

2017-12-01

Capillary barriers have been known as the method to protect subsurface regions against infiltration from soil surface. It is caused by essentially heterogeneous structure in permeability or soil physical property and produce non-uniform infiltration process then, in order to estimate the actual situation of the capillary barrier effect, the site-characterization with imaging technique like geophysical prospecting is effective. In this study, we examine the applicability of GPR to characterization for capillary barriers. We built a sand box with 90x340x90cm in which a thin high-permeable gravel layer was embedded as a capillary barrier. We conducted an infiltration test in the sand box using porous tube array for irrigation. It is expected to lead to non-uniform flow of soil water induced by capillary barrier effects. We monitored this process by various types of GPR measurements, including time-lapsed common offset profiling (COP) with multi- frequency antenna and transmission measurements like cross-borehole radar. At first, we conducted GPR common-offset survey. It could show the depth of capillary barrier in sand box. After that we conducted the infiltration test and GPR monitoring for infiltration process. GPR profiles can detect the wetting front and estimate water content change in the soil layer above the capillary barrier. From spatial change in these results we can estimate the effect of capillary barrier and the zone where the break through occur or not. Based on these results, we will discuss the applicability of GPR for monitoring the phenomena around the capillary barrier of soil. At first, we conducted GPR common-offset survey. It could show the depth of capillary barrier in sand box. After that we conducted the infiltration test and GPR monitoring for infiltration process. GPR profiles can detect the wetting front and estimate water content change in the soil layer above the capillary barrier. From spatial change in these results we can estimate the effect of capillary barrier and the zone where the break through occur. Based on these results, we will discuss the applicability of GPR for monitoring the phenomena around the capillary barrier of soil.

Impacts of biofuel expansion on soil quality and carbon dynamics in a central Iowa watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop residues (plant litter) on the soil surface helps decrease soil erosion, increase water infiltration, increase soil organic matter, and improve soil quality. Thus, management of crop residues is an integral part of most conservation tillage systems. Crop residue cover is used to classify soil t...

Impact of pilling and long-term topsoil storage on the potential soil microbial activity in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cryptobiotic soil crusts in arid regions contribute to ecosystem stability through increased water infiltration, soil aggregate stability, and nutrient cycling between the soil community and vascular plants. Natural gas mining involves removal of the topsoil, including surface crust, and storage of ...

The Hydrologic Implications Of Unique Urban Soil Horizon Sequencing On The Functions Of Passive Green Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuster, W.; Schifman, L. A.; Herrmann, D.

2017-12-01

Green infrastructure represents a broad set of site- to landscape-scale practices that can be flexibly implemented to increase sewershed retention capacity, and can thereby improve on the management of water quantity and quality. Although much green infrastructure presents as formal engineered designs, urbanized landscapes with highly-interspersed pervious surfaces (e.g., right-of-way, parks, lawns, vacant land) may offer ecosystem services as passive, infiltrative green infrastructure. Yet, infiltration and drainage processes are regulated by soil surface conditions, and then the layering of subsoil horizons, respectively. Drawing on a unique urban soil taxonomic and hydrologic dataset collected in 12 cities (each city representing a major soil order), we determined how urbanization processes altered the sequence of soil horizons (compared to pre-urbanized reference soil pedons) and modeled the hydrologic implications of these shifts in layering with an unsaturated zone code (HYDRUS2D). We found that the different layering sequences in urbanized soils render different types and extents of supporting (plant-available soil water), provisioning (productive vegetation), and regulating (runoff mitigation) ecosystem services.

Measurement of surface water runoff from plots of two different sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joel, Abraham; Messing, Ingmar; Seguel, Oscar; Casanova, Manuel

2002-05-01

Intensities and amounts of water infiltration and runoff on sloping land are governed by the rainfall pattern and soil hydraulic conductivity, as well as by the microtopography and soil surface conditions. These components are closely interrelated and occur simultaneously, and their particular contribution may change during a rainfall event, or their effects may vary at different field scales. The scale effect on the process of infiltration/runoff was studied under natural field and rainfall conditions for two plot sizes: small plots of 0·25 m2 and large plots of 50 m2. The measurements were carried out in the central region of Chile in a piedmont most recently used as natural pastureland. Three blocks, each having one large plot and five small plots, were established. Cumulative rainfall and runoff quantities were sampled every 5 min. Significant variations in runoff responses to rainfall rates were found for the two plot sizes. On average, large plots yielded only 40% of runoff quantities produced on small plots per unit area. This difference between plot sizes was observed even during periods of continuous runoff.

Two and three-dimensional quantitative neutron imaging of the water distribution during ponded infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacha, Jan; Snehota, Michal; Jelinkova, Vladimira

2016-04-01

Information on spatial and temporal water and air distribution in a soil sample during hydrological processes is important for evaluating current and developing new water transport models. Modern imaging techniques such as neutron imaging (NI) allow relatively short acquisition times and high resolution of images. At the same time, the appropriate data processing has to be applied to obtain results free of bias and artifacts. In this study a ponded infiltration experiments were conducted on two soil samples packed into the quartz glass columns of inner diameter of 29 and 34 mm, respectively. First sample was prepared by packing of fine and coarse fractions of sand and the second sample was packed using coarse sand and disks of fine porous ceramic. Ponded infiltration experiments conducted on both samples were monitored by neutron radiography to produce two dimensional (2D) projection images during the transient phase of infiltration. During the steady state flow stage of experiments neutron tomography was utilized to obtain three-dimensional (3D) information on gradual water redistribution. The acquired radiographic images were normalized for background noise and spatial inhomogeneity of the detector, fluctuations of the neutron flux in time and for spatial inhomogeneity of the neutron beam. The radiograms of dry sample were subtracted from all subsequent radiograms to determine water thickness in the 2D projection images. All projections were corrected for beam hardening and neutron scattering by empirical method of Kang et al. (2013). Parameters of the correction method uses were identified by two different approaches. The first approach was based on fitting the NI derived water thickness representing the water filled region in the layer of water above the sample surface to actual water thickness. In the second approach the NI derived volume of water in the entire sample in given time was fitted to corresponding gravimetrically determined amount of water in the sample. Tomography images were reconstructed from the both corrected and uncorrected water thickness maps to obtain the 3D spatial distribution of water content within the sample. Without the correction the beam hardening and scattering effects overestimated the water content values close to the sample perimeter and underestimated the values close to the center of the sample, however the total water content of whole sample was the same in both cases.

Greenland ice-sheet contribution to sea-level rise buffered by meltwater storage in firn.

PubMed

Harper, J; Humphrey, N; Pfeffer, W T; Brown, J; Fettweis, X

2012-11-08

Surface melt on the Greenland ice sheet has shown increasing trends in areal extent and duration since the beginning of the satellite era. Records for melt were broken in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012. Much of the increased surface melt is occurring in the percolation zone, a region of the accumulation area that is perennially covered by snow and firn (partly compacted snow). The fate of melt water in the percolation zone is poorly constrained: some may travel away from its point of origin and eventually influence the ice sheet's flow dynamics and mass balance and the global sea level, whereas some may simply infiltrate into cold snow or firn and refreeze with none of these effects. Here we quantify the existing water storage capacity of the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet and show the potential for hundreds of gigatonnes of meltwater storage. We collected in situ observations of firn structure and meltwater retention along a roughly 85-kilometre-long transect of the melting accumulation area. Our data show that repeated infiltration events in which melt water penetrates deeply (more than 10 metres) eventually fill all pore space with water. As future surface melt intensifies under Arctic warming, a fraction of melt water that would otherwise contribute to sea-level rise will fill existing pore space of the percolation zone. We estimate the lower and upper bounds of this storage sink to be 322 ± 44 gigatonnes and  1,289(+388)(-252) gigatonnes, respectively. Furthermore, we find that decades are required to fill this pore space under a range of plausible future climate conditions. Hence, routing of surface melt water into filling the pore space of the firn column will delay expansion of the area contributing to sea-level rise, although once the pore space is filled it cannot quickly be regenerated.

Delineation of areas contributing recharge to selected public-supply wells in Glacial Valley-Fill and Wetland Settings, Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friesz, Paul J.

2004-01-01

Areas contributing recharge and sources of water to one proposed and seven present public-supply wells, screened in sand and gravel deposits and clustered in three study areas, were determined on the basis of calibrated, steady-state ground-water-flow models representing average hydrologic conditions. The area contributing recharge to a well is defined as the surface area where water recharges the ground water and then flows toward and discharges to the well. In Cumberland and Lincoln, public-supply well fields on opposite sides of the Blackstone River are in a narrow valley bordered by steep hillslopes. Ground-water-level and river-stage measurements indicated that river water was infiltrating the aquifer and flowing toward the wells during pumping conditions. Simulated areas contributing recharge to the Cumberland well field operating alone for both average (324 gallons per minute) and maximum (1,000 gallons per minute) pumping rates extend on both sides of the river to the lateral model boundaries, which is the contact between the valley and uplands. The area contributing recharge at the average pumping rate is about 0.05 square mile and the well field derives 72 percent of pumped water from upland runoff. At the maximum pumping rate, the area contributing recharge extends farther up and down the valley to 0.12 square mile and the primary source of water to the well field was infiltrated river water (53 percent). Upland areas draining toward the areas contributing recharge encompass 0.58 and 0.66 square mile for the average and maximum rates, respectively. By incorporating the backup Lincoln well-field withdrawals (2,083 gallons per minute) into the model, the area contributing recharge to the Cumberland well field operating at its maximum rate is reduced to 0.08 square mile; part of the simulated area which contributes recharge to the Cumberland well field when it is operating alone contributes instead to the Lincoln well field when both well fields are pumped. The Cumberland well field compensates by increasing the percentage of water it withdraws from the river by 11 percent. The upland area draining toward the Cumberland contributing area is 0.55 square mile. The area contributing recharge to the Lincoln well field is 0.08 square mile and infiltrated river water contributes 88 percent of the total water; the upland area draining toward the contributing area is 0.34 square mile. In North Smithfield, a public-supply well in a valley-fill setting is close to Trout Brook Pond, which is an extension of the Lower Slatersville Reservoir. A comparison of water levels from the pond and underlying sediments indicates that water is not infiltrated from Trout Brook Pond when the supply well is pumped at its maximum rate of 200 gallons per minute. Simulated areas contributing recharge for the maximum pumping rate and for the estimated maximum yield, 500 gallons per minute, of a proposed replacement well extend to the ground-water divides on both sides of Trout Brook Pond. For the 200 gallons-per-minute rate, the area contributing recharge is 0.23 square mile; the well derives almost all of its water from intercepted ground water that normally discharges to surface-water bodies. For the pumping rate of 500 gallons per minute, the area contributing recharge is 0.45 square mile. The increased pumping rate is balanced by additional intercepted ground water and by inducing 25 percent of the total withdrawn water from surface water. In Westerly, one public-supply well is in a watershed where the primarily hydrologic feature is a wetland. Water levels in piezometers surrounding the well site indicated a downward vertical gradient and the potential for water in the wetland to infiltrate the underlying aquifer. The simulated area contributing recharge for the average pumping rate (240 gallons per minute) and for the maximum pumping rate (700 gallons per minute) extends to the surrounding uplands (surficial materials not covered by t

Ground-water hydrology and glacial geology of the Kalamazoo area, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deutsch, Morris; Vanlier, K.E.; Giroux, P.R.

1960-01-01

The Kalamazoo report area includes about 150 square miles of Kalamazoo County, Mich. The area is principally one of industry and commerce, although agriculture also is of considerable importance. It has a moderate and humid climate and lies within the Lake Michigan “snow belt”. Precipitation averages about 35 inches per year. Snowfall averages about 55 inches. The surface features of the area were formed during and since the glacial epoch and are classified as outwash plain, morainal highlands, and glaciated channels or drainageways. The area is formed largely on the remnants of an extensive outwash plain, which is breached by the Kalamazoo River in the northeastern part and is dissected elsewhere by several small tributaries to the river. Most of the land drained by these tributaries lies within the report area. A small portion of the southern part drains to the St. Joseph River. The Coldwater shale, which underlies the glacial deposits throughout the area, and the deeper bedrock formations are not tapped for water by wells and they have little or no potential for future development. Deposits of glacial drift, which are the source of water to all the wells in the area, have considerable potential for future development. These deposits range in thickness from about 40 feet along the Kalamazoo River to 350 feet where valleys were eroded in the bedrock surface. Permeable outwash and channel deposits are the sources of water for wells of large capacity. The moraines are formed dominantly by till of lower permeability which generally yields small supplies of water, but included sand and gravel beds of higher permeability yield larger supplies locally. The aquifers of the Kalamazoo area are recharged by infiltration of rainfall and snowmelt and by infiltration of surface waters induced by pumping of wells near the surface sources. Water pumped from most of the municipal well fields is replenished in part by such induced infiltration. Many of the industrial wells along the Kalamazoo River and Portage Creek are recharged in part from these streams. Locally, however, recharge from the streams is impeded, as their bottoms have become partly sealed by silt and solid waste matter. Water levels fluctuate with seasonal and annual changes in precipitation and in response to pumping. Pumpage by the city of Kalamazoo increased from about 300 million gallons in 1880 to 4.6 billion gallons in 1957. Despite the fact that billions of gallons are pumped annually from well fields in the Axtell Creek area, water levels in this vicinity have declined only a few feet, as the discharge from the fields is approximately compensated by recharge from precipitation and surface water. Pumpage of ground water by industry in 1948 was estimated at about 14 billion gallons, but the use of ground water for industrial purposes has since declined. Aquifer tests indicate that the coefficient of transmissibility of aquifers in the area ranges from as little as 18,000 to as high as 300,000 gpd (gallons per day) per foot, and that ground water occurs under watertable and artesian conditions. The ground water is of the calcium magnesium bicarbonate type. It is generally hard to very hard and commonly contains objectionable amounts of iron. Locally, the water contains appreciable amounts of sulfate. Study of the chemical analyses of waters from the area show that all of the tributaries to the Kalamazoo River are fed primarily by ground-water discharge.

The influence of compost addition on the water repellency of brownfield soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whelan, Amii; Kechavarzi, Cedric; Sakrabani, Ruben; Coulon, Frederic; Simmons, Robert; Wu, Guozhong

2010-05-01

Compost application to brownfield sites, which can facilitate the stabilisation and remediation of contaminants whilst providing adequate conditions for plant growth, is seen as an opportunity to divert biodegradable wastes from landfill and put degraded land back into productive use. However, although compost application is thought to improve soil hydraulic functioning, there is a lack of information on the impact of large amounts of compost on soil water repellency. Water repellency in soils is attributed to the accumulation of hydrophobic organic compounds released as root exudates, fungal and microbial by-products and decomposition of organic matter. It has also been shown that brownfield soils contaminated with petroleum-derived organic contaminants can exhibit strong water repellency, preventing the rapid infiltration of water and leading potentially to surface run off and erosion of contaminated soil. However, hydrophobic organic contaminants are known to become sequestrated by partitioning into organic matter or diffusing into nano- and micropores, making them less available over time (ageing). The effect of large amounts of organic matter addition through compost application on the water repellency of soils contaminated with petroleum-derived organic contaminants requires further investigation. We characterised the influence of compost addition on water repellency in the laboratory by measuring the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT), sorptivity and water repellency index through infiltration experiments on soil samples amended with two composts made with contrasting feedstocks (green waste and predominantly meat waste). The treatments consisted of a sandy loam, a clay loam and a sandy loam contaminated with diesel fuel and aged for 3 years, which were amended with the two composts at a rate equivalent to 750t/ha. In addition core samples collected from a brownfield site, amended with compost at three different rates (250, 500 and 750t/ha) in 2007, were also tested. The results show that the water repellency of air dried samples is significantly higher in samples amended with composts and increases with increasing organic matter content. The WDPT suggests that compost, when dry, is hydrophobic. Diesel contamination leads to a decrease in sorptivity compared to uncontaminated controls and wettability is not re-established following the addition of compost. Finally, the increase in compost volume (i.e. application rate) in the field samples leads to an increase in water repellency. The infiltration tests, carried out using a miniature tension infiltrometer, also illustrate different effects of hydrophobicity on infiltration, with some samples demonstrating reduced infiltration and low sorptivity but others showing no infiltration at all until the breakdown of repellency at later times. This investigation is currently being complemented by a study of the influence of hydrophobic organic contaminant sequestration with time (i.e. ageing), estimated by measuring the changes in the available fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on the water repellency of compost amended brownfield soils.

The removal of microorganisms and organic micropollutants from wastewater during infiltration to aquifers after irrigation of farmland in the Tula Valley, Mexico.

PubMed

Chávez, Alma; Maya, Catalina; Gibson, Richard; Jiménez, Blanca

2011-05-01

The Tula Valley receives untreated wastewater from Mexico City for agricultural irrigation, half of which infiltrates to aquifers from where drinking water is extracted. Samples of wastewater and infiltrated water from three areas of the valley were analyzed for microorganisms, organic micropollutants, and some basic parameters. Concentrations of microorganisms in the infiltrated water were generally very low but the incidence of fecal coliforms (present in 68% of samples), somatic bacteriophages (36%), Giardia spp. (14%), and helminth eggs (8%) suggested a health risk. Organic micropollutants, often present at high concentrations in the wastewater, were generally absent from the infiltrated water except carbamazepine which was in 55% of samples (up to 193 ng/L). There was no correlation between carbamazepine concentrations and the presence of microorganisms but highest concentrations of carbamazepine and boron coincided. A treatment such as nanofiltration would be necessary for the infiltrated water to be a safe potable supply. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-isothermal infiltration and tracer transport experiments on large soil columns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobotkova, Martina; Snehota, Michal; Cejkova, Eva; Tesar, Miroslav

2016-04-01

Isothermal and non-isothermal infiltration experiments were carried out in the laboratory on large undisturbed soil columns (19 cm in diameter, 25 cm high) taken at the experimental catchments Roklan (Sumava Mountains, Czech Republic) and Uhlirska (Jizera Mountains, Czech republic). The aim of the study was twofold. The first goal was to obtain water flow and heat transport data for indirect parameter estimation of thermal and hydraulic properties of soils from two sites by inverse modelling. The second aim was to investigate the extent of impact of the temperature on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and dispersity of solute transport. The temperature of infiltrating water in isothermal experiment (20 °C) was equal to the initial temperature of the sample. For non-isothermal experiment water temperature was 5°C, while the initial temperature of the sample was 20°C as in previous case. The experiment was started by flooding the sample surface. Then water level was maintained at constant level throughout the infiltration run using the optical sensor and peristaltic pump. Concentration pulse of deuterium was applied at the top of the soil sample, during the steady state flow. Initial pressure head in the sample was close to field capacity. Two tensiometers and two temperature sensors were inserted in the soil sample in two depths (9 and 15 cm below the top of the sample). Two additional temperature sensors monitored the temperature entering and leaving the samples. Water drained freely through the perforated plate at the bottom of sample by gravity. Inflow and outflow water flux densities, water pressure heads and soil temperatures were monitored continuously during experiments. Effluent was sampled in regular time intervals and samples were analysed for deuterium concentrations by laser spectroscopy to develop breakthrough curves. The outcome of experiments are the series of measured water fluxes, pressure heads and temperatures ready for inverse modelling by dual permeability. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil columns was higher in the case of higher temperature of flowing water. The change was however not proportional to Ksat change induced by temperature change of viscosity only.

Pharmaceuticals in a temperate forest-water reuse system.

PubMed

McEachran, Andrew D; Shea, Damian; Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie

2017-03-01

Forest-water reuse systems infiltrate municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters through forest soils to shallow aquifers that ultimately discharge to surface waters. Their ability to mitigate regulated nutrients, metals, and organic chemicals is well known, but the fate of non-regulated chemicals in these systems is largely unstudied. This study quantified 33 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in soils, groundwaters, and surface waters in a 2000-hectare forest that receives ~1200mm/year of secondary-treated, municipal wastewater in addition to natural rainfall (~1300mm/year). This forest-water reuse system does contribute PPCPs to soils, groundwater, and surface waters. PPCPs were more abundant in soils versus underlying groundwater by an order of magnitude (5-10ng/g summed PPCPs in soil and 50-100ng/L in groundwater) and the more hydrophobic chemicals were predominant in soil over water. PPCP concentrations in surface waters were greater at the onset of significant storm events and during low-rainfall periods when total summed PPCPs were >80ng/L, higher than the annual average. With few exceptions, the margins of exposure for PPCPs in groundwater and surface waters were several orders of magnitude above values indicative of human health risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil water infiltration affected by biofuel and grain crop production systems in claypan landscape

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effect of soil management systems on water infiltration is very crucial within claypan landscapes to maximize production as well as minimize environmental risks. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of topsoil thickness on water infiltration in claypan soils for grain and biofuel...

Ground water pollution by roof runoff infiltration evidenced with multi-tracer experiments.

PubMed

Ammann, Adrian A; Hoehn, Eduard; Koch, Sabine

2003-03-01

The infiltration of urban roof runoff into well permeable subsurface material may have adverse effects on the ground water quality and endanger drinking water resources. Precipitation water from three different roofs of an industrial complex was channelled to a pit and infiltrated into a perialpine glaciofluvial gravel-and-sand aquifer. A shaft was constructed at the bottom of the pit and equipped with an array of TDR probes, lysimeters and suction cups that allowed measuring and sampling soil water at different depths. A fast infiltration flow was observed during natural rainfall events and during artificial infiltration experiments. For a better understanding of the behaviour of contaminants, experiments were conducted with cocktails of compounds of different reactivity (ammonium, strontium, atratone) and of non-reactive tracers (uranine, bromide, naphthionate), which represent different classes of pollutants. The experiment identified cation exchange reactions influencing the composition of the infiltrating water. These processes occurred under preferential flow conditions in macropores of the material. Measuring concentration changes under the controlled inflow of tracer experiments, the pollution potential was found to be high. Non-reactive tracers exhibited fast breakthrough and little sorption.

Effect of the method of estimation of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity with regards to the design of stormwater infiltration trenches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paiva coutinho, Artur; Predelus, Dieuseul; Lassabatere, Laurent; Ben Slimene, Erij; Celso Dantas Antonino, Antonio; Winiarski, Thierry; Joaquim da Silva Pereira Cabral, Jaime; Angulo-Jaramillo, Rafael

2014-05-01

Best management practices are based on the infiltration of stormwater (e.g. infiltration into basins or trenches) to reduce the risk of flooding of urban areas. Proper estimations of saturated hydraulic conductivity of the vadose zone are required to avoid inappropriate design of infiltration devices. This article aims at assessing (i) the method-dependency of the estimation of soils saturated hydraulic conductivity and (ii) the consequences of such dependency on the design of infiltration trenches. This is illustrated for the specific case of an infiltration trench to be constructed to receive stormwater from a specific parking surface, 250 m2 in area, in Recife (Brazil). Water infiltration experiments were conducted according to the Beerkan Method, i.e. application of a zero water pressure head through a disc source (D=15 cm) and measures of the amount of infiltrated water with time. Saturated hydraulic conductivity estimates are derived from the analysis of these infiltration tests using several different conceptual approaches: one-dimensional models of Horton(1933) and Philip(1957), three-dimensional methods recently developed (Lassabatere et al., 2006, Wu et al., 1999, and Bagarello et al., 2013) and direct 3-dimensional numerical inversion. The estimations for saturated hydraulic conductivity ranged between 65.5 mm/h and 94 mm/h for one-dimensional methods, whereas using three-dimensional methods saturated hydraulic conductivity ranged between 15.6 mm/h and 50 mm/h. These results shows the need for accounting for 3D geometry, and more generally, the physics of water infiltration in soils, if a proper characterization of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity is targeted. In a second step, each estimate of the saturated hydraulic conductivity was used to calculate the stormwater to be stored in the studied trench for several rainfall events of recurrence intervals of 2 to 25 years. The calculation of these volumes showed a great sensitivity with regards to the estimated values of saturated hydraulic conductivity. The designed volumes of the trench vary from 8.3 m3 to 15.9 m3 for one-dimensional methods and 11.9 m3 to 24.5 m3 for three-dimensional methods, respectively. The results show that any miss-estimation of the saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils may drastically impact the design of infiltration devices and the related extra-costs. Bagarello, B.; Castellini, M.; Di Prima,S.;Giordano ,G.; Iovino, M. (2013). Testing a simplified approach to determine field saturated soil hydraulic conductivity. Procedia Environmental Sciences 19 ( 2013 ) 599 - 608 Horton, R. (1933). The role of infiltration in the hydrologic cycle. American Geophysical Union Transactions 14, 446-460. Lassabatère, L.; Angulo-Jaramillo, R.; Soria, J.M.; Cuenca, R.; Braud, I.; Haverkamp, R.(2006). Beerkan estimation of soil transfer parameters through infiltration experiments - BEST. Soil Science Society of American Journal, Madison, v.70, p.521-532, 2006. Philip, J.R. (1957). The theory of Infiltration: 5. The Influence of the Initial Moisture Content. Soil Science, v.4, n.84, p.329-339, 1957. Wu, L.; Pan, L.; Mitchell, J.; Sanden, B. (1999). Measuring satured hydraulic conductivity using a generalized solution for single-ringle infiltrometers. Soil Sci.Soc.Am.J.63, 788-792

Infiltration pattern in a regolith-fractured bedrock profile: field observation of a dye stain pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jae Gon; Lee, Gyoo Ho; Lee, Jin-Soo; Chon, Chul-Min; Kim, Tack Hyun; Ha, Kyoochul

2006-02-01

We examined the infiltration pattern of water in a regolith-bedrock profile consisting of two overburdens (OB1 and OB2), a buried rice paddy soil (PS), two texturally distinctive weathered materials (WM1 and WM2) and a fractured sedimentary rock (BR), using a Brilliant Blue FCF dye tracer. A black-coloured coating in conducting fractures in WM1, WM2 and BR was analysed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The dye tracer penetrated to greater than 2 m depth in the profile. The macropore flow and saturated interflow were the major infiltration patterns in the profile. Macropore flow and saturated interflow were observed along fractures in WM1, WM2 and BR and at the dipping interfaces of PS-WM1, PS-WM2 and PS-BR respectively. Heterogeneous matrix flow occurred in upper overburden (OB1) and PS. Compared with OB1, the coarser textured OB2 acted as a physical barrier for vertical flow of water. The PS with low bulk density and many fine roots was another major conducting route of water in the profile. Manganese oxide and iron oxide were positively identified in the black coating material and had low crystallinity and high surface area, indicating their high reactivity with conducting contaminants.

Construction and performance of a long-term earthen liner experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cartwright, Keros; Krapac, Ivan G.; Bonaparte, Rudolph

1990-01-01

In land burial schemes, compacted soil barriers with low hydraulic conductivity are commonly used in cover and liner systems to control the movement of liquids and prevent groundwater contamination. An experimental liner measuring 8 x 15 x 0.9 m was constructed with design criteria and equipment to simulate construction of soil liners built at waste disposal facilities. The surface of the liner was flooded with a 29.5 cm deep pond on April 12, 1988. Infiltration of water into the liner has been monitored for two years using 4 large-ring (1.5 m OD) and 32 small-ring (0.28 m OD) infiltrometers, and a water-balance that accounts for total infiltration and evaporation. Average long-term infiltration fluxes based on two years of monitoring are 5.8 x 10-9 cm/s, 6.0 x 10-8 cm/s and 5.6 x 10-8 for the large-ring, small-ring, and water-balance data, respectively. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of the liner based on small-ring data, estimated using Darcy's Law and the Green-Ampt Approximation, is 3 x 10-8 and 4 x 10-8 cm/s, respectively. All sets of data indicate that the liner's performance exceed that which is required by the U.S. EPA.

