Baseflow Recession Analysis Research Articles

Identifying baseflow source areas using remotely sensed and ground‐based hydrologic data

AbstractUnderstanding how rainfall and snowmelt influence baseflow, the groundwater‐fed component of streamflow, is essential for sound water resources management. Current approaches to understand the spatial couplings between these processes and baseflow are limited. The most commonly used methods include geochemical tracers and hydrologic models. A key limitation of the first is cost, while the second is limited by the need for simplifying assumptions. This study developed a data‐driven approach which leverages satellite Earth observation data and ground‐based data to assess the degree to which baseflow is influenced by upstream rainfall and snowmelt in California's Sierra Nevada. The procedure involved: (1) separation of baseflow from streamflow time series using a low‐pass filtering technique, (2) quantification of aquifer drainage timescales through baseflow recession analysis, (3) application of time series and information theory methods to identify the areas which have the greatest impacts on baseflow through both rainfall and snowmelt, and (4) characterization of the elevation zones which have a prevailing influence on baseflow. Results suggest that areas which have the strongest impact on baseflow through rainfall and snowmelt are not necessarily the areas which experience the highest annual rates of snowmelt or rainfall; snowmelt occurring in the 3000–3700 m elevation range was found to be the most important driver of baseflow.

A proposed composite Boussinesq equation for estimating baseflow recessions and storage-outflow relationship

Baseflow recession analysis characterizes the interactions between ground and surface water, and many studies have focused on estimating the mathematical form of the relationship and its parameters. The Boussinesq equations can estimate baseflow recession and storage-outflow relationship. However, these equations assume either linear or nonlinear behavior, depending on the streamflow conditions. The linear equation cannot represent the nonlinear behavior of the baseflow, and the nonlinear equation cannot fit the lowest discharge values. In addition, the nonlinear equation is oversimplified and does not include baseflow from groundwater storage below the stream’s water level. Therefore, we propose a composite Boussinesq equation that includes the linear portion of baseflow below the stream’s water level, includes a nonlinear storage, and fits low discharge values. The performance of the linear, nonlinear, and composite methods are assessed using 1561 USGS stream gaging stations across the contiguous US (CONUS). The regression constants, which represent the aquifer characteristics, are estimated for all gages using the three methods. Results show that the composite equation results in smaller errors for estimating baseflow recession events and the storage-outflow relationship. Finally, four different variables, precipitation, evapotranspiration, average discharge, and drainage area, were analyzed to find the relationship between the watershed conditions and baseflow analysis in terms of the regression constants and the relative errors of the best fit curves. Results show that the nonlinearity increases in drier regions, and the relative error for all three methods increases in wet climate regions with high precipitation and evapotranspiration. The composite equation is a well-performing alternative to linear or nonlinear equations across all basin characteristics, allowing for estimating the full range of baseflow behavior.

Characterizing the groundwater storage–discharge relationship of small catchments in China

Abstract Baseflow recession is an essential part of the hydrological cycle, as it transfers unconfined aquifer storage to runoff. This study derived the parameterization of the baseflow recession from recession curves extracted from 382 catchments in China. The recession parameters of recession curves in power-law form, which control the shape of the curves and reflect the net effects of hillslope on the runoff decline process, are estimated by the baseflow recession analysis. The results show that the ranges of recession coefficient α and recession exponent β across China are 0–0.70 and 0.57–3, respectively. Most of the α values range between 0 and 0.20, and most of the β values range between 1 and 2. Generally, the α values of relatively dry catchments are higher than that of the wet catchments, and the distribution pattern of β values is opposite to that of α values. Statistical analysis is used to construct parametric equations for the recession parameters, indicating that catchment area, field capacity, etc., are essential for predicting α and β. In addition, the transplantation results of parametric equations show that equations can be applied to the estimation of α and β in other catchments. The results provide data support for storage estimation of data-scarce catchments.

