bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urban metabolism and river systems: an historical perspective – Paris and the Seine, 1790–1970
Authors: Barles S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The aim of this paper is to analyse metabolic interaction between Paris and the Seine during the industrial era, 1790–1970, a period marked by strong population growth, technological changes, and the absence of specific legislation on environmental issues. The viewpoint focuses on exchanges of waters and wastes between city and river, quantifying them and tracing their evolution in the light of the strategies implemented by the stakeholders in charge. The study combines industrial ecology, local history and the history of technology. From 1790 to 1850, waste matters, and especially excreta, were considered as raw materials, not refuse: they generated real profits. The removal of human excreta aimed not only at improving urban hygiene, but at producing the fertilizers needed in rural areas. Discharging them into the river was out of the question. But after the 1860s, several factors upset this exploitation, notably domestic water supply: night soil became more and more liquid, difficult to handle and to turn into fertilizer; once utilised, the water had to be removed from the house; at the same time, the sewerage system developed and had negative impacts on the river. Even so, Parisian engineers continued to process sewage using techniques that would not only ensure hygiene but also conciliate economic and agricultural interests: combined sewerage system and sewage farms. Both of these early periods are thus noteworthy for a relative limitation of the river's deterioration by urban wastes. Not until the 1920s, when domestic water supply had become the standard and excreta came to be considered as worthless waste, was the principle of valorisation abandoned. This led to important and long-lasting pollution of the Seine (despite the construction of a treatment plant), aggravating the industrial pollution that had been in evidence since the 1840s. Analysing the priorities that led to the adoption of one principle or another in matters of urban hygiene and techniques, with the causes and consequences of such changes, enables us to understand the complex relations between Paris and the Seine. From raw material to waste matter, from river to drain, the concept of quality in environment remains the underlying theme.
Technical Note: Determination of the SCS initial abstraction ratio in an experimental watershed in Greece
Authors: Baltas E. A. , Dervos N. A. , Mimikou M. A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The present study was conducted in an experimental watershed in Attica, Greece, using observed rainfall/runoff events. The objective of the study was the determination of the initial abstraction ratio of the watershed. The average ratio (Ia/S) of the entire watershed was equal to 0.014. The corresponding ratio at a subwatershed was 0.037. The difference was attributed to the different spatial distribution of landuses and geological formations at the extent of the watershed. Both of the determined ratios are close to the ratio value of 0.05 that has been suggested from many studies for the improvement of the SCS-CN method.
Participatory scenario development for integrated assessment of nutrient flows in a Catalan river catchment
Authors: Caille F. , Riera J. L. , Rodríguez-Labajos B. , Middelkoop H. , Rosell-Melé A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Rivers in developed regions are under significant stress due to nutrient enrichment generated mainly by human activities. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus emissions are the product of complex dynamic systems influenced by various factors such as demographic, socio-economic and technological development. Using a Catalan river catchment, La Tordera (North-East of Spain), as a case study of an integrated and interdisciplinary environmental assessment of nutrient flows, we present and discuss the development of narrative socio-economic scenarios through a participatory process for the sustainable management of the anthropogenic sources of nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus. In this context, scenarios are an appropriate tool to assist nutrient emissions modelling, and to assess impacts, possible pathways for socio-economic development and associated uncertainties. Evaluated against the 1993–2003 baseline period, scenarios target the 2030 horizon, i.e. through the implementation process of the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC). After a critical examination of the methodology used in the participatory development of socio-economic scenarios, we present four possible futures (or perspectives) for the Catalan river catchment conceived by stakeholders invited to a workshop. Keys to the success of such a participatory process were trust, which enhanced openness, and disagreements, which fostered the group's creativity for scenario development. The translation of narrative socio-economic scenarios into meaningful nutrient emission scenarios is also discussed. By integrating findings of natural sciences and socio-economic analysis, we aim to assist decision makers and stakeholders in evaluating optimal management strategies for the anthropogenic sources of nitrogen and phosphorus.
Uncertainties in land use data
Authors: Castilla G. , Hay G. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This paper deals with the description and assessment of uncertainties in land use data derived from Remote Sensing observations, in the context of hydrological studies. Land use is a categorical regionalised variable reporting the main socio-economic role each location has, where the role is inferred from the pattern of occupation of land. The properties of this pattern that are relevant to hydrological processes have to be known with some accuracy in order to obtain reliable results; hence, uncertainty in land use data may lead to uncertainty in model predictions. There are two main uncertainties surrounding land use data, positional and categorical. The first one is briefly addressed and the second one is explored in more depth, including the factors that influence it. We (1) argue that the conventional method used to assess categorical uncertainty, the confusion matrix, is insufficient to propagate uncertainty through distributed hydrologic models; (2) report some alternative methods to tackle this and other insufficiencies; (3) stress the role of metadata as a more reliable means to assess the degree of distrust with which these data should be used; and (4) suggest some practical recommendations.