New procedure for sampling infiltration to assess post-fire soil water repellency

Treesearch

P. R. Robichaud; S. A. Lewis; L. E. Ashmun

2008-01-01

The Mini-disk Infiltrometer has been adapted for use as a field test of post-fire infiltration and soil water repellency. Although the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test is the common field test for soil water repellency, the Mini-disk Infiltrometer (MDI) test takes less time, is less subjective, and provides a relative infiltration rate. For each test, the porous...

Hydrogeology and water quality of at the management systems evaluation area near Piketon, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jagucki, M.L.; Finton, C.D.; Springer, A.E.; Bair, E.S.

1995-01-01

This report presents the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, The Ohio State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to describe the hydrology, water quality, and geochemical factors controlling water quality at the Ohio Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA). The Ohio MSEA is located on a 650-acre farm in the Scioto River Valley in Pike County, south-central Ohio. The farm is underlain by an incised bedrock valley filled with about 70 feet of sand and gravel outwash deposits that are covered by a veneer of silty clay alluvium and silty loam and sandy loam soils. Outwash sediment are composed predominantly of dolomite, quartz, and calcite, and have a median organic carbon concentration of 0.39 weight percent. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the sediment based on results of multiple-well aquifer tests ranges from 400 to 560 feet per day. Ground-water flow is from east to west-southwest at an average velocity of 1.5 to 2.5 feet per day. Ground water and surface water at the site are highly interconnected. Big Beaver Creek recharges the outwash aquifer along the eastern edge of the study area, and ground water discharges to the Scioto River at the western edge of the study area. High-stage events on the Scioto River cause frequent flow reversals in the aquifer that allow streamwater to travel a maximum observed distance of 190 feet inland. A zone of oxidizing waters (characterized by high dissolved oxygen concentration and Eh) is found in shallow ground water for several hundred feet adjacent to Big Beaver Creek and the Scioto River. This zone of oxidizing ground water is caused by the periodic inflow of surface waters to the aquifer. A ground-water budget for the study area indicates that the aquifer received 17.7 inches of recharge during water year 1992; of this amount, 72 percent originated as infiltrating precipitation, 28 percent as infiltration of surface water from Big Beaver Creek, and 0.2 percent as leakage from bedrock. Areal variation in water quality is caused by areal differences in the relative importance of these three recharge sources. The effects of bedrock leakage are evident only in the northeast corner of the study area. Here, deep outwash waters are transitional in composition between the calcium magnesium bicarbonate waters found elsewhere in the outwash aquifer and the calcium sodium chloride waters of the bedrock aquifer. Mixing calculations indicate that these deep outwash waters are composed of as much as 26 percent bedrock water. In the southern part of the MSEA, ground water is diluted by surface water from Big Beaver Creek as it recharges the aquifer through a sand and gravel streambed. At the northeast corner of the MSEA, however, Big Beaver Creek flows across a shale streambed through which no infiltration occurs. Redox reactions in the outwash aquifer control variations in aquifer chemistry with depth. From the water table to about 40 feet below land surface, oxidizing conditions are characterized by the presence of dissolved oxygen and nitrates in ground water, Eh greater than 200 millivolts, ferrihydrite coatings on sediment grains, and the absence of dissolved iron and manganese. From about 40 feet below land surface to the base of the aquifer, reducing conditions are characterized by dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 2 mg/L, Eh less than 200 millivolts, and the presence of dissolved iron and manganese. Denitrification in the reducing zone naturally remediates anthropogenic nitrate contamination of the aquifer while oxidizing pyrite in the aquifer sediment. ? The Ohio State University, Department of Geological Sciences, Columbus, Ohio.

Investigating controls on denitrification rates during managed aquifer recharge: Field studies of infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beganskas, S.; Gorski, G.; Fisher, A. T.; Weir, W. B.; Schmidt, C. M.; Saltikov, C.; Stoneburner, B.; Hernandez, J.; Harmon, R. E.; Weathers, T. S.

2016-12-01

We have designed field experiments to observe and quantify water quality improvement during infiltration in the shallow subsurface, as part of managed aquifer recharge (MAR). We are exploring how microbial diversity and denitrification rate respond to different infiltration rates and the presence or absence of carbon-rich reactive materials (woodchips or biochar). In 2015, we conducted a series of two-week-long field infiltration tests, and in 2016 we are running tests at a new site. For each test, nitrate-rich water (20-25 ppm NO3-N) was continuously applied to 1-m square plots instrumented to measure infiltration rates and sample subsurface water at multiple depths. Soil samples were collected before and after each test to assess microbial diversity. In 2015, we observed infiltration rates of 4-18 m/d, consistent with very sandy soils at our field site. All water samples had >20 ppm DOC, indicating that denitrification was unlikely carbon-limited. There was a net increase in DOC in fluids sampled below woodchips, but no change in DOC in samples from un-amended native soil. Up to 20% of NO3- was removed below woodchips on days with infiltration rates below 15 m/d. Nitrate removal was not observed in native soil, even though infiltration rates were considerably lower, 4 m/d. Isotopic analyses indicate that denitrification is likely the mechanism for nitrate removal. Genomic sequencing of soil microbes shows that microbial populations' relative abundance shifted significantly due to infiltration; further analyses are underway. Our results suggest that rapid infiltration can lead to oxic conditions unfavorable for denitrification, and that a carbon-rich reactive material (woodchips) may stimulate microbially-mediated denitrification. Our experimental design is a novel way to examine factors that impact water quality during infiltration. Nitrate, a pervasive groundwater contaminant, can be removed via denitrification during MAR under some conditions, depending on infiltration rate, available carbon, and substrate material. Our work has applications for designing MAR systems that effectively improve water supply and water quality.

[Effects of rainfall intensity on rainfall infiltration and redistribution in soil on Loess slope land].

PubMed

Li, Yi; Shao, Ming'an

2006-12-01

With simulation test, this paper studied the patterns of rainfall infiltration and redistribution in soil on typical Loess slope land, and analyzed the quantitative relations between the infiltration and redistribution and the movement of soil water and mass, with rainfall intensity as the main affecting factor. The results showed that rainfall intensity had significant effects on the rainfall infiltration and water redistribution in soil, and the microcosmic movement of soil water. The larger the rainfall intensity, the deeper the wetting front of rainfall infiltration and redistribution was, and the wetting front of soil water redistribution had a slower increase velocity than that of rainfall infiltration. The power function of the wetting front with time, and also with rainfall intensity, was fitted well. There was also a quantitative relation between the wetting front of rainfall redistribution and the duration of rainfall. The larger the rainfall intensity, the higher the initial and steady infiltration rates were, and the cumulative infiltration increased faster with time. Moreover, the larger the rainfall intensity, the smaller the wetting front difference was at the top and the end of the slope. With the larger rainfall intensity, both the difference of soil water content and its descending trend between soil layers became more obvious during the redistribution process on slope land.

Column Experiments Investigating Wetting and Drying of Soil and Consumption of Organic Contaminants for Managed Aquifer Recharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silver, M.; Schueth, C.; Wefer-Roehl, A.; Kuebeck, C.

2014-12-01

The EU FP7 project MARSOL seeks to address water scarcity challenges in arid regions. Within this framework, we conduct a series of experiments to evaluate the potential for water quality improvement and changes in hydraulic conductivity when managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is performed by infiltrating treated wastewater in soils that do not have high potential for sorption. For example, in the Attica (Athens and vicinity) region of Greece, the bedrock is mostly marble, resulting in calcite-rich soils that present little potential for sorption of contaminants to mineral surfaces. This leaves consumption of organic contaminants by microbes as the critical mechanism for water quality improvement, when treated wastewater is infiltrated through such soils. In order to enhance the potential for contaminant consumption by aerobic bacteria in a way that would be realistic to later perform in an infiltration basin, we conduct experiments using a series of wetting and drying cycles. The experimental setup consists of 90-cm long soil columns, fitted with oxygen sensors, time-domain reflectometry sensors (to measure moisture content), sampling ports, oxidation-reduction probes, and head observation tubes. We use the data collected from these sensors and features of the experimental setup to answer the following questions: 1. Does hydraulic conductivity change, from formation of a biofilm or dissolution of calcite (or both)? 2. Are organic contaminants consumed? 3. What effect do wetting and drying cycles have on consumption of organic contaminants? 4. How long can infiltration of treated wastewater last, before oxygen is consumed and conditions become reducing? These questions are investigated by observing the hydraulic head and outflow, performing tracer tests, taking samples from the sampling ports and outflow for chemical analyses, and measuring moisture content and oxygen concentration, in the course of performing multiple wetting and drying cycles. These column experiments will be used to evaluate the potential for new MAR applications in areas facing water scarcity challenges. In the future the experiments will be expanded to test multiple soils and optimize both the soil type and infiltration patterns in order to best obtain water quality improvements through MAR.

Antecedent moisture content and soil texture effects on infiltration and erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamedov, A. I.; Huang, C.; Levy, G. J.

2006-12-01

Water infiltration, seal formation, runoff and erosion depend on the soil's inherent properties and surface conditions. Most erosion models consider only soil inherent properties (mainly texture) in assessing infiltration and erosion without consideration of spatial and temporary variation in the surface condition, particularly the antecedent moisture content. We studied the interaction of two different surface conditions, i.e. antecedent moisture content (AMC) and aging (timing after wetting) on infiltration (IR), seal formation (runoff generation) and erosion in four soils varying from loam to clay. Soil samples were packed in erosion box and wetted with different amounts of water (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 16 mm) to obtain a wide moisture range (i.e., pF 0-6.2, or from air dry to full saturation). The boxes were put in plastic bags and allowed to age for 0.01, 1, 3, or 7 days. Then the soil in the erosion box exposed to 60 mm of rain. At no aging final IR of soils did not change significantly, but runoff volume (a measure for seal development) and soil loss increased with an increase in AMC mainly because of aggregate breakdown. For any given aging, the highest IR and smallest runoff volume and soil loss were obtained at the intermediate AMC levels (pF 2.4-4.2, between wilting point and field capacity). For instance, in the clay soil to which 3 mm of water (pF~2.7) was added, as aging increased from one to seven days, final IR increased from 5.3 to 7.9 mm h-1, while runoff and soil loss decreased from 34 mm to 22 mm, and from 630 to 360 g m2 respectively. At this AMC range, increasing aging time resulted in up to 40% increase in IR and decrease in runoff or soil loss. This tendency significantly more pronounced for clay soils because water-filled pores in the clay fabric were considered active in the stabilization process and the development of cohesive bonds between and within particles during the aging period. The results of this study are important for soil erosion modeling. In order to improve the prediction capabilities of erosion models, temporal and spatial variation of soil moisture content (AMC, wetting and aging) prior to erosive rainstorms should be considered and or incorporated. In addition, management practices could be adapted to diminish the severe soil moisture variation, where ever possible, (minimum till or no-till with known residue) to maintain the soil surface at a desired AMC level prior to expected rainstorms in order to decrease soil susceptibility to seal formation, runoff and soil loss.

Water-Chemistry Evolution and Modeling of Radionuclide Sorption and Cation Exchange during Inundation of Frenchman Flat Playa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hershey, Ronald; Cablk, Mary; LeFebre, Karen

2013-08-01

Atmospheric tests and other experiments with nuclear materials were conducted on the Frenchman Flat playa at the Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada; residual radionuclides are known to exist in Frenchman Flat playa soils. Although the playa is typically dry, extended periods of winter precipitation or large single-event rainstorms can inundate the playa. When Frenchman Flat playa is inundated, residual radionuclides on the typically dry playa surface may become submerged, allowing water-soil interactions that could provide a mechanism for transport of radionuclides away from known areas of contamination. The potential for radionuclide transport by occasional inundation of the Frenchmanmore » Flat playa was examined using geographic information systems and satellite imagery to delineate the timing and areal extent of inundation; collecting water samples during inundation and analyzing them for chemical and isotopic content; characterizing suspended/precipitated materials and archived soil samples; modeling water-soil geochemical reactions; and modeling the mobility of select radionuclides under aqueous conditions. The physical transport of radionuclides by water was not evaluated in this study. Frenchman Flat playa was inundated with precipitation during two consecutive winters in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. Inundation allowed for collection of multiple water samples through time as the areal extent of inundation changed and ultimately receded. During these two winters, precipitation records from a weather station in Frenchman Flat (Well 5b) provided information that was used in combination with geographic information systems, Landsat imagery, and image processing techniques to identify and quantify the areal extent of inundation. After inundation, water on the playa disappeared quickly, for example, between January 25, 2011 and February 10, 2011, a period of 16 days, 92 percent of the areal extent of inundation receded (2,062,800 m2). Water sampling provided valuable information about chemical processes occurring during inundation as the water disappeared. Important observations from water-chemistry analyses included: 1) total dissolved solids (TDS) and chloride ion (Cl-) concentrations were very low (TDS: < 200 mg/L and Cl-: < 3.0 mg/L, respectively) for all water samples regardless of time or areal extent; 2) all dissolved constituents were at concentrations well below what might be expected for evaporating shallow surface waters on a playa, even when 98 to 99 percent of the water had disappeared; 3) the amount of evaporation for the last water samples collected at the end of inundation, estimated with the stable isotopic ratios δ2H or δ18O, was approximately 60 percent; and 4) water samples analyzed by gamma spectroscopy did not show any man-made radioactivity; however, the short scanning time (24 hours) and relative chemical diluteness of the water samples (TDS ranged between 39 and 190 mg/L) may have contributed to none being detected. Additionally, any low-energy beta emitting radionuclides would not have been detected by gamma spectroscopy. From these observations, it was apparent that a significant portion of water on the playa did not evaporate, but rather infiltrated into the subsurface (approximately 40 percent). Consistent with this water chemistry-based conclusion is particle-size analysis of two archived Frenchman Flat playa soils samples, which showed low clay content in the near surface soil that also suggested infiltration. Infiltration of water from the playa during inundation into the subsurface does not necessarily imply that groundwater recharge is occurring, but it does provide a mechanism for moving residual radionuclides downward into the subsurface of Frenchman Flat playa. Water-mineral geochemical reactions were modeled so that changes in the water chemistry could be identified and the extent of reactions quantified. Geochemical modeling showed that evaporation; equilibrium with atmospheric carbon dioxide and calcite; dissolution of sodium chloride, gypsum, and composite volcanic glass; and precipitation of composite clay and quartz represented changes in water as it disappeared from the playa. This modeling provided an understanding of the water-soil geochemical environment, which was then used to evaluate the potential mobility of residual radionuclides into the playa soils by water. Because there is no information on the chemical forms of anthropogenic radionuclides in Frenchman Flat playa soil, it was assumed that soil radionuclides go into solution when the playa is inundated. In mobility modeling, a select group of radionuclides were allowed to sorb onto, or exchange with, playa soil minerals to evaluate the likelihood that the radionuclides would be removed from water during playa inundation. Radionuclide mobility modeling suggested that there would be minimal sorption or exchange of several important radionuclides (uranium, cesium, and technetium) with playa minerals such that they may be mobile in water when the playa is inundated and could infiltrate into the subsurface. Mobility modeling also showed that plutonium may be much less mobile because of sorption onto calcite, but the amount of reactive surface area of playa soil calcite is highly uncertain. Plutonium is also known to sorb onto colloidal particles suspended in water, suspended colloidal particles will move with the water, providing a mechanism to redistribute plutonium when Frenchman Flat playa is inundated. Water chemistry, stable isotopes, and geochemical modeling showed that residual radionuclides in Frenchman Flat playa soils could be mobilized in water when the playa is inundated with precipitation. Also, there is potential for these radionuclides to infiltrate into the subsurface with water. As a result of the information obtained both during this study and the conclusions drawn from it, additional data collection, investigation, and modeling are recommended. Specifically: sampling the playa soil to search for evidence of surface-water infiltration and the presence of radionuclides; developing a preliminary unsaturated flow and transport model to guide soil sampling; characterizing the chemical forms of radionuclides on the playa surface and any radionuclides that might have migrated into the subsurface; and, refining the unsaturated flow and transport model with data obtained from sampling and analysis of soil samples to guide any future sampling, development of remediation strategies, and defining risk-based boundaries for Frenchman Flat playa.« less

A point-infiltration model for estimating runoff from rainfall on small basins in semiarid areas of Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rankl, James G.

1990-01-01

A physically based point-infiltration model was developed for computing infiltration of rainfall into soils and the resulting runoff from small basins in Wyoming. The user describes a 'design storm' in terms of average rainfall intensity and storm duration. Information required to compute runoff for the design storm by using the model include (1) soil type and description, and (2) two infiltration parameters and a surface-retention storage parameter. Parameter values are tabulated in the report. Rainfall and runoff data for three ephemeral-stream basins that contain only one type of soil were used to develop the model. Two assumptions were necessary: antecedent soil moisture is some long-term average, and storm rainfall is uniform in both time and space. The infiltration and surface-retention storage parameters were determined for the soil of each basin. Observed rainstorm and runoff data were used to develop a separation curve, or incipient-runoff curve, which distinguishes between runoff and nonrunoff rainfall data. The position of this curve defines the infiltration and surface-retention storage parameters. A procedure for applying the model to basins that contain more than one type of soil was developed using data from 7 of the 10 study basins. For these multiple-soil basins, the incipient-runoff curve defines the infiltration and retention-storage parameters for the soil having the highest runoff potential. Parameters were defined by ranking the soils according to their relative permeabilities and optimizing the position of the incipient-runoff curve by using measured runoff as a control for the fit. Analyses of runoff from multiple-soil basins indicate that the effective contributing area of runoff is less than the drainage area of the basin. In this study, the effective drainage area ranged from 41.6 to 71.1 percent of the total drainage area. Information on effective drainage area is useful in evaluating drainage area as an independent variable in statistical analyses of hydrologic data, such as annual peak frequency distributions and sediment yield.A comparison was made of the sum of the simulated runoff and the sum of the measured runoff for all available records of runoff-producing storms in the 10 study basins. The sums of the simulated runoff ranged from 12.0 percent less than to 23.4 percent more than the sums of the measured runoff. A measure of the standard error of estimate was computed for each data set. These values ranged from 20 to 70 percent of the mean value of the measured runoff. Rainfall-simulator infiltrometer tests were made in two small basins. The amount of water uptake measured by the test in Dugout Creek tributary basin averaged about three times greater than the amount of water uptake computed from rainfall and runoff data. Therefore, infiltrometer data were not used to determine infiltration rates for this study.

Spatiotemporal Responses of Groundwater Flow and Aquifer-River Exchanges to Flood Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xiuyu; Zhan, Hongbin; Schilling, Keith

2018-03-01

Rapidly rising river stages induced by flood events lead to considerable river water infiltration into aquifers and carry surface-borne solutes into hyporheic zones which are widely recognized as an important place for the biogeochemical activity. Existing studies for surface-groundwater exchanges induced by flood events usually limit to a river-aquifer cross section that is perpendicular to river channels, and neglect groundwater flow in parallel with river channels. In this study, surface-groundwater exchanges to a flood event are investigated with specific considerations of unconfined flow in direction that is in parallel with river channels. The groundwater flow is described by a two-dimensional Boussinesq equation and the flood event is described by a diffusive-type flood wave. Analytical solutions are derived and tested using the numerical solution. The results indicate that river water infiltrates into aquifers quickly during flood events, and mostly returns to the river within a short period of time after the flood event. However, the rest river water will stay in aquifers for a long period of time. The residual river water not only flows back to rivers but also flows to downstream aquifers. The one-dimensional model of neglecting flow in the direction parallel with river channels will overestimate heads and discharge in upstream aquifers. The return flow induced by the flood event has a power law form with time and has a significant impact on the base flow recession at early times. The solution can match the observed hydraulic heads in riparian zone wells of Iowa during flood events.

Stormwater Runoff and Water Quality Modeling in Urban Maryland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Forman, B. A.; Natarajan, P.; Davis, A.

2015-12-01

Urbanization significantly affects storm water runoff through the creation of new impervious surfaces such as highways, parking lots, and rooftops. Such changes can adversely impact the downstream receiving water bodies in terms of physical, chemical, and biological conditions. In order to mitigate the effects of urbanization on downstream water bodies, stormwater control measures (SCMs) have been widely used (e.g., infiltration basins, bioswales). A suite of observations from an infiltration basin installed adjacent to a highway in urban Maryland was used to evaluate stormwater runoff attenuation and pollutant removal rates at the well-instrumented SCM study site. In this study, the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to simulate the performance of the SCM. An automatic, split-sample calibration framework was developed to improve SWMM performance efficiency. The results indicate SWMM can accurately reproduce the hydraulic response of the SCM (in terms of reproducing measured inflow and outflow) during synoptic scale storm events lasting more than one day, but is less accurate during storm events lasting only a few hours. Similar results were found for a suite of modeled (and observed) water quality constituents, including suspended sediment, metals, N, P, and chloride.

Seasonal changes of the infiltration rates in urban parks of Valencia City, Eastern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerdà, Artemi; Keesstra, Saskia; Burguet, María; Pereira, Paulo; Esteban Lucas-Borja, Manuel; Martinez-Murillo, Juan F.

2016-04-01

Infiltration is a key process of the hydrological cycle. Infiltration also controls the soil water resources, and the development of the vegetation, and moreover, in the Mediterranean, determines the runoff generation (Cerdà, 1996; 1997; 2001). In the Mediterranean, the infiltration in forest soils shows high spatial variability and seasonal and temporal changes (Cerdà, 1999; Bodí and Cerdà, 2009) and is being affected by forest fires (Cerdà, 1998), which introduce a new temporal change in the seasonality of the infiltration rates. Although the forest soils are well assessed, there is no information about the infiltration in urban areas in Mediterranean cities. The Mediterranean dense urban systems use to be treated as impermeable areas. However, the cities show areas covered by vegetation and with soils that allow the rainfall to infiltrate. Those areas are mainly the parks. In order to shed some light on the infiltration capacity of the soils of the urban area of Valencia city 30 rainfall simulations experiments (Cerdà, 1996) and 90 ring infiltrometer (10 cm diameter) measurements were carried out in January 2011, and they were repeated in July 2011, to compare wet (19.4 % of soil moisture) and dry (5.98 % of soil moisture) soils. The infiltration curves where fitted to the Horton (1933) equation and they lasted for 1 hour. The results show that the infiltration is 11 times higher when measured with ring infiltrometer than with the simulated rainfall at 55 mmh-1, and that the infiltration rates where higher in summer than in winter: 2.01 higher for the ring infiltrometer, and 1.45 higher when measured with the rainfall simulator. In comparison to the soils from the forest areas, the infiltration rate in the gardens were lower, with values of 10.23 and 21.65 mm h-1 in average for winter and summer when measured with the rainfall simulator. Similar results were found with the ring infiltrometer. It was also found a clear relationship between the vegetation cover and the infiltration, with high infiltration rates with the grass covers. This is due to the higher infiltration rates of the soils with roots and due to the impact of plant stems on the runoff generation (Wang et al., 2015; Zhao et al., 2015). The importance of the vegetation on the soil infiltration capacity in the gardens of Valencia is a key factor to reduce the runoff sediment concentration such as was found at different scales (Keesstra et al., 2007; Nanko et al., 2015; Pereira et al, 2015; Prosdocimi et al., 2016) Acknowledgements The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 603498 (RECARE project). References Cerdà, A. 1996. Seasonal variability of infiltration rates under contrasting slope conditions in southeast Spain. Geoderma, 69 (3-4), 217-232. Cerdà, A. 1997. Seasonal changes of the infiltration rates in a mediterranean scrubland on limestone. Journal of Hydrology, 198 (1-4), 209-225. DOI: 10.1016/S0022-1694(96)03295-7 Cerdà, A. 1998. Changes in overland flow and infiltration after a rangeland fire in a Mediterranean scrubland, Hydrological Processes, 12 (7), 1031-1042. Cerdà, A. 1999. Seasonal and spatial variations in infiltration rates in badland surfaces under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Water Resources Research, 35 (1), 319-328. DOI: 10.1029/98WR01659 Cerdà, A. 2001.Effects of rock fragment cover on soil infiltration, interrill runoff and erosion. European Journal of Soil Science, 52 (1), 59-68. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2389.2001.00354.x Cerdà, A., Bodì, M.B. 2009. Infiltration process in the badlands of the East in the Iberian Peninsula. Progress and challenges. Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica, 35 (1), 7-42. Keesstra, S.D. 2007. Impact of natural reforestation on floodplain sedimentation in the Dragonja basin, SW Slovenia. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 32(1): 49-65. DOI: 10.1002/esp.1360 Nanko, K., Giambelluca, T.W., Sutherland, R.A., Mudd, R.G., Nullet, M.A., Ziegler, A.D. 2015.Erosion potential under miconia calvescens stands on the island of hawai'i. Land Degradation and Development, 26 (3), pp. 218-226. DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2200 Pereira, P., Giménez-Morera, A., Novara, A., Keesstra, S., Jordán, A., Masto, R. E., Brevik, E., Azorin-Molina, C. Cerdà, A. 2015. The impact of road and railway embankments on runoff and soil erosion in eastern Spain. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 12, 12947-12985. Prosdocimi,M., Jordán, A., Tarolli, P., Keesstra, S., Novara, A., Cerdà, A. 2016. The immediate effectiveness of barley straw mulch in reducing soil erodibility and surface runoff generation in Mediterranean vineyards. Science of The Total Environment, 547, 15 ,323-330, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.076 Wang Y., Fan J., Cao L., Liang Y. 2015. Infiltration and Runoff Generation Under Various Cropping Patterns in the Red Soil Region of China. Land Degradation and Development. DOI: 10. 1002/ldr. 2460 Zhao, C., Gao, J., Huang, Y., Wang, G., Zhang, M. 2015. Effects of Vegetation Stems on Hydraulics of Overland Flow Under Varying Water Discharges. Land Degradation and Development, DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2423

Impact of Prairie Cover on Hydraulic Conductivity and Storm Water Runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herkes, D. M. G.; Gori, A.; Juan, A.

2017-12-01

Houston has long struggled to find effective solutions to its historic flooding problems. Conventional strategies have revolved around constructing hard infrastructure such as levees or regional detention ponds to reduce flood impacts. However, there has been a recent shift to explore the implementation of nature-based solutions in reducing flood impacts. This is due to the price of structural mechanisms, as well as their failure to adequately protect areas from flooding during the latest flood events. One alternative could be utilizing the natural water retention abilities of native Texas prairies. This study examines the effect of Texas prairie areas in increasing soil infiltration capacities, thereby increasing floodwater storage and reducing surface runoff. For this purpose, an infiltration study of 15 sites was conducted on lands owned by the Katy Prairie Conservancy within Cypress Creek watershed. Located in Northwest Houston, it is an area which had been heavily impacted by recent flood events. Each sampling site was selected to represent a particular land cover or vegetation type, ranging from developed open space to native prairies. Field test results are then compared to literature values of soil infiltration capacity in order to determine the infiltration benefit of each vegetation type. Test results show that certain vegetation, especially prairies, significantly increase the infiltration capacity of the underlying soil. For example, the hydraulic conductivity of prairie on sandy loam soil is approximately an order of magnitude higher than that of the soil itself. Finally, a physics-based hydrologic model is utilized to evaluate the flood reduction potential of native Texas prairie. This model represents Cypress Creek watershed in gridded cell format, and allows varying hydraulic and infiltration parameters at each cell. Design storms are run to obtain flow hydrographs for selected watch points in the study area. Two scenarios are simulated and compared: 1) infiltration capacity from soil only and 2) the augmented infiltration capacity of soil due to vegetation. Modeled results show a notable decrease in both total runoff volume and peak flows under the augmented infiltration scenario. This decrease demonstrates the benefit of native Texas prairie land in reducing flood risks.

