Cover crops and precipitation influence soluble reactive phosphorus losses via tile drain discharge in an agricultural watershed

Subsurface tile drainage speeds water removal from agricultural fields that are historically prone to flooding. While managed drainage systems improve crop yields, they can also contribute tothe eutrophication of downstream ecosystems, as tile-drained systems are conduits for nutrients to adjacent waterways. The changing climate of the Midwestern US has already altered precipitation regimes which will likely continue into the future, with unknown effects on tile drain water and nutrient loss to waterways. Adding vegetative cover (i.e., as winter cover crops) is one approach that can retain water and nutrients on fields to minimize export via tile drains. In the current study, we evaluate the effect of cover crops on tile drain discharge and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) loads using bi-monthly measurements from 43 unique tile outlets draining fields with or without cover crops in two watersheds in northern Indiana. Using four water years of data (n = 844 measurements), we examined the role of short-term antecedent precipitation conditions and variation in soil biogeochemistry in mediating the effect of cover crops on tile drain flow and SRP loads. We observed significant effects of cover crops on both tile drain discharge and SRP loads, but these results were season and watershed specific. Cover crop effects were identified only in spring, where their presence reduced tile drain discharge in both watersheds and SRP loads in one watershed. Varying effects on SRP loads between watersheds were attributed to different soil biogeochemical characteristics, where soils with lower bioavailable P and higher P sorption capacity were less likely to have a cover crop effect. Antecedent precipitation was important in spring, and cover crop differences were still evident during periods of wet and dry antecedent precipitation conditions. Overall, we show that cover crops have the potential to significantly decrease spring tile drain P export, and these effects are resilient to a wide range of precipitation conditions.     

Modelling the effect of changing precipitation inputs on deep soil water utilization

Forests in the Southeastern United States are predicted to experience future changes in seasonal patterns of precipitation inputs as well as more variable precipitation events. These climate change‐induced alterations could increase drought and lower soil water availability. Drought could alter rooting patterns and increase the importance of deep roots that access subsurface water resources. To address plant response to drought in both deep rooting and soil water utilization as well as soil drainage, we utilize a throughfall reduction experiment in a loblolly pine plantation of the Southeastern United States to calibrate and validate a hydrological model. The model was accurately calibrated against field measured soil moisture data under ambient rainfall and validated using 30% throughfall reduction data. Using this model, we then tested these scenarios: (a) evenly reduced precipitation; (b) less precipitation in summer, more in winter; (c) same total amount of precipitation with less frequent but heavier storms; and (d) shallower rooting depth under the above 3 scenarios. When less precipitation was received, drainage decreased proportionally much faster than evapotranspiration implying plants will acquire water first to the detriment of drainage. When precipitation was reduced by more than 30%, plants relied on stored soil water to satisfy evapotranspiration suggesting 30% may be a threshold that if sustained over the long term would deplete plant available soil water. Under the third scenario, evapotranspiration and drainage decreased, whereas surface run‐off increased. Changes in root biomass measured before and 4 years after the throughfall reduction experiment were not detected among treatments. Model simulations, however, indicated gains in evapotranspiration with deeper roots under evenly reduced precipitation and seasonal precipitation redistribution scenarios but not when precipitation frequency was adjusted. Deep soil and deep rooting can provide an important buffer capacity when precipitation alone cannot satisfy the evapotranspirational demand of forests. How this buffering capacity will persist in the face of changing precipitation inputs, however, will depend less on seasonal redistribution than on the magnitude of reductions and changes in rainfall frequency.     

