scholarly journals Characterising hillslope–stream connectivity with a joint event analysis of stream and groundwater levels

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 5713-5744
Author(s):  
Daniel Beiter ◽  
Markus Weiler ◽  
Theresa Blume

Abstract. Hillslope–stream connectivity controls runoff generation, during events and during baseflow conditions. However, assessing subsurface connectivity is a challenging task, as it occurs in the hidden subsurface domain where water flow can not be easily observed. We therefore investigated if the results of a joint analysis of rainfall event responses of near-stream groundwater levels and stream water levels could serve as a viable proxy for hillslope–stream connectivity. The analysis focuses on the extent of response, correlations, lag times and synchronicity. As a first step, a new data analysis scheme was developed, separating the aspects of (a) response timing and (b) extent of water level change. This provides new perspectives on the relationship between groundwater and stream responses. In a second step we investigated if this analysis can give an indication of hillslope–stream connectivity at the catchment scale. Stream water levels and groundwater levels were measured at five different hillslopes over 5 to 6 years. Using a new detection algorithm, we extracted 706 rainfall response events for subsequent analysis. Carrying out this analysis in two different geological regions (schist and marls) allowed us to test the usefulness of the proxy under different hydrological settings while also providing insight into the geologically driven differences in response behaviour. For rainfall events with low initial groundwater level, groundwater level responses often lag behind the stream with respect to the start of rise and the time of peak. This lag disappears at high antecedent groundwater levels. At low groundwater levels the relationship between groundwater and stream water level responses to rainfall are highly variable, while at high groundwater levels, above a certain threshold, this relationship tends to become more uniform. The same threshold was able to predict increased likelihood for high runoff coefficients, indicating a strong increase in connectivity once the groundwater level threshold was surpassed. The joint analysis of shallow near-stream groundwater and stream water levels provided information on the presence or absence and to a certain extent also on the degree of subsurface hillslope–stream connectivity. The underlying threshold processes were interpreted as transmissivity feedback in the marls and fill-and-spill in the schist. The value of these measurements is high; however, time series of several years and a large number of events are necessary to produce representative results. We also find that locally measured thresholds in groundwater levels can provide insight into the connectivity and event response of the corresponding headwater catchments. If the location of the well is chosen wisely, a single time series of shallow groundwater can indicate if the catchment is in a state of high or low connectivity.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Beiter ◽  
Markus Weiler ◽  
Theresa Blume

Abstract. Hillslope-stream connectivity controls runoff generation, both during events and baseflow conditions. However, assessing subsurface connectivity is a challenging task, as it occurs in the hidden subsurface domain where water flow cannot be easily observed. We therefore investigated if the results of a joint analysis of rainfall event responses of near-stream groundwater levels and stream water levels could serve as a viable proxy for hillslope-stream connectivity. The analysis focuses on the extent of response, correlations, lag times and synchronicity. A newly developed data analysis scheme of separating the aspects of (a) response timing and (b) extent of water level change provides new perspectives on the relationship between groundwater and stream responses. In a second step we investigated if this analysis can give an indication of hillslope-stream connectivity at the catchment scale. Stream- and groundwater levels were measured at five different hillslopes over 5 to 6 years. Using a new detection algorithm we extracted 706 rainfall response events for subsequent analysis. Carrying out this analysis in two different geological regions (schist and marls) allowed us to test the usefulness of the proxy under different hydrological settings while also providing insight into the geologically-driven differences in response behaviour. For rainfall events with low initial groundwater level, groundwater level responses often lag behind the stream with respect to the start of rise and the time of peak. This lag disappears at high antecedent groundwater levels. At low groundwater levels the relationship between groundwater and stream water level responses to rainfall are highly variable, while at high groundwater levels, above a certain threshold, this relationship tends to become more uniform. The same threshold was able to predict increased likelihood for high runoff coefficients, indicating a strong increase in connectivity once the groundwater level threshold was surpassed. The joint analysis of shallow near-stream groundwater and stream water levels provided information on the presence or absence and to a certain extent also on the degree of subsurface hillslope-stream connectivity. The underlying threshold processes were interpreted as transmissivity feedback in the marls and fill-and-spill in the schist. The value of these measurements is high, however, time series of several years and a large number of events are necessary to produce representative results. We also find that locally measured thresholds in groundwater levels can provide insight into catchment-scale connectivity and event response. If the location of the well is chosen wisely, a single time series of shallow groundwater can indicate if the catchment is in a state of high or low connectivity.