System dynamics modeling of nitrogen removal in a stormwater infiltration basin with biosorption-activated media.

PubMed

Xuan, Zhemin; Chang, Ni-Bin; Wanielista, Martin P; Williams, Evan Shane

2013-07-01

Stormwater infiltration basins, one of the typical stormwater best management practices, are commonly constructed for surface water pollution control, flood mitigation, and groundwater restoration in rural or residential areas. These basins have soils with better infiltration capacity than the native soil; however, the ever-increasing contribution of nutrients to groundwater from stormwater due to urban expansion makes existing infiltration basins unable to meet groundwater quality criteria related to environmental sustainability and public health. This issue requires retrofitting current infiltration basins for flood control as well as nutrient control before the stormwater enters the groundwater. An existing stormwater infiltration basin in north-central Florida was selected, retrofitted, and monitored to identify subsurface physiochemical and biological processes during 2007-2010 to investigate nutrient control processes. This implementation in the nexus of contaminant hydrology and ecological engineering adopted amended soil layers packed with biosorption activated media (BAM; tire crumb, silt, clay, and sand) to perform nutrient removal in a partitioned forebay using a berm. This study presents an infiltration basin-nitrogen removal (IBNR) model, a system dynamics model that simulates nitrogen cycling in this BAM-based stormwater infiltration basin with respect to changing hydrologic conditions and varying dissolved nitrogen concentrations. Modeling outputs of IBNR indicate that denitrification is the biogeochemical indicator in the BAM layer that accounted for a loss of about one third of the total dissolved nitrogen mass input. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Subsurface flow in lowland river gravel bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bray, E. N.; Dunne, T.

2017-09-01

Geomorphic and hydraulic processes, which form gravel bars in large lowland rivers, have distinctive characteristics that control the magnitude and spatial patterns of infiltration and exfiltration between rivers and their immediate subsurface environments. We present a bedform-infiltration relation together with a set of field measurements along two reaches of the San Joaquin River, CA to illustrate the conditions required for infiltration and exfiltration of flow between a stream and its undulating bed, and a numerical model to investigate the factors that affect paths and residence times of flow through barforms at different discharges. It is shown that asymmetry of bar morphology is a first-order control on the extent and location of infiltration, which would otherwise produce equal areas of infiltration and exfiltration under the assumption of sinusoidal bedforms. Hydraulic conductivity varies by orders of magnitude due to fine sediment accumulation and downstream coarsening related to the process of bar evolution. This systematic variability not only controls the magnitude of infiltration, but also the residence time of flow through the bed. The lowest hydraulic conductivity along the reach occurred where the difference between the topographic gradient and the water-surface gradient is at a maximum and thus where infiltration would be greatest into a homogeneous bar, indicating the importance of managing sand supply to maintain the ventilation and flow through salmon spawning riffles. Numerical simulations corroborate our interpretation that infiltration patterns and rates are controlled by distinctive features of bar morphology.

Nanowire mesh solar fuels generator

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong; Chan, Candace; Sun, Jianwei; Liu, Bin

2016-05-24

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to a nanowire mesh solar fuels generator. In one aspect, a nanowire mesh solar fuels generator includes (1) a photoanode configured to perform water oxidation and (2) a photocathode configured to perform water reduction. The photocathode is in electrical contact with the photoanode. The photoanode may include a high surface area network of photoanode nanowires. The photocathode may include a high surface area network of photocathode nanowires. In some embodiments, the nanowire mesh solar fuels generator may include an ion conductive polymer infiltrating the photoanode and the photocathode in the region where the photocathode is in electrical contact with the photoanode.

Modelling infiltration processes in frozen soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireson, A. M.; Barbour, L. S.

2014-12-01

Understanding the hydrological processes in soils subject to significant freeze-thaw is fraught by "experimental vagaries and theoretical imponderables" (Miller 1980, Applications of soil physics). The infiltration of snowmelt water and the subsequent transmission of unfrozen water during thawing, is governed by hydraulic conductivity values which are changing with both ice and unfrozen water content. Water held within pores is subject to capillary forces, which results in a freezing point depression (i.e. water remains in the liquid state slightly below 0°C). As the temperature drops below zero, water freezes first in the larger pores, and then in progressively smaller pores. Since the larger pores also are the first to empty by drainage, these pores may be air filled during freezing, while smaller water filled pores freeze. This explains why an unsaturated, frozen soil may still have a considerable infiltration capacity. Infiltration into frozen soil is a critical phenomena related to the risk of flooding in the Canadian prairies, controlling the partitioning of snowmelt into either infiltration or runoff. We propose a new model, based on conceptualizing the pore space as a bundle of capillary tubes (with significant differences to the capillary bundle model of Wannatabe and Flury, 2008, WRR, doi:10.1029/2008WR007102) which allows any air-filled macropores to contribute to the potential infiltration capacity of the soil. The patterns of infiltration and water movement during freeze-thaw from the model are compared to field observations from the Canadian prairies and Boreal Plains.

Overview of environmental and hydrogeologic conditions at Saint Marys, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakanishi, Allan S.; Dorava, Joseph M.

1994-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) owns or operates airway support facilities near Saint Marys along the Yukon River in west-central Alaska. The FAA is evaluating the severity of environmental contamination and options for remediation of environmental contamination at their facilities. Saint Marys is on a flood plain near the continence of the Yukon and Andreafsky Rivers and has long cold winters and short summers. Residents obtain their drinking water from an infiltration gallery fed by a creek near the village. Surface spills and disposal of hazardous materials combined with potential flooding may affect the quality of the surface and ground water. Alternative drinking-water sources are available, but would likely cost more than existing supplies to develop.

Effects of Land Cover / Land Use, Soil Texture, and Vegetation on the Water Balance of Lake Chad Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babamaaji, R. A.; Lee, J.

2013-12-01

Lake Chad Basin (LCB) has experienced drastic changes of land cover and poor water management practices during the last 50 years. The successive droughts in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in the shortage of surface water and groundwater resources. This problem of drought has a devastating implication on the natural resources of the Basin with great consequence on food security, poverty reduction and quality of life of the inhabitants in the LCB. Therefore, understanding the effects of land use / land cover must be a first step to find how they disturb cycle especially the groundwater in the LCB. The abundance of groundwater is affected by the climate change through the interaction with surface water, such as lakes and rivers, and disuse recharge through an infiltration process. Quantifying the impact of climate change on the groundwater resource requires reliable forecasting of changes in the major climatic variables and other spatial variations including the land use/land cover, soil texture, topographic slope, and vegetation. In this study, we employed a spatially distributed water balance model WetSpass to simulate a long-term average change of groundwater recharge in the LCB of Africa. WetSpass is a water balance-based model to estimate seasonal and spatial distribution of surface runoff, interception, evapotranspiration, and groundwater recharge. The model is especially suitable for studying the effect of land use/land cover change on the water regime in the LCB. The present study describes the concept of the model and its application to the development of recharge map of the LCB. The study shows that major role in the water balance of LCB. The mean yearly actual evapotranspiration (ET) from the basin range from 60mm - 400 mm, which is 90 % (69mm - 430) of the annual precipitation from 2003 - 2010. It is striking that about 50 - 60 % of the total runoff is produced on build-up (impervious surfaces), while much smaller contributions are obtained from vegetated, bare soil and open water surfaces. The result of this study also shows that runoff is high in the clay, clay loam and sandy-clay loam due to the lack of infiltration process in clay soil from capping or crusting or sealing of the soil pores, therefore this situation will aid runoff. The application of the WetSpass model shows that precipitation, soil texture and land use / land cover are three controlling factors affecting the water balance in the LCB. Key words: Groundwater recharge, surface runoff, evapotranspiration, water balance, meteorological, draught, Landuse changes, climate changes, WetSpass, GIS.

An Experimental Study of the Effects of Litter and Duff Consumption and Ash Formation on Post-Fire Runoff.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods, S. W.; Balfour, V.

2007-12-01

Consumption of the litter and duff layers in forest wildfires can lead to substantial increases in the frequency and magnitude of overland flow. These increases result from the loss of storage in the organic surface layer, reduced surface roughness, and from sealing of the exposed mineral soil surface. The presence of an ash layer may accentuate surface sealing by providing an additional source of fine material, or it may reduce runoff by storing rainfall and by protecting the soil surface from raindrop impacts. We used simulated rainfall experiments to assess the effects of litter and duff consumption and the presence of ash layers of varying thickness on post fire runoff at two forested sites in western Montana, one with sandy loam soils formed out of granodiorite and the other with gravelly silt loam soils formed out of argillite. At each site we measured the runoff from simulated rainfall in replicated 0.5 m2 plots before and after application of the following treatments: 1) burning with a fuel load of 90 Mg ha-1, 2) manual removal of the litter and duff layers, 3) addition of 0.5, 2.5 and 5 cm of ash to plots from which the litter and duff had previously been removed, and 4) addition of the same depths of ash to burned plots at the sandy loam site. In the burned plots the surface litter and duff layers were completely consumed and a <1cm layer of black and gray ash and char was formed, indicating a moderate severity burn. The mean soil temperature in the upper 1 cm of the mineral soil was 70° C, and there was no detectable increase in water repellency. The mean final infiltration capacity of the burned sandy loam plots was 35 mm hr-1 compared to a pre-fire mean of 87 mm hr-1, while in the gravelly silt loam plots the pre- and post burn infiltration capacities (27 and 31 mm hr- 1) were not significantly different. Manual removal of the litter and duff layers reduced the mean final infiltration capacity in the sandy loam plots from 64 mm hr-1 to 40 mm hr-1 and in the gravelly silt loam plots from 23 mm hr-1 to 16 mm hr-1. We attribute decreases in infiltration due to the burning and duff removal treatments primarily to surface sealing. In the sandy loam plots, burning may have had a greater effect on infiltration than duff removal because the thin ash layer in the burned plots provided an additional source of fine material. In the gravelly silt loam plots, macropores located around rock fragments helped to minimize sealing effects. The addition of 0.5 cm of ash to the burned granitic plots resulted in a 20 mm hr-1 decrease in the final infiltration rate, and this was also probably due to surface sealing. However, the overall effect of ash addition was to increase the cumulative infiltration in proportion to the ash thickness and to maintain a higher average infiltration rate, indicating that while thin (<1 cm) ash layers may promote sealing, thicker ash layers help to reduce the runoff rate by providing additional storage for rainfall and by protecting the soil surface from raindrop impacts.

Changes in the lower boundary condition of water fluxes in the NOAH land surface scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohmann, D.; Peters-Lidard, C. D.

2002-05-01

One problem with current land surface schemes (LSS) used in weather prediction and climate models is their inabilty to reproduce streamflow in large river basins. This can be attributed to the weak representation of their upper (infiltration) and lower (baseflow) boundary conditions in their water balance / transport equations. Operational (traditional) hydrological models, which operate on the same spatial scale as a LSS, on the other hand, are able to reproduce streamflow time series. Their infiltration and baseflow equations are often empirically based and therefore have been neglected by the LSS community. It must be argued that we need to include a better representation of long time scales (as represented by groundwater and baseflow) into the current LSS to make valuable predictions of streamflow and water resources. This talk concentrates on the lower boundary condition of water fluxes within LSS. It reviews briefly previous attempts to incorporate groundwater and more realistic lower boundary conditions into LSS and summarizes the effect on the runoff (baseflow) production time scales as compared to currently used lower boundary conditions in LSS. The NOAH - LSM in the LDAS and DMIP setting is used to introduce a simplified groundwater model, based on the linearized Boussinesq equation, and the TOPMODEL. The NOAH - LSM will be coupled to a linear routing model to investigate the effects of the new lower boundary condition on the water balance (in particular, streamflow) in small to medium sized catchments in the LDAS / DMIP domain.

Comparison of Two Conceptually Different Physically-based Hydrological Models - Looking Beyond Streamflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousseau, A. N.; Álvarez; Yu, X.; Savary, S.; Duffy, C.

2015-12-01

Most physically-based hydrological models simulate to various extents the relevant watershed processes occurring at different spatiotemporal scales. These models use different physical domain representations (e.g., hydrological response units, discretized control volumes) and numerical solution techniques (e.g., finite difference method, finite element method) as well as a variety of approximations for representing the physical processes. Despite the fact that several models have been developed so far, very few inter-comparison studies have been conducted to check beyond streamflows whether different modeling approaches could simulate in a similar fashion the other processes at the watershed scale. In this study, PIHM (Qu and Duffy, 2007), a fully coupled, distributed model, and HYDROTEL (Fortin et al., 2001; Turcotte et al., 2003, 2007), a pseudo-coupled, semi-distributed model, were compared to check whether the models could corroborate observed streamflows while equally representing other processes as well such as evapotranspiration, snow accumulation/melt or infiltration, etc. For this study, the Young Womans Creek watershed, PA, was used to compare: streamflows (channel routing), actual evapotranspiration, snow water equivalent (snow accumulation and melt), infiltration, recharge, shallow water depth above the soil surface (surface flow), lateral flow into the river (surface and subsurface flow) and height of the saturated soil column (subsurface flow). Despite a lack of observed data for contrasting most of the simulated processes, it can be said that the two models can be used as simulation tools for streamflows, actual evapotranspiration, infiltration, lateral flows into the river, and height of the saturated soil column. However, each process presents particular differences as a result of the physical parameters and the modeling approaches used by each model. Potentially, these differences should be object of further analyses to definitively confirm or reject modeling hypotheses.

Hydraulic characterization of a sealed loamy soil in a Mediterranean vineyard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alagna, Vincenzo; Di Prima, Simone; Bagarello, Vincenzo; Guaitoli, Fabio; Iovino, Massimo; Keesstra, Saskia; Cerdà, Artemi

2017-04-01

Water infiltration measurements constitute a common way for an indirect characterization of sealed/crusted soils (Alagna et al., 2013). The Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer (BEST) parameters procedure by Lassabatere et al. (2006) is very attractive for practical use since it allows an estimation of both the soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions. The BEST method considers certain analytical formulae for the hydraulic characteristic curves and estimates their shape parameters, which are texture dependent, from particle-size analysis by physical-empirical pedotransfer functions. Structure dependent scale parameters are estimated by a beerkan experiment, i.e. a three-dimensional (3D) field infiltration experiment at ideally zero pressure head. BEST substantially facilitates the hydraulic characterization of unsaturated soils, and it is gaining popularity in soil science (Bagarello et al., 2014a; Di Prima, 2015; Di Prima et al., 2016b). Bagarello et al. (2014b) proposed a beerkan derived procedure to explain surface runoff and disturbance phenomena at the soil surface occurring during intense rainfall events. Di Prima et al. (2016a) applied this methodology in a vineyard with a sandy-loam texture. These authors compared this simple methodology with rainfall simulation experiments establishing a physical link between the two methodologies through the kinetic energy of the rainfall and the gravitational potential energy of the water used for the beerkan runs. They also indirectly demonstrated the occurrence of a certain degree of compaction and mechanical breakdown using a minidisk infiltrometer (Decagon, 2014). With this device, they reported a reduction of the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity by 2.3 times, due to the seal formation. The ability of the BEST method to distinguish between crusted and non-crusted soils was demonstrated by Souza et al. (2014). However, the potential of the beerkan runs to detect the effect of the seal on flow and BEST estimates is still largely unknown since only a few investigations have been carried out. In this study, the BEST method was applied to check the impact of sealing on soil hydraulic conductivity in a Mediterranean vineyard (western Sicily, Italy) under conventional tillage. An area of approximately 150 m2 was sampled on three different sampling campaigns covering two growing seasons. Beerkan infiltration experiments were carried out along the rows direction and in the inter-row areas. A 55 mm rainfall event that occurred between the first and second sampling campaigns contributed to form a sealed layer at the soil surface. The presence of the seal implied that the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks, was 1.5-1.8 times lower than that measured in the absence of the sealed layer. The seal layer only affected water infiltration between the rows, suggesting that the protective role of vegetation along the rows was effective. The tillage practices carried out in the spring 2016 removed any existing surface sealed layer and thereby increased soil infiltration properties, suggesting a cycling occurrence of layering phenomena within the year. In fact, differences between the Ks values measured between the rows (second against first and third sampling campaigns) were statistically significant. In this investigation, the sampling strategy implying beerkan tests carried out along and between the vine-rows was successfully applied. This strategy allowed to assess the reduction in hydraulic conductivity with extemporaneous measurements alone. Its main advantage is that it allows a rapid assessment of sealing severity affecting water infiltration taking advantage of the protective role of the vegetation along the rows. In conclusion, the hypothesis that the beerkan runs are suitable enough to detect the effect of the seal on flow and Ks values estimated by BEST was reasonable. In the future, testing the proposed procedure in conjunction with others field methodologies for soil hydraulic characterization implying alteration at the soil surface, such as rainfall simulation experiments or the beerkan derived procedure discussed above, should contribute to a better understanding of sealing severity affecting water infiltration on bare soils. Ring insertion for the infiltration run does not seem to alter the sealed layer but more investigations are required with reference to this point. Acknowledgements This study was supported by grants from the Research Project CISV under grant n˚ 2014COMM-0363 CUP 872114000570002. References Alagna, V., Bagarello, V., Di Prima, S., Giordano, G. and Iovino, M.: A simple field method to measure the hydrodynamic properties of soil surface crust, Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 44(25), 74-79, doi:10.4081/jae.2013.(s1):e14, 2013. Bagarello, V., Di Prima, S., Giordano, G. and Iovino, M.: A test of the Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters (BEST) procedure, Geoderma, 221-222, 20-27, doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.01.017, 2014a. Bagarello, V., Castellini, M., Di Prima, S. and Iovino, M.: Soil hydraulic properties determined by infiltration experiments and different heights of water pouring, Geoderma, 213, 492-501, doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.08.032, 2014b. Decagon: Minidisk Infiltrometer User's Manual, Decagon Devices, Inc., Pullman, USA, 24, 2014. Di Prima, S.: Automated single ring infiltrometer with a low-cost microcontroller circuit, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 118, 390-395, doi:10.1016/j.compag.2015.09.022, 2015. Di Prima, S., Bagarello, V., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., Bautista, I., Burguet, M., Cerdà, A., Iovino, M., Lassabatère, L. and Prosdocimi, M.: Comparing Beerkan infiltration tests with rainfall simulation experiments for hydraulic characterization of a sandy-loam soil, Submitted to Hydrological Processes, 2016a. Di Prima, S., Lassabatere, L., Bagarello, V., Iovino, M. and Angulo-Jaramillo, R.: Testing a new automated single ring infiltrometer for Beerkan infiltration experiments, Geoderma, 262, 20-34, doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.006, 2016b. Lassabatere, L., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., Soria Ugalde, J. M., Cuenca, R., Braud, I. and Haverkamp, R.: Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer Parameters through Infiltration Experiments—BEST, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 70(2), 521, doi:10.2136/sssaj2005.0026, 2006. Souza, E. S., Antonino, A. C. D., Heck, R. J., Montenegro, S. M. G. L., Lima, J. R. S., Sampaio, E. V. S. B., Angulo-Jaramillo, R. and Vauclin, M.: Effect of crusting on the physical and hydraulic properties of a soil cropped with Castor beans (Ricinus communis L.) in the northeastern region of Brazil, Soil and Tillage Research, 141, 55-61, doi:10.1016/j.still.2014.04.004, 2014.

Visualization of soil structure and pore structure modifications by pioneering ground beetles (Cicindelidae) in surface sediments of an artificial catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badorreck, Annika; Gerke, Horst H.; Weller, Ulrich; Vontobel, Peter

2010-05-01

An artificial catchment was constructed to study initial soil and ecosystem development. As a key process, the pore structure dynamics in the soil at the surface strongly influences erosion, infiltration, matter dynamics, and vegetation establishment. Little is known, however, about the first macropore formation in the very early stage. This presentation focuses on observations of soil pore geometry and its effect on water flow at the surface comparing samples from three sites in the catchment and in an adjacent "younger" site composed of comparable sediments. The surface soil was sampled in cylindrical plastic rings (10 cm³) down to 2 cm depth in three replicates each site and six where caves from pioneering ground-dwelling beetles Cicindelidae were found. The samples were scanned with micro-X-ray computed tomography (at UFZ-Halle, Germany) with a resolution of 0.084 mm. The infiltration dynamics were visualized with neutronradiography (at Paul-Scherer-Institute, Switzerland) on slab-type soil samples in 2D. The micro-tomographies exhibit formation of surface sealing whose thickness and intensity vary with silt and clay content. The CT images show several coarser- and finer-textured micro-layers at the sample surfaces that were formed as a consequence of repeated washing in of finer particles in underlying coarser sediment. In micro-depressions, the uppermost layers consist of sorted fine sand and silt due to wind erosion. Similar as for desert pavements, a vesicular pore structure developed in these sediments on top, but also scattered in fine sand- and silt-enriched micro-layers. The ground-dwelling activity of Cicindelidae beetles greatly modifies the soil structure through forming caves in the first centimetres of the soil. Older collapsed caves, which form isolated pores within mixed zones, were also found. The infiltration rates were severely affected both, by surface crusts and activity of ground-dwelling beetles. The observations demonstrate relatively high abiotic and biotic dynamics of soil pore structure in the soil surface even during the very early development stages. The structure formation has potentially great effects on changing runoff and infiltration by forming sealing layers or preferential flow paths.

Urban recharge beneath low impact development and effects of climate variability and change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newcomer, Michelle E.; Gurdak, Jason J.; Sklar, Leonard S.; Nanus, Leora

2014-02-01

low impact development (LID) planning and best management practices (BMPs) effects on recharge is important because of the increasing use of LID BMPs to reduce storm water runoff and improve surface-water quality. LID BMPs are microscale, decentralized management techniques such as vegetated systems, pervious pavement, and infiltration trenches to capture, reduce, filter, and slow storm water runoff. Some BMPs may enhance recharge, which has often been considered a secondary management benefit. Here we report results of a field and HYDRUS-2D modeling study in San Francisco, California, USA to quantify urban recharge rates, volumes, and efficiency beneath a LID BMP infiltration trench and irrigated lawn considering historical El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability and future climate change using simulated precipitation from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamic Laboratory (GFDL) A1F1 climate scenario. We find that in situ and modeling methods are complementary, particularly for simulating historical and future recharge scenarios, and the in situ data are critical for accurately estimating recharge under current conditions. Observed (2011-2012) and future (2099-2100) recharge rates beneath the infiltration trench (1750-3710 mm yr-1) were an order of magnitude greater than beneath the irrigated lawn (130-730 mm yr-1). Beneath the infiltration trench, recharge rates ranged from 1390 to 5840 mm yr-1 and averaged 3410 mm yr-1 for El Niño years (1954-2012) and from 1540 to 3330 mm yr-1 and averaged 2430 mm yr-1 for La Niña years. We demonstrate a clear benefit for recharge and local groundwater resources using LID BMPs.

Artificial groundwater recharge as integral part of a water resources system in a humid environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupfersberger, Hans; Stadler, Hermann

2010-05-01

In Graz, Austria, artificial groundwater recharge has been operated as an integral part of the drinking water supply system for more than thirty years. About 180 l/s of high quality water from pristine creeks (i.e. no pre-treatment necessary) are infiltrated via sand and lawn basins and infiltration trenches into two phreatic aquifers to sustain the extraction of approximately 400 l/s. The remaining third of drinking water for roughly 300.000 people is provided by a remote supply line from the East alpine karst region Hochschwab. By this threefold model the water supply system is less vulnerable to external conditions. In the early 1980's the infiltration devices were also designed as a hydraulic barrier against riverbank infiltration from the river Mur, which at that time showed seriously impaired water quality due to upstream paper mills. This resulted into high iron and manganese groundwater concentrations which lead to clogging of the pumping wells. These problems have been eliminated in the meantime due to the onsite purification of paper mill effluents and the construction of many waste water treatment plants. The recharge system has recently been thoroughly examined to optimize the operation of groundwater recharge and to provide a basis for further extension. The investigations included (i) field experiments and laboratory analyses to improve the trade off between infiltration rate and elimination capacities of the sand filter basins' top layer, (ii) numerical groundwater modelling to compute the recovery rate of the recharged water, the composition of the origin of the pumped water, emergency scenarios due to the failure of system parts, the transient capture zones of the withdrawal wells and the coordination of recharge and withdrawal and (iii) development of an online monitoring setup combined with a decision support system to guarantee reliable functioning of the entire structure. Additionally, the depreciation, maintenance and operation costs of the managed aquifer recharge system have been evaluated. Among numerous results it could be shown that replacing the lawn by sand basins and operating them constantly during winter holds the largest potential to increase the infiltration volume. However, this is only an option for new to build structures since the current basin positions would lead to large direct losses of recharged groundwater into the river Mur. Adjusting the timing of infiltration and withdrawal based on subsurface travel time yields an increase of the pumped amount of about 11% given about the same extension the wells' capture zones. The overall costs of artificial groundwater recharge amount to 0,15 €/m³ excluding pumping and distribution costs compared to a water price of about 1,5 €/m³ charged to consumers. Currently, the implications of building a hydro power plant adjacent to the recharge site are evaluated emphasizing the need for innovative solutions given only limited land resources. On the basis of the projected impacts of climate change on the availability of surface water and groundwater in the South-Eastern alpine regions, the aquifers can act as a buffer system to help overcome the timely shift between supply and demand. Thus, also in predominantly humid regions artificial groundwater recharge represents a viable and sustainable solution to safeguard the supply of drinking water in the long term.

Comparison of sprinkler droplet size and velocity measurements using a laser precipitation meter and photographic method

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Kinetic energy of water droplets has a substantial effect on development of a soil surface seal and infiltration rate of bare soil. Methods for measuring sprinkler droplet size and velocity needed to calculate droplet kinetic energy have been developed and tested over the past 50 years, each with ad...

Nested 1D-2D approach for urban surface flood modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murla, Damian; Willems, Patrick

2015-04-01

Floods in urban areas as a consequence of sewer capacity exceedance receive increased attention because of trends in urbanization (increased population density and impermeability of the surface) and climate change. Despite the strong recent developments in numerical modeling of water systems, urban surface flood modeling is still a major challenge. Whereas very advanced and accurate flood modeling systems are in place and operation by many river authorities in support of flood management along rivers, this is not yet the case in urban water management. Reasons include the small scale of the urban inundation processes, the need to have very high resolution topographical information available, and the huge computational demands. Urban drainage related inundation modeling requires a 1D full hydrodynamic model of the sewer network to be coupled with a 2D surface flood model. To reduce the computational times, 0D (flood cones), 1D/quasi-2D surface flood modeling approaches have been developed and applied in some case studies. In this research, a nested 1D/2D hydraulic model has been developed for an urban catchment at the city of Gent (Belgium), linking the underground sewer (minor system) with the overland surface (major system). For the overland surface flood modelling, comparison was made of 0D, 1D/quasi-2D and full 2D approaches. The approaches are advanced by considering nested 1D-2D approaches, including infiltration in the green city areas, and allowing the effects of surface storm water storage to be simulated. An optimal nested combination of three different mesh resolutions was identified; based on a compromise between precision and simulation time for further real-time flood forecasting, warning and control applications. Main streets as mesh zones together with buildings as void regions constitute one of these mesh resolution (3.75m2 - 15m2); they have been included since they channel most of the flood water from the manholes and they improve the accuracy of interactions within the 1D sewer network. Other areas that recorded flooding outside the main streets have been also included with the second mesh resolution for an accurate determination of flood maps (12.5m2 - 50m2). Permeable areas have been identified and used as infiltration zones using the Horton infiltration model. A mesh sensitivity analysis has been performed for the low flood risk areas for a proper model optimization. As outcome of that analysis, the third mesh resolution has been chosen (75m2 - 300m2). Performance tests have been applied for several synthetic design storms as well as historical storm events displaying satisfactory results upon comparing the flood mapping outcomes produced by the different approaches. Accounting for the infiltration in the green city spaces reduces the flood extents in the range 39% - 68%, while the average reduction in flood volume equals 86%. Acknowledgement: Funding for this research was provided by the Interreg IVB NWE programme (project RainGain) and the Belgian Science Policy Office (project PLURISK). The high resolution topographical information data were obtained from the geographical information service AGIV; the original full hydrodynamic sewer network model from the service company Farys, and the InfoWorks licence from Innovyze.

