High-flow Season Research Articles

ASSESSMENT OF SEDIMENT REPLENISHMENT VOLUME IN LANGAT RIVER SYSTEM

The river sand mining activity has taken place in a sand-bed river system in Selangor, Malaysia for decades even before the legalisation was initiated in 2008. This study focuses on the determination of optimum sand extraction for low-flow and high-flow seasons. The sand replenishment rate was used as the benchmark in determining the threshold level of the extractable rate in the Langat River, Selangor system. The total sediment load was computed using Yang (1973) equation due to the high percentage of agreement between the predicted sediment load and measured sediment load. Almost 41.6% of the predicted data fall within the allowable discrepancy ratio test between the predicted value and measured value. The comparison of sand replenishment rate in high and low flow seasons proved that the river system has quicker capabilities in sand replenishment rate at the extraction point during the high-flow season compared to the latter by 83%. The quantifiable volume of the extractable sand rate is proposed specifically during low-flow months (May to September) whereby the slower replenishment rate is critical and riskier. The optimal sand mining volume during the low-flow months is calculated by reducing 10% from the total replenishment volume and the recommended optimum extraction load has been delivered by the number of 25 tons lorries for easier observation by the contractor and authority’s body. The monthly optimum extraction in Langat River during low-flow months is calculated at a minimum of 437 trucks to a maximum of 20,114 trucks per month.

River, tide and morphology interaction in a macro-tidal estuary with active morphological evolutions

Understanding tidal dynamics in estuaries is essential for tidal predictions and assessments of sediment transport and associated morphological changes. Most studies on river-tide interaction ignored the influences of morphological evolutions under natural conditions such as the seasonal and interannual variations of river discharge. This study analyzes the multiple-timescale tidal dynamics in the Qiantang Estuary, a macro-tidal estuary in China with an extremely active morphological evolution. A large dataset including water levels at representative stations, river discharges and bathymetries since 1980 has been collected. The results of the analysis show that within a spring-neap cycle, the tidal amplification in the upper estuary is stronger during spring tide than during neap tide. This unexpected behavior is due to the high sediment concentration and the unique longitudinal profile of the estuary. On the seasonal and interannual timescales, the low water levels in the upper estuary depend on the local bathymetrical conditions. Tidal ranges in the upper estuary are larger in the high flow season and years, than in the low flow season and years, due to the erosion at high flow, in contrast to estuaries with less active morphological changes. During low flow season and years, the bed is gradually recovered, the low waters are elevated, and the tidal ranges decrease accordingly. A good relationship exists between the tidal ranges and the depth of the upper estuary. In the lower estuary, the flood dominance increases continuously due to embankment. In the upper estuary, the flood dominance is increased during the high flow periods, explaining the fast sediment input and bed recovery in the post high flow periods. A conceptual model of river-tide-morphology interaction of the estuary is proposed, which is also applicable for other shallow systems.

Quantification and thermo-desorption studies of mercury in sediments from Mokolo River, Limpopo Province, South Africa

ABSTRACT Mercury can travel over long distances, and bioaccumulate in the trophic chain thereby posing a threat to not only humans but also animals and plants. Mercury also causes neurological problems such as the Minamata diseases. Pollution and toxicity of mercury have become a global problem that requires immediate attention. In this study, a thermal-desorption technique using a Zeeman direct mercury (Hg) analyser (DMA) was employed for the quantification of Hg in river sediments as well as for Hg thermo-scanning to investigate the behaviour of Hg release from sediments. Thermal speciation was based on comparison of the temperatures at which Hg species in sediments were thermally released to the temperatures at which Hg in known standards were released. Moreover, total Hg concentrations in river sediments were measured using a DMA. The accuracy of the method for total Hg quantification was confirmed by the analysis of several standard reference materials of sediment (SRM2709a, NCS DC 73325, NCS DC 73374, NCS DC 73316 and NCS DC 73322) and quantitative percentage recoveries ranging from 84 to 99% were obtained. The total Hg concentrations in sediments ranged from 7.4 to 35.2 ng/g and 2.1 to 21.2 ng/g in the low and high flow seasons, respectively. Different forms of Hg associated with river sediments were successfully identified by thermo-desorption technique. The concentrations of Hg in the sediment samples were all below 200 ng/g which is the sediment quality guideline set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Different species of Hg were present in the sediment samples, with humic acid and/or iron oxide being the most predominant forms of Hg associated with the sediments.