Baseflow and transmission loss: A review

AbstractThere is an extensive literature dealing with the interaction between groundwater and surface water, and this includes major reviews on baseflow, transmission losses, baseflow recession analysis, and broader aspects of low flows. Although these are mature topics in hydrology, they continue to attract strong interest, with hundreds of papers published in leading journals over the past 20 years. Our comprehensive review of the relevant literature focusses in detail on the use of linear and nonlinear models of recession discharge, and on transmission loss. From this review we identify three approaches to understanding recession, namely (a) theoretical approaches based on the Boussinesq equation, (b) applications of recession slope analysis, and (c) estimates of transmission loss by input–output water balance. We review the application of these techniques to ephemeral and humid areas and note the wide adoption of linear models despite most researchers accepting that the processes are nonlinear. Few papers address the characteristics of groundwater flow to ephemeral streams from unconfined aquifers. Although initially considered an ephemeral arid/semi‐arid stream feature, transmission loss occurs in streams in humid areas. Interestingly, we identify a significant omission in the literature, in that while it is common to observe nonlinear behavior in streamflow recessions, little explicit account has been given to the role of transmission loss which can be an important factor in identifying the structure of nonlinear recession models.This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Hydrological Processes

Impact of reservoirs on baseflow recession analysis: a case study of the Chaersen Reservoir in Northeast China

ABSTRACT The number of reservoirs worldwide increases annually, and there are growing concerns regarding their potential effects on runoff and baseflow. In this study, the impact of the recently constructed Chaersen Reservoir on downstream baseflow recession is analysed using the pre–post comparison method. Additionally, the potential causes of these effects are investigated. Reservoir construction is found to cause the baseflow at the recession stage to increase by a relatively constant value (approximately 1 m3/s), which makes the log(−dQ/dt) vs. log(Q) points at the low-flow stage shift to the right. This eventually results in a decrease of ~70% in recession coefficient a and an increase of ~27% in coefficient b. Consequently, the master recession curve and storage–discharge curve deviate significantly from those before construction. Finally, a baseflow recession analysis strategy suitable for a basin with reservoirs is proposed; it ensures that recession coefficients (a, b) agree well with practical values.

Extraction Method of Baseflow Recession Segments Based on Second-Order Derivative of Streamflow and Comparison with Four Conventional Methods

Baseflow recession analysis is widely used in hydrological research, water resource planning and management, and watershed hydrogeological research. The first step of baseflow recession analysis is to extract the baseflow recession segments from the hydrograph. Different extraction results lead to different analysis results. At present, the four major recession segment extraction methods applied by hydrologists are mostly based on experience, and there is no clear theoretical basis. Therefore, this study derives a second-order derivation (Sec-D) recession segment extraction method based on the power law relationship between storage and discharge. Moreover, by applying the Sec-D method and the four conventional extraction methods to four hydrological stations in the Tao’er River basin in northeastern China, the differences in the recession segment extraction, determination of basin-wide hydrogeological parameters, and groundwater balance estimation are compared. The results demonstrate that, contrary to the four conventional methods, the Sec-D method can effectively eliminate the early recession stage affected by the surface runoff or rainfall and some streamflow data with more than 1% non-sequential error. The hydraulic conductivity of the four basins estimated by the Sec-D method is between 2.3 × 10−5–4.9 × 10−5 m/s, and the aquifer thickness is between 131.2 and 202.5 m. However, the four conventional extraction methods may underestimate (by about 2.5 times) the basin-wide hydraulic conductivity and overestimate (by about 3 times) the aquifer thickness. The groundwater balance elements calculated by the Sec-D method and the four conventional methods present similar intra-annual fluctuation characteristics; the correlation coefficients of daily evapotranspiration calculated by the five methods ranged from 0.7 to 0.95, and those of daily effective groundwater recharge ranged from 0.95 to 0.99. The use of the Sec-D method in baseflow recession analyses is significant for future studies and can be combined with conventional methods.