Engineering Characteristics of Chemically Treated Water-Repellent Kaolin

PubMed Central

Choi, Youngmin; Choo, Hyunwook; Yun, Tae Sup; Lee, Changho; Lee, Woojin

2016-01-01

Water-repellent soils have a potential as alternative construction materials that will improve conventional geotechnical structures. In this study, the potential of chemically treated water-repellent kaolin clay as a landfill cover material is explored by examining its characteristics including hydraulic and mechanical properties. In order to provide water repellency to the kaolin clay, the surface of clay particle is modified with organosilanes in concentrations (CO) ranging from 0.5% to 10% by weight. As the CO increases, the specific gravity of treated clay tends to decrease, whereas the total organic carbon content of the treated clay tends to increase. The soil-water contact angle increases with an increase in CO until CO = 2.5%, and then maintains an almost constant value (≈134.0°). Resistance to water infiltration is improved by organosilane treatment under low hydrostatic pressure. However, water infiltration resistance under high hydrostatic pressure is reduced or exacerbated to the level of untreated clay. The maximum compacted dry weight density decreases with increasing CO. As the CO increases, the small strain shear modulus increases, whereas the effect of organosilane treatment on the constrained modulus is minimal. The results indicate that water-repellent kaolin clay possesses excellent engineering characteristics for a landfill cover material. PMID:28774098

Preliminary estimates of spatially distributed net infiltration and recharge for the Death Valley region, Nevada-California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hevesi, J.A.; Flint, A.L.; Flint, L.E.

2002-01-01

A three-dimensional ground-water flow model has been developed to evaluate the Death Valley regional flow system, which includes ground water beneath the Nevada Test Site. Estimates of spatially distributed net infiltration and recharge are needed to define upper boundary conditions. This study presents a preliminary application of a conceptual and numerical model of net infiltration. The model was developed in studies at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, which is located in the approximate center of the Death Valley ground-water flow system. The conceptual model describes the effects of precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration, and redistribution of water in the shallow unsaturated zone on predicted rates of net infiltration; precipitation and soil depth are the two most significant variables. The conceptual model was tested using a preliminary numerical model based on energy- and water-balance calculations. Daily precipitation for 1980 through 1995, averaging 202 millimeters per year over the 39,556 square kilometers area of the ground-water flow model, was input to the numerical model to simulate net infiltration ranging from zero for a soil thickness greater than 6 meters to over 350 millimeters per year for thin soils at high elevations in the Spring Mountains overlying permeable bedrock. Estimated average net infiltration over the entire ground-water flow model domain is 7.8 millimeters per year.To evaluate the application of the net-infiltration model developed on a local scale at Yucca Mountain, to net-infiltration estimates representing the magnitude and distribution of recharge on a regional scale, the net-infiltration results were compared with recharge estimates obtained using empirical methods. Comparison of model results with previous estimates of basinwide recharge suggests that the net-infiltration estimates obtained using this model may overestimate recharge because of uncertainty in modeled precipitation, bedrock permeability, and soil properties for locations such as the Spring Mountains. Although this model is preliminary and uncalibrated, it provides a first approximation of the spatial distribution of net infiltration for the Death Valley region under current climatic conditions.

Relation of pathways and transit times of recharge water to nitrate concentrations using stable isotopes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landon, M.K.; Delin, G.N.; Komor, S.C.; Regan, C.P.

2000-01-01

Oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope values of precipitation, irrigation water, soil water, and ground water were used with soil-moisture contents and water levels to estimate transit times and pathways of recharge water in the unsaturated zone of a sand and gravel aquifer. Nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate) concentrations in ground water were also measured to assess their relation to seasonal recharge. Stable isotope values indicated that recharge water usually had a transit time through the unsaturated zone of several weeks to months. However, wetting fronts usually moved through the unsaturated zone in hours to weeks. The much slower transit of isotopic signals than that of wetting fronts indicates that recharge was predominantly composed of older soil water that was displaced downward by more recent infiltrating water. Comparison of observed and simulated isotopic values from pure-piston flow and mixing-cell water and isotope mass balance models indicates that soil water isotopic values were usually highly mixed. Thus, movement of recharge water did not occur following a pure piston-flow displacement model but rather follows a hydrid model involving displacement of mixed older soil water with new infiltration water. An exception to this model occurred in a topographic depression, where movement of water along preferential flowpaths to the water table occurred within hours to days following spring thaw as result of depression-focused infiltration of snow melt. In an adjacent upland area, recharge of snow melt occurred one to two months later. Increases in nitrate concentrations at the water table during April-May 1993 and 1994 in a topographic lowland within a corn field were related to recharge of water that had infiltrated the previous summer and was displaced from the unsaturated zone by spring infiltration. Increases in nitrate concentrations also occurred during July-August 1994 in response to recharge of water that infiltrated during May-August 1994. These results indicate that the largest ground water nitrate concentrations were associated with recharge of water that infiltrated into the soil during May-August, when most nitrogen fertilizer was applied.

Hydrogeology, degradation of ground-water quality, and simulation of infiltration from the Delaware River into the Potomac aquifers, northern Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, S.W.

1987-01-01

Brackish water is infiltrating from the Delaware River into the underlying Potomac aquifers in the Cretaceous Potomac Formation in northern Delaware. Evidence that infiltration at the river is actually occurring includes chloride concentrations in the aquifers that are above ambient levels and chemical characteristics of groundwater and river water that are similar. Water quality within the Potomac aquifers has been degraded by the infiltration of river water and by leachate from waste disposal sites. The ambient groundwater has chloride concentrations from 10 to 21 mg/L. Chemical analyses indicate that the ambient groundwater is a sodium magnesium calcium-chloride sulfate bicarbonate type. Areas of the Potomac aquifers that have been degraded have chloride concentrations from 40 to 8,600 m/L, with specific conductances of 200 to 27 ,200 microsiemens/cm at 25 C. Chemical analyses indicate the groundwater in these areas is a sodium-chlorate type. Two wells in the lower Potomac aquifer near the Wilmington Marine Terminal also have been affected by the infiltration of river water. Leachate from waste disposal sites has caused localized groundwater degradation in all three Potomac aquifers, especially north of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and at sites near Army Creek and Red Lion Creek. Chloride concentrations up to 8,600 mg/L have resulted from waste disposal leachate. Simulated infiltration of river water into the Potomac aquifers accounts for approximately 6 to 12% of the total aquifer recharge in the area of influence of the pumping. There is a direct correlation between the rate of infiltration of river water and the total well-field pumpage. The rate of infiltration of river water for the pumping scenarios ranged from 0.31 to 0.62 million gal/day. Simulations of freshwater injection demonstrated that 12 barriers wells, each injecting 300 gal/min, would be needed to create a barrier against the infiltration of river water in the upper Potomac aquifer, whereas the middle Potomac aquifer would require 7 wells in injecting 200 gal/min. (Author 's abstract)

Effect of vegetation construction on runoff and sediment yield and runoff erosion ability on slope surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chun Xia; Xiao, PeiQing; Li, Li; Jiao, Peng

2018-06-01

Land consolidation measures affected the underlying surface erosion environment during the early stage of vegetation construction, and then had an impact on rainfall infiltration, erosion and sediment yield. This paper adopted the field simulated rainfall experiments to analyze the function that pockets site preparation measures affected on rainfall infiltration, runoff sediment yield and runoff erosion ability. The results showed that, the measures can delay the rainfall runoff formation time of the slope by 3'17" and 1'04" respectively. Compared with the same condition of the bare land and natural grassland. The rainfall infiltration coefficient each increased by 76.47% and 14.49%, and infiltration rate increased by 0.26 mm/min and 0.11mm/min respectively; The amount of runoff and sediment yield were reduced because of the pockets site preparation. The amount of runoff reducing rate were 33.51% and 30.49%, and sediment reduction rate were 81.35% and 65.66%, The sediment concentration was decreased by 71.99% and 50.58%; Runoff velocity of bare slope and natural grassland slope decreased by 38.12% and 34.59% respectively after pockets site preparation . The runoff erosion rate decreased by 67.92% and 79.68% respectively. The results will have a great significance for recognizing the effect of water and sediment reduction about vegetation and the existence of its plowing measures at the early period of restoration.

Wetting properties of fungi mycelium alter soil infiltration and soil water repellency in a γ-sterilized wettable and repellent soil.

PubMed

Chau, Henry Wai; Goh, Yit Kheng; Vujanovic, Vladimir; Si, Bing Cheng

2012-12-01

Soil water repellency (SWR) has a drastic impact on soil quality resulting in reduced infiltration, increased runoff, increased leaching, reduced plant growth, and increased soil erosion. One of the causes of SWR is hydrophobic fungal structures and exudates that change the soil-water relationship. The objective of this study was to determine whether SWR and infiltration could be manipulated through inoculation with fungi. The effect of fungi on SWR was investigated through inoculation of three fungal strains (hydrophilic -Fusarium proliferatum, chrono-amphiphilic -Trichoderma harzianum, and hydrophobic -Alternaria sp.) on a water repellent soil (WR-soil) and a wettable soil (W-soil). The change in SWR and infiltration was assessed by the water repellency index and cumulative infiltration respectively. F. proliferatum decreased the SWR on WR-soil and slightly increased SWR in W-soil, while Alternaria sp. increased SWR in both the W-soil and the WR-soil. Conversely T. harzianum increased the SWR in the W-soil and decreased the SWR in the WR-soil. All strains showed a decrease in infiltration in W-soil, while only the F. proliferatum and T. harzianum strain showed improvement in infiltration in the WR-soil. The ability of fungi to alter the SWR and enmesh soil particles results in changes to the infiltration dynamics in soil. Copyright © 2012 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of an urban irrigation and a biofiltration system in the urban canopy model CLM-U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demuzere, Matthias; Coutts, Andrew; Göhler, Maren; Diels, Jan; Gebert, Luke; Wouters, Hendrik; Van Lipzig, Nicole

2013-04-01

A recent review by Coutts et al. (2012) points out that to date the role of water in influencing urban climates through both irrigation and the support of urban vegetation receives less attention. Impervious urban surfaces prevent infiltration, and runoff is rapidly exported away from urban environments via the stormwater network. This produces a deficit of water in urban areas, and reduces soil moisture levels - a deficit that is often balanced by imported potable water to maintain a healthy vegetation via irrigation. Because of long-term dry spells over large areas of Australia in the last decades, State Governments introduced compulsory and voluntary strategies to encourage water saving across the community - including outdoor water restrictions. In this respect, residents have adapted gardening approaches by planting more drought-tolerant species. Each of these factors of drought, water restrictions and xeric gardens, along with the reduced health of urban vegetation, may further exacerbate urban warming and energy demands. In this respect, this study explores possible pathways towards a more Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), implementing a decentralisation of water supply via residential rainwater tanks that collect run-off water from the roofs, an urban irrigation system connected to these rainwater tanks and bio-infiltration systems in which the impervious road fraction drains. All changes are implemented in the Community Land Model - Urban (CLM-U) and several sensitivity tests are performed for the residential area of Preston (Melbourne, Australia) in order to answer the question on how much water is actually needed to maintain healthy vegetation and where this water should come from. Can rainwater tanks provide a sufficient capacity to irrigate bio-infiltration systems or will it be necessary to apply high-quality potable water? In addition, this research can also be used to quantify the role of WSUD with respect to thermal comfort.

Effects of unsaturated zone on ground-water mounding

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sumner, D.M.; Rolston, D.E.; Marino, M.A.

1999-01-01

The design of infiltration basins used to dispose of treated wastewater or for aquifer recharge often requires estimation of ground-water mounding beneath the basin. However, the effect that the unsaturated zone has on water-table response to basin infiltration often has been overlooked in this estimation. A comparison was made between two methods used to estimate ground-water mounding-an analytical approach that is limited to the saturated zone and a numerical approach that incorporates both the saturated and the unsaturated zones. Results indicate that the error that is introduced by a method that ignores the effects of the unsaturated zone on ground-water mounding increases as the basin-loading period is shortened; as the depth to the water table increases, with increasing subsurface anisotropy; and with the inclusion of fine-textured strata. Additionally, such a method cannot accommodate the dynamic nature of basin infiltration, the finite transmission time of the infiltration front to the water table, or the interception of the basin floor by the capillary fringe.The design of infiltration basins used to dispose of treated wastewater or for aquifer recharge often requires estimation of ground-water mounding beneath the basin. However, the effect that the unsaturated zone has on water-table response to basin infiltration often has been overlooked in this estimation. A comparison was made between two methods used to estimate ground-water mounding - an analytical approach that is limited to the saturated zone and a numerical approach that incorporates both the saturated and the unsaturated zones. Results indicate that the error that is introduced by a method that ignores the effects of the unsaturated zone on ground-water mounding increases as the basin-loading period is shortened; as the depth to the water table increases, with increasing subsurface anisotropy; and with the inclusion of fine-textured strata. Additionally, such a method cannot accommodate the dynamic nature of basin infiltration, the finite transmission time of the infiltration front to the water, or the interception of the basin floor by the capillary fringe.

Mining influence on underground water resources in arid and semiarid regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, A. K.; Hou, Y.; Hu, X. Y.

2018-02-01

Coordinated mining of coal and water resources in arid and semiarid regions has traditionally become a focus issue. The research takes Energy and Chemical Base in Northern Shaanxi as an example, and conducts statistical analysis on coal yield and drainage volume from several large-scale mines in the mining area. Meanwhile, research determines average water volume per ton coal, and calculates four typical years’ drainage volume in different mining intensity. Then during mining drainage, with the combination of precipitation observation data in recent two decades and water level data from observation well, the calculation of groundwater table, precipitation infiltration recharge, and evaporation capacity are performed. Moreover, the research analyzes the transforming relationship between surface water, mine water, and groundwater. The result shows that the main reason for reduction of water resources quantity and transforming relationship between surface water, groundwater, and mine water is massive mine drainage, which is caused by large-scale coal mining in the research area.

Multicriteria decision-aid method to evaluate the performance of stormwater infiltration systems over the time.

PubMed

Moura, P; Barraud, S; Baptista, M B; Malard, F

2011-01-01

Nowadays, stormwater infiltration systems are frequently used because of their ability to reduce flows and volumes in downstream sewers, decrease overflows in surface waters and make it possible to recharge groundwater. Moreover, they come in various forms with different uses. Despite these advantages the long term sustainability of these systems is questionable and their real performances have to be assessed taking into account various and sometimes conflicting aspects. To address this problem a decision support system is proposed. It is based on a multicriteria method built to help managers to evaluate the performance of an existing infiltration system at different stages of its lifespan and identify whether it performs correctly or not, according to environmental, socio-economic, technical and sanitary aspects. The paper presents successively: the performance indicators and the way they were built, the multicriteria method to identify if the system works properly and a case study.

Structures and processes of biological soil crusts during initial ecosystem genesis of an artificial watershed in Lusatia, NE Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spröte, Roland; Fischer, Thomas; Veste, Maik; Yair, Aaron; Wiehe, Wolfgang; Lange, Philipp; Bens, Oliver; Raab, Thomas; Hüttl, Reinhard F.

2010-05-01

The influence of biological soil crusts (BSC) in natural ecosystems on structures and processes is well investigated. In southern Brandenburg (NE Germany) it was possible to study the development of BSCs during initial ecosystem genesis on the artificial water catchment 'Hühnerwasser'. The experimental site is located in the recultivation area of the lignite open-cast mining district of southern Brandenburg (Germany). The geomorphological differentiation at the site was related to crust development, where substrate-dependent water availability defined the crust types. The mosaic-like pattern of the BSCs was associated with the distribution of fine-grained material. We defined three types if BSC: (a) initial cyanobacterial crusts (BSC-I), (b) cyanobacterial and green algae crusts on the soil surface (BSC-CG) and (c) crusts with mosses (BSC-M) between dense vegetation. The chlorophyll A content as an index for the biomass of the cryptogams increased significantly with crust type from 0.97 mg m-2 (BSC-I), 6.34 mg m-2 (BSC-CG) to 13.32 mg m-2(BSC-M). The sandy substrates with high contents of silt and clay were poorly sorted and spatially re-distributed by fluvial and aeolian processes. The contents of silt and clay were 15.9%-23.8% in the cyanobacterial crusts (BSC-I, BSC-CG) and 30.5% in the moss-crust (BSC-M). The pH values were about 7 (neutral) in all BSCs. The heighest Corg contents were found in BSC-CG (0.51%), but were not significantly lower in BSC-I (0.47%) and BSC-M (0.44%), where Corg concentrations of the original substrate ranged from 0.16 to 0.22% at construction of the catchment. The BSC types were very heterogeneously distributed and developed. Different crust types occurred in small-scale patches. Cyanobacteria which exude mucilaginous material and the rhizoids and protonemata of mosses contributed to aggregating sand grains and enhanced the topsoil stability. Furthermore, filamentous cyanobacteria and algae partially filled in the matrix pores and enmeshed sand grains, and in a wet condition extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) clogged the available pore space. Once settled, the crusts influenced the water regime of the soils. They were not pronounced hydrophobic, yet surface polarity differed between the crust types. Water infiltration was influenced by two factors: (i) the crust type, where infiltration rates were highest on almost bare substrate (BSC-I) and least when cyanobacteria and green algae formed a dense cover on the surface (BSC-CG), and (ii) the texture. Compared to BSC-CG, infiltration rates were elevated in BSC-M, pointing to decline of surface sealing when mosses penetrated the dense microphytic crust. However, the relationships among crust types, water repellency, particle size composition and infiltration are complex and need further investigation on different scales. This project is part of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 38 'Structures and processes of the initial ecosystem development phase in an artificial water catchment' and funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Infiltration and runoff generation processes in fire-affected soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, John A.; Ebel, Brian A.

2014-01-01

Post-wildfire runoff was investigated by combining field measurements and modelling of infiltration into fire-affected soils to predict time-to-start of runoff and peak runoff rate at the plot scale (1 m2). Time series of soil-water content, rainfall and runoff were measured on a hillslope burned by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire west of Boulder, Colorado during cyclonic and convective rainstorms in the spring and summer of 2011. Some of the field measurements and measured soil physical properties were used to calibrate a one-dimensional post-wildfire numerical model, which was then used as a ‘virtual instrument’ to provide estimates of the saturated hydraulic conductivity and high-resolution (1 mm) estimates of the soil-water profile and water fluxes within the unsaturated zone.Field and model estimates of the wetting-front depth indicated that post-wildfire infiltration was on average confined to shallow depths less than 30 mm. Model estimates of the effective saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, near the soil surface ranged from 0.1 to 5.2 mm h−1. Because of the relatively small values of Ks, the time-to-start of runoff (measured from the start of rainfall),  tp, was found to depend only on the initial soil-water saturation deficit (predicted by the model) and a measured characteristic of the rainfall profile (referred to as the average rainfall acceleration, equal to the initial rate of change in rainfall intensity). An analytical model was developed from the combined results and explained 92–97% of the variance of  tp, and the numerical infiltration model explained 74–91% of the variance of the peak runoff rates. These results are from one burned site, but they strongly suggest that  tp in fire-affected soils (which often have low values of Ks) is probably controlled more by the storm profile and the initial soil-water saturation deficit than by soil hydraulic properties.

ADHydro: A Large-scale High Resolution Multi-Physics Distributed Water Resources Model for Water Resource Simulations in a Parallel Computing Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

lai, W.; Steinke, R. C.; Ogden, F. L.

2013-12-01

Physics-based watershed models are useful tools for hydrologic studies, water resources management and economic analyses in the contexts of climate, land-use, and water-use changes. This poster presents development of a physics-based, high-resolution, distributed water resources model suitable for simulating large watersheds in a massively parallel computing environment. Developing this model is one of the objectives of the NSF EPSCoR RII Track II CI-WATER project, which is joint between Wyoming and Utah. The model, which we call ADHydro, is aimed at simulating important processes in the Rocky Mountain west, includes: rainfall and infiltration, snowfall and snowmelt in complex terrain, vegetation and evapotranspiration, soil heat flux and freezing, overland flow, channel flow, groundwater flow and water management. The ADHydro model uses the explicit finite volume method to solve PDEs for 2D overland flow, 2D saturated groundwater flow coupled to 1D channel flow. The model has a quasi-3D formulation that couples 2D overland flow and 2D saturated groundwater flow using the 1D Talbot-Ogden finite water-content infiltration and redistribution model. This eliminates difficulties in solving the highly nonlinear 3D Richards equation, while the finite volume Talbot-Ogden infiltration solution is computationally efficient, guaranteed to conserve mass, and allows simulation of the effect of near-surface groundwater tables on runoff generation. The process-level components of the model are being individually tested and validated. The model as a whole will be tested on the Green River basin in Wyoming and ultimately applied to the entire Upper Colorado River basin. ADHydro development has necessitated development of tools for large-scale watershed modeling, including open-source workflow steps to extract hydromorphological information from GIS data, integrate hydrometeorological and water management forcing input, and post-processing and visualization of large output data sets. The ADHydro model will be coupled with relevant components of the NOAH-MP land surface scheme and the WRF mesoscale meteorological model. Model objectives include well documented Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to facilitate modifications and additions by others. We will release the model as open-source in 2014 and begin establishing a users' community.

30 CFR 816.41 - Hydrologic-balance protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... minimizes acidic, toxic, or other harmful infiltration to ground-water systems and by managing excavations... water by preventing erosion, the formation of polluted runoff, and the infiltration of polluted water...

30 CFR 816.41 - Hydrologic-balance protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... minimizes acidic, toxic, or other harmful infiltration to ground-water systems and by managing excavations... water by preventing erosion, the formation of polluted runoff, and the infiltration of polluted water...

30 CFR 816.41 - Hydrologic-balance protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... minimizes acidic, toxic, or other harmful infiltration to ground-water systems and by managing excavations... water by preventing erosion, the formation of polluted runoff, and the infiltration of polluted water...

40 CFR 440.131 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... permitted. (e) Groundwater infiltration provision. In the event a new source subject to a no discharge requirement can demonstrate that groundwater infiltration contributes a substantial amount of water to the... volume of water equivalent to the amount of groundwater infiltration. This discharge shall be subject to...

40 CFR 440.131 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... permitted. (e) Groundwater infiltration provision. In the event a new source subject to a no discharge requirement can demonstrate that groundwater infiltration contributes a substantial amount of water to the... volume of water equivalent to the amount of groundwater infiltration. This discharge shall be subject to...

40 CFR 440.131 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... permitted. (e) Groundwater infiltration provision. In the event a new source subject to a no discharge requirement can demonstrate that groundwater infiltration contributes a substantial amount of water to the... volume of water equivalent to the amount of groundwater infiltration. This discharge shall be subject to...

Synchrotron X-ray studies of model SOFC cathodes, part II: Porous powder cathodes

DOE PAGES

Chang, Kee-Chul; Ingram, Brian; Ilavsky, Jan; ...

2017-10-28

Infiltrated La 0.6Sr 0.4Co 0.2Fe 0.8O 3-δ (LSCF) sintered porous powder cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells have been investigated by synchrotron ultra-small angle x-ray scattering (USAXS). Here, we demonstrated that atomic layer deposition (ALD) is the method for a uniform coating and liquid-phase infiltration for growing nanoscale particles on the porous LSCF surfaces. The MnO infiltrate, grown by ALD, forms a conformal layer with a uniform thickness throughout the pores evidenced by USAXS thickness fringes. The La 0.6Sr 0.4CoO 3 (LSC) and La 2Zr 2O 7 (LZO) infiltrates, grown by liquid-phase infiltration, were found to form nanoscale particles onmore » the surfaces of LSCF particles resulting in increased surface areas. In conclusion, impedance measurements suggest that the catalytic property of LSC infiltrate, not the increased surface area of LZO, is important for increasing oxygen reduction activities.« less

Synchrotron X-ray studies of model SOFC cathodes, part II: Porous powder cathodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, Kee-Chul; Ingram, Brian; Ilavsky, Jan

Infiltrated La 0.6Sr 0.4Co 0.2Fe 0.8O 3-δ (LSCF) sintered porous powder cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells have been investigated by synchrotron ultra-small angle x-ray scattering (USAXS). Here, we demonstrated that atomic layer deposition (ALD) is the method for a uniform coating and liquid-phase infiltration for growing nanoscale particles on the porous LSCF surfaces. The MnO infiltrate, grown by ALD, forms a conformal layer with a uniform thickness throughout the pores evidenced by USAXS thickness fringes. The La 0.6Sr 0.4CoO 3 (LSC) and La 2Zr 2O 7 (LZO) infiltrates, grown by liquid-phase infiltration, were found to form nanoscale particles onmore » the surfaces of LSCF particles resulting in increased surface areas. In conclusion, impedance measurements suggest that the catalytic property of LSC infiltrate, not the increased surface area of LZO, is important for increasing oxygen reduction activities.« less

Characterization and disinfection by-product formation potential of natural organic matter in surface and ground waters from Northern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rostad, C.E.; Leenheer, J.A.; Katz, B.; Martin, B.S.; Noyes, T.I.

2000-01-01

Streamwaters in northern Florida have large concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM), and commonly flow directly into the ground water system through karst features, such as sinkholes. In this study NOM from northern Florida stream and ground waters was fractionated, the fractions characterized by infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and then chlorinated to investigate their disinfection by-product (DBP) formation potential (FP). As the NOM character changed (as quantified by changes in NOM distribution in various fractions, such as hydrophilic acids or hydrophobic neutrals) due to migration through the aquifer, the total organic halide (TOX)-FP and trihalomethane (THM)-FP yield of each of these fractions varied also. In surface waters, the greatest DBP yields were produced by the colloid fraction. In ground waters, DBP yield of the hydrophobic acid fraction (the greatest in terms of mass) decreased during infiltration.

Variable infiltration and river flooding resulting in changing groundwater quality - A case study from Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miotliński, Konrad; Postma, Dieke; Kowalczyk, Andrzej

2012-01-01

SummaryThe changes in groundwater quality occurring in a buried valley aquifer following a reduction in groundwater exploitation and enhanced infiltration due to extensive flooding of the Odra River in 1997 were investigated. Long-time series data for the chemical composition of groundwater in a large well field for drinking water supply indicated the deterioration of groundwater quality in the wells capturing water from the flooded area, which had been intensively cultivated since the 1960s. Infiltration of flooded river water into the aquifer is suggested by an elevated chloride concentration, although salt flushing from the rewatered unsaturated zone due to the enhanced recharge event is much more feasible. Concomitantly with chloride increases in the concentrations of sulphate, ferrous iron, manganese, and nickel imply the oxidation of pyrite (FeS 2) which is abundant in the aquifer. The proton production resulting from pyrite oxidation is buffered by the dissolution of calcite, while the Ca:SO 4 stoichiometry of the groundwater indicates that pyrite oxidation coupled with nitrate reduction is the dominant process occurring in the aquifer. The pyritic origin of SO42- is confirmed by the sulphur isotopic composition. The resultant Fe 2+ increase induces Mn-oxide dissolution and the mobilisation of Ni 2+ previously adsorbed to Mn-oxide surfaces. The study has a major implication for groundwater quality prediction studies where there are considerable variations in water level associated with groundwater management and climate change issues.