Rapid channel incision of the lower Pearl River (China) since the 1990s as a consequence of sediment depletion
Authors: Lu X. X. , Zhang S. R. , Xie S. P. , Ma P. K.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This paper reported a dramatic channel incision (>10 m in the deepest cut) during the past 10 y or so in the lower Pearl River, the second largest river in terms of water discharge in China. The channel incision had caused changes both in the channel geometry as well as in the river hydraulics. Also, the water exchange between the two major tributaries of the Pearl River, the Xijiang and Beijiang, had been significantly changed due to the channel incision. The rapid channel incision was principally the result of extensive sand mining in the lower Pearl River and the delta region due to the booming economy in the Pearl Delta region. Slight increase of water discharge and significant decrease of sediment load since the early 1990s in both the Xijiang and Beijiang also likely contributed to the observed dramatic river bed downcutting to some extent. This has important implications for river management, as the large Chinese rivers have seen a dramatic depletion of sediment fluxes due to the combined effects of declining rainfall, dam constructions, water diversion, reforestation and afforestation, and sediment mining over the recent decades.
Fluxes of carbon dioxide at Thetford Forest
Authors: Jarvis P. G. , Stewart J. B. , Meir P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The Thetford Project (1968–1976) was a keystone project for the newly established Institute of Hydrology. Its primary objective was to elucidate the processes underlying evaporation of transpired water and intercepted rainfall from plantation forest, so as to explain hydrological observations that more water was apparently returned to the atmosphere from plantations than from grassland and heathland. The primary approach was to determine the fluxes of water vapour from a stand of Scots pine, situated within a larger area of plantations of Scots and Corsican pine, in Thetford Forest, East Anglia, UK, using the Bowen ratio approach. In 1976, advantage was taken of the methodology developed to add measurement of profiles of carbon dioxide concentration so as to enable the fluxes of CO2 also to be calculated. A team from Aberdeen and Edinburgh Universities collected 914 hours of 8-point CO2 concentration profiles, largely between dawn and dusk, on days from March to October, and the data from an "elite" data set of 710 hours have been analysed. In conditions of moderate temperature (<25°C) and specific humidity deficit (<15 g kg−1 with high solar irradiance (>500 W m−2), CO2 uptake reached relatively high rates for pine of up to 20 µmol m−2 s−1 in the middle of the day. This rate of CO2 uptake is higher than has been recently found for four Scots pine forests in continental Europe during July 1997. However, the year of 1976 was exceptionally hot and dry, with air temperatures reaching 30°C and the water deficit in the top 3 m of soil at the site of 152 mm by August. Air temperatures of over 25°C led to large specific humidity deficits, approaching 20 g kg−1, and associated severe reductions in CO2 uptake, as well as in evaporation. However, when specific humidity deficits dropped below c. 15 g kg−1 on succeeding days, generally as a result of lower air temperatures rather than lower solar irradiance, there was rapid recovery in both uptake and evaporation, thus indicating that the large soil water deficit was not the main cause of the reductions in the CO2 and water fluxes. Based on earlier analysis of evaporation data on completely dry days, the concurrent reductions in CO2 flux and evaporation are largely attributable to decrease in canopy stomatal conductance. The air temperature, specific humidity deficit, and soil water deficit in 1976 were exceptional and similar conditions have most likely not been experienced again until 2003. We conclude that the information gained at Thetford in 1976 on the response of the pine forest ecosystem to such weather, may provide a good guide to the response of English pine forests to the projected climate change over the next 25 years.
Variability of dissolved CO2 in the Pang and Lambourn Chalk rivers
Authors: Griffiths J. , Nutter J. , Binley A. , Crook N. , Young A. , Pates J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This paper presents the results of a two-year field campaign to determine the spatial and temporal variability of groundwater interaction with surface waters in two Cretaceous Chalk catchments (the Pang and Lambourn) in the Upper Thames in Berkshire, UK, based on measurement of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2). Average stream water concentrations of dissolved CO2 were up to 35 times the concentration at atmospheric equilibrium. Mean groundwater concentrations of 85 and 70 times the atmospheric equilibrium were determined from borehole water sampled in the Pang and Lambourn respectively. Diurnal and seasonal variation of in-stream concentration of dissolved CO2 is not significant enough to mask the signal from groundwater inputs.