Understanding the effects of climate warming on streamflow and active groundwater storage in an alpine catchment: the upper Lhasa River

Abstract. Climate warming is changing streamflow regimes and groundwater storage in cold alpine regions. In this study, the Yangbajain headwater catchment in the Lhasa River basin is adopted as the study area to assess streamflow changes and active groundwater storage in response to climate warming. The results show that both annual streamflow and the mean air temperature increase significantly at respective rates of about 12.30 mm per decade and 0.28 ∘C per decade from 1979 to 2013 in the study area. The results of gray relational analysis indicate that the air temperature acts as a primary factor for the increased streamflow. Due to climate warming, the total glacier volume has retreated by over 25 % during the past 50 years, and the areal extent of permafrost has degraded by 15.3 % over the last 20 years. Parallel comparisons with other subbasins in the Lhasa River basin indirectly reveal that the increased streamflow at the Yangbajain Station is mainly fed by the accelerated glacier retreat. Using baseflow recession analysis, we also find that the estimated groundwater storage that is comparable with the GRACE data increases significantly at rates of about 19.32 mm per decade during the abovementioned period. That is to say, as permafrost thaws, more spaces have been made available to accommodate the increasing meltwater. Finally, a large water imbalance (of more than 5.79×107 m3 a−1) between the melt-derived runoff and the actual increase in runoff as well as the groundwater storage is also observed. The results from this study suggest that the impacts of glacial retreat and permafrost degradation show compound behaviors on the storage–discharge mechanism due to climate warming, and that this fundamentally affects the water supply and the mechanisms of streamflow generation and change.

Hydrologic functioning of the deep critical zone and contributions to streamflow in a high‐elevation catchment: Testing of multiple conceptual models

AbstractHigh‐elevation mountain catchments are often subject to large climatic and topographic gradients. Therefore, high‐density hydrogeochemical observations are needed to understand water sources to streamflow and the temporal and spatial behaviour of flow paths. These sources and flow paths vary seasonally, which dictates short‐term storage and the flux of water in the critical zone (CZ) and affect long‐term CZ evolution. This study utilizes multiyear observations of chemical compositions and water residence times from the Santa Catalina Mountains Critical Zone Observatory, Tucson, Arizona to develop and evaluate competing conceptual models of seasonal streamflow generation. These models were tested using endmember mixing analysis, baseflow recession analysis, and tritium model “ages” of various catchment water sources. A conceptual model involving four endmembers (precipitation, soil water, shallow, and deep groundwater) provided the best match to observations. On average, precipitation contributes 39–69% (55 ± 16%), soil water contributes 25–56% (41 ± 16%), shallow groundwater contributes 1–5% (3 ± 2%), and deep groundwater contributes ~0–3% (1 ± 1%) towards annual streamflow. The mixing space comprised two principal planes formed by (a) precipitation‐soil water‐deep groundwater (dry and summer monsoon season samples) and (b) precipitation‐soil water‐shallow groundwater (winter season samples). Groundwater contribution was most important during the wet winter season. During periods of high dynamic groundwater storage and increased hydrologic connectivity (i.e., spring snowmelt), stream water was more geochemically heterogeneous, that is, geochemical heterogeneity of stream water is storage‐dependent. Endmember mixing analysis and 3H model age results indicate that only 1.4 ± 0.3% of the long‐term annual precipitation becomes deep CZ groundwater flux that influences long‐term deep CZ development through both intercatchment and intracatchment deep groundwater flows.

Confirmation of a Short‐Time Expression for the Hydrograph Rising Limb of an Initially Dry Aquifer Using Laboratory Hillslope Outflow Experiments

AbstractThe objective of this study is to assess the validity of a theoretical expression for the outflow from an initially dry aquifer subject to recharge. This equation states that, for small values of time, this outflow is proportional to the square root of time. Here we report on experiments performed with two laboratory hillslopes in the Wageningen rainfall simulator. Three different aquifer slopes were investigated with four replicates for each slope. The relations between the measured outflows and the square root of time exhibited very high coefficients of determination (all but one >0.9). The aquifer saturated hydraulic conductivity (k) and drainable porosity were determined using a base flow recession analysis, with k being consistent with soil physical laboratory measurements. The recharge rates obtained using the coefficient of the short‐time expression and the steady state discharge were consistent as well. Overall, these results confirm the theoretical relationship between the aquifer outflow for the hydrograph rising limb and the square root of time.