广东省水质现状及驱动因素

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 广东省水质现状及驱动因素 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202101120115 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 广东省科技计划项目（2018B030320002，2019A050506001）；广东省自然科学基金项目（2018B030311059，2021A1515012579） Analysis of water quality status and driving factors in Guangdong Province Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: Science & Technology Plan Project of Guangdong Province of China (2018B030320002, 2019A050506001);Natural Science Fund grant (2018B030311059, 2021A1515012579) of Guangdong Province, China 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:水质现状评估及其驱动因素分析是实现水生态保护、水资源利用和水污染治理的关键，对于水生态系统的可持续发展具有重要意义。以广东省七大流域为研究区，基于2019-2020年间的溶解氧（DO）、透明度（SDD）、悬浮物（SPM）、叶绿素a （Chla）、氨氮（NH3N）、总氮（TN）、总磷（TP）7个指标的水质监测数据，综合运用单因子指数法（SI）和综合水质指数（WQI）评价方法，分丰水期（N=66）和枯水期（N=54）评估研究区的水质现状，并探讨水质参数与地形、气象、社会经济和土地覆被类型等驱动因素之间的相关关系。SI评估结果显示广东七大流域主要以工业污水、农业面源等造成的Chla和TN浓度超标、部分水体富营养化严重为主，同时伴有溶解氧浓度偏低的问题；WQI评估结果显示研究区有57%以上的采样点属于中等以下水质。Chla、SPM、NH3N和TP浓度具有显著的季节和驱动因素差异：丰水期的Chla和TP浓度低于枯水期，但SPM和NH3N浓度高于枯水期。枯水期DO、TN和WQI的显著性影响因子为丰水期的1/3左右；这种季节差异可能是流域内降雨、营养盐负荷和土地覆被类型导致的复杂地表径流及面源污染所致。珠江三角洲河网区、粤西诸河、韩江下游以及粤东诸河练江流域的水质问题突出。未来水生态系统的可持续发展研究可以借助长时间序列、多频次、高分辨率的遥感监测手段和多种数值模拟方法以及常规水质评估模型，探讨气候变化、河岸带产业结构和流域土地利用方式对面源污染的影响，以进一步厘清降雨强度、三产结构和土地利用方式转变对区域水质变化的影响。 Abstract:Water quality evaluation and driving forces analysis, two key factors to achieve ecological protection, resource utilization, and pollution control of water, are pivotal to the sustainable development of aquatic ecosystem. We utilized the in-situ experiment data of seven water quality parameters-dissolved oxygen (DO), transparency (Secchi disk depth, SDD), suspended particulate matters (SPM), chlorophyll a (Chla), ammonia nitrogen (NH3N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP)-which were collected from seven major basins in Guangdong Province during 2019-2020. This paper evaluates the water quality status of Guangdong Province in the high-flow season (HFS, N=66) and low-flow season (LFS, N=54) using the single factor index method (SI) and the comprehensive water quality index (WQI). The correlation between water quality parameters and driving factors, such as topography, meteorology, socio-economic and land cover types, were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. The SI-based evaluation results show that the seven basins in Guangdong province are mainly faced with problems such as exceeding standard of Chla and TN concentration, and low DO concentration, which were caused by industrial sewage and agricultural non-point sources. The WQI evaluation results show that 57% of the sampling points in the study area are below the moderate level. The concentrations of Chla, SPM, NH3N and TP have significant differences in water period and driving factors:the concentrations of Chla and TP in HFS are lower than that in LFS, but the concentrations of SPM and NH3N are opposite in the two periods. The number of significant factors affecting the evaluation results of DO, TN, and WQI in LFS is about 1/3 of those in HFS. The seasonal difference is caused by the changes of complicated surface runoff and non-point source pollution, such as precipitation, nutrient load and land cover types in the basins. Water quality problems are prominent in the river network area of the Pearl River Delta, the lower reaches of the Hanjiang River, the rivers in western Guangdong, and the Lianjiang Basin of the eastern Guangdong. The water quality problems in the Pearl River Delta and the West River are mainly exceeded concentrations of TN and SPM. The main water quality problem of North River and East River is high TN concentration. The rivers in western Guangdong have insufficient DO, low SDD, and high concentrations of Chla and NH3N. The conditions of TN and DO for some sampling points in the rivers of eastern Guangdong and the Hanjiang River are not optimistic. In the future, the integrated methods combining remote sensing monitoring, numerical simulation, and regular water quality evaluation models should be enhanced to explore the effects of non-point source pollution from climate change, riparian industrial structure, and adjustment of watershed land cover patterns. These integrated methods can help to further clarify the water quality impact of changes in rainfall intensity, production structure, and land cover patterns, which greatly promote the sustainable development of aquatic ecosystems. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Transportation of microplastic during high-flow and low-flow seasons in southeastern Black Sea: A modelling approach