Author(s):  
ALEKSANDRA CZUCHAJ ◽  
FILIP WOLNY ◽  
MAREK MARCINIAK

The aim of the presented research was to analyze the relation between three variables: the daily sum of precipitation, the surface water level and the groundwater level in the Różany Strumień basin located in Poznań, Poland. The correlation coefficient for the subsequent lags for each pair of variables time series has been calculated. The delay with which waters of the basin respond to precipitation varies significantly. Generally, stronger response to rainfall is observed for surface water levels as opposed to groundwater levels.


Author(s):  
Soo-Hyoung Lee ◽  
Jae Min Lee ◽  
Sang-Ho Moon ◽  
Kyoochul Ha ◽  
Yongcheol Kim ◽  
...  

AbstractHydrogeological responses to earthquakes such as changes in groundwater level, temperature, and chemistry, have been observed for several decades. This study examines behavior associated with ML 5.8 and ML 5.1 earthquakes that occurred on 12 September 2016 near Gyeongju, a city located on the southeast coast of the Korean peninsula. The ML 5.8 event stands as the largest recorded earthquake in South Korea since the advent of modern recording systems. There was considerable damage associated with the earthquakes and many aftershocks. Records from monitoring wells located about 135 km west of the epicenter displayed various patterns of change in both water level and temperature. There were transient-type, step-like-type (up and down), and persistent-type (rise and fall) changes in water levels. The water temperature changes were of transient, shift-change, and tendency-change types. Transient changes in the groundwater level and temperature were particularly well developed in monitoring wells installed along a major boundary fault that bisected the study area. These changes were interpreted as representing an aquifer system deformed by seismic waves. The various patterns in groundwater level and temperature, therefore, suggested that seismic waves impacted the fractured units through the reactivation of fractures, joints, and microcracks, which resulted from a pulse in fluid pressure. This study points to the value of long-term monitoring efforts, which in this case were able to provide detailed information needed to manage the groundwater resources in areas potentially affected by further earthquakes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10654
Author(s):  
Wenwen Tan ◽  
Li Sun ◽  
Xinhou Zhang ◽  
Changchun Song

Zonation along a water level is the main spatial distribution characteristic of wetland plants. This is mainly because of the influences of hydrological conditions and interspecific competition, which finally narrow the fundamental niche of a species to its realized niche. In the present study, a controlled experiment was conducted in order to analyze the relationship between Carex lasiocarpa/Carex pseudocuraica and Glyceria spiculosa, in conditions of three competitive treatments at four water levels. The results showed that in no competition, C. lasiocarpa preferred low water levels, but this preference receded when competing with G. spiculosa. In contrast, C. pseudocuraica had greater preference for low water level when competing with G. spiculosa. The root/shoot ratios of the two Carex species decreased with increasing water levels, but they were almost unaffected by different competition treatments. With the increase in water level during full competition with G. spiculosa, the competitive ability of C. lasiocarpa showed an increasing trend, whereas a contrary trend was observed in C. pseudocuraica. Our results suggested the effects of water levels and their interactions with interspecific competition varied between the two Carex species and played an important role in determining spatial distribution patterns and potential community succession of wetland plants.


