ALBERT

Description: A one-dimensional, two-layer solute transport model is developed to simulate chemical transport process in an initially unsaturated soil with ponding water on the soil surface before surface runoff starts. The developed mathematical model is tested against a laboratory experiment. The infiltration and diffusion processes are mathematically lumped together and described by incomplete mixing parameters. Based on mass conservation and water balance equations, the model is developed to describe solute transport in a two-zone layer, a ponding runoff zone and a soil mixing zone. The two-zone layer is treated as one system to avoid describing the complicated chemical transport processes near the soil surface in the mixing zone. The proposed model was analytically solved, and the solutions agreed well with the experimental data. The developed experimental method and mathematical model were used to study the effect of the soil initial moisture saturation on chemical concentration in surface runoff. The study results indicated that, when the soil was initially saturated, chemical concentration in surface runoff was significantly (two orders of magnitude) higher than that with initially unsaturated soil, while the initial chemical concentrations at the two cases were of the same magnitude. The soil mixing depth for the initially unsaturated soil was much larger than that for the initially saturated soil, and the incomplete runoff mixing parameter was larger for the initially unsaturated soil. The higher the infiltration rate of the soil, the greater the infiltration-related incomplete mixing parameter. According to the quantitative analysis, the soil mixing depth was found to be sensitive for both initially unsaturated and saturated soils, and the incomplete runoff mixing parameter was sensitive for initially saturated soil but not for the initially unsaturated soil; the incomplete infiltration mixing parameter behaved just the opposite. Some suggestions are made for reducing chemical loss from runoff. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Automatically extracting drainage networks from digital elevation models coupled with the constant stream threshold value is a regular method. These extracted networks can be verified by comparing the channel initiation points with those from real networks. From the results analysed, the differences in channel initiation points will affect the network geometries, geomorphological indices and hydrological responses. This paper develops two automatic algorithms, the headwater-tracing method and the fitness index, to trace the flow paths from headwaters to the outlet and to calculate the reasonable stream threshold. Instead of the method determined by trial and error or field survey, the accurate channel initiation points can be obtained from airborne photographs coupled with high-resolution SPOT images for suitable drainage network extraction. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Regularities exist in fluid flows and can be represented by a set of constants. These constants are functions of the parameter of a probability distribution that exhibits resilience and stability under various flow conditions. Together, these regularities form a network and interact with each other, such that if one is known then the others can be determined from it. The regularities and their network explain the various fluid-flow phenomena and can be used in analysis of rivers and streams. For example, they can be used as the basis to develop simple and efficient methods of discharge measurements as presented herein, which only require velocity sampling at a single point on a water surface or a few points on a single vertical. Because of their simplicity and the short time requirement, these methods can be easily automated for collecting discharge data in unsteady, high flows that are badly needed for real-time flow forecasting and design of flood control structures, and for advancing the fundamental, scientific knowledge in hydrology. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Soil macropore networks are subsurface connected void spaces caused by processes such as fracture of soils, micro-erosion and fauna burrows. Axial X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning provides a convenient means of recording the spatial structure of soil macropore networks. The objective of this study were to (1) based on CT technique and GIS digitized image method, construction a new technique for tracing, visualizing and measuring the soil macropore networks and (2) investigate the effects of farming activities on soil macropore networks characteristics. Our technique uses left-turning and nine-direction judgment methods, a combination of the layer-by-layer analysis method and the up-down tracking algorithm. The characteristics for the overall structure patterns of macropores, the spatial distribution of the macropore networks and each single macropore network can be conveniently identified by our technique. Eight undisturbed soil columns from fields with two distinct land uses (under cultivation and not been cultivated) and four different depths (0-20, 20-40, 40-60 and 60-80cm) were investigated. The soil columns were scanned using X-ray CT at a voxel resolution of 0.075×0.075×3.000mm. Results indicate that farming activities can destroy the initial structure of macropores, and those remaining are mainly small-sized and medium-sized networks with lower extension and hydraulic conductivity. The network properties show a significant difference between upper and lower layer. The results can provide beneficial reference to further research centered on non-equilibrium flow prediction and chemical transport modeling in field soils. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: This study presents an analytical solution of dam-break floods in a trapezoidal channel with detailed solution procedure. An approach predicting the peak discharge of floods caused by embankment dam failures was derived from the aforementioned analytical solution with a database of 27 historical dam failures. The prediction performance of this approach has been proved by comparing with other 14 straightforward equations for estimating the peak discharge. The proposed model with a small uncertainty of predicted peak flow rates has a high coefficient of determination and a small standard error, being ranked in the top four of the 15 methods considered in this paper. The robustness and predictive capability of the proposed model are further demonstrated in two case studies, and both were considered in the previous analyses performed by other investigators. This method provides a simple and transparent tool for engineers to predict the peak discharge and is easy to implement for trial and error calculation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: The potential benefits of increased application of water to paddy fields in Taiwan are investigated in this paper. A conceptual model is used to represent the hydrological system of the paddy field. A technique is presented to estimate the parameters of the model. Field experiments also are performed for parameter estimation and model verification. The simulated results are in good agreement with the observed during model verification. With parameters estimated from the field data, the model is used to simulate the effects of applying water beyond current practice. The simulation results show that the downward percolation increases when the irrigation water increases. However, the percolation reaches a capacity rate no matter how large the amount of water applied. This phenomenon results from the existence of a hard layer below the paddy field. The effects of raising the height of levees around paddy fields are also studied. