Erosion Resistance Assessment of Grass-Covered Embankments: Insights from In Situ Overflow Tests at the Living Lab Hedwige-Prosper Polder

Research Article| March 01 2011 Response in the trophic state of stratified lakes to changes in hydrology and water level: potential effects of climate change Dale M. Robertson; Dale M. Robertson 1US Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin, USA Tel.: +608-821-3867 Fax: +608-821-3817; E-mail: dzrobert@usgs.gov Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar William J. Rose William J. Rose 1US Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin, USA Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Water and Climate Change (2011) 2 (1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2011.026 Article history Received: December 29 2009 Revision Received: December 13 2010 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Permissions Search Site Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll JournalsThis Journal Search Advanced Search Citation Dale M. Robertson, William J. Rose; Response in the trophic state of stratified lakes to changes in hydrology and water level: potential effects of climate change. Journal of Water and Climate Change 1 March 2011; 2 (1): 1–18. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2011.026 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex To determine how climate-induced changes in hydrology and water level may affect the trophic state (productivity) of stratified lakes, two relatively pristine dimictic temperate lakes in Wisconsin, USA, were examined. Both are closed-basin lakes that experience changes in water level and degradation in water quality during periods of high water. One, a seepage lake with no inlets or outlets, has a small drainage basin and hydrology dominated by precipitation and groundwater exchange causing small changes in water and phosphorus (P) loading, which resulted in small changes in water level, P concentrations, and productivity. The other, a terminal lake with inlets but no outlets, has a large drainage basin and hydrology dominated by runoff causing large changes in water and P loading, which resulted in large changes in water level, P concentrations, and productivity. Eutrophication models accurately predicted the effects of changes in hydrology, P loading, and water level on their trophic state. If climate changes, larger changes in hydrology and water levels than previously observed could occur. If this causes increased water and P loading, stratified (dimictic and monomictic) lakes are expected to experience higher water levels and become more eutrophic, especially those with large developed drainage basins. climate change, eutrophication, hydrology, productivity, water level This content is only available as a PDF. © US Geological Survey 2011 You do not currently have access to this content.

To determine how climate-induced changes in hydrology and water level may affect the trophic state (productivity) of stratified lakes, two relatively pristine dimictic temperate lakes in Wisconsin, USA, were examined. Both are closed-basin lakes that experience changes in water level and degradation in water quality during periods of high water. One, a seepage lake with no inlets or outlets, has a small drainage basin and hydrology dominated by precipitation and groundwater exchange causing small changes in water and phosphorus (P) loading, which resulted in small changes in water level, P concentrations, and productivity. The other, a terminal lake with inlets but no outlets, has a large drainage basin and hydrology dominated by runoff causing large changes in water and P loading, which resulted in large changes in water level, P concentrations, and productivity. Eutrophication models accurately predicted the effects of changes in hydrology, P loading, and water level on their trophic state. If climate changes, larger changes in hydrology and water levels than previously observed could occur. If this causes increased water and P loading, stratified (dimictic and monomictic) lakes are expected to experience higher water levels and become more eutrophic, especially those with large developed drainage basins.

Poyang Lake is the largest fresh lake in China, whose wetland ecological environment and water level change are very complex. Its abundant wetland resources make it a habitat for many migratory birds. Therefore, it is of great significance to study water level and morphological changes of wetlands in Poyang Lake. Synthetic aperture radar can penetrate cloud and mist which is different from traditional optical satellites, it can effectively acquire the reflective characteristics of all objects. The key point in extraction of water area and wetland is threshold selection. An adaptively sample selection method is used to find a perfect distribution with two bounces and then the lowest point between two bounces is the optimal threshold. In recent years, satellite remote sensing has been able to monitor changes of wetland water environment and ecology on a large scale. InSAR technique makes up for the shortcomings in traditional hydrological observation of water level such as few sampling points, long observation period, high monitoring cost and unobservable areas. In this paper, the water or wetland area and water level change in Poyang Lake are obtained from two products of Sentinel-1 data separately. Ground range detected (GRD) images were used to get morphological changes of water and wetland with the adaptively sample selection method, it shows a good application: (1) the area covered by water became largest in July and August; (2) the area of wetland decreased gradually from January to June and the area of wetland showed an opposite trend from September to December. Single look complex (SLC) images were used to get water level change with InSAR technique, it also can be concluded that: (1) the biggest water level change is from July to August, and water level changes between other months showed little differences in value but more differences in spatial distribution; (2) the boundary of water level changes is basically consistent with the boundary between water body and wetland. The results are of great significance for the monitoring and regulation of the water ecological environment of Poyang Lake wetland.