Towards a representative periphytic diatom sample
Authors: Fisher J. , Dunbar M. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The need to acquire a representative periphytic diatom sample for river water quality monitoring has been recognised in the development of existing diatom indices, important in the development and employment of diatom monitoring tools for the Water Framework Directive. In this study, a nested design with replication is employed to investigate the magnitude of variation in diatom biomass, composition and Trophic Diatom Index at varying scales within a small chalk river. The study shows that the use of artificial substrates may not result in diatom communities that are typical of the surrounding natural substrates. Periphytic diatom biomass and composition varies between artificial and natural substrates, riffles and glides and between two stretches of the river channel. The study also highlights the existence of high variation in diatom frustule frequency and biovolume at the individual replicate scale which may have implications for the use of diatoms in routine monitoring.
Harmonic analysis of the stability of reverse routing in channels
Authors: Bruen M. , Dooge J. C. I.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Normal downstream routing of a flood flow is a highly stable process for Froude numbers less than 1 and hence the results are reliable. In contrast, reverse routing in an upstream direction, which may be required for flow control, is potentially unstable. This paper reports the results of a study of the practical limits on channel lengths for reverse routing. Harmonic analysis is applied to the full non-linear solution of the St. Venant equations for three different wave patterns and two different wave periods, for a particular channel with a Froude number of 0.5. Reverse routing can be done for prismatic channels longer than 100 km. For long periods (>10 hours) the shape of the upstream hydrograph is recovered well. However, when the wave period is short (<1 hour), the high frequency components of the upstream hydrograph and, thus, its shape, are not recovered. These limits are influenced by the channel morphology and shape of the wave. Further work is needed to determine how these factors interact.
Modeling geophysical complexity: a case for geometric determinism
Authors: Puente C. E. , Sivakumar B.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. It has been customary in the last few decades to employ stochastic models to represent complex data sets encountered in geophysics, particularly in hydrology. This article reviews a deterministic geometric procedure to data modeling, one that represents whole data sets as derived distributions of simple multifractal measures via fractal functions. It is shown how such a procedure may lead to faithful holistic representations of existing geophysical data sets that, while complementing existing representations via stochastic methods, may also provide a compact language for geophysical complexity. The implications of these ideas, both scientific and philosophical, are stressed.
Evaluating parameterizations of aerodynamic resistance to heat transfer using field measurements
Authors: Liu Shaomin , Lu L. , Mao D. , Jia L.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Parameterizations of aerodynamic resistance to heat and water transfer have a significant impact on the accuracy of models of land – atmosphere interactions and of estimated surface fluxes using spectro-radiometric data collected from aircrafts and satellites. We have used measurements from an eddy correlation system to derive the aerodynamic resistance to heat transfer over a bare soil surface as well as over a maize canopy. Diurnal variations of aerodynamic resistance have been analyzed. The results showed that the diurnal variation of aerodynamic resistance during daytime (07:00 h–18:00 h) was significant for both the bare soil surface and the maize canopy although the range of variation was limited. Based on the measurements made by the eddy correlation system, a comprehensive evaluation of eight popularly used parameterization schemes of aerodynamic resistance was carried out. The roughness length for heat transfer is a crucial parameter in the estimation of aerodynamic resistance to heat transfer and can neither be taken as a constant nor be neglected. Comparing with the measurements, the parameterizations by Choudhury et al. (1986), Viney (1991), Yang et al. (2001) and the modified forms of Verma et al. (1976) and Mahrt and Ek (1984) by inclusion of roughness length for heat transfer gave good agreements with the measurements, while the parameterizations by Hatfield et al. (1983) and Xie (1988) showed larger errors even though the roughness length for heat transfer has been taken into account.
Comparing sensitivity analysis methods to advance lumped watershed model identification and evaluation
Authors: Tang Y. , Reed P. , Wagener T. , van Werkhoven K.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This study seeks to identify sensitivity tools that will advance our understanding of lumped hydrologic models for the purposes of model improvement, calibration efficiency and improved measurement schemes. Four sensitivity analysis methods were tested: (1) local analysis using parameter estimation software (PEST), (2) regional sensitivity analysis (RSA), (3) analysis of variance (ANOVA), and (4) Sobol's method. The methods' relative efficiencies and effectiveness have been analyzed and compared. These four sensitivity methods were applied to the lumped Sacramento soil moisture accounting model (SAC-SMA) coupled with SNOW-17. Results from this study characterize model sensitivities for two medium sized watersheds within the Juniata River Basin in Pennsylvania, USA. Comparative results for the 4 sensitivity methods are presented for a 3-year time series with 1 h, 6 h, and 24 h time intervals. The results of this study show that model parameter sensitivities are heavily impacted by the choice of analysis method as well as the model time interval. Differences between the two adjacent watersheds also suggest strong influences of local physical characteristics on the sensitivity methods' results. This study also contributes a comprehensive assessment of the repeatability, robustness, efficiency, and ease-of-implementation of the four sensitivity methods. Overall ANOVA and Sobol's method were shown to be superior to RSA and PEST. Relative to one another, ANOVA has reduced computational requirements and Sobol's method yielded more robust sensitivity rankings.