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: The aim of this study is to understand the canopy interception of Qinghai spruce forest under conditions of different precipitation characteristics and canopy structures in the upper reach of Heihe River basin, northwestern China. On the basis of a continuous record covering our investigating period by an automatic throughfall-collecting system, we analysed the relationships between the canopy interception and the precipitation characteristics. Our results support the well-established exponential decay relationship between the gross precipitation and the interception percentage after the canopy is saturated. But our results sufficiently illustrate a notable point that the variations in the interception percentage are almost independent from the variations in the gross precipitation before the canopy is saturated. Our examination into the relationship between the interception and the 10-min average intensity of precipitation demonstrates a divergent relationship, and the divergent relationship is bracketed by an upper 'dry line' indicating that 100% of gross precipitation was intercepted before saturation and by a lower 'wet line' suggesting that the actual canopy storage capacity reached the maximum and evaporation was the only component of the interception. To search for the relationship between canopy structures and interception, we grouped the canopy covers over the 90 throughfall-collecting tanks into ten categories ranging from 0 (no cover) to 0.9 (nearly completely covered), and the corresponding canopy interception was calculated by subtracting the averaged throughfall of each canopy-cover category from the gross precipitation. The results show that the interception percentage increases faster with increasing canopy cover under intermediate rainfall conditions than that under heavy rainfall conditions. Unexpectedly, under light rainfall conditions the increasing rate of interception percentage with increasing canopy cover and also with increasing plant area index is not faster than that under the intermediate rainfall conditions simply because the tank-measured percentage of interception was extremely high at near-zero canopy cover conditions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: The concentration and isotopic composition of nitrate were analyzed to improve an understanding of nitrate sources and transformation processes in a typical karstic agricultural field in the Houzhai catchment, Guizhou Province, Southwest China. The results revealed that no distinct spatial pattern of content and isotopic composition of nitrate exists in this karst catchment. Nitrate in surface stream (SFS) had slightly lighter isotopic composition and lower concentration compared with nitrate in subterranean stream (STS) during the dry season. Concentrations of SFS nitrate increased to concentrations similar to those of STS during the wet season. The isotopic values indicated that nitrate were mainly impacted by manure sources during the dry season and influenced by a mix of chemical fertilizer and manure during the wet season. The denitrification rates were roughly estimated based on the isotopic compositions of nitrate after considering volatilization and ignoring assimilation. The calculated result showed that approximately one fifth of nitrate load was removed by denitrification in the catchment. Annual nitrate flux from the outlets accounted for 14.2% of applied total fertilizers used in the catchment, approximately 85% of total transported flux from the catchment in the wet season. Furthermore, chemical weathering processes were enhanced by using nitrogen fertilizer because liberated protons and enhanced HCO3- flux were produced through by nitrification. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Description: Many studies have empirically confirmed the relationship between urbanization and changes to the hydrologic cycle and degraded aquatic habitats. While much of the literature focuses on extent and configuration of impervious area as a causal determinant of degradation, in this article, I do not attribute causes of decreased watershed storage on impervious area a priori. Rather, adapting the concept of variable source area (VSA) and its relationship to incremental storage to the particular conditions of urbanized catchments, I develop a statistically robust linear regression-based methodology to detect evidence of VSA-dominant response. Using the physical and meteorological characteristics of the catchments as explanatory variables, I then use logistic regression to statistically analyze significant predictors of the VSA classification. I find that the strongest predictor of VSA-type response is the percent of undeveloped area in the catchment. Characteristics of developed areas, including total impervious area, percent-developed open space and the type of drainage infrastructure, do not add to the explanatory power of undeveloped land in predicting VSA-type response. Within only developed areas, I find that total impervious area and percent-developed open space both decrease the odds of a catchment exhibiting evidence of VSA-type response and the effect of developed open space is more similar to that of total impervious area than undeveloped land in predicting VSA response. Different types of stormwater management infrastructure, including combined sewer systems and infiltration, retention and detention infrastructure are not found to have strong statistically significant effects on probability of VSA-type response. VSA-type response is also found to be stronger during the growing season than the dormant season. These findings are consistent across a national cross-section of urbanized watersheds, a higher resolution dataset of Baltimore Metropolitan Area watersheds and a subsample of watersheds confirmed not to be served by (combined sewer systems). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.