Remotely sensed rivers in the Anthropocene: state of the art and prospects

The rivers of the world are undergoing accelerated change in the Anthropocene, and need to be managed at much broader spatial and temporal scales than before. Fluvial remote sensing now offers a technical and methodological framework that can be deployed to monitor the processes at work and to assess the trajectories of rivers in the Anthropocene. In this paper, we review research investigating past, present and future fluvial corridor conditions and processes using remote sensing and we consider emerging challenges facing fluvial and riparian research. We introduce a suite of remote sensing methods designed to diagnose river changes at reach to regional scales. We then focus on identification of channel patterns and acting processes from satellite, airborne or ground acquisitions. These techniques range from grain scales to landform scales, and from real time scales to inter-annual scales. We discuss how remote sensing data can now be coupled to catchment scale models that simulate sediment transfer within connected river networks. We also consider future opportunities in terms of datasets and other resources which are likely to impact river management and monitoring at the global scale. We conclude with a summary of challenges and prospects for remotely sensed rivers in the Anthropocene. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Snow accumulation and ablation response to changes in forest structure and snow surface albedo after attack by mountain pine beetle

This study quantified changes in snow accumulation and ablation with forest defoliation in a young pine stand attacked by mountain pine beetle, a mature mixed species stand, and a clearcut in south‐central British Columbia. From 2006 to 2012, as trees in the pine stand turned from green to grey, average canopy transmittance increased from 27% to 49%. In the mixed stand, transmittance remained constant at 19%. In 2009, the year of greatest needle loss, average snow surface litter cover in the pine stand was 29% (range 4 – 61%), compared to ≤9% in other years and over double that in the mixed stand. By 2012, litter accumulation in the now‐grey pine stand was only a sixth of that in the mixed stand. Inter‐annual variability in the weather had the greatest effect on snow accumulation and ablation, with the greatest differences between both forested stands and the clearcut occurring in 2010, the year of lowest SWE. Differences in snow accumulation between the pine and mixed stand increased in 2010 as a result of decreased snow interception in the young stand after needlefall. Average ablation rates in the attacked stand were most different from the mixed stand in 2009 and 2012, the years with the largest and smallest over‐winter needle loss, respectively. This study shows that grey, non‐pine, and understory trees moderate snow response to changes in the main canopy. It also highlights the complex interrelationships between ecohydrological processes key to assessing watershed response to forest cover loss in snow dominated hydrologic regimes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Asian monsoon climate during the Last Glacial Maximum: palaeo‐data–model comparisons

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (23–19 ka BP) in the Asian monsoon region is generally described as cool and dry, due to a strong winter monsoon. More recently, however, palaeo‐data and climate model simulations have argued for a more variable LGM Asian monsoon climate with distinct regional differences. We compiled, evaluated, and partly re‐assessed proxy records for the Asian monsoon region in terms of wet/dry climatic conditions based on precipitation and effective moisture, and of sea surface temperatures. The comparison of the palaeo‐data set to LGM simulations by the Climate Community System Model version 3 (CCSM3) shows fairly good agreement: a dry LGM climate in the western and northern part due to a strengthened winter monsoon and/or strengthened westerly winds and wetter conditions in equatorial areas, due to a stronger summer monsoon. Data–model discrepancies are seen in some areas and are ascribed to the fairly coarse resolution of CCSM3 and/or to uncertainties in the reconstructions. Differences are also observed between the reconstructed and simulated northern boundaries of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The reconstructions estimate a more southern position over southern India and the Bay of Bengal, whereas CCSM3 simulates a more northern position. In Indochina, the opposite is the case. The palaeo‐data indicate that climatic conditions changed around 20–19 ka BP, with some regions receiving higher precipitation and some experiencing drier conditions, which would imply a distinct shift in summer monsoon intensity. This shift was probably triggered by the late LGM sea‐level rise, which led to changes in atmosphere–ocean interactions in the Indian Ocean. The overall good correspondence between reconstructions and CCSM3 suggests that CCSM3 simulates LGM climate conditions over subtropical and tropical areas fairly well. The few high‐resolution qualitative and quantitative palaeo‐records available for the large Asian monsoon region make reconstructions however still uncertain.     

Direct versus indirect determination of suspended sediment associated metals in a mining-influenced watershed

The differentiation between the concentration of metals associated with suspended sediments and those in the dissolved phase is often of importance in aquatic ecosystems, for such reasons as toxicity evaluation, total maximum daily load calculations, and a better understanding of metal transport. Often, published water quality data include only concentrations of total and dissolved metals, with particulate concentrations assumed equal to the difference between the two. The validity of this assumption for mining-influenced waters is addressed in this paper by comparing data determined from the subtraction of total (acid-soluble) and dissolved (operationally defined as less than 0.45-μm) metal concentrations (difference method) with data obtained from acid-digestion of the particles retained on the filters used for filtering the dissolved fraction (digestion method). Greater than fifty water samples containing suspended sediment were collected from each of three sites in the Clear Creek Watershed in Colorado during a two and one-half year study on the fate and transport of metals in the watershed. Volumes of water filtered ranged from 50 to 250 ml, representative of typical volumes used for the determination of dissolved metal concentrations. The particulate-associated concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn determined from the difference method compared well with the concentrations determined by the digestion method. Statistical analyses indicated that there is not a statistically significant difference between the two methods at the 95% confidence level, with p-values of 0.65, 0.88, 0.39, 0.67, and 0.75, for Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, respectively, over the three sites.     