唐山马家沟矿井水位异常分析

地下水动态受水文因素影响较大，对地震和构造活动具有较灵敏的响应。判别并排除各种水文干扰，确认地下水在地震前的异常变化，对提高地震分析预报能力，具有重要作用。马家沟矿井水位动态观测层与地下水开采层为同一含水层，井水位于2010年出现破年变异常，加速持续上升，截至2015年，最大上升幅度约30 m。依据该井水文地质环境特征，根据唐山市区2001-2015年地下水位、降雨量、地下水开采量实测资料，建立合理多元回归模型和三维地下水流动模型，发现地下水开采量减少应为影响马家沟矿井水位动态的可能因素。文中采取的异常识别与分析方法，可为其他类似井孔的地下水动态异常识别及判定提供一定借鉴。     

中全新世以来呼伦湖沉积物碳埋藏及其影响因素分析

通过对内蒙古高原呼伦湖沉积物样品总有机碳含量(TOC)及其稳定同位素(δ13Corg)、总氮含量(TN)和TOC/TN(C/N)值的测定,结合沉积岩芯AMS14C年代标尺,分析了中全新世以来呼伦湖沉积物有机碳埋藏速率随时间变化的趋势及有机质的来源,并探讨了影响呼伦湖有机碳埋藏的主要因素.结果表明,中全新世以来呼伦湖有机碳埋藏速率平均值约为2.06 g/(m~2·a),碳储量约为35.25 Tg C,且总体上呈现增加趋势.呼伦湖沉积物中有机质主要来源于外源输入,但近1000 a以来内源输入逐渐增加并占据优势.呼伦湖有机碳埋藏速率与温度和降水均呈负相关,表明在长时间尺度上,升温及降水量的增加可能对呼伦湖的碳埋藏起到一定的抑制作用.     

基于时间序列遥感数据的嵯岗国家沙化土地封禁保护成效评估

2013年中国启动实施了内蒙古自治区新巴尔虎左旗嵯岗国家沙化土地封禁保护区试点。本研究利用2001—2017年生长季NDVI数据分析了嵯岗封禁保护区及周边区域植被长势时空演变特征，分析了多年的生长季降水量和历年旱情，之后利用植被降水利用效率和NDVI残差趋势分析对保护成效进行了评估。结果表明：（1）封禁项目实施之前，封禁区内外植被长势变化趋势基本一致，而在项目实施后的2016、2017年，封禁区内NDVI距平明显高于封禁区外；（2）降水为影响该区域植被长势的主导气候因素，在封禁实施后的2015—2017年该区域连续3 a干旱，极大地限制了区域植被生长；（3）封禁区内植被降水利用效率和NDVI残差均呈现明显的增加趋势，而封禁区外变化不明显，说明封禁提升了植被的自我修复能力；（4）嵯岗封禁保护区由3个地块组成，其中嵯岗林场封禁效果比牧场八队和牧场十一队明显。国家沙化土地封禁保护措施有效促进了植被自我修复，提高了沙漠生态系统应对气候变化的能力。     

GPM和TRMM卫星日降水数据在黄河源区的适用性分析

通过评估GPM计划三种日降水产品（IMERG-E、 IMERG-L和IMERG-F）和TRMM卫星、 两种日降水产品（TMPA 3B42和TMPA 3B42RT）在黄河源及其周边区域38个台站的适用性， 探究了五种产品探测精度和海拔高度及雨强的相关关系， 结果表明： 在与实测资料的一致性和偏差方面， GPM卫星产品要全面优于TMPA产品。在TRMM卫星产品中， 3B42产品明显优于3B42RT。五种产品的相关系数均表现出明显的从东南到西北递减的趋势， 均方根误差北部普遍低于南部。IMERG产品的探测率（POD）和探测成功率（CSI）都要普遍高于TMPA产品， 而误报率（FAR）则是TMPA 产品更低， 表现更好。五种产品均在个别台站出现了严重误报的情况， 这些台站主要分布在研究区的西北部。IMERG三种产品对于海拔高度的依赖程度具有很强的一致性， 而3B42RT产品对海拔高度几乎没有依赖。除3B42RT产品外， 其余四种产品的偏差均随雨强的增加而增大。在探测率方面， IMERG产品对小雨、 中雨和大雨的探测能力均优于TMPA产品。     

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE PROCESS OF INTERGRANULAR PRESSURE SOLUTION OF PLAGIOCLASE GOUGE UNDER HIGH TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE: METHOD AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS

To understand the mechanism of lower-crust earthquake and slow slips, it is necessary to study the frictional properties of mafic rocks and their major rock-forming minerals. Previous studies have performed a series of experimental researches on gabbro, basalt and their major constituents. According to the results of previous experiments, frictional sliding of plagioclase under hydrothermal conditions(100~600℃)shows a property of velocity weakening, and the experimental results show that both the direct rate effect parameter(a)and the healing effect parameter(b)increase with temperature, a typical feature for thermally-activated processes. Velocity weakening means property of a shear band that has a stronger friction healing effect than the direct rate effect in the rate and state friction constitutive framework, and the healing effect(b value)in constitutive relation mainly reflects the increase in contact area with time under hydrothermal conditions, with some minor effect of structural changes. Since the microphysical mechanism of feldspar minerals at the contacts is mainly brittle cataclasis for temperatures below 600℃, the significant frictional healing effect in this case can only be explained by the mechanism of pressure solution. In order to determine if the dissolution process of plagioclase actually occurs on the laboratory time scale, we conducted hydrostatic experiments on plagioclase powder samples under hydrothermal conditions whereby frequent contact switch between particles seen in frictional sliding experiments can be avoided, making the observation on the dissolution sites possible. Experimental temperatures were 400℃ and 500℃, with confining pressure of 90~150MPa, pore pressure of 30MPa, with 2mm initial thickness of fault gouge. The mechanical data show that a creep process occurred in the plagioclase fault gouge in the experimental temperature and pressure range; and the microstructures of the experiment show that precipitation of new grains is prevalent as the product of pressure solution process between plagioclase particles. At the same time, it is observed that the contact points have an appearance similar to fused, fuzzy structure as signatures of dissolution. The results of our experiments provide a definite experimental evidence for the healing mechanism in friction of plagioclase and for the theoretical relation between unstable slip and the pressure solution process. The results of the experiments are summarized as follows: (1)Drainage rate of pore water in plagioclase gouge was high in the first few hours of experiment, but gradually decreases over time for both temperature and pressure series of experiments slowing down to a steady state. This feature indicates that there is a creep process that evolves inside the plagioclase gouge. In the temperature-series experiments, the drainage rate of the pore water in the plagioclase gouge at 400℃ is relatively low than the cases for higher temperatures. Thus, the applied temperature is positively correlated with the creep of plagioclase gouge. (2)Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)observations of the experimentally deformed samples were performed on thin sections cut along the sample axis. Firstly, from the images of microstructure, it was found that the degree of particle fracture became more significant at a higher effective pressure, with smaller pore volume between particles. In the temperature-series experiments it was found that the degree of compaction of plagioclase gouge increased with increasing temperature. Precipitation of plagioclase grains in layered structures was generally observed in high-magnification images, indicating the presence of pressure solution processes. Contact points were also found to be in a state of ambiguity that seems to be a fused morphology, but the details of the structure remain to be determined by further observations. The above results indicate that the pressure solution process of plagioclase particles can occur on a typical laboratory time scale, and the results of this study provide robust experimental evidences for the theory that links between pressure solution and the mechanism of frictional healing and unstable slips for plagioclase.     

Effect of rainfall uncertainty on the performance of physically based rainfall–runoff models

This paper analyses the effect of rain data uncertainty on the performance of two hydrological models with different spatial structures: a semidistributed and a fully distributed model. The study is performed on a small catchment of 19.6 km² located in the north‐west of Spain, where the arrival of low pressure fronts from the Atlantic Ocean causes highly variable rainfall events. The rainfall fields in this catchment during a series of storm events are estimated using rainfall point measurements. The uncertainty of the estimated fields is quantified using a conditional simulation technique. Discharge and rain data, including the uncertainty of the estimated rainfall fields, are then used to calibrate and validate both hydrological models following the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) methodology. In the storm events analysed, the two models show similar performance. In all cases, results show that the calibrated distribution of the input parameters narrows when the rain uncertainty is included in the analysis. Otherwise, when rain uncertainty is not considered, the calibration of the input parameters must account for all uncertainty in the rainfall–runoff transformation process. Also, in both models, the uncertainty of the predicted discharges increase in similar magnitude when the uncertainty of rainfall input increase.     