Local groundwater and tidal changes induced by large earthquakes in the Taiyuan Basin, North China from well monitoring

Well water levels can reflect the stress placed on a confined subsurface aquifer system in a similar manner to a strain meter. Based on observations of the geophysical field in Lhasa combined with digital data recorded at an underground fluid well at the Lhasa geomagnetic station in recent years, we comprehensively analyzed the characteristics of co-seismic changes caused by 14 different-magnitude M ≥ 5 earthquakes recorded in the well. The results show that (1) the co-seismic changes in water temperature and water level are different; the water level exhibits oscillation-type changes, while the water temperature variations indicate first heating and subsequent recovery. (2) The co-seismic changes are related to the epicentral distance, magnitude and focal depth of the earthquake. The closer the epicenter is to the well, the earlier the co-seismic responses occur, but the time interval between the co-seismic changes in the water level and temperature differs. (3) The co-seismic ratio of the water temperature is higher than that of the water level; this may be related to faulty water level instrumentation or segmented records.

Climate change with extreme hydrological conditions, such as drought and flood, bring new challenges to seepage behavior and the stability of earthfill dams. Taking a drought-stricken earthfill dam of China as an example, the influence of drought-flood cycles on dam seepage behavior is analyzed. This paper includes a clay sample laboratory experiment and an unsteady finite element method seepage simulation of the mentioned dam. Results show that severe drought causes cracks on the surface of the clay soil sample. Long-term drought causes deeper cracks and induces a sharp increase of suction pressure, indicating that the cracks would become channels for rain infiltration into the dam during subsequent rainfall, increasing the potential for internal erosion and decreasing dam stability. Measures to prevent infiltration on the dam slope surface are investigated, for the prevention of deep crack formation during long lasting droughts. Unsteady seepage indicators including instantaneous phreatic lines, equipotential lines and pore pressure gradient in the dam, are calculated and analyzed under two assumed conditions with different reservoir water level fluctuations. Results show that when the water level changes rapidly, the phreatic line is curved and constantly changing. As water level rises, equipotential lines shift upstream, and the pore pressure gradient in the dam’s main body is larger than that of steady seepage. Furthermore, the faster the water level rises, the larger the pore pressure gradient is. This may cause internal erosion. Furthermore, the case of a cracked upstream slope is modelled via an equivalent permeability coefficient, which shows that the pore pressure gradient in the zone beneath the cracks increases by 5.9% at the maximum water level; this could exacerbate internal erosion. In addition, results are in agreement with prior literature that rapid drawdown of the reservoir water level is detrimental to the stability of the upstream slope based on embankment slope stability as calculated by the Simplified Bishop Method. It is concluded that fluctuations of reservoir water level should be strictly controlled during drought-flood cycles; both the drawdown rate and the fill rate must be regulated to avoid the internal erosion of earthfill dams.

Lakes are important indicators of climate change. The change in lake water level objectively reflects the availability of regional water resources. Analyzing the changes in water level and climate response of major lakes in countries along the “Belt and Road” is essential for sustainable water use and ecological protection. Based on the water level datasets of 39 large lakes (>400 km2) in China, Mongolia, and Russia (CMR) from 2002 to 2016, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of water levels in major lakes of CMR, and their responses to climatic factors containing temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration. The results showed that (1) the water level of main lakes in CMR slightly increased with change rates ranged from −0.36 to 0.48 m/a, and the trends varied in lakes, (2) the water level of most lakes was sensitive to temperature with sensitivity value ranged from −2.14 m/°C to 5.59 m/°C, (3) changes of annual cumulative precipitation and evapotranspiration contributed most to the change of lake water level, but key factors affecting water level varied in lakes. Human activity is an important driving factor for the change in water levels and its impacts need further study.

The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, and Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District has produced (1) dataset of water-level measurement data and (2) shapefiles of water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas.This dataset shows current-year (2017) water-level measurement data, altitudes for each aquifer, 5-year (2012-2017) water-level changes for each aquifer, long-term (1990-2017 and 1977-2017) water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, and long-term (2000-2017) water-level change for the Jasper aquifer. For the 1-year (2016-17) water-level changes, data were computed as the difference in water-level altitude at each point (well) for which a water-level measurement was made in 2016 and 2017. Five-year (2012-2017) water-level changes were computed the same as for the 1-year water-level changes; the difference in water-level altitude at each point for which a water-level measurement was made in 2012 and 2017.