Groundwater-flow characterization in a multilayered karst aquifer on the edge of a sedimentary basin in western France

On the edge of sedimentary basins, burial of geological layers can involve the formation of confined karst aquifers. In some cases, relationships between confined and unconfined karst aquifers can exist and imply an increased difficulty in delineating contributive areas of karst system outlets with accuracy. This work aims to develop a multi-disciplinary approach to highlight groundwater exchanges between multilayered karst aquifers feeding a single spring.Toulon Springs, located in western France, provides the opportunity to study relationships between two multilayered karst aquifers. Hydrograph and chemograph analysis coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) are used to evaluate groundwater-flow origins on the northern edge of a sedimentary basin. Natural hydrodynamic responses (baseflow recession analysis, auto-cross correlation function) show an important volume of water located in a saturated zone of the Toulon karst system. Significant contrasts in water quality as a function of the hydrological regime (flood, recession, and baseflow regime) and comparison with shallow and deep water show the participation of a deep aquifer supporting the flow of Toulon Springs.

Applicability Assessment of Estimation Methods for Baseflow Recession Constants in Small Forest Catchments

In South Korea, since small forest catchments are located upstream of most river basins, the baseflow from these catchments is important for a clean water supply to downstream areas. Baseflow recession analysis is widely recognized as a valuable tool for estimating the baseflow component of the stream hydrograph. However, few studies have applied this tool to small forest catchments. So, this study was conducted to assess the applicability of the recession analysis methods proposed in previous studies. The data used were long-term rainfall-runoff data from 1982 to 2011 in the Gwangneung coniferous (GC) and deciduous (GD) forest catchment in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. For the applicability assessment, six recession constant estimation methods, which were used by previous studies, were selected. The recession constants of the GC and GD catchments were calculated, and applicability assessments were conducted by comparing the recession predictions and baseflow separations. As a result, the recession constants for GC and GD were 0.8480 and 0.9235, respectively. This clear difference may be due to the different forest cover in each area. The correlation regression line, AR(1) model, and the Vogel and Kroll method showed lower error rates and appropriate baseflow indexes compared with other methods.

Quantitative Assessment of the Mechanisms of Earthquake-Induced Groundwater-Level Change in the MP Well, Three Gorges Area

Earthquake-induced groundwater-level changes have been widely studied, though the mechanisms causing coseismic responses are still debated. In this study, we employ several models to fit the coseismic groundwater-level changes caused by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in the MP well, located in the Three Gorges Dam. The fits for all models are about the same. By comparing the model results with the results from tidal response and baseflow recession analyses, we conclude that a transient permeability model can best describe the coseismic groundwater-level changes in the MP well. The discharge from the Changmutuo fault zone estimated from the one-dimensional groundwater flow model during the 20 days following the earthquake is about 310 ± 90 m3.

Baseflow recession analysis in a large shale play: Climate variability and anthropogenic alterations mask effects of hydraulic fracturing

Water resources development and landscape alteration exert marked impacts on water-cycle dynamics, including areas subjected to hydraulic fracturing (HF) for exploitation of unconventional oil and gas resources found in shale or tight sandstones. Here we apply a conceptual framework for linking baseflow analysis to changes in water demands from different sectors (e.g. oil/gas extraction, irrigation, and municipal consumption) and climatic variability in the semiarid Eagle Ford play in Texas, USA. We hypothesize that, in water-limited regions, baseflow (Qb) changes are partly due (along with climate variability) to groundwater abstraction. For a more realistic assessment, the analysis was conducted in two different sets of unregulated catchments, located outside and inside the Eagle Ford play. Three periods were considered in the analysis related to HF activities: pre-development (1980–2000), moderate (2001–2008) and intensive (2009–2015) periods. Results indicate that in the Eagle Ford play region, temporal changes in baseflow cannot be directly related to the increase in hydraulic fracturing. Instead, substantial baseflow declines during the intensive period of hydraulic fracturing represent the aggregated effects from the combination of: (1) a historical exceptional drought during 2011–2012; (2) increased groundwater-based irrigation; and (3) an intensive hydraulic fracturing activity.