Transportation of microplastic during high-flow and low-flow seasons in southeastern Black Sea: A modelling approach

Projecting Hydrological Responses to Climate Change Using CMIP6 Climate Scenarios for the Upper Huai River Basin, China

The influence of climate change on the regional hydrological cycle has been an international scientific issue that has attracted more attention in recent decades due to its huge effects on drought and flood. It is essential to investigate the change of regional hydrological characteristics in the context of global warming for developing flood mitigation and water utilization strategies in the future. The purpose of this study is to carry out a comprehensive analysis of changes in future runoff and flood for the upper Huai River basin by combining future climate scenarios, hydrological model, and flood frequency analysis. The daily bias correction (DBC) statistical downscaling method is used to downscale the global climate model (GCM) outputs from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) and to generate future daily temperature and precipitation series. The Xinanjiang (XAJ) hydrological model is driven to project changes in future seasonal runoff under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios for two future periods: 2050s (2031–2060) and 2080s (2071–2100) based on model calibration and validation. Finally, the peaks over threshold (POT) method and generalized Pareto (GP) distribution are combined to evaluate the changes of flood frequency for the upper Huai River basin. The results show that 1) GCMs project that there has been an insignificant increasing trend in future precipitation series, while an obvious increasing trend is detected in future temperature series; 2) average monthly runoffs in low-flow season have seen decreasing trends under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios during the 2050s, while there has been an obvious increasing trend of average monthly runoff in high-flow season during the 2080s; 3) there is a decreasing trend in design floods below the 50-year return period under two future scenarios during the 2050s, while there has been an significant increasing trend in design flood during the 2080s in most cases and the amplitude of increase becomes larger for a larger return period. The study suggests that future flood will probably occur more frequently and an urgent need to develop appropriate adaptation measures to increase social resilience to warming climate over the upper Huai River basin.

Tidal propagation in the Lower Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada

We investigated the tidal propagation in the Lower Fraser River (LFR) in British Columbia, Canada using observed water elevations, river discharge, and a hydrodynamic model. The observed water elevations and discharge are analyzed using a tidal analysis package called NS_Tide. The results indicate that the amplitudes of the two principal tides (lunar semidiurnal, M2, and luni-solar diurnal, K1) decrease from the river mouth to the upstream. The amplitudes in the high flow season (spring and summer) are lower than those in the low flow season (fall and winter). The amplitudes of the overtides and compound tides amplify from the downstream to the upstream in the low flow season; however, in the high flow season, the amplitudes only amplify in the lower part (0–35 km from the river mouth) and then decrease in the upper part (60–78 km from the river mouth). The temporal variation of tidal amplitudes are strongly correlated to the river discharge. Using the model results in 2013, we analyzed the momentum balance in the river channel and examined the significance of the Pitt River and Pitt Lake system. The momentum balance in the river channel is dominated by the balance between the pressure gradient and the bottom friction. The river-tide interaction plays an important role in the friction term in the lower part of the river channel, while the river flow explains most of the variability moving upstream. The system of the Pitt River and Pitt Lake is important for the tidal propagation in the river channel. Modelling tides without including this system systematically leads to significant inaccuracies of the tides in the river channel of the LFR.