<p>Spatiotemporal characteristics of physical responses of lakes to external and environmental changes are still largely unknown due to the consistent lack of monitoring of water level and corresponding changes in water storage in lakes. Understanding these changes is a fundamental step in advancing regional management of natural and anthropogenic systems that depend on the water resources of lakes. As an illustrative example, we here report a case study involving lakes of the headwater topical Andes mountain range, which, despite guaranteeing water security to millions of downstream inhabitants, still remain significantly ungauged. We present a novel evaluation of the potential of Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar DInSAR techniques for the spatiotemporal analysis of patterns of water level change in lakes such as the ones comprising these ungauged high-altitude lake systems. Time series of Sentinel-1B data for the years 2017 and 2018 were used to generate continuous interferograms representing water level changes in twenty-four lakes of the Cajas National Park, Ecuador. The relation of these water level changes with climatic and topographical factors were analyzed to validate the methodology, and determine any patterns of change and response to climatic drivers. We found relatively high Pearson correlation coefficients between regional precipitation and water level change as estimated from the interferograms. Furthermore, we found an important negative relationship between water level change, as obtained from the DInSAR phase, and lake surface area. The study revealed a spatial trend of this correlation in terms of the altitude of the lakes at the basin scale; that is, lower correlation values were found in the headers of the basins, whilst higher correlation values were found at lower basin altitudes. The results of the present study demonstrate the potential of DInSAR techniques based on Sentinel-1 data for the monitoring of hydrologic changes in open water surfaces, and the possible validation of the DInSAR results with precipitation when gauged water level data is missing. These results are a basis to propose monitoring strategies in ungauged high-altitude lake systems in regions with similar data gauging constraints. Future work will encompass the integration of ongoing water level gauging for further validation of the herein depicted lake water level estimation approach.</p>

This paper presents the findings of a preliminary research program that aimed to investigate the mechanisms governing the progression of piping erosion in organic soils and attempted to use the findings to reduce the severity of piping erosion of sand. The hypothesis was that the presence of organics within mineral soils results in a reduction in piping erosion progression. Erosion behaviors of the soils were quantified using a simple erosion test with a preformed hole to simulate an initial piping channel. The research was split into five test phases. In Phase 1, the influence of grain-size distribution was eliminated to develop a preliminary understanding of the role that organic matter plays in the erosion process. The results indicated that organic matter likely contributed to a reduction in piping erosion. The second phase excluded both grain-size distribution and individual particle shape as variables in the erosion process. The results further confirmed the connection between organic matter content and erosion resistance. The third phase revealed the positive correlation between the reduced piping erosion and increased organic matter content. The fourth phase investigated the quantitative relationship between certain biologically derived substances (polysaccharides and glomalin) and piping erosion reduction. The positive correlations that were preliminarily derived from this phase indicated that these substances likely play a major role in reducing piping erosion. The final phase comprised of introducing organic matter into mineral soil and quantifying the subsequent changes in geomechanic properties. The results suggested that the introduction of organic materials into mineral soil decreases strength, increases consolidation settlement, and reduces permeability.

A multi-layered three-dimensional hydrodynamic model has been developed to provide flow fields and water level changes in Hamilton Harbour. The field data collected in Hamilton Harbour during 1990 & 1991 field seasons was used for model verification. The simulated currents were compared with current meter data. Results from the trajectory model are in good agreement with the drogue experimental data. A quantitative criterion to evaluate the trajectory comparison was established with the help of the trajectory model using the random-walk approach. By using the water level changes in the Burlington Ship Canal, the model predictions were validated with the measurements at three water level stations in the Harbour. These comparisons demonstrate that the models can simulate the major features of the water current and level changes in Hamilton Harbour.

The regions surrounding Dokan Lake are highly vulnerable to recent climate change, which disrupts ecosystems, hydrological cycles, and vegetation, particularly in water-scarce areas. Thus, this study uses remote sensing techniques, such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), to monitor vegetation and drought conditions. In order to calculate hydrological parameters that identify changes in the lake's water level from 2014 to 2023 and to assess vegetation changes in the Khdran, Khalakan, Ranya, and Chwarqurna areas that are close to Dokan Lake. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is another tool used to analyze precipitation patterns and identify the wettest and driest years during this time frame. Advanced analytical techniques are used in this study, including statistical tools, GIS, and remote sensing. To determine seasonal water levels, hydrological data, including precipitation and water levels, were gathered from the Dokan Dam and processed using ArcGIS (10.7.1) and GraphPad Prism (8.0.2). Vegetation and drought conditions were analyzed using the NDVI and VCI indices. A correlation analysis between water levels and SPI revealed a moderate and statistically significant relationship (P-value < 0.05; P-value = 0.034). According to the findings, the lake's area fluctuated significantly, with the largest expansion occurring in 2019. Vegetation conditions, as assessed by the VCI index, indicate that extreme drought occurred in 2014 but significantly increased by 2022. Areas with moderate drought remained stable, while regions with mild drought experienced a gradual decrease after 2019. According to SPI analysis, 2019 was a wet year (SPI = 2.22), while 2022 saw a moderate drought (SPI = -1.18). In conclusion, the study highlights the need to consider multiple climate parameters for effective water management and climate change adaptation. The results emphasize the significance of understanding the interaction between hydrology, vegetation, and climate, which is essential for sustainable development in regions vulnerable to climate change.