2011 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liisa Nevalainen ◽  
Kaarina Sarmaja-Korjonen ◽  
Tomi P. Luoto

AbstractThe usability of subfossil Cladocera assemblages in reconstructing long-term changes in lake level was examined by testing the relationship between Cladocera-based planktonic/littoral (P/L) ratio and water-level inference model in a surface-sediment dataset and in a 2000-yr sediment record in Finland. The relationships between measured and inferred water levels and P/L ratios were significant in the dataset, implying that littoral taxa are primarily deposited in shallow littoral areas, while planktonic cladocerans accumulate abundantly mainly in deepwater locations. The 2000-yr water-level reconstructions based on the water-level inference model and P/L ratio corresponded closely with each other and with a previously available midge-inferred water-level reconstruction from the same core, showing a period of lower water level around AD 300–1000 and suggesting that the methods are valid for paleolimnological and -climatological use.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 2997-3014
Author(s):  
Sheena A.D.

Purpose The analysis of groundwater level below the earth surface is focused on current and future scenarios. To analyze the wells under the threat of water level depletion, a study is conducted on the groundwater level using control charts. To improve watershed management, the important criteria are to increase infiltration as well as water storage capacity. There are 15 over-exploited zones in the study area (Dynamic GW Resources 2011). The purpose of this paper is to help in understanding the importance of wells for improving the water level to a certain extent for sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach The water levels in the wells are located with the help of x, y, z plotting on the ground using ArcGIS software. This water level mapping is done at a micro-watershed level to increase the clarity of information at the micro-level. In this study, the problem of depleted wells is sorted out, and the water level present in depleted wells pre-monsoon and post-monsoon is evaluated for the two years. Also, water level analysis is done using a control chart to find out the critical wells. On the basis of Poisson distribution, C-chart is used here to analyze the quality of wells and the water levels in those wells to be improved. Findings The outcome of the C-chart helps to track the wells that can be improved further to increase the water level. This paper presents the study of estimation of appropriate sites to be given importance and the rate of water level depletion to be controlled, which also helps to select a site suitable for artificial restoration by targeting groundwater potential zones. Originality/value This paper gives an outlook idea of wells that can be improved and the area that should be given more attention. Analyzing water level depletion helps to identify a suitable site for groundwater restoration using a remote sensing and geographical information system. These measures help the government and public sectors for proper planning and management of natural resources.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Guardiola-Albert ◽  
Nuria Naranjo-Fernández ◽  
Héctor Aguilera ◽  
Esperanza Montero-González

<p>Nowadays, the application of time series clustering is increasing in hydrogeology works. Groundwater level long data series provides a useful record to identify different hydrological behaviors and to validate the conceptual model of groundwater flow in aquifer systems. Piezometers also register the response to any changes that directly affect the amount of available groundwater resources (recharge or exploitation).</p><p>What are the expected variations of groundwater levels in an aquifer under high exploitation pressure? In this work, groundwater level time series from 160 piezometers in the hydrological years from 1975 to 2016 were analyzed. Especially, 24 piezometers are deeply studied. Data were preprocessed and transformed: selection of points, missing data imputation and data standardization. Visual clustering, k-means clustering and time series clustering were applied to classify groundwater level hydrographs using the available database. Six and seven groups of piezometers were identified to be associated with the different hydrofacies and extraction rates. Time series clustering was found to be the best method to analyze the studied piezometric database. Moreover, it was possible to characterize actual hydrodynamics, which will be useful for groundwater managers to make sustainable decisions.</p>


Eos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri Cook

A new modeling framework offers insight into how specific lakes' water levels respond to short- and long-term climate trends.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Konrad Cedd Weaver