[Characteristics of soil water infiltration in sub-alpine dark coniferous ecosystem of upper reaches of Yangtze River].

PubMed

Yu, Xinxiao; Zhao, Yutao; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Cheng, Genwei

2003-01-01

Dark coniferous forest is the predominant type of vegetation in the upper reaches of Yangtze River. Difference among different types of soil exists. The sand content of soil is higher and the soil texture is coarser in the early stage of forest succession. The sand content of soil decreases with the advancement of the forest succession while that of soil in Abies fabri over-mature forest is the lowest. In slope wash soil, the sand content of soil decreases with the increasing soil depth. The soil porosity and soil water-holding capacity increases and soil bulk density decreases with the advancement of forest succession and decrease of soil depth. The deeper soil depth or the smaller soil water content are, the smaller the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of soil measured by CGA method. Moreover, the correlation of soil water content with unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of soil can be simulated by an exponential function. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil decreases exponentially with the increasing soil depth. The time to attain the stable infiltration rate is different among different soil depth, while the deeper the soil depth is, the longer the time needs. The variation in soil texture, soil physical properties and the high infiltration rate of soil there implicated that there are scarce surface runoff, but abundant in subsurface flow, return flow and seepage, which is the result of regulation by dark coniferous forest on hydrological processes.

Uranium in the Surrounding of San Marcos-Sacramento River Environment (Chihuahua, Mexico)

PubMed Central

Rentería-Villalobos, Marusia; Cortés, Manuel Reyes; Mantero, Juan; Manjón, Guillermo; García-Tenorio, Rafael; Herrera, Eduardo; Montero-Cabrera, Maria Elena

2012-01-01

The main interest of this study is to assess whether uranium deposits located in the San Marcos outcrops (NW of Chihuahua City, Mexico) could be considered as a source of U-isotopes in its surrounding environment. Uranium activity concentrations were determined in biota, ground, and surface water by either alpha or liquid scintillation spectrometries. Major ions were analyzed by ICP-OES in surface water and its suspended matter. For determining uranium activity in biota, samples were divided in parts. The results have shown a possible lixiviation and infiltration of uranium from geological substrate into the ground and surface water, and consequently, a transfer to biota. Calculated annual effective doses by ingestion suggest that U-isotopes in biota could not negligibly contribute to the neighboring population dose. By all these considerations, it is concluded that in this zone there is natural enhancement of uranium in all environmental samples analyzed in the present work. PMID:22536148

An Induced Infiltration and Groundwater Transfer Project to Enhance Recharge in the Lower Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer: Modeling and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigby, J.; Haugh, C. J.; Barlow, J.

2015-12-01

The Lower Mississippi River Basin is one of the major agricultural production regions in the United States producing over two-thirds of the rice, nearly half of sugarcane produced in the U.S., as well as significant amounts of soybeans, corn, and cotton. While the region experiences over 50 inches of precipitation annually, reaching yield potential for crops requires irrigation. Approximately 75% of crop acres in the alluvial valley are irrigated, and the expectation is that all acreage will eventually be irrigated. Currently over 90% of water for crop irrigation is derived from the shallow alluvial aquifer outpacing net recharge by several million acre-feet per year. This has resulted in severe groundwater declines in Arkansas and an increasingly threatening situation in northwestern Mississippi. In Mississippi, direct injection has received increasing attention as a means of artificial recharge, though water quality remains a concern both for the integrity of the aquifer and efficiency of injection. This project considers the use of pumping wells near major rivers known to be in connection with the aquifer to induce additional infiltration of surface water by steepening local gradients. The pumped water would be transferred by pipeline to areas within the regional cone of depression where it is then injected to enhance groundwater recharge. Groundwater flow modeling with zone budget analysis is used to evaluate the potential for net supply gains from induced infiltration at potential sites along major rivers in the region. The groundwater model will further evaluate the impact of the transfer and direct injection on regional water tables.

High-resolution isotope measurements resolve rapid ecohydrological dynamics at the soil-plant interface.

PubMed

Volkmann, Till H M; Haberer, Kristine; Gessler, Arthur; Weiler, Markus

2016-05-01

Plants rely primarily on rainfall infiltrating their root zones - a supply that is inherently variable, and fluctuations are predicted to increase on most of the Earth's surface. Yet, interrelationships between water availability and plant use on short timescales are difficult to quantify and remain poorly understood. To overcome previous methodological limitations, we coupled high-resolution in situ observations of stable isotopes in soil and transpiration water. We applied the approach along with Bayesian mixing modeling to track the fate of (2) H-labeled rain pulses following drought through soil and plants of deciduous tree ecosystems. We resolve how rainwater infiltrates the root zones in a nonequilibrium process and show that tree species differ in their ability to quickly acquire the newly available source. Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) adjusted root uptake to vertical water availability patterns under drought, but readjustment toward the rewetted topsoil was delayed. By contrast, European beech (Fagus sylvatica) readily utilized water from all soil depths independent of water depletion, enabling faster uptake of rainwater. Our results demonstrate that species-specific plasticity and responses to water supply fluctuations on short timescales can now be identified and must be considered to predict vegetation functional dynamics and water cycling under current and future climatic conditions. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Design and routing of storm flows in an urbanized watershed without surface streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaad, David E.; Farley, Jon; Haynes, Criss

2009-09-01

SummaryIn the karst geologic setting of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA, the drainage network in the watersheds do not support surface streams, but depend entirely on sinkholes, solution cavities, or injection wells as discharge points for accumulated storm water. By providing a systematic framework for designing and routing storms in this geologic setting, functioning retention and attenuation structures have been developed which are protective of water quality while still safely discharging storm water in a controlled manner to the subsurface. This article provides a rationale for the design methodology and then examines the successful implementation of an attenuation and storm water retention design to manage the surface discharges for an entire watershed. By examining the pre-development flows and evaluating future land use patterns (i.e., installation of impermeable surfaces over large areas), as well as sinkhole conveyance capabilities, it was necessary to examine alternative disposal options for collected storm water as well as devise a basin-wide management strategy to coordinate future development of the watershed. Additionally, innovative water quality measures were implemented to help prevent contamination from preferentially infiltrating into the subsurface as a result of these land development activities.

A Reactive Transport Model for Marcellus Shale Weathering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; Heidari, P.; Jin, L.; Williams, J.; Brantley, S.

2017-12-01

Shale formations account for 25% of the land surface globally. One of the most productive shale-gas formations is the Marcellus, a black shale that is rich in organic matter and pyrite. As a first step toward understanding how Marcellus shale interacts with water, we developed a reactive transport model to simulate shale weathering under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, constrained by soil chemistry and water data. The simulation was carried out for 10,000 years, assuming bedrock weathering and soil genesis began right after the last glacial maximum. Results indicate weathering was initiated by pyrite dissolution for the first 1,000 years, leading to low pH and enhanced dissolution of chlorite and precipitation of iron hydroxides. After pyrite depletion, chlorite dissolved slowly, primarily facilitated by the presence of CO2 and organic acids, forming vermiculite as a secondary mineral. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important controls on weathering include the presence of reactive gases (CO2 and O2), specific surface area, and flow velocity of infiltrating meteoric water. The soil chemistry and mineralogy data could not be reproduced without including the reactive gases. For example, pyrite remained in the soil even after 10,000 years if O2 was not continuously present in the soil column; likewise, chlorite remained abundant and porosity remained small with the presence of soil CO2. The field observations were only simulated successfully when the specific surface areas of the reactive minerals were 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller than surface area values measured for powdered minerals, reflecting the lack of accessibility of fluids to mineral surfaces and potential surface coating. An increase in the water infiltration rate enhanced weathering by removing dissolution products and maintaining far-from-equilibrium conditions. We conclude that availability of reactive surface area and transport of H2O and gases are the most important factors affecting chemical weathering of the Marcellus shale in the shallow subsurface. This study documents the utility of reactive transport modeling for complex subsurface processes. Such modelling could be extended to understand interactions between injected fluids and Marcellus shale gas reservoirs at higher temperature and pressure.

Monitoring technologies for the evaluation of a Soil-Aquifer-Treatment system in coastal aquifer environments.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallioras, Andreas; Tsertou, Athanasia; Foglia, Laura; Bumberger, Jan; Vienken, Thomas; Dietrich, Peter; Schüth, Christoph

2014-05-01

Artificial recharge of groundwater has an important role to play in water reuse. Treated sewage effluent can be infiltrated into the ground for recharge of aquifers. As the effluent water moves through the soil and the aquifer, it undergoes significant quality improvements through physical, chemical, and biological processes in the underground environment. Collectively, these processes and the water quality improvement obtained are called soil-aquifer-treatment (SAT) or geopurification. Recharge systems for SAT can be designed as infiltration-recovery systems, where all effluent water is recovered as such from the aquifer, or after blending with native groundwater. SAT typically removes essentially all suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminthic eggs). Concentrations of synthetic organic carbon, phosphorous, and heavy metals are greatly reduced. The pilot site of LTCP will involve the employment of infiltration basins, which will be using waters of impaired quality as a recharge source, and hence acting as a Soil-Aquifer-Treatment, SAT, system. T he LTCP site will be employed as a pilot SAT system complemented by new technological developments, which will be providing continuous monitoring of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of infiltrating groundwater through all hydrologic zones (i.e. surface, unsaturated and saturated zone). This will be achieved through the development and installation of an integrated system of prototype sensors, installed on-site, and offering a continuous evaluation of the performance of the SAT system. An integrated approach of the performance evaluation of any operating SAT system should aim at parallel monitoring of all hydrologic zones, proving the sustainability of all involved water quality treatment processes within unsaturated and saturated zone. Hence a prototype system of Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) sensors will be developed, in order to achieve continuous quantitative monitoring of the unsaturated zone through the entire soil column down to significant depths below the SAT basin. The above technique will offer continuous monitoring of infiltration rates and possible mechanical clogging effects. The qualitative monitoring of the unsaturated zone will be achieved through the installation of appropriate pore-water samplers within a multi-level basis, ensuring repeatability of sampling of infiltrating water of impaired quality. This study also involves the qualitative and quantitative assessment of the Lavrion multi-aquifer system through continuous monitoring of the performance of (i) the alluvial aquifer and its potential for additional water treatment as well as (ii) the effects of the SAT system for countermeasuring seawater intrusion in the area of Lavrion. Additionally, setup and calibration of numerical flow and transport models for evaluating and optimizing different operational modes of the SAT system within both saturated and unsaturated zones will be conducted. The monitoring system will be connected to an ad-hoc wireless network for continuous data transfer within the SAT facilities. It is envisaged that the development and combined application of all the above technologies will provide an integrated monitoring platform for the evaluation of SAT system performance.

Fine gravel controls hydrologic and erodibility responses to trampling disturbance for coarse-textured soils with weak cyanobacterial crusts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrick, J.E.; Van Zee, J. W.; Belnap, J.; Johansen, J.R.; Remmenga, M.

2010-01-01

We compared short-term effects of lug-soled boot trampling disturbance on water infiltration and soil erodibility on coarse-textured soils covered by a mixture of fine gravel and coarse sand over weak cyanobacterially-dominated biological soil crusts. Trampling significantly reduced final infiltration rate and total infiltration and increased sediment generation from small (0.5m2) rainfall simulation plots (p<0.01). Trampling had no effect on time to runoff or time to peak runoff. Trampling had similar effects at sites with both low and very low levels of cyanobacterial biomass, as indicated by chlorophyll a concentrations. We concluded that trampling effects are relatively independent of differences in the relatively low levels of cyanobacterial biomass in this environment. Instead, trampling appears to reduce infiltration by significantly reducing the cover of gravel and coarse sand on the soil surface, facilitating the development of a physical crust during rainfall events. The results of this study underscore the importance of carefully characterizing both soil physical and biological properties to understand how disturbance affects ecosystem processes. ?? 2010.

Effects of rock fragments on water dynamics in a fire-affected soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordillo-Rivero, Ángel J.; García-Moreno, Jorge; Jordán, Antonio; Zavala, Lorena M.

2014-05-01

Rock fragments (RF) are common in the surface of Mediterranean semiarid soils, and have important effects on the soil physical (bulk density and porosity) and hydrological processes (infiltration, evaporation, splash erosion and runoff generation) (Poesen and Lavee, 1994; Rieke-Zapp et al., 2007). In some cases, RFs in Mediterranean areas have been shown to protect bare soils from erosion risk (Cerdà, 2001; Martínez-Zavala, Jordán, 2008; Zavala et al., 2010). Some of these effects are much more relevant when vegetation cover is low or has been reduced after land use change or other causes, as forest fires. Although very few studies exist, the interest on the hydrological effects of RFs in burned areas is increasing recently. After a forest fire, RFs may contribute significantly to soil recovery. In this research we have studied the effect of surface and embedded RFs on soil water control, infiltration and evaporation in calcareous fire-affected soils from a Mediterranean area (SW Spain). For this study, we selected an area with soils derived from limestone under holm oak forest, recently affected by a moderate severity forest fire. The proportion of RF cover showed a significant positive relation with soil water-holding capacity and infiltration rates, although infiltration rate reduced significantly when RF cover increased above a certain threshold. Soil evaporation rate decreased with increasing volumetric content of RFs and became stable with RF contents approximately above 30%. Evaporation also decreased with increasing RF cover. When RF cover increased above 50%, no significant differences were observed between burned and control vegetated plots. REFERENCES Poesen, J., Lavee, H. 1994. Rock fragments in top soils: significance and processes. Catena Supplement 23, 1-28. Cerdà, A. 2001. Effect of rock fragment cover on soil infiltration, interrill runoff and erosion. European Journal of Soil Science 52, 59-68. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2389.2001.00354.x. Rieke-Zapp, D., Poesen, J., Nearing, M.A. 2007. Effects of rock fragments incorporated in the soil matrix on concentrated flow hydraulics and erosion. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 32, 1063-1076. Martínez-Zavala, L., Jordán, A., 2008. Effect of rock fragment cover on interrill soil erosion from bare soils in Western Andalusia, Spain. Soil Use and Management 24, 108, 117. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-2743.2007.00139.x. Zavala, L.M., Jordán, A., Bellinfante, N., Gil, J. 2010. Relationships between rock fragment cover and soil hydrological response in a Mediterranean environment, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 56, 95-104. DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-0765.2009.00429.x.

Infiltration behaviour of elemental mercury DNAPL in fully and partially water saturated porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Aniello, Andrea; Hartog, Niels; Sweijen, Thomas; Pianese, Domenico

2018-02-01

Mercury is a contaminant of global concern due to its harmful effects on human health and for the detrimental consequences of its release in the environment. Sources of liquid elemental mercury are usually anthropogenic, such as chlor-alkali plants. To date insight into the infiltration behaviour of liquid elemental mercury in the subsurface is lacking, although this is critical for assessing both characterization and remediation approaches for mercury DNAPL contaminated sites. Therefore, in this study the infiltration behaviour of elemental mercury in fully and partially water saturated systems was investigated using column experiments. The properties affecting the constitutive relations governing the infiltration behaviour of liquid Hg0, and PCE for comparison, were determined using Pc(S) experiments with different granular porous media (glass beads and sands) for different two- and three-phase configurations. Results showed that, in water saturated porous media, elemental mercury, as PCE, acted as a non-wetting fluid. The required entry head for elemental mercury was higher (from about 5 to 7 times). However, due to the almost tenfold higher density of mercury, the required NAPL entry heads of 6.19 cm and 12.51 cm for mercury to infiltrate were 37.5% to 20.7% lower than for PCE for the same porous media. Although Leverett scaling was able to reproduce the natural tendency of Hg0 to be more prone than PCE to infiltrate in water saturated porous media, it considerably underestimated Hg0 infiltration capacity in comparison with the experimental results. In the partially water saturated system, in contrast with PCE, elemental mercury also acted as a nonwetting fluid, therefore having to overcome an entry head to infiltrate. The required Hg0 entry heads (10.45 and 15.74 cm) were considerably higher (68.9% and 25.8%) than for the water saturated porous systems. Furthermore, in the partially water saturated systems, experiments showed that elemental mercury displaced both air and water, depending on the initial water distribution within the pores. This indicates that the conventional wettability hierarchy, in which the NAPL has an intermediate wetting state between the air and the water phases, is not valid for liquid elemental mercury. Therefore, for future modelling of elemental mercury DNAPL infiltration behaviour in variably water saturated porous media, a different formulation of the governing constitutive relations will be required.

Stable isotopes of water as a natural tracer for infiltration into urban sewer systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kracht, O.; Gresch, M.; de Bénédittis, J.; Prigiobbe, V.; Gujer, W.

2003-04-01

An adequate understanding of the hydraulic interaction between leaky sewers and groundwater is essential for the sustainable management of both sewer systems and aquifers in urbanized areas. Undesirable infiltration of groundwater into sewers can contribute over 50% of the total discharge and is detrimental to treatment plant efficiency. On the other hand, in many European cities groundwater surface levels seem to be particularly controlled by the drainage effect of permeable sewer systems. However, nowadays methods for the quantification of these exchange processes are still subject to considerable uncertainties due to their underlying assumptions. The frequently used assumption that the night time minimum in the diurnal wastewater hydrograph is equal to the "parasitic discharge" has to be reconsidered to today's patterns of human life as well as to the long residence time of wastewater in the sewer networks of modern cities. The suitability of stable water isotopes as a natural tracer to differentiate the origin of water in the sewer ("real" wastewater or infiltrating groundwater) is currently investigated in three different catchment areas. The studies are carried out within the framework of the European research project APUSS (Assessing Infiltration and Exfiltration on the Performance of Urban Sewer Systems): 1) The village of Rümlang (Zürich, Switzerland) is predominantly served with drinking water from the Lake Zürich. A large fraction of the lakes water is derived from precipitation in the Alps. This drinking water represents the intrinsic provenience of the wastewater with an δ18O value around -11,5 per mill and δ^2H value around -82 per mill vs. SMOW. In contrast, the local groundwater is originating from precipitation in a moderate altitude of about 450 m above sea level and shows comparatively enriched mean δ18O values of -9,7 per mill and δ^2H values of -70 per mill with only small natural variations. The isotopic separation between these endmembers is basically sufficient to estimate the ratio of infiltrating water in the sewer. Uncertainties yet derive from varying amounts of local groundwater in the water supply mains. These will be substituted by additionally purchased lake water in the next experimental stage. 2) The experimental site Toraccia (suburb of Rome, Italy) obtains drinking water from the Peschiera springs group that is situated in the central Apennines chain about 90 km north east of Rome. This spring water is transported to Rome by an aqueduct. A first campaign revealed an average mains water δ18O value of -8,4 per mill and δ^2H value of -53 per mill. Potential sources of infiltration are occurrences of perched groundwater. These appear to be enriched compared to the drinking water about 2 to 3 per mill in the δ18O and 10 to 20 per mill in the δ^2H value, but show disadvantageous strong variations. 3) Investigations in the urban area of Lyon (France) benefit from the isotopic differences between underground waters originating from the two rivers Rhone and Saone and their associated alluvial aquifers. The oxygen isotope composition of the Rhone water is roughly 3 per mill lighter than that of the river Saone, due to the large differences in the mean altitude and topographic situation of their catchment basins. Considerable amounts of mains water are extracted by production wells in the Rhone aquifer. In consequence a usable difference in the oxygen isotope composition between wastewater and local groundwater of about 1.5 per mill is available for application studies in certain parts of the city.

The effects of artificial recharge on groundwater levels and water quality in the west hydrogeologic unit of the Warren subbasin, San Bernardino County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stamos, Christina L.; Martin, Peter; Everett, Rhett; Izbicki, John A.

2013-01-01

Between the late 1940s and 1994, groundwater levels in the Warren subbasin, California, declined by as much as 300 feet because pumping exceeded sparse natural recharge. In response, the local water district, Hi-Desert Water District, implemented an artificial-recharge program in early 1995 using imported water from the California State Water Project. Subsequently, the water table rose by as much as 250 feet; however, a study done by the U.S. Geological Survey found that the rising water table entrained high-nitrate septic effluent, which caused nitrate (as nitrogen) concentrations in some wells to increase to more than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter.. A new artificial-recharge site (site 3) was constructed in 2006 and this study, which started in 2004, was done to address concerns about the possible migration of nitrates in the unsaturated zone. The objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize the hydraulic, chemical, and microbiological properties of the unsaturated zone; (2) monitor changes in water levels and water quality in response to the artificial-recharge program at site 3; (3) determine if nitrates from septic effluent infiltrated through the unsaturated zone to the water table; (4) determine the potential for nitrates within the unsaturated zone to mobilize and contaminate the groundwater as the water table rises in response to artificial recharge; and (5) determine the presence and amount of dissolved organic carbon because of its potential to react with disinfection byproducts during the treatment of water for public use. Two monitoring sites were installed and instrumented with heat-dissipation probes, advanced tensiometers, suction-cup lysimeters, and wells so that the arrival and effects of recharging water from the State Water Project through the 250 to 425 foot-thick unsaturated zone and groundwater system could be closely observed. Monitoring site YVUZ-1 was located between two recharge ponds in the middle of site 3, and YVUZ-2 was located approximately 1,200 feet down-gradient and to the southeast in an area where septic systems have been in use since about 1960. Site YVUZ-3 only went to a depth of 42 feet and was used to sample the upper part of the unsaturated zone near a golf course. Prior to the start of artificial recharge at site 3, nitrate concentrations reported as nitrogen from the soil leachate below YVUZ-1 did not exceed 1.58 milligrams per kilogram. Nitrate-reducing bacteria concentrations of 4,300 most probable number were found at about 220 feet below land surface and at the top of the water table at YVUZ-1. Nitrate concentrations at YVUZ-2 reached a maximum concentration of about 25 milligrams per kilogram between about 100 and 121 feet below land surface; concentrations of nitrate-reducing or denitrifying bacteria were as high as 21,000 most probable number at 36 feet below land surface but did not exceed 40 most probable number below about 150 feet below land surface. Between June 2006 and September 2009, more than 9,800 acre feet of water from the State Water Project was released to site 3 ponds. The infiltration of the recharge water was predominantly vertical with limited lateral spreading to a depth of about 200 feet below land surface at YVUZ-1. Lateral spreading of the recharge water with depth was caused by geologic heterogeneities within the unsaturated zone, and resulted in varied arrival times of the recharge water to the instruments and slower rates of vertical movement with depth. No abrupt changes in soil moisture were observed at YVUZ-2, indicating that the recharge water had not reached that site by September 2009. Water levels from the monitoring wells at both sites and from five production wells nearby showed that the water table rose at a mean rate of about 0.08 feet per day between June 2006 and January 2009. The arrival of the water from the State Water Project caused relatively rapid changes in the stable-isotopic ratios from the lysimeters at YVUZ-1. The estimated average rate of infiltration of the recharge water through the unsaturated zone ranged from 3.7 to 25 feet per day. The recharge water arrived at the monitoring well below the recharge ponds between August 2007 and March 2008; the rate of vertical movement to the monitoring well was between 0.6 and 0.9 feet per day. By September 2008, a production well located 375 feet west of site 3 was producing almost 100 percent infiltrated recharge water. By contrast, the stable-isotope data from the lysimeters at YVUZ-2 showed that the recharge water had not reached this site by September 2009, but that septic effluent in the unsaturated zone likely had mixed with the native pore water to at least 154 feet below land surface. Assuming vertical infiltration, the minimum rate of infiltration of septic effluent since 1960 was about 3 feet per year. The isotopic data from the lysimeters at YVUZ-3 indicated two different sources of water to the upper 43 feet–irrigation-return flow and precipitation. Nitrate concentrations of the water from the State Water Project did not exceed 1 milligram per liter. Prior to artificial recharge, nitrate concentrations of the pore water at YVUZ-1 ranged between 6 to 18.2 milligrams per liter. After the arrival of the recharge water, the nitrate concentrations from the lysimeters and well at YVUZ-1 decreased to less than 1 milligram per liter, with the exception of samples collected at 205.5 feet, which did not exceed 4.12 milligrams per liter. The decrease in nitrate concentrations after artificial recharge indicated that the rising water table did not result in an increase of nitrates below YVUZ-1. At YVUZ-2, nitrate concentrations ranged between 12 to 479 milligrams per liter. The highest nitrate concentrations were at 92 feet below land surface and were almost seven times that of samples collected from a nearby septic tank. Nitrate concentrations from the lysimeter at 273 feet below land surface increased from 6 to almost 58 milligrams per liter after it was saturated by the rising water table in December 2007. These increases could be the result of the mobilization of high-nitrate water from regional sources of septic effluent after saturation, or the result of high-nitrate water present at the top of the water table that may be diluted deeper in the aquifer. Nitrate concentrations in groundwater from five nearby production wells and from both monitoring wells were less than 5 milligrams per liter before artificial recharge started. Nitrate concentrations decreased to less than 3 milligrams per liter in three of the production wells and the monitoring well below the recharge ponds after artificial recharge. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations were measured in the recharge water and groundwater because of the potential for dissolved organic carbon to react with chlorine to form trihalomethanes during the water-treatment process. The dissolved organic carbon concentrations of the recharge water were 3.1 milligrams per liter or less, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations of the groundwater were less than 1 milligram per liter. Even though recharge water was present in some of the wells by September 2008, the concentrations of both dissolved organic carbon and trihalomethane formation potential in the groundwater did not increase. Interpretation of these data suggests that the dissolved organic carbon from the recharge water is altered or metabolized in the unsaturated zone, either by absorption to the grain particles in the soil or by microbiological processes.

Modelling flow and heat transfer through unsaturated chalk - Validation with experimental data from the ground surface to the aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiéry, Dominique; Amraoui, Nadia; Noyer, Marie-Luce

2018-01-01

During the winter and spring of 2000-2001, large floods occurred in northern France (Somme River Basin) and southern England (Patcham area of Brighton) in valleys that are developed on Chalk outcrops. The floods durations were particularly long (more than 3 months in the Somme Basin) and caused significant damage in both countries. To improve the understanding of groundwater flooding in Chalk catchments, an experimental site was set up in the Hallue basin, which is located in the Somme River Basin (France). Unsaturated fractured chalk formation overlying the Chalk aquifer was monitored to understand its reaction to long and heavy rainfall events when it reaches a near saturation state. The water content and soil temperature were monitored to a depth of 8 m, and the matrix pressure was monitored down to the water table, 26.5 m below ground level. The monitoring extended over a 2.5-year period (2006-2008) under natural conditions and during two periods when heavy, artificial infiltration was induced. The objective of the paper is to describe a vertical numerical flow model based on Richards' equation using these data that was developed to simulate infiltrating rainwater flow from the ground surface to the saturated aquifer. The MARTHE computer code, which models the unsaturated-saturated continuum, was adapted to reproduce the monitored high saturation periods. Composite constitutive functions (hydraulic conductivity-saturation and pressure-saturation) that integrate the increase in hydraulic conductivity near saturation and extra available porosity resulting from fractures were introduced into the code. Using these composite constitutive functions, the model was able to accurately simulate the water contents and pressures at all depths over the entire monitored period, including the infiltration tests. The soil temperature was also accurately simulated at all depths, except during the infiltrations tests, which contributes to the model validation. The model was used to calculate the aquifer recharge over a long period that included droughts and floods. The calculated recharge is realistic as it makes it possible to simulate the corresponding monitored groundwater level data, which increases confidence in the modelling approach.