Temporal dynamics of hydrological threshold events
Authors: McGrath G. S. , Hinz C. , Sivapalan M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The episodic nature of hydrological flows such as surface runoff and preferential flow is a result of the nonlinearity of their triggering and the intermittency of rainfall. In this paper we examine the temporal dynamics of threshold processes that are triggered by either an infiltration excess (IE) mechanism when rainfall intensity exceeds a specified threshold value, or a saturation excess (SE) mechanism governed by a storage threshold. We use existing and newly derived analytical results to describe probabilistic measures of the time between successive events in each case, and in the case of the SE triggering, we relate the statistics of the time between events (the inter-event time, denoted IET) to the statistics of storage and the underlying water balance. In the case of the IE mechanism, the temporal dynamics of flow events is found to be simply scaled statistics of rainfall timing. In the case of the SE mechanism the time between events becomes structured. With increasing climate aridity the mean and the variance of the time between SE events increases but temporal clustering, as measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the IET, reaches a maximum in deep stores when the climatic aridity index equals 1. In very humid and also very arid climates, the temporal clustering disappears, and the pattern of triggering is similar to that seen for the IE mechanism. In addition we show that the mean and variance of the magnitude of SE events decreases but the CV increases with increasing aridity. The CV of IETs is found to be approximately equal to the CV of the magnitude of SE events per storm only in very humid climates with the CV of event magnitude tending to be much larger than the CV of IETs in arid climates. In comparison to storage the maximum temporal clustering was found to be associated with a maximum in the variance of soil moisture. The CV of the time till the first saturation excess event was found to be greatest when the initial storage was at the threshold.
On the importance of including vegetation dynamics in Budyko's hydrological model
Authors: Donohue R. J. , Roderick M. L. , McVicar T. R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The Budyko curve describes the patterns observed between between climate, evapotranspiration and run-off and has proven to be a useful model for predicting catchment energy and water balances. In this paper we review the Budyko curve's underlying framework and, based on the literature, present an argument for why it is important to include vegetation dynamics into the framework for some purposes. The Budyko framework assumes catchments are at steady-state and are driven by the macro-climate, two conditions dependent on the scales of application, such that the framework's reliability is greatest when applied using long-term averages (≫1 year) and to large catchments (>10 000 km2). At these scales previous experience has shown that the hydrological role of vegetation does not need to be explicitly considered within the framework. By demonstrating how dynamics in the leaf area, photosynthetic capacity and rooting depth of vegetation affect not only annual and seasonal vegetation water use, but also steady-state conditions, we argue that it is necessary to explicitly include vegetation dynamics into the Budyko framework before it is applied at small scales. Such adaptations would extend the framework not only to applications at small timescales and/or small catchments but to operational activities relating to vegetation and water management.
An integrated model for the assessment of global water resources – Part 2: Applications and assessments
Authors: Hanasaki N. , Kanae S. , Oki T. , Masuda K. , Motoya K. , Shirakawa N. , Shen Y. , Tanaka K.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. To assess global water resources from the perspective of subannual variation in water availability and water use, an integrated water resources model was developed. In a companion report, we presented the global meteorological forcing input used to drive the model and six modules, namely, the land surface hydrology module, the river routing module, the crop growth module, the reservoir operation module, the environmental flow requirement module, and the anthropogenic withdrawal module. Here, we present the results of the model application and global water resources assessments. First, the timing and volume of simulated agriculture water use were examined because agricultural use composes approximately 85% of total consumptive water withdrawal in the world. The estimated crop calendar showed good agreement with earlier reports for wheat, maize, and rice in major countries of production. In major countries, the error in the planting date was ±1 mo, but there were some exceptional cases. The estimated irrigation water withdrawal also showed fair agreement with country statistics, but tended to be underestimated in countries in the Asian monsoon region. The results indicate the validity of the model and the input meteorological forcing because site-specific parameter tuning was not used in the series of simulations. Finally, global water resources were assessed on a subannual basis using a newly devised index. This index located water-stressed regions that were undetected in earlier studies. These regions, which are indicated by a gap in the subannual distribution of water availability and water use, include the Sahel, the Asian monsoon region, and southern Africa. The simulation results show that the reservoir operations of major reservoirs (>1 km3) and the allocation of environmental flow requirements can alter the population under high water stress by approximately −11% to +5% globally. The integrated model is applicable to assessments of various global environmental projections such as climate change.