Regression models of monthly water-level change in and near the Closed Basin Division of the San Luis Valley, south-central Colorado

Coseismic water level rises in the 30‐m deep Bourdieu Valley (BV) well near Parkfield, California, have occurred in response to three local and five distant earthquakes. Coseismic changes in static strain cannot explain these water level rises because (1) the well is insensitive to strain at tidal periods; (2) for the distant earthquakes, the expected coseismic static strain is extremely small; and (3) the water level response is of the incorrect sign for the local earthquakes. These water level changes must therefore be caused by seismic waves, but unlike seismic water level oscillations, they are monotonic, persist for days or weeks, and seem to be caused by waves with periods of several seconds rather than long‐period surface waves. Other investigators have reported a similar phenomenon in Japan. Certain wells consistently exhibit this type of coseismic water level change, which is always in the same direction, regardless of the earthquake's azimuth or focal mechanism, and approximately proportional to the inverse square of hypocentral distance. To date, the coseismic water level rises in the B V well have never exceeded the seasonal water level maximum, although their sizes are relatively well correlated with earthquake magnitude and distance. The frequency independence of the well's response to barometric pressure in the frequency band 0.1 to 0.7 cpd implies that the aquifer is fairly well confined. High aquifer compressibility, probably due to a gas phase in the pore space, is the most likely reason why the well does not respond to Earth tides. The phase and amplitude relationships between the seasonal water level and precipitation cycles constrain the horizontal hydraulic diffusivity to within a factor of 4.5, bounding hypothetical earthquake‐induced changes in aquifer hydraulic properties. Moreover, changes of hydraulic conductivity and/or diffusivity throughout the aquifer would not be expected to change the water level in the same direction at every time of the year. The first 2.5 days of a typical coseismic water level rise could be caused by a small coseismic discharge decrease at a point several tens of meters from the well. Alternatively, the entire coseismic water level signal could represent diffusion of an abrupt coseismic pore pressure increase within several meters of the well, produced by a mechanism akin to that of liquefaction. The coseismic water level changes in the BV well resemble, and may share a mechanism with, coseismic water level, stream discharge, and groundwater temperature changes at other locations where preearthquake changes have also been reported. No preearthquake changes have been observed at the BV well site, however.

The study area is located in southern Elmore County, southwestern Idaho, and includes the Mountain Home Air Force Base located approximately 10 mi southwest of the city of Mountain Home. Chemical analyzes have been made periodically since the late 1940's on water samples from supply wells on the Air Force Base. These analyses indicate increases in specific conductance and in concentrations of nitrogen compounds, chloride, and sulfate. The purposes of this report, which was prepared in cooperation with the Department of the Air Force, are to describe the seasonal changes in water quality and water levels and to depict the directions of ground-water movement in the regional aquifer system and perched-water zones. Although data presented in this report are from both the regional ground-water system and perched-water zones, the focus is on the regional system. A previous study by the U.S. Geological Survey (Parliman and Young, 1990) describes the areal changes in water quality and water levels during the fall of 1989. During March, July, and October 1990, 141 wells were inventoried and depth to water was measured. Continuous water-level recorders were installed on 5 of the wells and monthly measurements of depth to water were made in 17 of the wells during March 1990 through February 1991. Water samples from 33 wells and 1 spring were collected during the spring and fall of 1990 for chemical analyses. Samples also were collected monthly from 11 of those wells during April to September 1990 (table 1). Selected well-construction and water-use data and measurements of depth to water for 141 wells are given in table 2 (separated sheets in envelope). Directions of ground-water movement and selected hydrographs showing seasonal fluctuations of water levels in the regional ground-water system and perched-water zones are shown on sheet 2. Changes in water levels in the regional ground-water system during March to October 1990 are shown on sheet 2.