A new method for indirectly estimating infiltration of paddy fields in situ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yunqiang; Su, Baolin; Wang, Hongqi; He, Jingyi

2018-06-01

Infiltration is one of the major procedures in water balance research and pollution load estimation in paddy fields. In this study, a new method for indirectly estimating infiltration of paddy fields in situ was proposed and implemented in Taihu Lake basin. Since when there were no rainfall, irrigation and artificial drainage, the water depth variation process of a paddy field is only influenced by evapotranspiration and infiltration (E + F). Firstly, (E + F) was estimated by deciding the steady decreasing rate of water depth; then the evapotranspiration (ET) of the paddy field was calculated by using the crop coefficient method with the recommended FAO-56 Penman-Monteith equation; finally, the infiltration of the paddy field was obtained by subtracting ET from (E + F). Results show that the mean infiltration of the studied paddy field during rice jointing-booting period was 7.41 mm day-1, and the mean vertical infiltration and lateral seepage of the paddy field were 5.46 and 1.95 mm day-1 respectively.

Streamflow loss quantification for groundwater flow modeling using a wading-rod-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler in a headwater stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pflügl, Christian; Hoehn, Philipp; Hofmann, Thilo

2017-04-01

Irrespective of the availability of various field measurement and modeling approaches, the quantification of interactions between surface water and groundwater systems remains associated with high uncertainty. Such uncertainties on stream-aquifer interaction have a high potential to misinterpret the local water budget and water quality significantly. Due to typically considerable temporal variation of stream discharge rates, it is desirable for the measurement of streamflow to reduce the measuring duration while reducing uncertainty. Streamflow measurements, according to the velocity-area method, have been performed along reaches of a losing-disconnected, subalpine headwater stream using a 2-dimensional, wading-rod-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The method was chosen, with stream morphology not allowing for boat-mounted setups, to reduce uncertainty compared to conventional, single-point streamflow measurements of similar measurement duration. Reach-averaged stream loss rates were subsequently quantified between 12 cross sections. They enabled the delineation of strongly infiltrating stream reaches and their differentiation from insignificantly infiltrating reaches. Furthermore, a total of 10 near-stream observation wells were constructed and/or equipped with pressure and temperature loggers. The time series of near-stream groundwater temperature data were cross-correlated with stream temperature time series to yield supportive qualitative information on the delineation of infiltrating reaches. Subsequently, as a reference parameterization, the hydraulic conductivity and specific yield of a numerical, steady-state model of groundwater flow, in the unconfined glaciofluvial aquifer adjacent to the stream, were inversely determined incorporating the inferred stream loss rates. Applying synthetic sets of infiltration rates, resembling increasing levels of uncertainty associated with single-point streamflow measurements of comparable duration, the same inversion procedure was run. The volume-weighted mean of the respective parameter distribution within 200 m of stream periphery deviated increasingly from the reference parameterization at increasing deviation of infiltration rates.

18 CFR 430.13 - Protected area permits for new withdrawals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... approved by the Commission. (3) A program to monitor and control ground water infiltration to the receiving sewer system. The program must quantify ground water infiltration to the system and document reductions in infiltration. The program should include such measures as leakage surveys of sewer mains, metering...

18 CFR 430.13 - Protected area permits for new withdrawals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... approved by the Commission. (3) A program to monitor and control ground water infiltration to the receiving sewer system. The program must quantify ground water infiltration to the system and document reductions in infiltration. The program should include such measures as leakage surveys of sewer mains, metering...

18 CFR 430.13 - Protected area permits for new withdrawals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... approved by the Commission. (3) A program to monitor and control ground water infiltration to the receiving sewer system. The program must quantify ground water infiltration to the system and document reductions in infiltration. The program should include such measures as leakage surveys of sewer mains, metering...

18 CFR 430.13 - Protected area permits for new withdrawals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... approved by the Commission. (3) A program to monitor and control ground water infiltration to the receiving sewer system. The program must quantify ground water infiltration to the system and document reductions in infiltration. The program should include such measures as leakage surveys of sewer mains, metering...

Variably-saturated groundwater modeling for optimizing managed aquifer recharge using trench infiltration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, Victor M.; Benoit, Jerome; Healy, Richard W.

2015-01-01

Spreading-basin methods have resulted in more than 130 million cubic meters of recharge to the unconfined Navajo Sandstone of southern Utah in the past decade, but infiltration rates have slowed in recent years because of reduced hydraulic gradients and clogging. Trench infiltration is a promising alternative technique for increasing recharge and minimizing evaporation. This paper uses a variably saturated flow model to further investigate the relative importance of the following variables on rates of trench infiltration to unconfined aquifers: saturated hydraulic conductivity, trench spacing and dimensions, initial water-table depth, alternate wet/dry periods, and number of parallel trenches. Modeling results showed (1) increased infiltration with higher hydraulic conductivity, deeper initial water tables, and larger spacing between parallel trenches, (2) deeper or wider trenches do not substantially increase infiltration, (3) alternating wet/dry periods result in less overall infiltration than keeping the trenches continuously full, and (4) larger numbers of parallel trenches within a fixed area increases infiltration but with a diminishing effect as trench spacing becomes tighter. An empirical equation for estimating expected trench infiltration rates as a function of hydraulic conductivity and initial water-table depth was derived and can be used for evaluating feasibility of trench infiltration in other hydrogeologic settings

Hydrologic pathways and chemical composition of runoff during snowmelt in Loch Vale Watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denning, A. Scott; Baron, Jill S.; Mast, M. Alisa; Arthur, Mary

1991-01-01

Intensive sampling of a stream draining an alpine-subalpine basin revealed that depressions in pH and acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of surface water at the beginning of the spring snowmelt in 1987 and 1988 were not accompanied by increases in strong acid anions, and that surface waters did not become acidic (ANC<0). Samples of meltwater collected at the base of the snowpack in 1987 were acidic and exhibited distinct ‘pulses’ of nitrate and sulfate. Solutions collected with lysimeters in forest soils adjacent to the stream revealed high levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total Al. Peaks in concentration of DOC, Al, and nutrient species in the stream samples indicate a flush of soil solution into the surface water at the beginning of the melt. Infiltration of meltwater into soils and spatial heterogeneity in the timing of melting across the basin prevented stream and lake waters from becoming acidic.

Green-blue water in the city: quantification of impact of source control versus end-of-pipe solutions on sewer and river floods.

PubMed

De Vleeschauwer, K; Weustenraad, J; Nolf, C; Wolfs, V; De Meulder, B; Shannon, K; Willems, P

2014-01-01

Urbanization and climate change trends put strong pressures on urban water systems. Temporal variations in rainfall, runoff and water availability increase, and need to be compensated for by innovative adaptation strategies. One of these is stormwater retention and infiltration in open and/or green spaces in the city (blue-green water integration). This study evaluated the efficiency of three adaptation strategies for the city of Turnhout in Belgium, namely source control as a result of blue-green water integration, retention basins located downstream of the stormwater sewers, and end-of-pipe solutions based on river flood control reservoirs. The efficiency of these options is quantified by the reduction in sewer and river flood frequencies and volumes, and sewer overflow volumes. This is done by means of long-term simulations (100-year rainfall simulations) using an integrated conceptual sewer-river model calibrated to full hydrodynamic sewer and river models. Results show that combining open, green zones in the city with stormwater retention and infiltration for only 1% of the total city runoff area would lead to a 30 to 50% reduction in sewer flood volumes for return periods in the range 10-100 years. This is due to the additional surface storage and infiltration and consequent reduction in urban runoff. However, the impact of this source control option on downstream river floods is limited. Stormwater retention downstream of the sewer system gives a strong reduction in peak discharges to the receiving river. However due to the difference in response time between the sewer and river systems, this does not lead to a strong reduction in river flood frequency. The paper shows the importance of improving the interface between urban design and water management, and between sewer and river flood management.

Evaluation of a distributed catchment scale water balance model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troch, Peter A.; Mancini, Marco; Paniconi, Claudio; Wood, Eric F.

1993-01-01

The validity of some of the simplifying assumptions in a conceptual water balance model is investigated by comparing simulation results from the conceptual model with simulation results from a three-dimensional physically based numerical model and with field observations. We examine, in particular, assumptions and simplifications related to water table dynamics, vertical soil moisture and pressure head distributions, and subsurface flow contributions to stream discharge. The conceptual model relies on a topographic index to predict saturation excess runoff and on Philip's infiltration equation to predict infiltration excess runoff. The numerical model solves the three-dimensional Richards equation describing flow in variably saturated porous media, and handles seepage face boundaries, infiltration excess and saturation excess runoff production, and soil driven and atmosphere driven surface fluxes. The study catchments (a 7.2 sq km catchment and a 0.64 sq km subcatchment) are located in the North Appalachian ridge and valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Hydrologic data collected during the MACHYDRO 90 field experiment are used to calibrate the models and to evaluate simulation results. It is found that water table dynamics as predicted by the conceptual model are close to the observations in a shallow water well and therefore, that a linear relationship between a topographic index and the local water table depth is found to be a reasonable assumption for catchment scale modeling. However, the hydraulic equilibrium assumption is not valid for the upper 100 cm layer of the unsaturated zone and a conceptual model that incorporates a root zone is suggested. Furthermore, theoretical subsurface flow characteristics from the conceptual model are found to be different from field observations, numerical simulation results, and theoretical baseflow recession characteristics based on Boussinesq's groundwater equation.

Alteration of soil hydraulic properties and soil water repellency by fire and vegetation succession in a sagebrush steppe ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandler, D. G.; Seyfried, M. S.

2016-12-01

This study explores the impacts of fire and plant community succession on soil water repellency (SWR) and infiltration properties to improve understanding the long term impacts of prescribed fire on SWR and infiltration properties in sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. The objectives of this study were: 1) To explore the temporal effects of prescribed burning in sagebrush dominated landscape; 2) To investigate spatial variability of soil hydrologic properties; 3) To determine the relationship among soil organic fraction, soil hydrophobicity and infiltration properties. Fieldwork was conducted in paired catchments with three dominant vegetation cover communities: Low sage, big mountain sage and aspen. Detailed, heavily replicated analyses were conducted for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, sorptivity water drop penetration time and static soil-water-air contact angle. The results show that the severity and presence of surface soil water repellency were considerably reduced six years after fire and that hydraulic conductivity increased significantly in each vegetation cover compared to pre-burn condition. Comparisons among soil hydrological properties shows that hydraulic conductivity is not strongly related to SWR, and that sorptivity is negatively correlated with SWR. The spatial variance of hydraulic properties within the burned high sage and low sage, in particularly, spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity is basically controlled by soil texture and sorptivity is affected by soil wettability. The average water repellency in Low Sage area was significantly different with Big Sage and Aspen as the gap of organic content between Low Sage and other vegetation area. The result of contact angle measurement and organic content analysis shows a strong positive correlation between SWR and organic matter.

Infiltration from an impoundment for coal‐bed natural gas, Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Evolution of water and sediment chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, Richard W.; Rice, Cynthia A.; Bartos, Timothy T.; P. McKinley, Michael

2008-01-01

Development of coal‐bed natural gas (CBNG) in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, has increased substantially in recent years. Among environmental concerns associated with this development is the fate of groundwater removed with the gas. A preferred water‐management option is storage in surface impoundments. As of January 2007, permits for more than 4000 impoundments had been issued within Wyoming. A study was conducted on changes in water and sediment chemistry as water from an impoundment infiltrated the subsurface. Sediment cores were collected prior to operation of the impoundment and after its closure and reclamation. Suction lysimeters were used to collect water samples from beneath the impoundment. Large amounts of chloride (12,300 kg) and nitrate (13,500 kg as N), most of which accumulated naturally in the sediments over thousands of years, were released into groundwater by infiltrating water. Nitrate was more readily flushed from the sediments than chloride. If sediments at other impoundment locations contain similar amounts of chloride and nitrate, impoundments already permitted could release over 48 × 106 kg of chloride and 52 × 106 kg of nitrate into groundwater in the basin. A solute plume with total dissolved solid (TDS) concentrations at times exceeding 100,000 mg/L was created in the subsurface. TDS concentrations in the plume were substantially greater than those in the CBNG water (about 2300 mg/L) and in the ambient shallow groundwater (about 8000 mg/L). Sulfate, sodium, and magnesium are the dominant ions in the plume. The elevated concentrations are attributed to cation‐exchange‐enhanced gypsum dissolution. As gypsum dissolves, calcium goes into solution and is exchanged for sodium and magnesium on clays. Removal of calcium from solution allows further gypsum dissolution.

Gullies and Voids

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-05

Intricate gullies have formed on the northern wall of this impact crater located in the Terra Cimmeria region in this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). This crater may have formed in a region rich in ground water. This ground water likely flowed down the wall, eventually eroding numerous gullies while carrying sediments to form fan deposits. Ultimately the water likely infiltrated and froze beneath the surface. Other hypotheses say gullies form through carbon dioxide frost avalanches that we can see today. What about this chain of pits snaking their way downhill? After material was transported, subsurface voids may have formed, removing support for the overlying material. The collapse of the surface into the cavities below likely resulted in the pits and troughs, perhaps beginning a new cycle of gully formation. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22239

Selected techniques for monitoring water movement through unsaturated alluvium during managed aquifer recharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nawikas, Joseph M.; O'Leary, David R.; Izbicki, John A.; Burgess, Matthew K.

2016-10-21

Managed aquifer recharge is used to augment natural recharge to aquifers. It can be used to replenish aquifers depleted by pumping or to store water during wetter years for withdrawal during drier years. Infiltration from ponds is a commonly used, inexpensive approach for managed aquifer recharge.At some managed aquifer-recharge sites, the time when infiltrated water arrives at the water table is not always clearly shown by water-level data. As part of site characterization and operation, it can be desirable to track downward movement of infiltrated water through the unsaturated zone to identify when it arrives at the water table.

Road impacts on the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado, with emphasis on effects to surface- and shallow ground-water hydrology - A literature review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andersen, Douglas C.

2007-01-01

A review of published research on unpaved road effects on surface-water and shallow ground-water hydrology was undertaken to assist the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado, in understanding factors potentially influencing refuge ecology. Few studies were found that addressed hydrological effects of roads on a comparable area of shallow slope in a semiarid region. No study dealt with road effects on surface- and ground-water supplies to ephemeral wetlands, which on the refuge are sustained by seasonal snowmelt in neighboring mountains. Road surfaces increase runoff, reduce infiltration, and serve as a sediment source. Roadbeds can interfere with normal surface- and ground-water flows and thereby influence the quantity, timing, and duration of water movement both across landscapes and through the soil. Hydrologic effects can be localized near the road as well as widespread and distant. The number, arrangement, and effectiveness of road-drainage structures (culverts and other devices) largely determine the level of hydrologic alteration produced by a road. Undesirable changes to natural hydrologic patterns can be minimized by considering potential impacts during road design, construction, and maintenance. Road removal as a means to restore desirable hydrologic conditions to landscapes adversely affected by roads has yet to be rigorously evaluated.

MX Siting Investigation Water Resources Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-10-31

bedrock units are highly dependent upon the degree of secondary permeability ( fractures and solution open- ings). Although the first unit is believed to...the Fortification Range. Carbonate rocks, largely limestone and dolomite , are exposed in the Bristol and Highland I ranges. Deposits composing the...infiltration of precipitation, surface runoff, and subsurface underflow from fractured or solutioned volcanic and/or carbonate bedrock. Recharge by di- Irect

Comparison of drop size and velocity measurements by a laser precipitation meter and low-speed photography for an agriculture sprinkler

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Kinetic energy of water droplets has a substantial effect on development of a soil surface seal and infiltration rate of bare soil. Methods for measuring sprinkler droplet size and velocity needed to calculate droplet kinetic energy have been developed and tested over the past 50 years, each with ad...

Quantification and mapping of surface residue cover and tillage practices for maize and soybean fields in south central Nebraska-USA using Landsat imagery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The area cultivated under conservation tillage practices such as no-till and minimal tillage has recently increased in south central Nebraska (NE). Consequently, changes in some of the impacts of cropping systems on soil such as enhancing soil and water quality, improving soil structures and infiltr...

Using physical parameters and geographic information system analyses to predict potential riparian restoration sites for giant cane in southern Illinois

Treesearch

Amanda M. Nelson; Timothy J. Stoebner; Jon E. Schoonover; Karl W.J. Williard

2014-01-01

Riparian buffers have been widely advocated as a best management practice for improving stream and lake water quality. Giant cane (Arundinaria gigantean) is a good candidate to include in multispecies riparian buffers designs, as it promotes infiltration of surface runoff and deposition of sediment and associated nutrients. To examine the potential...

Methods to Use Surface Infiltration Tests in Permeable Pavement Systems to Determine Maintenance Frequency

EPA Science Inventory

Currently, there is limited guidance on selecting test sites to measure surface infiltration rates in permeable pavement systems to determine maintenance frequency. The ASTM method (ASTM C1701) for measuring infiltration rate of in-place pervious concrete suggest to either (1) p...

Methodology to assess water presence on speleothems during periods of low precipitation, with implications for recharge sources - Kartchner Caverns, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blasch, Kyle W.

2011-01-01

Beginning in January 2005, recharge processes and the presence of water on speleothems were monitored in Kartchner Caverns during a 44-month period when annual rainfall rates were 6 to 18 percent below the long-term mean. Electrical-resistance sensors designed to detect the presence of water were used to identify ephemeral streamflow in the channels overlying the cave as well as the movement of water within the cave system. Direct infiltration of precipitation through overhead rocks provided consistent inflow to the cave, but precipitation rates and subsequent infiltration rates were reduced during the comparatively dry years. Ephemeral stream-channel recharge through autogenic and allogenic processes, the predominant recharge mechanism during wetter periods, was limited to two low-volume events. From visual observations, it appeared that recharge from channel infiltration was equal to or less than recharge from overhead infiltration. Electrical-resistance sensors were able to detect thin films of water on speleothems, including stalactites, ribbons, and stalagmites. These films of water were directly attributed to overhead infiltration of precipitation. Periods of low precipitation resulted in decreased speleothem wetness.

Measuring surface-water loss in Honouliuli Stream near the ‘Ewa Shaft, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosa, Sarah N.

2017-05-30

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply is currently concerned with the possibility of bacteria in the pumped water of the ‘Ewa Shaft (State well 3-2202-21). Groundwater from the ‘Ewa Shaft could potentially be used to meet future potable water needs in the ‘Ewa area on the island of O‘ahu. The source of the bacteria in the pumped water is unknown, although previous studies indicate that surface water may be lost to the subsurface near the site. The ‘Ewa Shaft consists of a vertical shaft, started near the south bank of Honouliuli Stream at an altitude of about 161 feet, and two horizontal infiltration tunnels near sea level. The shaft extracts groundwater from near the top of the freshwater lens in the Waipahu-Waiawa aquifer system within the greater Pearl Harbor Aquifer Sector, a designated Water Management Area.The surface-water losses were evaluated with continuous groundwater-level data from the ‘Ewa Shaft and a nearby monitoring well, continuous stream-discharge data from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 16212490 (Honouliuli Stream at H-1 Freeway near Waipahu), and seepage-run measurements in Honouliuli Stream and its tributary. During storms, discharge at the Honouliuli Stream gaging station increases and groundwater levels at ‘Ewa Shaft and a nearby monitoring well also increase. The concurrent increase in water levels at ‘Ewa Shaft and the nearby monitoring well during storms indicates that regional groundwater-level changes related to increased recharge, reduced withdrawals (due to a decrease in demand during periods of rainfall), or both may be occurring; although these data do not preclude the possibility of local recharge from Honouliuli Stream. Discharge measurements from two seepage runs indicate that surface water in the immediate area adjacent to ‘Ewa Shaft infiltrates into the streambed and may later reach the groundwater system developed by the ‘Ewa Shaft. The estimated seepage loss rates in the vicinity of ‘Ewa Shaft from the two seepage runs generally ranged from 0.27 to 1.78 million gallons per day per mile of stream reach; although higher seepage rates may occur during periods of higher discharge in Honouliuli Stream. A potential source of bacteria in ‘Ewa Shaft maybe related to seepage from Honouliuli Stream; however, other sources of bacteria were not studied and cannot be excluded.

How internal drainage affects evaporation dynamics from soil surfaces ?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Or, D.; Lehmann, P.; Sommer, M.

2017-12-01

Following rainfall, infiltrated water may be redistributed internally to larger depths or lost to the atmosphere by evaporation (and by plant uptake from depths at longer time scales). A large fraction of evaporative losses from terrestrial surfaces occurs during stage1 evaporation during which phase change occurs at the wet surface supplied by capillary flow from the soil. Recent studies have shown existence of a soil-dependent characteristic length below which capillary continuity is disrupted and a drastic shift to slower stage 2 evaporation ensues. Internal drainage hastens this transition and affect evaporative losses. To predict the transition to stage 2 and associated evaporative losses, we developed an analytical solution for evaporation dynamics with concurrent internal drainage. Expectedly, evaporative losses are suppressed when drainage is considered to different degrees depending on soil type and wetness. We observe that high initial water content supports rapid drainage and thus promotes the sheltering of soil water below the evaporation depth. The solution and laboratory experiments confirm nonlinear relationship between initial water content and total evaporative losses. The concept contributes to establishing bounds on regional surface evaporation considering rainfall characteristics and soil types.

An update of the distribution of selected radiochemical and chemical constituents in perched ground water, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, Emphasis 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Linda C.

2006-01-01

Radiochemical and chemical wastes generated at facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) were discharged since 1952 to infiltration ponds at the Reactor Technology Complex (RTC) (known as the Test Reactor Area [TRA] until 2005), and the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) and buried at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). Disposal of wastewater to infiltration ponds and infiltration of surface water at waste burial sites resulted in formation of perched ground water in basalts and in sedimentary interbeds above the Snake River Plain aquifer. Perched ground water is an integral part of the pathway for waste-constituent migration to the aquifer. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains ground-water monitoring networks at the INL to determine hydrologic trends, and to monitor the movement of radiochemical and chemical constituents in wastewater discharged from facilities to both perched ground water and the aquifer. This report presents an analysis of water-quality and water-level data collected from wells completed in perched ground water at the INL during 1999-2001, and summarizes historical disposal data and water-level-and water-quality trends. At the RTC, tritium, strontium-90, cesium-137, dissolved chromium, chloride, sodium, and sulfate were monitored in shallow and deep perched ground water. In shallow perched ground water, no tritium was detected above the reporting level. In deep perched ground water, tritium concentrations generally decreased or varied randomly during 1999-2001. During October 2001, tritium concentrations ranged from less than the reporting level to 39.4?1.4 picocuries per milliliter (pCi/mL). Reportable concentrations of tritium during July-October 2001 were smaller than the reported concentrations measured during July-December 1998. Tritium concentrations in water from wells at the RTC were likely affected by: well's distance from the radioactive-waste infiltration ponds (commonly referred to as the warm-waste ponds); water depth below the ponds; the amount of tritium discharged to radioactive-waste infiltration ponds in the past; discontinued use of radioactive-waste infiltration ponds; radioactive decay; and dilution from disposal of nonradioactive water. During 1999-2001, the strontium-90 concentrations in two wells completed in shallow perched water near the RTC exceeded the reporting level. Strontium-90 concentrations in water from wells completed in deep perched ground water at the RTC varied randomly with time. During October 2001, concentrations in water from five wells exceeded the reporting level and ranged from 2.8?0.7 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) in well USGS 63 to 83.8?2.1 pCi/L in well USGS 54. No reportable concentrations of cesium-137, chromium-51, or cobalt-60 were present in water samples from any of the shallow or deep wells at the RTC during 1999-2001. Dissolved chromium was not detected in shallow perched ground water at the RTC during 1999-2001. Concentrations of dissolved chromium during July-October 2001 in deep perched ground water near the RTC ranged from 10 micrograms per liter (?g/L) in well USGS 61 to 82 ?g/L in well USGS 55. The largest concentrations were in water from wells north and west of the radioactive-waste infiltration ponds. During July-October 2001, dissolved sodium concentrations ranged from 7 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in well USGS 78 to 20 mg/L in all wells except well USGS 68 (413 mg/L). Dissolved chloride concentrations in shallow perched ground water ranged from 10 mg/L in wells CWP 1, 3, and 4 to 53 mg/L in well TRA A 13 during 1999-2001. Dissolved chloride concentrations in deep perched ground water ranged from 5 mg/L in well USGS 78 to 91 mg/L in well USGS 73. The maximum dissolved sulfate concentration in shallow perched ground water was 419 mg/L in well CWP 1 during July 2000. Concentrations of dissolved sulfate in water from wells USGS 54, 60

40 CFR 440.144 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters... of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the make up water required...

40 CFR 440.144 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters... of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the make up water required...