A conceptual dynamic vegetation-soil model for arid and semiarid zones
Authors: Quevedo D. I. , Francés F.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Plant ecosystems in arid and semiarid climates show high complexity, since they depend on water availability to carry out their vital processes. In these climates, water stress is the main factor controlling vegetation development and its dynamic evolution. The available water-soil content results from the water balance in the system, where the key issues are the soil, the vegetation and the atmosphere. However, it is the vegetation, which modulates, to a great extent, the water fluxes and the feedback mechanisms between soil and atmosphere. Thus, soil moisture content is most relevant for plant growth maintenance and final water balance assessment. A conceptual dynamic vegetation-soil model (called HORAS) for arid and semi-arid zones has been developed. This conceptual model, based on a series of connected tanks, represents in a way suitable for a Mediterranean climate, the vegetation response to soil moisture fluctuations and the actual leaf biomass influence on soil water availability and evapotranspiration. Two tanks were considered using at each of them the water balance and the appropriate dynamic equation for all considered fluxes. The first one corresponds to the interception process, whereas the second one models the evolution of moisture by the upper soil. The model parameters were based on soil and vegetation properties, but reduced their numbers. Simulations for dominant species, Quercus coccifera L., were carried out to calibrate and validate the model. Our results show that HORAS succeeded in representing the vegetation dynamics and, on the one hand, reflects how following a fire this monoculture stabilizes after 9 years. On the other hand, the model shows the adaptation of the vegetation to the variability of climatic and soil conditions, demonstrating that in the presence or shortage of water, the vegetation regulates its leaf biomass as well as its rate of transpiration in an attempt to minimize total water stress.
A stochastic approach for the description of the water balance dynamics in a river basin
Authors: Manfreda S. , Fiorentino M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The present paper introduces an analytical approach for the description of the soil water balance dynamics over a schematic river basin. The model is based on a stochastic differential equation where the rainfall forcing is interpreted as an additive noise in the soil water balance. This equation can be solved assuming known the spatial distribution of the soil moisture over the basin transforming the two-dimensional problem in space in a one dimensional one. This assumption is particularly true in the case of humid and semihumid environments, where spatial redistribution becomes dominant producing a well defined soil moisture pattern. The model allowed to derive the probability density function of the saturated portion of a basin and of its relative saturation. This theory is based on the assumption that the soil water storage capacity varies across the basin following a parabolic distribution and the basin has homogeneous soil texture and vegetation cover. The methodology outlined the role played by the soil water storage capacity distribution of the basin on soil water balance. In particular, the resulting probability density functions of the relative basin saturation were found to be strongly controlled by the maximum water storage capacity of the basin, while the probability density functions of the relative saturated portion of the basin are strongly influenced by the spatial heterogeneity of the soil water storage capacity. Moreover, the saturated areas reach their maximum variability when the mean rainfall rate is almost equal to the soil water loss coefficient given by the sum of the maximum rate of evapotranspiration and leakage loss in the soil water balance. The model was tested using the results of a continuous numerical simulation performed with a semi-distributed model in order to validate the proposed theoretical distributions.
Suitability of soil bioengineering techniques in Central America: a case study in Nicaragua
Authors: Petrone A. , Preti F.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In the last few years "D. I. A. F." (Department of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering of Florence University), has been testing the effectiveness of soil bioengineering techniques in Central America. The focus of the present study was to find out which native plants were most suited for soil bioengineering purposes, particularly in the realization of riverbank protection in Nicaragua. Furthermore, we have also been aiming at economic efficiency. These techniques are appropriate for sustainable watershed management especially in underdeveloped countries. Concerning the plants to be used we experimented four native species. Gliricidia Sepium, Cordia dentata and Jatropha curcas are suitable for soil bioengineering more than Bursera Simaruba. Economically speaking, the sustainability of such interventions in underdeveloped countries, has been shown by the evaluation of the cost of riverbank protection using vegetated crib-walls in Nicaragua compared to the cost in different contexts.
Development of a river ice jam by a combined heat loss and hydraulic model
Authors: Eliasson J. , Gröndal G. O.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The heat loss theory and the hydraulic theory for the analysis of the development of wide channel ice jams are discussed and shown. The heat loss theory has been used in Iceland for a long time, while the hydraulic theory largely follows the classical ice-jam build-up theories used in known CFD models. The results are combined in a new method to calculate the maximum thickness and the extent of an ice jam. The results compare favorably to the HEC-RAS model for the development of a very large ice jam in Thjorsa River in Iceland, and have been found in good agreement with historical data, collected where a hydroelectric dam project, Urridafoss, is being planned in the Thjorsa River.