Hydro-geo-chemical streamflow analysis as a support for digital hydrograph filtering in a small, rainfall dominated, sandstone watershed

Summary The aim of the present study is an analysis of the ability of digital hydrograph filtering tools for the characterization of the baseflow source contributing to total streamflow for a typical, small, sandstone, rainfall dominated catchment. Daily streamflow and electrical conductivity data for an experimental catchment, the Ciciriello catchment, a 3km2 watershed located in Southern Italy, have been collected to the purpose since 2012. The application of a mass balance filter (MBF), using electrical conductivity as tracer data, has pointed out a seasonal characterization of the baseflow pattern, contributing to total streamflow by 90% during the low flow period and up to 40% during the high flow period. The Lyne and Hollick one parameter and the two parameters Eckhardt digital filters have been furthermore processed, both in an uncalibrated and calibrated application. Providing a preliminary total streamflow and baseflow recession analysis, the one parameter filter appears particularly suited for ungauged cases, as the uncalibrated and calibrated applications are almost identical, with relative prediction errors, compared to MBF, smaller than 5%. The uncalibrated two parameters filter generates instead large relative error of about 35%. To improve the baseflow description, in particular during the low flow period, and to correct large (28%) underestimation of the minimum baseflow value, a seasonal calibration for the BFImax parameter (the maximum BaseFlow Index that can be modeled by the filter algorithm) is in fact needed.

Wetland Water-Level Prediction Using ANN in Conjunction with Base-Flow Recession Analysis

AbstractThis study introduces two artificial neural network (ANN)-based methodologies to predict hourly water levels (WLs) in wetlands characterized by water tables at or near the surface that respond rapidly to precipitation. The first method makes use of hourly precipitation data and WL data from nearby sites. The second method is a combination of ANN, recursive digital filter, and recession curve method and does not require any nearby site. The proposed methods were tested at two headwater wetlands in coastal Alabama. Site 17 had two nearby sites whose WLs were highly correlated with Site 17’s. The root-mean-square error and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiencies were 2.9 cm and 0.98, respectively, when the first method was applied to Site 17. The second method was tested at Site 32. For this, the WL time series was separated into quick- and slow-response components. A combination of ANN and base-flow separation methods proved to be very efficient for WL prediction at this site, especially when the duration of qu...

Objective hydrograph baseflow recession analysis

Summary A streamflow hydrograph recession curve expresses the theoretical relationship between aquifer structure and groundwater outflow to a stream channel. That theoretical relationship is often portrayed empirically using a recession plot defined as a plot of ln(− dQ / dt ) versus ln( Q ), where Q is streamflow discharge. Such hydrograph recession plots are commonly used to estimate recession parameters, aquifer properties and for evaluating alternative hydrologic hypotheses. We introduce a comprehensive and objective approach to analyze baseflow recessions with innovations including the use of quantile regression, efficient and objective numerical estimation of dQ / dt , inclusion of groundwater withdrawals, and incorporation of seasonal effects. We document that these innovations when all combined, lead to significant improvements, over previous studies, in our ability to discern the theoretical behavior of stream aquifer systems. A case study reveals that our methodology enables us to reject the simple linear reservoir hypothesis of stream aquifer interactions for watersheds in New Jersey and results in improved correlations between low flow statistics and aquifer properties for those same watersheds.