Water infiltration and hydraulic conductivity in a natural Mediterranean oak forest: impacts of hydrology-oriented silviculture on soil hydraulic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Prima, Simone; Bagarello, Vincenzo; Bautista, Inmaculada; Cerdà, Artemi; Cullotta, Sebastiano; del Campo, Antonio; González-Sanchis, María; Iovino, Massimo; Maetzke, Federico

2016-04-01

In the last years researchers reported an increasing need to have more awareness on the intimate link between land use and soil hydrological properties (soil organic matter storage, water infiltration, hydraulic conductivity) and their possible effects on water retention (e.g., Bens et al., 2006; del Campo et al., 2014; González-Sanchis et al., 2015; Molina and del Campo, 2012). In the Mediterranean ecosystems, special attention needs to be paid to the forest-water relationships due to the natural scarcity of water. Adaptive forest management (AFM) aims to adapt the forest to water availability by means of an artificial regulation of the forest structure and density in order to promote tree and stand resilience through enhancing soil water availability (del Campo et al., 2014). The opening of the canopy, due to the removal of a certain number of trees, is an important practice for the management of forests. It results in important modifications to the microclimatic conditions that influence the ecophysiological functioning of trees (Aussenac and Granier, 1988). However, the effect of thinning may vary depending on the specific conditions of the forest (Andréassian, 2004; Brooks et al., 2003; Cosandey et al., 2005; Lewis et al., 2000; Molina and del Campo, 2012). Different authors reported that a reduction in forest cover increases water yield due to the subsequent reduction in evapotranspiration (Brooks et al., 2003; González-Sanchis et al., 2015; Hibbert, 1983; Zhang et al., 2001). On the other hand, the water increase may be easily evaporated from the soil surface (Andréassian, 2004). In this context, determining soil hydraulic properties in forests is essential for understanding and simulating the hydrological processes (Alagna et al., 2015; Assouline and Mualem, 2002), in order to adapt a water-saving management to a specific case, or to study the effects of a particular management practice. However, it must be borne in mind that changes brought about by the practice of forest management persist for almost one century. It is therefore important to monitor managed sites over longer periods, since short-term investigations are insufficient to detect changes that may influence e.g. larger parts of watersheds (Bens et al., 2006). In addition, soil hydraulic properties exhibit strong spatial and temporal variations and a large number of determinations are required to assess the magnitude of the variation within the selected area (Logsdon and Jaynes, 1996). The use of simple and rapid field techniques is therefore important to obtain reliable data with a sustainable effort (Bagarello et al., 2014; Di Prima et al., 2016). The Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer (BEST) parameters procedure by Lassabatere et al. (2006) is very attractive for practical use since it allows an estimation of both the soil water retention and the hydraulic conductivity functions from cumulative infiltration collected during a ponded field experiment and a few routinely laboratory determinations. Lassabatere et al. (2006) suggested to measure the infiltration time of small volumes of water repeatedly poured on the soil surface confined by a ring inserted to a depth of about 1 cm into the soil. BEST considers a zero ponded infiltration model which was assumed to be appropriate for an infiltration run performed with small, but positive, pressure heads. This assumption was supported by numerical tests carried out by Touma et al. (2007). Recently, Di Prima (2015) developed a method to automate data collection with a compact infiltrometer under constant head conditions. The device, maintaining a small quasi-constant head of water (i.e., 2-3 mm) on the infiltration surface, is equipped with a differential pressure transducer to measure the stepwise drop of water level in the reservoir, and, in turn, to quantify cumulative infiltration into the soil. The data acquisition system has been designed with low cost components and it is based on the open source microcontroller platform, Arduino. The very limited cost of the system could represent a step towards a cheaper and more widespread application of accurate and automated infiltration rate measurement. However, automatic data collection increases measurement speed, permits measurement at short time intervals, improves measurement precision, allows for more efficient data handling and analysis, and reduces the amount of effort involved and the potential for errors that may occur when manual procedures are applied (Di Prima et al., 2016). The main objective of this study was to determine soil hydraulic properties by using the combination of the automated infiltrometer and the BEST algorithm in a natural Mediterranean oak forest. The forest is located in a typical Mediterranean area, within the public forest La Hunde, Valencia (NE Spain). Two contiguous plots established in previous studies conducted by González-Sanchis et al. (2015) were selected, one of them was thinned reducing the forest density from 861 to 414 tree per ha. Control plot was not thinned. These authors studied the water cycle during the period 2012-2013. In particular, they characterized and compared the plots in term of throughfall, stemflow, soil moisture and transpiration, concluding that the AFM results in an increasing water availability, and at the same time in a substantial maintenance of overland and surface flow, precluding therefore enhancement of erosion rate. In this paper, the focus was put on the impacts of thinning on soil hydraulic properties, such as infiltration capacity, hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention, determined by simplified and low-cost methods in connection with a hydrology-oriented silviculture. Acknowledgements This study is a part of research projects: "Indagini sperimentali per la simulazione dei processi di formazione del deflusso superficiale nei suoli boscati, Progetto FIRB 2012 - MIMOSE", and "CGL2011-28776-C02-02, HYDROSIL" References Alagna, V., Bagarello, V., Di Prima, S., Iovino, M., 2015. Determining hydraulic properties of a loam soil by alternative infiltrometer techniques. Hydrol. Process. doi:10.1002/hyp.10607 Andréassian, V., 2004. Waters and forests: from historical controversy to scientific debate. Journal of Hydrology 291, 1-27. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2003.12.015 Assouline, S., Mualem, Y., 2002. Infiltration during soil sealing: The effect of areal heterogeneity of soil hydraulic properties. Water Resour. Res. 38, 1286. doi:10.1029/2001WR001168 Aussenac, G., Granier, A., 1988. Effects of thinning on water stress and growth in Douglas-fir. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 18, 100-105. doi:10.1139/x88-015 Bagarello, V., Di Prima, S., Iovino, M., Provenzano, G., 2014. Estimating field-saturated soil hydraulic conductivity by a simplified Beerkan infiltration experiment. Hydrological Processes 28, 1095-1103. doi:10.1002/hyp.9649 Bens, O., Wahl, N.A., Fischer, H., Hüttl, R.F., 2006. Water infiltration and hydraulic conductivity in sandy cambisols: impacts of forest transformation on soil hydrological properties. Eur J Forest Res 126, 101-109. doi:10.1007/s10342-006-0133-7 Brooks, K.N., Folliott, P.F., Gregersen, H.M., DeBano, L.F., 2003. Hydrology and the Management of Watersheds. Hydrology and the Management of Watersheds 575. Cosandey, C., Andréassian, V., Martin, C., Didon-Lescot, J.F., Lavabre, J., Folton, N., Mathys, N., Richard, D., 2005. The hydrological impact of the mediterranean forest: a review of French research. Journal of Hydrology 301, 235-249. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2004.06.040 del Campo, A.D., Fernandes, T.J.G., Molina, A.J., 2014. Hydrology-oriented (adaptive) silviculture in a semiarid pine plantation: How much can be modified the water cycle through forest management? European Journal of Forest Research 133, 879-894. doi:10.1007/s10342-014-0805-7 Di Prima, S., 2015. Automated single ring infiltrometer with a low-cost microcontroller circuit. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 118, 390-395. doi:10.1016/j.compag.2015.09.022 Di Prima, S., Lassabatere, L., Bagarello, V., Iovino, M., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., 2016. Testing a new automated single ring infiltrometer for Beerkan infiltration experiments. Geoderma 262, 20-34. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.006 González-Sanchis, M., del Campo, A., Lidón, A., Lull, C., Bautista, I., García-Prats, A., Francés, F., others, 2015. Incorporación de criterios eco-hidrológicos en la gestión forestal: adaptación a la escasez de agua de una masa marginal de encina. Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales. Hibbert, A.R., 1983. Water Yield Improvement Potential by Vegetation Management on Western Rangelands1. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association 19, 375-381. doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.1983.tb04594.x Lassabatère, L., Angulo-Jaramillo, R., Soria Ugalde, J.M., Cuenca, R., Braud, I., Haverkamp, R., 2006. Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer Parameters through Infiltration Experiments - BEST. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70, 521. doi:10.2136/sssaj2005.0026 Lewis, D., Singer, M.J., Dahlgren, R.A., Tate, K.W., 2000. Hydrology in a California oak woodland watershed: a 17-year study. Journal of Hydrology 240, 106-117. doi:10.1016/S0022-1694(00)00337-1 Logsdon, S.D., Jaynes, D.B., 1996. Spatial Variability of Hydraulic Conductivity in a Cultivated Field at Different Times. Soil Science Society of America Journal 60, 703. doi:10.2136/sssaj1996.03615995006000030003x Molina, A.J., del Campo, A.D., 2012. The effects of experimental thinning on throughfall and stemflow: A contribution towards hydrology-oriented silviculture in Aleppo pine plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 269, 206-213. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.12.037 Touma, J., Voltz, M., Albergel, J., 2007. Determining soil saturated hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity from single ring infiltration tests. European Journal of Soil Science 58, 229-238. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2389.2006.00830.x Zhang, L., Dawes, W.R., Walker, G.R., 2001. Response of mean annual evapotranspiration to vegetation changes at catchment scale. Water Resour. Res. 37, 701-708. doi:10.1029/2000WR900325

On improving cold region hydrological processes in the Canadian Land Surface Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganji, Arman; Sushama, Laxmi; Verseghy, Diana; Harvey, Richard

2017-01-01

Regional and global climate model simulated streamflows for high-latitude regions show systematic biases, particularly in the timing and magnitude of spring peak flows. Though these biases could be related to the snow water equivalent and spring temperature biases in models, a good part of these biases is due to the unaccounted effects of non-uniform infiltration capacity of the frozen ground and other related processes. In this paper, the treatment of frozen water in the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS), which is used in the Canadian regional and global climate models, is modified to include fractional permeable area, supercooled liquid water and a new formulation for hydraulic conductivity. The impact of these modifications on the regional hydrology, particularly streamflow, is assessed by comparing three simulations performed with the original and two modified versions of CLASS, driven by atmospheric forcing data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) reanalysis (ERA-Interim) for the 1990-2001 period over a northeast Canadian domain. The two modified versions of CLASS differ in the soil hydraulic conductivity and matric potential formulations, with one version being based on formulations from a previous study and the other one is newly proposed. Results suggest statistically significant decreases in infiltration and therefore soil moisture during the snowmelt season for the simulation with the new hydraulic conductivity and matric potential formulations and fractional permeable area concept compared to the original version of CLASS, which is also reflected in the increased spring surface runoff and streamflows in this simulation with modified CLASS over most of the study domain. The simulated spring peaks and their timing in this simulation are also in better agreement to those observed. This study thus demonstrates the importance of treatment of frozen water for realistic simulation of streamflows.

Investigating the spatio-temporal variability in groundwater and surface water interactions: a multi-technique approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unland, N. P.; Cartwright, I.; Andersen, M. S.; Rau, G. C.; Reed, J.; Gilfedder, B. S.; Atkinson, A. P.; Hofmann, H.

2013-09-01

The interaction between groundwater and surface water along the Tambo and Nicholson rivers, southeast Australia, was investigated using 222Rn, Cl, differential flow gauging, head gradients, electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature profiles. Head gradients, temperature profiles, Cl concentrations and 222Rn activities all indicate higher groundwater fluxes to the Tambo River in areas of increased topographic variation where the potential to form large groundwater-surface water gradients is greater. Groundwater discharge to the Tambo River calculated by Cl mass balance was significantly lower (1.48 × 104 to 1.41 × 103 m3 day-1) than discharge estimated by 222Rn mass balance (5.35 × 105 to 9.56 × 103 m3 day-1) and differential flow gauging (5.41 × 105 to 6.30 × 103 m3 day-1) due to bank return waters. While groundwater sampling from the bank of the Tambo River was intended to account for changes in groundwater chemistry associated with bank infiltration, variations in bank infiltration between sample sites remain unaccounted for, limiting the use of Cl as an effective tracer. Groundwater discharge to both the Tambo and Nicholson rivers was the highest under high-flow conditions in the days to weeks following significant rainfall, indicating that the rivers are well connected to a groundwater system that is responsive to rainfall. Groundwater constituted the lowest proportion of river discharge during times of increased rainfall that followed dry periods, while groundwater constituted the highest proportion of river discharge under baseflow conditions (21.4% of the Tambo in April 2010 and 18.9% of the Nicholson in September 2010).

Impact of stormwater infiltration basins on groundwater quality, Perth metropolitan region, Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appleyard, S. J.

1993-08-01

Twelve bores were sunk adjacent to three stormwater infiltration basins in the Perth metropolitan area to examine the impact of runoff from a light industrial area, a medium-density residential area, and a major arterial road on groundwater quality, and to examine the hydrological response of the aquifer to runoff recharge. Automatic and manual water level monitoring between April and November 1990 indicated that groundwater levels responded within minutes to recharge from the infiltration basins. Peak water levels of up to 2.5 m above rest levels occurred 6 24 h after the commencement of ponding in the infiltration basins. There was a marked reduction in salinity and increase in dissolved oxygen concentrations in the upper part of the aquifer downgradient of the infiltration basins. Concentrations of toxic metals, nutrients, pesticides, and phenolic compounds in groundwater near the infiltration basins were low and generally well within Australian drinking water guidelines. However, sediment in the base of an infiltration basin draining a major road contained in excess of 3500 ppm of lead. Phthalates, which are US EPA priority pollutants, were detected in all but one bore near the infiltration basins. Their detection may be a sampling artifact, but they may also be derived from the plastic litter that accumulates in the infiltration basins. The concentration of iron in groundwater near the infiltration basins appears to be controlled by dissolved oxygen concentrations, with high iron concentrations occurring where dissolved oxygen concentrations are low. Pumping bores located near infiltration basins may suffer from iron encrustation problems caused by the mixing of shallow, oxygenated groundwater with water containing higher concentrations of iron from deeper in the aquifer.

Biochars impact on water infiltration and water quality through a compacted subsoil layer.

PubMed

Novak, Jeff; Sigua, Gilbert; Watts, Don; Cantrell, Keri; Shumaker, Paul; Szogi, Ariel; Johnson, Mark G; Spokas, Kurt

2016-01-01

Soils in the SE USA Coastal Plain region frequently have a compacted subsoil layer (E horizon), which is a barrier for water infiltration. Four different biochars were evaluated to increase water infiltration through a compacted horizon from a Norfolk soil (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Typic Kandiudult). In addition, we also evaluated biochars effect on water quality. Biochars were produced by pyrolysis at 500 °C from pine chips (Pinus taeda), poultry litter (Gallus domesticus) feedstocks, and as blends (50:50 and 80:20) of pine chip:poultry litter. Prior to pyrolysis, the feedstocks were pelletized and sieved to >2-mm pellets. Each biochar was mixed with the subsoil at 20 g/kg (w/w) and the mixture was placed in columns. The columns were leached four times with Milli-Q water over 128 d of incubation. Except for the biochar produced from poultry litter, all other applied biochars resulted in significant water infiltration increases (0.157-0.219 mL min(-1); p<0.05) compared to the control (0.095 mL min(-1)). However, water infiltration in each treatment were influenced by additional water leaching. Leachates were enriched in PO4, SO4, Cl, Na, and K after addition of poultry litter biochar, however, their concentrations declined in pine chip blended biochar treatments and after multiple leaching. Adding biochars (except 100% poultry litter biochar) to a compacted subsoil layer can initially improve water infiltration, but, additional leaching revealed that the effect remained only for the 50:50 pine chip:poultry litter blended biochar while it declined in other biochar treatments. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dynamics of flood water infiltration and ground water recharge in hyperarid desert.

PubMed

Dahan, Ofer; Tatarsky, Boaz; Enzel, Yehouda; Kulls, Christoph; Seely, Mary; Benito, Gererdo

2008-01-01

A study on flood water infiltration and ground water recharge of a shallow alluvial aquifer was conducted in the hyperarid section of the Kuiseb River, Namibia. The study site was selected to represent a typical desert ephemeral river. An instrumental setup allowed, for the first time, continuous monitoring of infiltration during a flood event through the channel bed and the entire vadose zone. The monitoring system included flexible time domain reflectometry probes that were designed to measure the temporal variation in vadose zone water content and instruments to concurrently measure the levels of flood and ground water. A sequence of five individual floods was monitored during the rainy season in early summer 2006. These newly generated data served to elucidate the dynamics of flood water infiltration. Each flood initiated an infiltration event which was expressed in wetting of the vadose zone followed by a measurable rise in the water table. The data enabled a direct calculation of the infiltration fluxes by various independent methods. The floods varied in their stages, peaks, and initial water contents. However, all floods produced very similar flux rates, suggesting that the recharge rates are less affected by the flood stages but rather controlled by flow duration and available aquifer storage under it. Large floods flood the stream channel terraces and promote the larger transmission losses. These, however, make only a negligible contribution to the recharge of the ground water. It is the flood duration within the active streambed, which may increase with flood magnitude that is important to the recharge process.

A simple hydrologically based model of land surface water and energy fluxes for general circulation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, XU; Lettenmaier, Dennis P.; Wood, Eric F.; Burges, Stephen J.

1994-01-01

A generalization of the single soil layer variable infiltration capacity (VIC) land surface hydrological model previously implemented in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) general circulation model (GCM) is described. The new model is comprised of a two-layer characterization of the soil column, and uses an aerodynamic representation of the latent and sensible heat fluxes at the land surface. The infiltration algorithm for the upper layer is essentially the same as for the single layer VIC model, while the lower layer drainage formulation is of the form previously implemented in the Max-Planck-Institut GCM. The model partitions the area of interest (e.g., grid cell) into multiple land surface cover types; for each land cover type the fraction of roots in the upper and lower zone is specified. Evapotranspiration consists of three components: canopy evaporation, evaporation from bare soils, and transpiration, which is represented using a canopy and architectural resistance formulation. Once the latent heat flux has been computed, the surface energy balance is iterated to solve for the land surface temperature at each time step. The model was tested using long-term hydrologic and climatological data for Kings Creek, Kansas to estimate and validate the hydrological parameters, and surface flux data from three First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project Field Experiment (FIFE) intensive field campaigns in the summer-fall of 1987 to validate the surface energy fluxes.

Innovations in bonding to zirconia-based materials. Part II: Focusing on chemical interactions.

PubMed

Aboushelib, Moustafa N; Mirmohamadi, Hesam; Matinlinna, Jukka P; Kukk, Edwin; Ounsi, Hani F; Salameh, Ziad

2009-08-01

The zirconia-resin bond strength was enhanced using novel engineered zirconia primers in combination with selective infiltration etching as a surface pre-treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of artificial aging on the chemical stability of the established bond and to understand the activation mechanism of the used primers. Selective infiltration etched zirconia discs (Procera; NobelBiocare) were coated with one of four novel engineered zirconia primers containing reactive monomers and were bonded to resin-composite discs (Panavia F2.0). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was carried out to examine the chemical activation of zirconia primers from mixing time and up to 60min. The bilayered specimens were cut into microbars (1mm(2) in cross-section area) and zirconia-resin microtensile bond strength (MTBS) was evaluated immediately and after 90 days of water storage at 37 degrees C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the fracture surface. There was a significant drop in MTBS values after 90 days of water storage for all tested zirconia primers from ca. 28-41MPa to ca. 15-18MPa after completion of artificial aging. SEM revealed increase in percentage of interfacial failure after water storage. FTIR spectra suggested adequate activation of the experimental zirconia primers within 1h of mixing time. The novel engineered zirconia primers produced initially high bond strength values which were significantly reduced after water storage. Long-term bond stability requires developing more stable primers.

Hydrology of a groundwater-irrigated rice field in Bangladesh: Seasonal and daily mechanisms of infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Rebecca B.; Polizzotto, Matthew L.; Badruzzaman, A. Borhan M.; Ali, M. Ashraf; Zhang, Zhongyuan; Harvey, Charles F.

2009-09-01

Flow through a groundwater-irrigated rice field in Bangladesh was characterized with data collected from a transect of tensiometers and time domain reflectometry sensors, novel tracer tests, infiltration tests, soil core analyses, and calculated water budgets. The combined data captured the dynamic hydrologic behavior of the rice field over an entire growing season, which included many irrigation events. Recharge to the aquifer flowed from the surface of the rice field through preferential flow paths located in the subsoil beneath the plowed surface of the field and in the bunds, the raised boundaries around the perimeter of the field. Water that remained within the soil matrix did not recharge the aquifer. Bund flow was the dominant loss for the field because the bulk hydraulic conductivity of the soil beneath the bunds was greater than that in the plowed and planted region of the rice field. Each year, farmers plow the rice fields, destroying cracks and decreasing the conductivity of the shallow soil, but leave the bunds unplowed because they follow property boundaries. We determined bund flow with a daily water balance and confirmed its importance by comparing irrigation losses among fields of different sizes and geometries and hence different ratios of perimeter to area. The perimeter-to-area ratio predicted the fraction of water lost down the bunds for these and other fields located throughout Southeast Asia. Finally, we determined the economic and environmental benefits of reducing bund flow.

Source tracking of leaky sewers: a novel approach combining fecal indicators in water and sediments.

PubMed

Guérineau, Hélène; Dorner, Sarah; Carrière, Annie; McQuaid, Natasha; Sauvé, Sébastien; Aboulfadl, Khadija; Hajj-Mohamad, Mariam; Prévost, Michèle

2014-07-01

In highly urbanized areas, surface water and groundwater are particularly vulnerable to sewer exfiltration. In this study, as an alternative to Microbial Source Tracking (MST) methods, we propose a new method combining microbial and chemical fecal indicators (Escherichia coli (E. coli)) and wastewater micropollutants (WWMPs) analysis both in water and sediment samples and under different meteorological conditions. To illustrate the use of this method, wastewater exfiltration and subsequent infiltration were identified and quantified by a three-year field study in an urban canal. The gradients of concentrations observed suggest that several sources of fecal contamination of varying intensity may be present along the canal, including feces from resident animal populations, contaminated surface run-off along the banks and under bridge crossings, release from contaminated banks, entrainment of contaminated sediments, and most importantly sewage exfiltration. Calculated exfiltration-infiltration volumes varied between 0.6 and 15.7 m(3)/d per kilometer during dry weather, and between 1.1 and 19.5 m(3)/d per kilometer during wet weather. WWMPs were mainly diluted and degraded below detection limits in water. E. coli remains the best exfiltration indicator given a large volume of dilution and a high abundance in the wastewater source. WWMPs are effective for detecting cumulated contamination in sediments from a small volume source and are particularly important because E. coli on its own does not allow source tracking. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Groundwater recharge in suburban areas of Hanoi, Vietnam: effect of decreasing surface-water bodies and land-use change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, Keisuke; Hayashi, Takeshi; Do, An Thuan; Canh, Vu Duc; Nga, Tran Thi Viet; Funabiki, Ayako; Takizawa, Satoshi

2017-05-01

Over-exploited groundwater is expected to remain the predominant source of domestic water in suburban areas of Hanoi, Vietnam. In order to evaluate the effect on groundwater recharge, of decreasing surface-water bodies and land-use change caused by urbanization, the relevant groundwater systems and recharge pathways must be characterized in detail. To this end, water levels and water quality were monitored for 3 years regarding groundwater and adjacent surface-water bodies, at two typical suburban sites in Hanoi. Stable isotope (δ18O, δD of water) analysis and hydrochemical analysis showed that the water from both aquifers and aquitards, including the groundwater obtained from both the monitoring wells and the neighboring household tubewells, was largely derived from evaporation-affected surface-water bodies (e.g., ponds, irrigated farmlands) rather than from rivers. The water-level monitoring results suggested distinct local-scale flow systems for both a Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) and Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA). That is, in the case of the HUA, lateral recharge through the aquifer from neighboring ponds and/or irrigated farmlands appeared to be dominant, rather than recharge by vertical rainwater infiltration. In the case of the PCA, recharge by the above-lying HUA, through areas where the aquitard separating the two aquifers was relatively thin or nonexistent, was suggested. As the decrease in the local surface-water bodies will likely reduce the groundwater recharge, maintaining and enhancing this recharge (through preservation of the surface-water bodies) is considered as essential for the sustainable use of groundwater in the area.

First-order Probabilistic Analysis of the Effects of Heterogeneity on Pore-water Pressure in a Hillslope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, J.; Yan, E.; Yeh, T. C. J.

2015-12-01

Pore-water pressure in a hillslope is a critical control of its stability. The main objective of this paper is to introduce a first-order moment analysis to investigate the pressure head variability within a hypothetical hillslope, induced by steady rainfall infiltration. This approach accounts for the uncertainties and spatial variation of the hydraulic conductivity, and is based on a first-order Taylor approximation of pressure perturbations calculated by a variably saturated, finite element flow model. Using this approach, the effects of variance (σ2lnKs) and spatial structure anisotropy (λh/λv) of natural logarithm of saturated hydraulic conductivity, and normalized vertical infiltration flux (q/ks) on the hillslope pore-water pressure are evaluated. We found that the responses of pressure head variability (σ2p) are quite different between unsaturated region and saturated region divided by the phreatic surface. Above the phreatic surface, a higher variability in pressure head is obtained from a higher σ2lnKs, a higher λh/λv and a smaller q/ks; while below the phreatic surface, a higher σ2lnKs, a lower λh/λv or a larger q/ks would lead to a higher variability in pressure head, and greater range of fluctuation of the phreatic surface within the hillslope. σ2lnKs has greatest impact on σ2p within the slope and λh/λv has smallest impact. All three variables have greater influence on maximum σ2p within the saturated region below the phreatic surface than that within the unsaturated region above the phreatic surface. The results obtained from this study are useful to understand the influence of hydraulic conductivity variations on slope seepage and stability under different slope conditions and material spatial distributions.

Focused ground-water recharge in the Amargosa Desert basin: Chapter E in Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Professional Paper 1703)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stonestrom, David A.; Prudic, David E.; Walvoord, Michelle Ann; Abraham, Jared D.; Stewart-Deaker, Amy E.; Glancy, Patrick A.; Constantz, Jim; Laczniak, Randell J.; Andraski, Brian J.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Leake, Stanley A.

2007-01-01

The Amargosa River is an approximately 300-kilometer long regional drainage connecting the northern highlands on the Nevada Test Site in Nye County, Nev., to the floor of Death Valley in Inyo County, Calif. Streamflow analysis indicates that the Amargosa Desert portion of the river is dry more than 98 percent of the time. Infiltration losses during ephemeral flows of the Amargosa River and Fortymile Wash provide the main sources of ground-water recharge on the desert-basin floor. The primary use of ground water is for irrigated agriculture. The current study examined ground-water recharge from ephemeral flows in the Amargosa River by using streamflow data and environmental tracers. The USGS streamflow-gaging station at Beatty, Nev., provided high-frequency data on base flow and storm runoff entering the basin during water years 1998–2001. Discharge into the basin during the four-year period totaled 3.03 million cubic meters, three quarters of which was base flow. Streambed temperature anomalies indicated the distribution of ephemeral flows and infiltration losses within the basin. Major storms that produced regional flow during the four-year period occurred in February 1998, during a strong El Niño that more than doubled annual precipitation, and in July 1999. The study also quantified recharge beneath undisturbed native vegetation and irrigation return flow beneath irrigated fields. Vertical profiles of water potential and environmental tracers in the unsaturated zone provided estimates of recharge beneath the river channel (0.04–0.09 meter per year) and irrigated fields (0.1–0.5 meter per year). Chloride mass-balance estimates indicate that 12–15 percent of channel infiltration becomes ground-water recharge, together with 9–22 percent of infiltrated irrigation. Profiles of potential and chloride beneath the dominant desert-shrub vegetation suggest that ground-water recharge has been negligible throughout most of the basin since at least the early Holocene. Surface-based electrical-resistivity imaging provided areal extension of borehole information from sampled profiles. These images indicate narrowly focused recharge beneath the Amargosa River channel, flanked by large tracts of recharge-free basin floor.

Seasonal Variation of Infiltration Rates in a Managed Aquifer Recharge System: A Belgian Example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, S.; Sheng, Z.; Munster, C. L.; Houtte, E. V.

2017-12-01

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is a powerful tool in addressing water resources management issues. The Torreele water reuse facility is using MAR to address the problem of water sustainability in a coastal aquifer of Belgium. The Torreele MAR facility uses infiltration ponds to maintain the groundwater level and to prevent saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. The source of recharge is treated wastewater from the Torreele wastewater treatment plant (TWWTP) located 1.2 km inland. The TWWTP uses a state-of-the-art filtration mechanism with a combination of ultrafiltration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) techniques to assure that recharge water is of very high quality. Data collected at the Torreele MAR facility indicates reduced infiltration rates during the winter season when pond water temperatures vary from 1 to 10ºC. The proposed hypothesis for these lower infiltration rates may be a reduction in hydraulic conductivity due to changes in water viscosity. This study involves the determination of relationship between water temperature, infiltration rates, and hydraulic conductivity at the Torreele MAR facility. The results of this study will lead to an effective administration of the facility and provide an extensive understanding of the system.

Water resources of the Blackstone River basin, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, John A.