Infiltrative instability near topography with implication for the drainage of soluble rocks
Authors: Genthon P. , Ormond A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We present here numerical modeling of infiltration instability near a topographic edge of a water-saturated porous slice by analogy with a limestone formation devoid of initial heterogeneities such as fractures faults or joints and limited by a vertical cliff. In our runs a first dissolution finger develops near the cliff edge, and ends to intersect it above its mid height. Additional fingers develop upstream with a decreasing growth rate and an increasing width. This results from the decrease of the infiltration velocity with distance to the cliff in our models. A sensitivity study shows that a larger permeability contrast between the fingers and the initial undissolved porous medium produces a larger number of fingers, while increasing the dispersivity (lower Peclet number) produces wider fingers. A slower reaction rate (lower Damkhöler number) produces fingers that follow the initial flow lines, since dissolution occurs simultaneously along the entire finger. These results suggest that alteration by dissolution of limestones or other soluble formations may produce different underground channel structures in the same drainage basin due to local changes of the non-dimensional Pe and Da numbers.
Technical Note: Seasonality in alpine water resources management – a regional assessment
Authors: Vanham D. , Fleischhacker E. , Rauch W.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Alpine regions are particularly affected by seasonal variations in water demand and water availability. Especially the winter period is critical from an operational point of view, as being characterised by high water demands due to tourism and low water availability due to the temporal storage of precipitation as snow and ice. The clear definition of summer and winter periods is thus an essential prerequisite for water resource management in alpine regions. This paper presents a GIS-based multi criteria method to determine the winter season. A snow cover duration dataset serves as basis for this analysis. Different water demand stakeholders, the alpine hydrology and the present day water supply infrastructure are taken into account. Technical snow-making and (winter) tourism were identified as the two major seasonal water demand stakeholders in the study area, which is the Kitzbueheler region in the Austrian Alps. Based upon different geographical datasets winter was defined as the period from December to March, and summer as the period from April to November. By determining potential regional water balance deficits or surpluses in the present day situation and in future, important management decisions such as water storage and allocation can be made and transposed to the local level.
HYDROGEIOS: a semi-distributed GIS-based hydrological model for modified river basins
Authors: Efstratiadis A. , Nalbantis I. , Koukouvinos A. , Rozos E. , Koutsoyiannis D.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The HYDROGEIOS modelling framework represents the main processes of the hydrological cycle in heavily modified catchments, with decision-depended abstractions and interactions between surface and groundwater flows. A semi-distributed approach and a monthly simulation time step are adopted, which are sufficient for water resources management studies. The modelling philosophy aims to ensure consistency with the physical characteristics of the system, while keeping the number of parameters as low as possible. Therefore, multiple levels of schematization and parameterization are adopted, by combining multiple levels of geographical data. To optimally allocate human abstractions from the hydrosystem during a planning horizon or even to mimic the allocation occurred in a past period (e.g. the calibration period), in the absence of measured data, a linear programming problem is formulated and solved within each time step. With this technique the fluxes across the hydrosystem are estimated, and the satisfaction of physical and operational constraints is ensured. The model framework includes a parameter estimation module that involves various goodness-of-fit measures and state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithms for global and multiobjective optimization. By means of a challenging case study, the paper discusses appropriate modelling strategies which take advantage of the above framework, with the purpose to ensure a robust calibration and reproduce natural and human induced processes in the catchment as faithfully as possible.
A look at the links between drainage density and flood statistics
Authors: Pallard B. , Castellarin A. , Montanari A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We investigate the links between the drainage density of a river basin and selected flood statistics, namely, mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and coefficient of skewness of annual maximum series of peak flows. The investigation is carried out through a three-stage analysis. First, a numerical simulation is performed by using a spatially distributed hydrological model in order to highlight how flood statistics change with varying drainage density. Second, a conceptual hydrological model is used in order to analytically derive the dependence of flood statistics on drainage density. Third, real world data from 44 watersheds located in northern Italy were analysed. The three-level analysis seems to suggest that a critical value of the drainage density exists for which a minimum is attained in both the coefficient of variation and the absolute value of the skewness coefficient. Such minima in the flood statistics correspond to a minimum of the flood quantile for a given exceedance probability (i.e., recurrence interval). Therefore, the results of this study may provide useful indications for flood risk assessment in ungauged basins.