<p>Earthquakes redistribute fluids and change associated flow paths in the subsurface. Earthquake hydrology is an evolving discipline that studies such phenomena, providing novel information on crustal processes, natural hazards and water resources. This thesis uses the internationally significant New Zealand "hydroseismicity" dataset, in a regional-scale multi-site multi-earthquake study which includes the occurrence and the absence of responses, spanning a decade. Earthquake-induced groundwater level and tidal behaviour changes were examined in a range of aquifers, rock types and hydrogeological settings. Monitoring wells were within one (near-field) to several (intermediate- field) ruptured fault lengths of a variety of earthquakes that had a range of shaking intensities. This thesis presents three studies on the seismic and hydrogeological controls on earthquake-induced groundwater level changes.  Water level changes were recorded New Zealand-wide within compositionally diverse, young shallow aquifers, in 433 monitoring wells at distances between 4 and 850 km from the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake epicentre. Water level changes are inconsistent with static stress changes, but do correlate with peak ground acceleration (PGA). At PGAs exceeding ~2 m/s2, water level changes predominantly increased persistently, which may have resulted from shear-induced consolidation. At lower PGAs there were approximately equal numbers of persistent water level increases and decreases, which are thought to have resulted from permeability enhancement. Water level changes also occurred more frequently north of the epicentre, due to the northward directivity of the Kaikoura earthquake rupture. Local hydrogeological conditions also contributed to the observed responses, with larger water level changes occurring in deeper wells and in well-consolidated rocks at equivalent PGA levels.  Earthquakes have previously been inferred to induce hydrological changes in aquifers on the basis of changes to well tidal behaviour and water level, but the relationship between these changes have been unclear. Earthquake-induced changes to tidal behaviour and groundwater levels were quantified in 161 monitoring wells screened in gravel aquifers in Canterbury, New Zealand. In the near-field of the Canterbury earthquake sequence of 2010 and 2011, permeability reduction detected by tidal behaviour changes and increased water levels supports the hypothesis of shear-induced consolidation. Water level changes that occurred with no change in tidal behaviour re-equilibrated at a new post-seismic level within ~50 minutes possibly due to high permeability, good well-aquifer coupling, and/or small permeability changes in the local aquifer. Water level changes that occurred with tidal behaviour changes took from ~240 minutes to ~10 days to re-equilibrate, thought to represent permeability changes on a larger scale. Recent studies commonly utilise a general metric for earthquake-induced hydrological responses based on epicentral distance, earthquake magnitude and seismic energy density. A logistic regression model with random effects was applied to a dataset of binary responses of 495 monitoring well water levels to 11 Mw 5.4 or larger earthquakes. Within the model, earthquake shaking (represented by peak ground velocity), degree of confinement (depth) and rock strength (site average shear wave velocity in the shallow subsurface) were incorporated. For practical applications, the probabilistic framework was converted into the Modified Mercalli (MM) intensity scale. The model shows that water level changes are unlikely below MM intensity VI. At an MM intensity VII, water level changes are about as likely as not to very likely. At MM intensity VIII, the likelihood rises to very likely to virtually certain. This study was the first attempt we are aware of worldwide at incorporating both seismic and hydrogeological factors into a probabilistic framework for earthquake-induced groundwater level changes. The framework is a novel and more universal approach in quantifying responses than previous metrics using epicentral distance, magnitude and seismic energy density. It has potential to enable better comparison of international studies and inform practitioners making decisions around investment to mitigate risk to, and to increase the resilience of, water supply infrastructure.</p>


Author(s):  
Fanao Meng ◽  
Changlai Xiao ◽  
Xiujuan Liang ◽  
Ge Wang ◽  
Ying Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract In this study, the surface water balance method was used to calculate the interaction between surface water and groundwater (SGW) in the Taoer River alluvial fan in Jilin Province, China, from 1956 to 2014. The automatic linear model was used to determine the key and non-key influencing factors, and correlation analysis was performed to evaluate their relationship with one another. River runoff and groundwater level were the key factors affecting the SGW interaction, and sand–gravel exposure in the fan was more conducive to SGW interaction. There was a positive correlation between runoff and SGW interaction, and the relationship between the groundwater and surface water levels was correlated and affected by groundwater exploitation and groundwater runoff. Groundwater exploitation and evaporation and precipitation indirectly influenced the SGW interaction by affecting the groundwater level and river runoff key factors, respectively, and were considered non-key factors.


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