2000-01-01

By 2020, demand for water in the Blackstone River Basin is expected to be 52 million gallons per day, one-third greater than the demand of 39 million gallons per day in 1980. Most of this increase is expected to be supplied by increased withdrawals of ground water from stratified-drift aquifers in the eastern and northern parts of the basin. Increased withdrawals from stratified-drift aquifers along the Blackstone River and in the western part of the basin also are expected.The eastern and northern parts of the Blackstone River Basin contain numerous small, discontinuous aquifers which, as a group, comprise the largest ground-water resource of the study area. Fifteen aquifers, ranging in areal extent from 0.57 to 4.3 square miles, were identified. These aquifers have maximum saturated thicknesses ranging from less than 10 feet to 105 feet and maximum transmissivities ranging from less than 1,000 to more than 20,000 feet squared per day. Yields of nine study aquifers were estimated by use of digital ground-water-flow models. Yields depend on the hydraulic properties of the aquifer and the amount of streamflow available for depletion by wells. If streamflow is maintained at 98-percent duration, long-term yields from the aquifers that would be expected to be equaled or exceeded 50 percent of the time range from 0.22 to 11 million gallons per day, and long-term yields equaled or exceeded 95 percent of the time range from 0.06 to 1.0 million gallons per day. If streamflow is maintained at 99.5-percent duration, long-term yields equaled or exceeded 50 percent of the time range from 0.22 to 11 million gallons per day, long-term yields equaled or exceeded 95 percent of the time range from 0.04 to 1.4 million gallons per day, and longterm yields equaled or exceeded 98 percent of the time range from 0.02 to 0.39 million gallons per day. Maintaining streamflow at 98-percent duration is a more restrictive criterion than maintaining streamflow at 99.5-percent duration. The upper Lake Quinsigamond, upper West River, and Stone Brook aquifers are capable of sustaining withdrawals of at least 1 million gallons per day more than their rates in the mid-1980s. The upper Mill River and Auburn aquifers are not capable of sustaining additional withdrawals of 0.25 million gallons per day. Ground-water quality in the Auburn aquifer has been degraded by activities and contaminants associated with urbanization.A nearly continuous deposit of stratified drift almost 30 miles long and from 400 feet to more than 1 mile wide occupies lowland areas along the southeastern part of the Blackstone River. These deposits were divided into four aquifers ranging in areal extent from 1.8 to 3.5 square miles. These aquifers have maximum saturated thicknesses ranging from 54 to 170 feet and maximum transmissivities ranging from less than 1,500 to more than 20,000 feet squared per day. The Blackstone River receives substantial amounts of treated municipal wastewater. Infiltration of poor-quality surface water has significantly increased the specific conductance and the concentrations of all major ions, ammonia, iron, and manganese in the water pumped from at least two wells near the river. These wells derive about 41 and 48 percent of their yield from infiltrated surface water. At both sites, aquifer heterogeneity controlled the movement of infiltrated water to the wells. At one of these sites, where the flow of infiltrated water was tracked (by use of a digital model) in three dimensions, infiltrated water moved to the well through gravel layers that did not constitute the entire thickness of the aquifer. Changes in stream discharge that resulted in changes in surface-water quality also affected the quality of ground water at that site. The western part of the Blackstone River Basin contains the smallest aquifers evaluated in the study area. Six aquifers, ranging in areal extent from 0.05 to 1.3 square miles, were identified. The hydraulic properties of most of these aquifers have not been determined, but available data indicate that maximum saturated thicknesses range from 28 to 71 feet and maximum transmissivities range from 2,300 to 15,000 feet squared per day.

24 CFR 3280.307 - Resistance to elements and use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... shall be designed, and assembled to protect against the infiltration of air and water, except for any... infiltration of air or water. (c) Where adjoining materials or assemblies of materials are of such nature that... transportation, sealants shall be of a type that maintains protection against infiltration or penetration by air...

24 CFR 3280.307 - Resistance to elements and use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... shall be designed, and assembled to protect against the infiltration of air and water, except for any... infiltration of air or water. (c) Where adjoining materials or assemblies of materials are of such nature that... transportation, sealants shall be of a type that maintains protection against infiltration or penetration by air...

24 CFR 3280.307 - Resistance to elements and use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... shall be designed, and assembled to protect against the infiltration of air and water, except for any... infiltration of air or water. (c) Where adjoining materials or assemblies of materials are of such nature that... transportation, sealants shall be of a type that maintains protection against infiltration or penetration by air...

24 CFR 3280.307 - Resistance to elements and use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... shall be designed, and assembled to protect against the infiltration of air and water, except for any... infiltration of air or water. (c) Where adjoining materials or assemblies of materials are of such nature that... transportation, sealants shall be of a type that maintains protection against infiltration or penetration by air...

24 CFR 3280.307 - Resistance to elements and use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... shall be designed, and assembled to protect against the infiltration of air and water, except for any... infiltration of air or water. (c) Where adjoining materials or assemblies of materials are of such nature that... transportation, sealants shall be of a type that maintains protection against infiltration or penetration by air...

Vegetation effects on event water dynamics - Insights from in-situ stable isotope observations and dye patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkmann, Till; Haberer, Kristine; Gessler, Arthur; Weiler, Markus

2014-05-01

The predicted changes of climate and land-use could have drastic effects on the water balance of ecosystems, particularly under frequent drought and subsequent rewetting conditions. Yet, inference of these effects and related consequences for the structure and functioning of ecosystems, groundwater recharge, leaching of nutrients and pollutants, drinking water availability, and the water cycle is currently impeded by gaps in our understanding of the manifold interactions between vegetation and soil water dynamics. While plants require water and nutrients, they also exert, for instance, important below-ground controls on the distribution and movement of water and chemicals in the rooted soil horizons via uptake and redistribution of water, modification of soil hydraulic properties, and formation of conduits for rapid preferential water flow. This work aims to contribute to fill existing gaps by assessing the effects of different plant types and their rooting systems on the soil water dynamics. Therefore, we conducted artificial drought and subsequent rewetting experiments using isotopically and dye (Brilliant Blue FCF) labeled water on plots of various surface cover (bare soil, grass, beech, oak, vine) established on relatively homogeneous luvisol on loess in southwestern Germany. Detailed insight into the short-term dynamics of event water infiltration and root uptake during the field experiments was facilitated by the application of novel techniques for high-frequency in-situ monitoring of stable isotope signatures in pore and transpiration water using commercial laser-based spectrometers, augmenting conventional observations of soil physicochemical states (soil water content, matric potential, electrical conductivity). The temporal point information is complemented by dye staining profiles, providing a detailed picture of spatial infiltration patterns, and by root density observations. The results of the experiments allow for a comprehensive spatiotemporal characterization of the effects of differing vegetation cover and rooting systems on infiltration, preferential flow path characteristics, and water storage in the rooted soil horizons. This will contribute to an improved ability to estimate environmental change impacts on the fate of water, nutrients, and pollutants in this critical zone and associated feedbacks within the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system.

Recharge Net Metering to Incentivize Sustainable Groundwater Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, A. T.; Coburn, C.; Kiparsky, M.; Lockwood, B. S.; Bannister, M.; Camara, K.; Lozano, S.

2016-12-01

Stormwater runoff has often been viewed as a nuisance rather than a resource, but with passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (2014), many basins in California are taking a fresh look at options to enhance groundwater supplies with excess winter flows. In some basins, stormwater can be used for managed aquifer recharge (MAR), routing surface water to enhance groundwater resources. As with many public infrastructure programs, financing for stormwater-MAR projects can be a challenge, and there is a need for incentives that will engage stakeholders and offset operation and maintenance costs. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA), in central costal California, recently launched California's first Recharge Net Metering (ReNeM) program. MAR projects that are part of the ReNeM program are intended to generate ≥100 ac-ft/yr of infiltration benefit during a normal water year. A team of university and Resource Conservation District partners will collaborate to identify and assess potential project sites, screening for hydrologic conditions, expected runoff, ease and cost of project construction, and ability to measure benefits to water supply and quality. The team will also collect data and samples to measure the performance of each operating project. Groundwater wells within the PVWMA's service area are metered, and agency customers pay an augmentation fee for each unit of groundwater pumped. ReNeM projects will earn rebates of augmentation fees based on the amount of water infiltrated, with rebates calculated using a formula that accounts for uncertainties in the fate of infiltrated water, and inefficiencies in recovery. The pilot ReNeM program seeks to contribute 1000 ac-ft/yr of infiltration benefit by the end of the initial five-year operating period. ReNeM offers incentives that are distinct from those derived from traditional groundwater banking, and thus offers the potential for an innovative addition to the portfolio of options for sustaining and improving groundwater resources. Technical, economic, and institutional uncertainties remain, and ongoing research is addressing the potential for ReNeM in the Pajaro Valley and elsewhere.

Virtual mission stage I: Implications of a spaceborne surface water mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, E. A.; Alsdorf, D. E.; Bates, P.; Wilson, M. D.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2004-12-01

The interannual and interseasonal variability of the land surface water cycle depend on the distribution of surface water in lakes, wetlands, reservoirs, and river systems; however, measurements of hydrologic variables are sparsely distributed, even in industrialized nations. Moreover, the spatial extent and storage variations of lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands are poorly known. We are developing a virtual mission to demonstrate the feasibility of observing surface water extent and variations from a spaceborne platform. In the first stage of the virtual mission, on which we report here, surface water area and fluxes are emulated using simulation modeling over three continental scale river basins, including the Ohio River, the Amazon River and an Arctic river. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale hydrologic model is used to simulate evapotranspiration, soil moisture, snow accumulation and ablation, and runoff and streamflow over each basin at one-eighth degree resolution. The runoff from this model is routed using a linear transfer model to provide input to a much more detailed flow hydraulics model. The flow hydraulics model then routes runoff through various channel and floodplain morphologies at a 250 m spatial and 20 second temporal resolution over a 100 km by 500 km domain. This information is used to evaluate trade-offs between spatial and temporal resolutions of a hypothetical high resolution spaceborne altimeter by synthetically sampling the resultant model-predicted water surface elevations.

A simple analytical infiltration model for short-duration rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kaiwen; Yang, Xiaohua; Liu, Xiaomang; Liu, Changming

2017-12-01

Many infiltration models have been proposed to simulate infiltration process. Different initial soil conditions and non-uniform initial water content can lead to infiltration simulation errors, especially for short-duration rainfall (SHR). Few infiltration models are specifically derived to eliminate the errors caused by the complex initial soil conditions. We present a simple analytical infiltration model for SHR infiltration simulation, i.e., Short-duration Infiltration Process model (SHIP model). The infiltration simulated by 5 models (i.e., SHIP (high) model, SHIP (middle) model, SHIP (low) model, Philip model and Parlange model) were compared based on numerical experiments and soil column experiments. In numerical experiments, SHIP (middle) and Parlange models had robust solutions for SHR infiltration simulation of 12 typical soils under different initial soil conditions. The absolute values of percent bias were less than 12% and the values of Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency were greater than 0.83. Additionally, in soil column experiments, infiltration rate fluctuated in a range because of non-uniform initial water content. SHIP (high) and SHIP (low) models can simulate an infiltration range, which successfully covered the fluctuation range of the observed infiltration rate. According to the robustness of solutions and the coverage of fluctuation range of infiltration rate, SHIP model can be integrated into hydrologic models to simulate SHR infiltration process and benefit the flood forecast.

Estimated infiltration, percolation, and recharge rates at the Rillito Creek focused recharge investigation site, Pima County, Arizona: Chapter H in Ground-water recharge in the arid and semiarid southwestern United States (Professional Paper 1703)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffmann, John P.; Blasch, Kyle W.; Pool, Don R.; Bailey, Matthew A.; Callegary, James B.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Leake, Stanley A.

2007-01-01

A large fraction of ground water stored in the alluvial aquifers in the Southwest is recharged by water that percolates through ephemeral stream-channel deposits. The amount of water currently recharging many of these aquifers is insufficient to meet current and future demands. Improving the understanding of streambed infiltration and the subsequent redistribution of water within the unsaturated zone is fundamental to quantifying and forming an accurate description of streambed recharge. In addition, improved estimates of recharge from ephemeral-stream channels will reduce uncertainties in water-budget components used in current ground-water models.This chapter presents a summary of findings related to a focused recharge investigation along Rillito Creek in Tucson, Arizona. A variety of approaches used to estimate infiltration, percolation, and recharge fluxes are presented that provide a wide range of temporal- and spatial-scale measurements of recharge beneath Rillito Creek. The approaches discussed include analyses of (1) cores and cuttings for hydraulic and textural properties, (2) environmental tracers from the water extracted from the cores and cuttings, (3) seepage measurements made during sustained streamflow, (4) heat as a tracer and numerical simulations of the movement of heat through the streambed sediments, (5) water-content variations, (6) water-level responses to streamflow in piezometers within the stream channel, and (7) gravity changes in response to recharge events. Hydraulic properties of the materials underlying Rillito Creek were used to estimate long-term potential recharge rates. Seepage measurements and analyses of temperature and water content were used to estimate infiltration rates, and environmental tracers were used to estimate percolation rates through the thick unsaturated zone. The presence or lack of tritium in the water was used to determine whether or not water in the unsaturated zone infiltrated within the past 40 years. Analysis of water-level and temporal-gravity data were used to estimate recharge volumes. Data presented in this chapter were collected from 1999 though 2002. Precipitation and streamflow during this period were less than the long-term average; however, two periods of significant streamflow resulted in recharge—one in the summer of 1999 and the other in the fall/winter of 2000.Flux estimates of infiltration and recharge vary from less than 0.1 to 1.0 cubic meter per second per kilometer of streamflow. Recharge-flux estimates are larger than infiltration estimates. Larger recharge fluxes than infiltration fluxes are explained by the scale of measurements. Methods used to estimate recharge rates incorporate the largest volumetric and temporal scales and are likely to have fluxes from other nearby sources, such as unmeasured tributaries, whereas the methods used to estimate infiltration incorporate the smallest scales, reflecting infiltration rates at individual measurement sites.

Towards a physically-based multi-scale ecohydrological simulator for semi-arid regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caviedes-Voullième, Daniel; Josefik, Zoltan; Hinz, Christoph

2017-04-01

The use of numerical models as tools for describing and understanding complex ecohydrological systems has enabled to test hypothesis and propose fundamental, process-based explanations of the system system behaviour as a whole as well as its internal dynamics. Reaction-diffusion equations have been used to describe and generate organized pattern such as bands, spots, and labyrinths using simple feedback mechanisms and boundary conditions. Alternatively, pattern-matching cellular automaton models have been used to generate vegetation self-organization in arid and semi-arid regions also using simple description of surface hydrological processes. A key question is: How much physical realism is needed in order to adequately capture the pattern formation processes in semi-arid regions while reliably representing the water balance dynamics at the relevant time scales? In fact, redistribution of water by surface runoff at the hillslope scale occurs at temporal resolution of minutes while the vegetation development requires much lower temporal resolution and longer times spans. This generates a fundamental spatio-temporal multi-scale problem to be solved, for which high resolution rainfall and surface topography are required. Accordingly, the objective of this contribution is to provide proof-of-concept that governing processes can be described numerically at those multiple scales. The requirements for a simulating ecohydrological processes and pattern formation with increased physical realism are, amongst others: i. high resolution rainfall that adequately captures the triggers of growth as vegetation dynamics of arid regions respond as pulsed systems. ii. complex, natural topography in order to accurately model drainage patterns, as surface water redistribution is highly sensitive to topographic features. iii. microtopography and hydraulic roughness, as small scale variations do impact on large scale hillslope behaviour iv. moisture dependent infiltration as temporal dynamics of infiltration affects water storage under vegetation and in bare soil Despite the volume of research in this field, fundamental limitations still exist in the models regarding the aforementioned issues. Topography and hydrodynamics have been strongly simplified. Infiltration has been modelled as dependent on depth but independent of soil moisture. Temporal rainfall variability has only been addressed for seasonal rain. Spatial heterogenity of the topography as well as roughness and infiltration properties, has not been fully and explicitly represented. We hypothesize that physical processes must be robustly modelled and the drivers of complexity must be present with as much resolution as possible in order to provide the necessary realism to improve transient simulations, perhaps leading the way to virtual laboratories and, arguably, predictive tools. This work provides a first approach into a model with explicit hydrological processes represented by physically-based hydrodynamic models, coupled with well-accepted vegetation models. The model aims to enable new possibilities relating to spatiotemporal variability, arbitrary topography and representation of spatial heterogeneity, including sub-daily (in fact, arbitrary) temporal variability of rain as the main forcing of the model, explicit representation of infiltration processes, and various feedback mechanisms between the hydrodynamics and the vegetation. Preliminary testing strongly suggests that the model is viable, has the potential of producing new information of internal dynamics of the system, and allows to successfully aggregate many of the sources of complexity. Initial benchmarking of the model also reveals strengths to be exploited, thus providing an interesting research outlook, as well as weaknesses to be addressed in the immediate future.

Recharge sources and residence times of groundwater as determined by geochemical tracers in the Mayfield Area, southwestern Idaho, 2011–12

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hopkins, Candice B.

2013-01-01

Parties proposing residential development in the area of Mayfield, Idaho are seeking a sustainable groundwater supply. During 2011–12, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, used geochemical tracers in the Mayfield area to evaluate sources of aquifer recharge and differences in groundwater residence time. Fourteen groundwater wells and one surface-water site were sampled for major ion chemistry, metals, stable isotopes, and age tracers; data collected from this study were used to evaluate the sources of groundwater recharge and groundwater residence times in the area. Major ion chemistry varied along a flow path between deeper wells, suggesting an upgradient source of dilute water, and a downgradient source of more concentrated water with the geochemical signature of the Idaho Batholith. Samples from shallow wells had elevated nutrient concentrations, a more positive oxygen-18 signature, and younger carbon-14 dates than deep wells, suggesting that recharge comes from young precipitation and surface-water infiltration. Samples from deep wells generally had higher concentrations of metals typical of geothermal waters, a more negative oxygen-18 signature, and older carbon-14 values than samples from shallow wells, suggesting that recharge comes from both infiltration of meteoric water and another source. The chemistry of groundwater sampled from deep wells is somewhat similar to the chemistry in geothermal waters, suggesting that geothermal water may be a source of recharge to this aquifer. Results of NETPATH mixing models suggest that geothermal water composes 1–23 percent of water in deep wells. Chlorofluorocarbons were detected in every sample, which indicates that all groundwater samples contain at least a component of young recharge, and that groundwater is derived from multiple recharge sources. Conclusions from this study can be used to further refine conceptual hydrological models of the area.

Assessment of Drywells as Effective Tools for Stormwater Management and Aquifer Recharge: Results of a Two-Year Field and Numerical Modeling Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, E.; Washburn, B.; Harter, T.; Fogg, G. E.; Nelson, C.; Lock, B.; Li, X.

2016-12-01

Drywells are gravity-fed, excavated pits with perforated casings used to facilitate stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge in areas with low permeability soils or cover. Stormwater runoff that would otherwise be routed to streams or drains in urban areas can be used as a source of aquifer recharge, potentially mitigating the effects of drought and harm to natural water bodies. However, the potential for groundwater contamination caused by urban runoff bypassing surface soil and near surface sediment attenuation processes has prevented more widespread use of drywells as a recharge mechanism. A field study was conducted in Elk Grove, CA, to determine the effects of drywell-induced stormwater infiltration on the local hydrogeologic system. Two drywells 13.5 meters in depth were constructed for the project: one in a preexisting drainage basin fed by residential lots, and one at an industrial site. Both sites were outfitted with vegetated pretreatments, and upgradient and downgradient groundwater monitoring wells. Site stormwater and groundwater were sampled between November, 2014, and May, 2016, and analyzed for contaminants. Results of water quality sampling have been statistically analyzed for trends and used to determine the contaminants of interest and the concentrations of these contaminants in influent stormwater. The fate and transport of these contaminants have been simulated using a 1D variably saturated flow and transport model and site specific parameters to predict long-term effects of stormwater infiltration on the surrounding hydrogeologic system. The potential for remobilization of geogenic heavy metals from changes in subsurface hydrochemistry caused by drywell infiltration have also been assessed. The results of the field study and numerical modeling assessment indicate that the study's drywells do not pose a long-term threat to groundwater quality and may be an effective source of aquifer recharge and tool for urban stormwater management.

Climate change in safety assessment of a surface disposal facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leterme, B.

2012-04-01

The Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (ONDRAF/NIRAS) aims to develop a surface disposal facility for LILW-SL in Dessel (North-East of Belgium). Given the time scale of interest for the safety assessment (several millennia), a number of parameters in the modelling chain near field - geosphere - biosphere may be influenced by climate change. The present study discusses how potential climate change impact was accounted for the following quantities: (i) near field infiltration through the repository earth cover, (ii) partial pressure of CO2 in the water infiltrating the cover and draining the concrete, and (iii) groundwater recharge in the vicinity of the site. For these three parameters, the impact of climate change is assessed using climatic analogue stations, i.e. stations presently under climatic conditions corresponding to a given climate state. Results indicate that : (i) Using Gijon (Spain) as representative analogue station for the next millennia, infiltration at the bottom of the soil layer towards the modules of the facility is expected to increase (from 346 to 413 mm/y) under a subtropical climate. Although no colder climate is foreseen in the next 10 000 years, the approach was also tested with analogue stations for a colder climate state. Using Sisimiut (Greenland) as representative analogue station, infiltration is expected to decrease (109 mm/y). (ii) Due to changes of the partial pressure of CO2 in the soil water, cement degradation is estimated to occur more rapidly under a warmer climate. (iii) A decrease of long-term annual average groundwater recharge by 12% was simulated using Gijon representative analogue (from 314 to 276 mm), although total rainfall was higher (947 mm) in the warmer climate compared to the current temperate climate (899 mm). For a colder climate state, groundwater recharge simulated for the representative analogue Sisimiut showed a decrease by 69% compared to current climate conditions. The advantages and weaknesses of using analogue stations are also discussed.

Relative Impacts of Low Permeability Subsurface Deposits on Recharge Basin Infiltration Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oconnell, P.; Becker, M.; Pham, C.; Rodriguez, G.; Hutchinson, A.; Plumlee, M.

2017-12-01

Artificial recharge of aquifers through spreading basins has become an important component of water management in semi-arid climates. The rate at which water can be recharged in these basins is limited by the natural vertical permeability of the underlying deposits which may be highly variable both laterally and vertically. To help understand hydrostratigraphic controls on recharge, a newly constructed basin was surveyed and instrumented. Prior to flooding the basin, lithology was characterized by shallow hand coring, direct push coring, ground penetrating radar, and electrical resistivity. After flooding, recharge was monitored through piezometers, electrical resistivity, and a network of fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS). The DTS network used temperature as a tracer to measure infiltration rate on 25 cm intervals both laterally and vertically. Several hundred paired DTS time series datasets (from fiber optic cables located at 0 and 0.5 meters below ground surface) were processed with the cross-wavelet transform (XWT) to calculate spatially and temporally continuous infiltration rates, which can be interpolated and animated to visualize heterogeneity. Time series data from 8-meter deep, vertically oriented DTS cables reveal depth intervals where infiltration rates vary. Inverted resistivity sections from repeated dipole-dipole surveys along the sidewall of a spreading basin exhibit a positive correlation with the distribution of relatively high and low infiltration rates, indicating zones of preferential downward (efficient) and lateral (inefficient) flow, respectively. In contrast to other monitored basins, no perching was observed in the vertically oriented DTS cables. The variation in recharge across the basin and the appearance of subsurface lateral flow can be explained in context of the alluvial depositional environment.

Estimating the proportion of groundwater recharge from flood events in relation to total annual recharge in a karst aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dvory, N. Z.; Ronen, A.; Livshitz, Y.; Adar, E.; Kuznetsov, M.; Yakirevich, A.

2017-12-01

Sustainable groundwater production from karstic aquifers is primarily dictated by its recharge rate. Therefore, in order to limit over-exploitation, it is essential to accurately quantify groundwater recharge. Infiltration during erratic floods in karstic basins may contribute substantial amount to aquifer recharge. However, the complicated nature of karst systems, which are characterized in part by multiple springs, sinkholes, and losing/gaining streams, present a large obstacle to accurately assess the actual contribution of flood water to groundwater recharge. In this study, we aim to quantify the proportion of groundwater recharge during flood events in relation to the annual recharge for karst aquifers. The role of karst conduits on flash flood infiltration was examined during four flood and artificial runoff events in the Sorek creek near Jerusalem, Israel. The events were monitored in short time steps (four minutes). This high resolution analysis is essential to accurately estimating surface flow volumes, which are of particular importance in arid and semi-arid climate where ephemeral flows may provide a substantial contribution to the groundwater reservoirs. For the present investigation, we distinguished between direct infiltration, percolation through karst conduits and diffused infiltration, which is most affected by evapotranspiration. A water balance was then calculated for the 2014/15 hydrologic year using the Hydrologic Engineering Center - Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS). Simulations show that an additional 8% to 24% of the annual recharge volume is added from runoff losses along the creek that infiltrate through the karst system into the aquifer. The results improve the understanding of recharge processes and support the use of the proposed methodology for quantifying groundwater recharge.

Hydrologic monitoring for Chicago’s Sustainable Streetscapes Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duncker, James J.; Morrow, William S.

2016-04-05

The Chicago Department of Transportation’s Sustainable Streetscapes Program is an innovative program that strives to convert Chicago’s neighborhood commercial areas, riverwalks, and bicycle facilities into active, attractive places for Chicagoans to live, work, and play. The objective of each project is to create flourishing public places while improving the ability of infrastructure to support dense urban living. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC), and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), is monitoring the pre- and postconstruction hydrologic characteristics of an urban corridor on the south side of Chicago that is being renovated using sustainable streetscapes technology.The CDOT Sustainable Streetscapes Program utilizes urban stormwater best-management practices (BMPs) to reduce the storm runoff to the local combined sewer system. The urban stormwater BMPs include permeable pavement, bioswales, infiltration basins, and planters. The urban stormwater BMPs are designed to capture the first flush of storm runoff through features that enhance the infiltration of stormwater runoff to shallow groundwater.The hydrology of the Sustainable Streetscapes Program area is being monitored to evaluate the impacts and effectiveness of the urban stormwater BMP’s. Continuous monitoring of rainfall, sewer flows, stormwater runoff, soil moisture, and groundwater levels will give engineers and scientists measured data to define baseline pre- and postconstruction conditions for the evaluation of the BMPs.Three tipping-bucket rain gages are located along the project corridor. The data provide information on the intensity and volume of rainfall. Rainfall can be highly variable even over a small area like the project corridor.Continuous recording meters are located at specific locations in the combined sewers to record water level and flow during both dry weather (mostly sanitary flow) and wet weather conditions (stormwater runoff in addition to the sanitary flow). Sanitary flow is the largest source of flow in the combined sewers during dry weather, and stormwater runoff and sanitary flow combine during wet weather. The sewer flow data allow engineers and scientists to calculate total runoff volume for selected storm events.Wells are located within the project corridor to record water levels and help determine the direction of movement of groundwater in response to rainfall and snowmelt. In urban settings with aging sewer systems, groundwater can seep into the sewers or combined sewage can seep from the sewers into the local groundwater system. The groundwater data are also important in evaluating the overall impacts of increased infiltration resulting from BMPs.Data from wells show the relative water levels of shallow groundwater, water levels in the combined sewer system, and nearby surface-water channels within the project corridor. In some aging urban sewer systems, the local combined sewer system lies below the water table and receives substantial amounts of groundwater inflow, which can significantly reduce the amount of additional water the sewer system can accept.The bioswale along the south side of West Cermak Road near South Throop Street functions to infiltrate stormwater runoff from the road. Stormwater on the road surface initially drains to the curb and then flows along the curb until it reaches a curb cut-out. Materials within the bioswale allow stormwater to infiltrate and reduce the load to the combined sewer.A common feature in urban areas are curbside catch basins that collect stormwater runoff from paved streets. Stormwater drains first to the curb and then flows along the curb to the catch basin. Lateral sewer pipe connects the catch basin to the combined sewer beneath the street. The use of permeable pavers along the curbs in the project study reach let stormwater infiltrate before it reaches the curb, thus reducing the amount of stormwater draining to the combined sewers.Water-level data from catch basins in the project study area show the effects of permeable pavers in reducing the stormwater drainage to the combined sewers.

44 CFR 60.3 - Flood plain management criteria for flood-prone areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the systems; and (6) Require within flood-prone... infiltration of flood waters into the systems and discharges from the systems into flood waters and (ii) onsite...