Estimation of actual evapotranspiration of Mediterranean perennial crops by means of remote-sensing based surface energy balance models
Authors: Minacapilli M. , Agnese C. , Blanda F. , Cammalleri C. , Ciraolo G. , D'Urso G. , Iovino M. , Pumo D. , Provenzano G. , Rallo G.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Actual evapotranspiration from typical Mediterranean crops has been assessed in a Sicilian study area by using surface energy balance (SEB) and soil-water balance models. Both modelling approaches use remotely sensed data to estimate evapotranspiration fluxes in a spatially distributed way. The first approach exploits visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR) and thermal (TIR) observations to solve the surface energy balance equation whereas the soil-water balance model uses only VIS-NIR data to detect the spatial variability of crop parameters. Considering that the study area is characterized by typical spatially sparse Mediterranean vegetation, i.e. olive, citrus and vineyards, alternating bare soil and canopy, we focused the attention on the main conceptual differences between one-source and two-sources energy balance models. Two different models have been tested: the widely used one-source SEBAL model, where soil and vegetation are considered as the sole source (mostly appropriate in the case of uniform vegetation coverage) and the two-sources TSEB model, where soil and vegetation components of the surface energy balance are treated separately. Actual evapotranspiration estimates by means of the two surface energy balance models have been compared vs. the outputs of the agro-hydrological SWAP model, which was applied in a spatially distributed way to simulate one-dimensional water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Remote sensing data in the VIS and NIR spectral ranges have been used to infer spatially distributed vegetation parameters needed to set up the upper boundary condition of SWAP. Actual evapotranspiration values obtained from the application of the soil water balance model SWAP have been considered as the reference to be used for energy balance models accuracy assessment. Airborne hyperspectral data acquired during a NERC (Natural Environment Research Council, UK) campaign in 2005 have been used. The results of this investigation seem to prove a slightly better agreement between SWAP and TSEB for some fields of the study area. Further investigations are programmed in order to confirm these indications.
An evaluation of ASCAT surface soil moisture products with in-situ observations in Southwestern France
Authors: Albergel C. , Rüdiger C. , Carrer D. , Calvet J.-C. , Fritz N. , Naeimi V. , Bartalis Z. , Hasenauer S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A long term data acquisition effort of profile soil moisture is currently underway at 13 automatic weather stations located in Southwestern France. In this study, the soil moisture measured in-situ at 5 cm is used to evaluate the normalised surface soil moisture (SSM) estimates derived from coarse-resolution (25 km) active microwave data of the ASCAT scatterometer instrument (onboard METOP), issued by EUMETSAT for a period of 6 months (April–September) in 2007. The seasonal trend is removed from the satellite and in-situ time series by considering scaled anomalies. One station (Mouthoumet) of the ground network, located in a mountainous area, is removed from the analysis as very few ASCAT SSM estimates are available. No correlation is found for the station of Narbonne, which is close to the Mediterranean sea. On the other hand, nine stations present significant correlation levels. For two stations, a significant correlation is obtained when considering only part of the ASCAT data. The soil moisture measured in-situ at those stations, at 30 cm, is used to estimate the characteristic time length (T) of an exponential filter applied to the ASCAT product. The best correlation between a soil water index derived from ASCAT and the in-situ soil moisture observations at 30 cm is obtained with a T-value of 14 days.
Controls on the temporal and spatial variability of soil moisture in a mountainous landscape: the signature of snow and complex terrain
Authors: Williams C. J. , McNamara J. P. , Chandler D. G.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The controls on the spatial distribution of soil moisture include static and dynamic variables. The superposition of static and dynamic controls can lead to different soil moisture patterns for a given catchment during wetting, draining, and drying periods. These relationships can be further complicated in snow-dominated mountain regions where soil water input by precipitation is largely dictated by the spatial variability of snow accumulation and melt. In this study, we assess controls on spatial and temporal soil moisture variability in a small (0.02 km2), snow-dominated, semi-arid catchment by evaluating spatial correlations between soil moisture and site characteristics through different hydrologic seasons. We assess the relative importance of snow with respect to other catchment properties on the spatial variability of soil moisture and track the temporal persistence of those controls. Spatial distribution of snow, distance from divide, soil texture, and soil depth exerted significant control on the spatial variability of moisture content throughout most of the hydrologic year. These relationships were strongest during the wettest period and degraded during the dry period. As the catchment cycled through wet and dry periods, the relative spatial variability of soil moisture tended to remain unchanged. We suggest that the static properties in complex terrain (slope, aspect, soils) impose first order controls on the spatial variability of snow and resulting soil moisture patterns, and that the interaction of dynamic (timing of water input) and static influences propagate that relative constant spatial variability through most of the hydrologic year. The results demonstrate that snow exerts significant influence on how water is retained within mid-elevation semi-arid catchments and suggest that reductions in annual snowpacks associated with changing climate regimes may strongly influence spatial and temporal soil moisture patterns and catchment physical and biological processes.