Changes in run‐off and sediment load in the three parts of the Yellow River basin,in response to climate change and human activities

Hydrological regimes in the Yellow River have changed significantly because of climate change and intensive human interventions. These changes present severe challenges to water resource utilization and ecological development. Variation of run‐off, suspended sediment load (SSL), and eight precipitation indices (P1: 0–12 mm·day^?1, P12: 12–25 mm·day^?1, P25: 25–50 mm·day^?1, P50: P ≥ 50 mm·day^?1 and corresponding rainfall day: Pd1, Pd12, Pd25, Pd50 day year^?1) in three critical parts of the Yellow River basin (source region: SRYRB, upper reaches: URYRB, middle reaches: MRYRB) were investigated for the period from 1960 to 2015. The results show that run‐off and SSL significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in the URYRB and the MRYRB, whereas their decline in the SRYRB was insignificant (P > 0.05). Moreover, run‐off in the URYRB had one change point in 1987, and SSL in the URYRB as well as run‐off and SSL in the MRYRB had two change points (in the 1970s and the 1990s). Over the same period, only Pd1 and Pd12 in the SRYRB showed significant increasing trends, and an abrupt change appeared in 1981. The optimal precipitation indices for assessing the effects of precipitation on run‐off and SSL in the URYRB and MRYRB were Pd50 and P12, respectively. A double‐mass curve analysis showed that precipitation and human activities contributed to approximately 20% and 80% of the reduction in run‐off, respectively, for both the SRYRB and the MRYRB. However, the contribution rate of precipitation and human activities on SSL reduction was approximately 40% and 60% in the URYRB and 5% and 95% in the MRYRB, respectively. Human activities, primarily soil and water conservation measures and water extraction (diversion), were the main factors (>50%) that reduced the run‐off. However, the dominant driving factors for SSL reduction were soil and water conservation measures and reservoir interception, for which the contribution rate was higher than 70% in the MRYRB. This work strengthens the understanding of hydrological responses to precipitation change and provides a useful reference for regional water resource utilization.     

Rainfall partitioning through a mixed cedar swamp and associated C and N fluxes in Southern Ontario,Canada

Partitioning of rainfall through a forest canopy into throughfall, stemflow, and canopy interception is a critical process in the water cycle, and the contact of precipitation with vegetated surfaces leads to increased delivery of solutes to the forest floor. This study investigates the rainfall partitioning over a growing season through a temperate, riparian, mixed coniferous‐deciduous cedar swamp, an ecosystem not well studied with respect to this process. Seasonal throughfall, stemflow, and interception were 69.2%, 1.5%, and 29.3% of recorded above‐canopy precipitation, respectively. Event throughfall ranged from a low of 31.5 ± 6.8% for a small 0.8‐mm event to a high of 82.9 ± 2.4% for a large 42.7‐mm event. Rain fluxes of at least 8 mm were needed to generate stemflow from all instrumented trees. Most trees had funnelling ratios <1.0, with an exponential decrease in funnelling ratio with increasing tree size. Despite this, stand‐scale funnelling ratios averaged 2.81 ± 1.73, indicating equivalent depth of water delivered across the swamp floor by stemflow was greater than incident precipitation. Throughfall dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) averaged 26.60 ± 2.96 and 2.02 ± 0.16 mg L^?1, respectively, which were ~11 and three times above‐canopy rain levels. Stemflow DOC averaged 73.33 ± 7.43 mg L^?1, 35 times higher than precipitation, and TDN was 4.45 ± 0.56 mg L^?1, 7.5 times higher than rain. Stemflow DOC concentration was highest from Populus balsamifera and TDN greatest from Thuja occidentalis trees. Although total below‐canopy flux of TDN increased with increasing event size, DOC flux was greatest for events 20–30 mm, suggesting a canopy storage threshold of DOC was readily diluted. In addition to documenting rainfall partitioning in a novel ecosystem, this study demonstrates the excess carbon and nitrogen delivered to riparian swamps, suggesting the assimilative capacity of these zones may be underestimated.