Freshwater Flocculation Dependence on Turbulence Properties in the Usumacinta River

AbstractFreshwater flocculation in the Usumacinta River delta during the high flow season was confirmed and supported by field data and the results from experiments conducted in a rotating annular ...

Turbidity maximum zone index: a novel model for remote extraction of the turbidity maximum zone in different estuaries

Abstract. An efficient recognition and extraction of the estuarine turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) is important for studying terrestrial hydrological processes. Although many studies relevant to the TMZ have been conducted worldwide, the extraction methods and criteria used to describe the TMZ vary significantly both spatially and temporally. To improve the applicability of the methods adopted in previous studies and to develop a novel model to accurately extract the TMZ in multiple estuaries and different seasons from remote-sensing imageries, this study estimated the total suspended solid (TSS) and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations in three estuaries. These were the Pearl River estuary (PRE), the Hanjiang River estuary (HRE), and the Moyangjiang River estuary (MRE) of Guangdong Province, China. The spatial distribution characteristics of the TSS and Chl a concentrations were analyzed. A nearly opposite association was found between the TSS and Chl a concentrations in the three estuaries, particularly in the PRE. The regions with high (low) TSS concentrations had relatively low (high) Chl a concentrations and, therefore, a turbidity maximum zone index (TMZI), defined as the ratio of the difference and sum of the logarithmic transformation of the TSS and Chl a concentrations, was firstly proposed. By calculating the TMZI values in the PRE on 20 November 2004 (low-flow season), it was found that the criterion TMZI>0.2 could be used to identify the TMZs of the PRE effectively. The TMZ extraction results were generally consistent with the visual-interpretation results. The area-based accuracy measures showed that the quality (Q) of the extraction reached 0.8429. The same criterion was applied in the PRE on 18 October 2015 (high-flow season), and high accuracy and consistency across seasons were observed (Q=0.8171). The western shoal of the PRE was the main distribution area of TMZs. Extracting TMZs by the newly proposed index performed well in different estuaries and on different dates (HRE on 13 August 2008 in the high-flow season and MRE on 6 December 2013 in the low-flow season). Compared to the previous fixed threshold of TSS or turbidity methods, extracting the TMZ using the TMZI had higher accuracy and better applicability (Q: 0.1046–0.4770 vs. 0.8171–0.8429). Evidently, this unified TMZI is potentially an optimized method for the global monitoring and extraction of TMZs of estuaries from different satellite remote-sensing imageries. It can be used to help the understanding of the spatial and temporal variation in TMZs and estuarine processes at regional and global scales as well as improve the management and sustainable development of regional society and the natural environment.

Using Dual Isotopes of Nitrate to Identify the Source of Nitrogen Pollution in the Songhua River Basin, Northeast China

Nitrogen pollution is a severe problem in the Songhua River Basin (SHR) in China. Samples were collected from 36 sections of the SHR during the high, low, and flat seasons of the river, and the main sources of nitrogen in the water were qualitatively analyzed with isotope data for nitrogen and oxygen of nitrate. The contribution rates of each major pollution source were quantitatively analyzed using the Iso Source mass balance model. The results from these experiments indicate that the values for δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 in the flat flow season range from 1.52‰ to 14.55‰ and −14.26‰ to 2.03‰, respectively. The values for δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 in the low flow season range from 6.66‰ to 15.46‰ and −5.82‰ to 65.70‰, respectively. In the low flow season, nitrogen comes from the input of domestic and manure sewage (53%) and soil organic N (45%). The values of δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 in the high flow season range from 2.07‰ to 14.24‰ and −3.99‰ to 8.03‰, respectively. In the high flow season, nitrogen comes from soil organic nitrogen (41%), domestic and manure sewage (32%), and nitrogen fertilizer (27%), which are the main sources of nitrogen pollution in the SHR. The conclusions from the qualitative and quantitative analysis of nitrogen sources in the SHR can provide a scientific basis for the source control and treatment of nitrogen pollution.