Evaluation of the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) applied to ASTER imagery with flux-measurements at the SPARC 2004 site (Barrax, Spain)
Authors: van der Kwast J. , Timmermans W. , Gieske A. , Su Z. , Olioso A. , Jia L. , Elbers J. , Karssenberg D. , de Jong S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Accurate quantification of the amount and spatial variation of evapotranspiration is important in a wide range of disciplines. Remote sensing based surface energy balance models have been developed to estimate turbulent surface energy fluxes at different scales. The objective of this study is to evaluate the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model on a landscape scale, using tower-based flux measurements at different land cover units during an overpass of the ASTER sensor over the SPARC 2004 experimental site in Barrax (Spain). A sensitivity analysis has been performed in order to investigate to which variable the sensible heat flux is most sensitive. Taking into account their estimation errors, the aerodynamic parameters (hc, z0M and d0) can cause large deviations in the modelling of sensible heat flux. The effect of replacement of empirical derivation of these aerodynamic parameters in the model by field estimates or literature values is investigated by testing two scenarios: the Empirical Scenario in which empirical equations are used to derive aerodynamic parameters and the Field Scenario in which values from field measurements or literature are used to replace the empirical calculations of the Empirical Scenario. In the case of a homogeneous land cover in the footprints of the measurements, the Field Scenario only resulted in a small improvement, compared to the Empirical Scenario. The Field Scenario can even worsen the result in the case of heterogeneous footprints, by creating sharp borders related to the land cover map. In both scenarios modelled fluxes correspond better with flux measurements over uniform land cover compared to cases where different land covers are mixed in the measurement footprint. Furthermore SEBS underestimates sensible heat flux especially over dry and sparsely vegetated areas, which is common in single-source models.
Temporal variation of soil moisture over the Wuding River basin assessed with an eco-hydrological model, in-situ observations and remote sensing
Authors: Liu S. , Mo X. , Zhao W. , Naeimi V. , Dai D. , Shu C. , Mao L.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The change pattern and trend of soil moisture (SM) in the Wuding River basin, Loess Plateau, China is explored based on the simulated long-term SM data from 1956 to 2004 using an eco-hydrological process-based model, Vegetation Interface Processes model, VIP. In-situ SM observations together with a remotely sensed SM dataset retrieved by the Vienna University of Technology are used to validate the model. In the VIP model, climate-eco-hydrological (CEH) variables such as precipitation, air temperature and runoff observations and also simulated evapotranspiration (ET), leaf area index (LAI), and vegetation production are used to analyze the soil moisture evolution mechanism. The results show that the model is able to capture seasonal SM variations. The seasonal pattern, multi-year variation, standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CV) of SM at the daily, monthly and annual scale are well explained by CEH variables. The annual and inter-annual variability of SM is the lowest compared with that of other CEH variables. The trend analysis shows that SM is in decreasing tendency at α=0.01 level of significance, confirming the Northern Drying phenomenon. This trend can be well explained by the decreasing tendency of precipitation (α=0.1) and increasing tendency of temperature (α=0.01). The decreasing tendency of runoff has higher significance level (α=0.001). Because of SM's decreasing tendency, soil evaporation (ES) is also decreasing (α=0.05). The tendency of net radiation (Rn), evapotranspiration (ET), transpiration (EC), canopy intercept (EI) is not obvious. Net primary productivity (NPP), of which the significance level is lower than α=0.1, and gross primary productivity (GPP) at α=0.01 are in increasing tendency.
Future directions for hydropedology: quantifying impacts of global change on land use
Authors: Vepraskas M. J. , Heitman J. L. , Austin R. E.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Hydropedology is well positioned to address contemporary issues resulting from climate change. We propose a six-step process by which digital, field-scale maps will be produced to show where climate change impacts will be greatest for two land uses: a) home sites using septic systems, and b) wetlands. State and federal laws have defined critical water table levels that can be used to determine where septic systems will function well or fail, and where wetlands are likely to occur. Hydrologic models along with historic rainfall and temperature data can be used to compute long records of water table data. However, it is difficult to extrapolate such data across land regions, because too little work has been done to test different ways for doing this reliably. The modeled water table data can be used to define soil drainage classes for individual mapping units, and the drainage classes used to extrapolate the data regionally using existing digital soil survey maps. Estimates of changes in precipitation and temperature can also be input into the models to compute changes to water table levels and drainage classes. To do this effectively, more work needs to be done on developing daily climate files from the monthly climate change predictions. Technology currently exists to use the NRCS Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database with hydrologic model predictions to develop maps within a GIS that show climate change impacts on septic system performance and wetland boundaries. By using these maps, planners will have the option to scale back development in sensitive areas, or simply monitor the water quality of these areas for pathogenic organisms. The calibrated models and prediction maps should be useful throughout the Coastal Plain region. Similar work for other climate-change and land-use issues can be a valuable contribution from hydropedologists.