Baseflow Recession Analysis for Flood‐Prone Black Sea Watersheds in Turkey

There is a wide consensus among hydrologists that discharge during the flow recession consists mainly of baseflow, i.e., delayed runoff exfiltrating from the shallow groundwater reservoir and of interflow. It is scarcely noticed, however, that also during floods a considerable portion of discharge is baseflow. Therefore, recession and baseflow analyses do not only concern low flow and groundwater recharge questions but also floods. In this study, the nonlinear reservoir theory is used, assuming nonlinear relation between groundwater storage and baseflow discharge in the river and it is applied for baseflow separation and analysis. Case studies are performed for a time series of daily flows from Melen and Solakli watersheds in the flood‐prone Western and Eastern Black Sea regions in Turkey. The case studies revealed the evident seasonal behavior of baseflow. The water balances showed that the groundwater recharge is higher than the baseflow discharge during the wet season when flows in the streams increase. The baseflow discharge became greater than the groundwater recharge during the months with decreasing flow towards the summer season. It can be concluded that groundwater recharge, outflow and evaporation losses depend highly on seasonality and flow magnitude in the Black Sea region in Turkey.

Baseflow recession analysis in the inland Pacific Northwest of the United States

The storage-discharge relationships of 26 watersheds in the inland Pacific Northwest of the United States were analyzed. Four fitting methods were used to obtain the baseflow coefficients: lower envelope, organic correlation, and ordinary and inverse least squares. Several climatic and terrain attributes were evaluated as predictors of baseflow coefficients. Watersheds dominated by basalt and flatter landscapes exhibited the smallest recession time scales (K) (12.5–20.0 days). Greater K values (33.3–66.7 days) were obtained over catchments dominated by metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Mean basin slope and the aridity index were found to be the best estimators of baseflow coefficients. Baseflow in flat basalt landscapes, located in dry warm climates, decrease rapidly during summer months and are most sensitive to future droughts and warming climates. Groundwater systems feeding streams during the driest months can drop to less than 1 mm of effective storage in these sensitive systems. In contrast, the minimum annual storage in mountainous systems can have greater than 10 mm effective storage. By understanding the main factors controlling baseflow recession characteristics, environmental agencies could prioritize efforts in areas where future droughts and land use changes may affect ecological assemblages and socio-economic activities.

An analysis of trends in baseflow recession and low-flows in rain-dominated coastal streams of the pacific coast

The work presented here centers on the identification and calculation of indices representative of annual low-flow conditions and baseflow recession form, and the evaluation of trends in these indices with time for rain-dominated streams of the Pacific coastal mountain ranges. Two different baseflow recession analysis techniques are employed, which when combined are capable of modeling the varied dry-season flow conditions that exist over the broad range of catchments included in the study area. Results indicate that over the past 40–80 years widespread trends of increasing rates of baseflow recession and decreasing annual low-flow conditions exist throughout the region. Of streamgages analyzed, 44% were identified as having a statistically significant trend in either low-flow conditions or recession form with time. While spring flow conditions show little change over the study period, trends of decreasing late-summer flow conditions and increasing rates of recession are particularly common. Northern California and Oregon are especially impacted locations, with upwards of 60% of study gages exhibiting decreasing trends in late summer flow conditions. Detailed conceptual explanations for the connections between trends in recession form and indices of low-flow are also presented.

Geomorphic signatures on Brutsaert base flow recession analysis

] This paper addresses the signatures of catchment geomorphology on base flow recessioncurves. Its relevance relates to the implied predictability of base flow features, which arecentral to catchment-scale transport processes and to ecohydrological function. Movingfrom the classical recession curve analysis method, originally applied in the Finger LakesRegion of New York, a large set of recession curves has been analyzed from Swissstreamflow data. For these catchments, digital elevation models have been preciselyanalyzed and a method aimed at the geomorphic origins of recession curves has beenapplied to the Swiss data set. The method links river network morphology, epitomized bytime-varying distribution of contributing channel sites, with the classic parameterization ofrecession events. This is done by assimilating two scaling exponents, and b