MELIMEX,an experimental heavy metal pollution study: Oligochaetes and chironomid larvae in heavy metal loaded and control limno-corrals

In two limno-corrals loaded with heavy metals the density of tubificid worms and chironomid larvae was higher than in the control. The better oxygen conditions observed in the heavy metal loaded corrals might explain this discrepancy. The higher oxygen concentration at the sediment-water interface was due to lower organic sedimentation, consequence of the primary production reduced by heavy metals. In all limno-corrals, the tubificid populations consisted ofTubifex tubifex. The size structure of tubificid populations in the heavy metal loaded corrals indicated a delayed reproduction compared to the control.     

Vertical accretion rates in fluvial systems: ­a comparison of volumetric and depth‐based estimates

A wide range of approaches has been adopted for collecting and reporting vertical accretion rates, hence evaluation of results from different catchments, or even from different reaches within the same basin, is difficult as they may not be directly comparable. The present study compares depth‐ and volume‐based estimates of sediment accumulation for well‐dated vertical accretion sequences at Broomhaugh Island in the Tyne basin, northern England. High resolution dating control (based on heavy metal stratigraphy and cartography) coupled with detailed reconstruction of channel geometry allows accumulation rates to be calculated for the last 300–400 years. The results show a marked disparity in the magnitude and pattern of vertical accretion rates between the two approaches. The average annual thickness of sediment increases progressively, with a six‐fold difference between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries. The volume figures are more consistent, with a two‐fold difference between the highest and lowest rates, both of which occurred in the twentieth century. A major control on vertical accretion is found to be changing channel shape and capacity. Enlargement of the channel by 76 per cent since the seventeenth century, associated with channel bed incision, has resulted in fewer overbank flows. Hence floods, with their associated suspended sediment loads, which once inundated the floodplain are now confined within the channel. The reduced areal extent of surfaces available for deposition has resulted in greater annual thickness of sediment accumulated, despite an overall reduction in volume. This study emphasizes that caution is needed when attempting to identify causal linkages between changes in sedimentation rates and catchment land use and/or climatic factors and the geomorphological setting of the site must be taken into account. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GPS water vapour tomography: preliminary results from the ESCOMPTE field experiment

Water vapour plays a major role in atmospheric processes but remains difficult to quantify due to its high variability in time and space and the sparse set of available measurements. The GPS has proved its capacity to measure the integrated water vapour at zenith with the same accuracy as other methods. Recent studies show that it is possible to quantify the integrated water vapour in the line of sight of the GPS satellite. These observations can be used to study the 3D heterogeneity of the troposphere using tomographic techniques. We develop three-dimensional tomographic software to model the three-dimensional distribution of the tropospheric water vapour from GPS data. First, the tomographic software is validated by simulations based on the realistic ESCOMPTE GPS network configuration. Without a priori information, the absolute value of water vapour is less resolved as opposed to relative horizontal variations. During the ESCOMPTE field experiment, a dense network of 17 dual frequency GPS receivers was operated for 2 weeks within a 20×20-km area around Marseille (southern France). The network extends from sea level to the top of the Etoile chain (700 m high). Optimal results have been obtained with time windows of 30-min intervals and input data evaluation every 15 min. The optimal grid for the ESCOMTE geometrical configuration has a horizontal step size of 0.05°×0.05° and 500 m vertical step size. Second, we have compared the results of real data inversions with independent observations. Three inversions have been compared to three successive radiosonde launches and shown to be consistent. A good resolution compared to the a priori information is obtained up to heights of 3000 m. A humidity spike at 4000-m altitude remains unresolved. The reason is probably that the signal is spread homogeneously over the whole network and that such a feature is not resolvable by tomographic techniques. The results of our pure GPS inversion show a correlation with meteorological phenomena. Our measurements could be related to the land–sea breeze. Undoubtedly, tomography has some interesting potential for the water vapour cycle studies at small temporal and spatial scales.     

Carolina Bay geoarchaeology and Holocene landscape evolution on the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina

Surface water on the mainly dry, upland interfluves of the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina occurs currently as a sporadic distribution of shallow ponds held within Carolina bays and other small, isolated basins. At seven bays on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site on the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina, we investigated Holocene changes in bay morphology, ecology, and prehistoric human activity. At Flamingo Bay, we employed archaeological survey and testing, shovel and auger testing, sediment analysis, and ground-penetrating radar to document stratigraphy and chronology of the sand rim on the eastern side of the bay. Artifact assemblage indicate changes in intensity of human use of the bay. Radiocarbon dates from a sediment core establish time scales for depositional processes at the center of the basin. Ground-penetrating radar data from the other bays indicate that the stratigraphy of all seven bays is broadly similar. We conclude that: (1) Significant modification of the bays, including rim development and basin infilling, occurred during the Holocene; (2) ponds on the early Holocene landscape were larger and more permanent than at present; (3) early Holocene climate, as indicated by both depositional processes and human activity, was not characterized by prolonged periods of extremely dry conditions; and (4) fluvial-centric models of terminal Pleistocene—early Holocene human adaptations require revision to include intensive use of isolated upland ponds. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.