Informing Stochastic Streamflow Generation by Large-Scale Climate Indices at Single and Multiple Sites

Despite the existence of several stochastic streamflow generators, not much attention has been given to representing the impacts of large-scale climate indices on seasonal to interannual streamflow variability. By merging a formal predictor selection scheme with vine copulas, we propose a generic approach to explicitly incorporate large-scale climate indices in ensemble streamflow generation at single and multiple sites and in both short-term prediction and long-term projection modes. The proposed framework is applied at three headwater streams in the Oldman River Basin in southern Alberta, Canada. The results demonstrate higher skills than existing models both in terms of representing intra- and inter-annual variability, as well as accuracy and predictability of streamflow, particularly during high flow seasons. The proposed algorithm presents a globally relevant scheme for the stochastic streamflow generation, where the impacts of large-scale climate indices on streamflow variability across time and space are significant.

Seasonal Variation and Sources Identification of Dissolved Sulfate in a Typical Karst Subterranean Stream Basin Using Sulfur and Oxygen Isotopes

Karst water, which provides approximately 25% of the world's drinking water, is especially vulnerable to anthropogenic pollutants. To determine the variations between high and low flow periods and the sources of dissolved sulfate (SO42-) in small karst basins, SO42- concentrations, stable sulfur and oxygen isotopes (δ34S-SO4 and δ18O-SO4), and oxygen isotopes of water (δ18O-H2O) were investigated in surface and groundwaters, during the high and low flow seasons, within the Babu subterranean stream basin. Analysis showed that: ① the water samples that were directly impacted by acid mine drainage exhibited high SO42- concentrations (≥250 mg·L-1) and significant seasonal variation, while the seasonal variation of non-AMD-impacted water with low SO42- concentrations was not significant. ② During the high flow season, the mean δ34S-SO4 and δ18O-SO4 values of surface water were -10.5‰ and 4.7‰, respectively, and -11.5‰ and 1.3‰ during the low flow period; the mean values of δ34S-SO4 and δ18O-SO4 in groundwater samples were -2.9‰ and 7.1‰ during the high flow period, respectively, and -3.2‰ and 6.2‰ during the low flow period. Both surface and groundwater samples exhibited higher δ34S-SO4 and δ18O-SO4 values during the high flow period than during the low flow period. ③ The values of δ34S-SO4 in the surface and groundwater samples were relatively stable, indicating that the sources of SO42- at specific sampling sites were stable.④ The main sources of SO42- in surface and groundwaters were rain, sulfide, and gypsum, accounting for 13%, 40%, and 47%, respectively, of SO42- in samples taken from the basin outlet during the high flow season, and 18%, 39%, and 43%, respectively, in samples obtained during the low flow season.

N2O emission and its influencing factors in subtropical streams, China

BackgroundRivers and streams are one of the primary sources of nitrous oxide (N2O) which is an important greenhouse gas with great global warming potential. Yet, over the past century, human activities have dramatically increased reactive nitrogen loadings into and consequently led to increased N2O emission from the river ecosystems. Here, we carried out a study in two subtropical rivers, i.e., Jinshui River and Qi River with slight and intense human disturbance in their respective catchments in China. The study intended to explore spatial variability and seasonality in N2O emissions, and the relative importance of physicochemical variables, nitrification and denitrification potentials, and functional genes abundance influencing N2O emissions.ResultsN2O concentration, N2O saturation, and N2O flux of Jinshui River peaked in high flow season. N2O concentration, N2O saturations, and N2O flux in Qi River and downstream of Jinshui River were significantly higher than that in other areas in normal and low flow seasons. N2O concentration was positively correlated with water temperature, water NO3−, and DOC, negatively correlated with water NH4+ and DOC/NO3− (the ratio of dissolved organic carbon to NO3− in water), and positively correlated with potential nitrification rate in high flow season, but not correlated with functional genes abundance. Both rivers had lower N2O saturation and flux than many freshwater systems, and their EFr-5 (N2O emission factor for river) was lower than the recommended values of IPCC.ConclusionsWhile the two rivers were moderate sources of N2O and N2O emissions in river systems were normally elevated in the summer, areas with intense human disturbance had higher N2O concentration, N2O saturations, and N2O flux than those with slight human disturbance. Physicochemical variables were good indicators of N2O emissions in the river ecosystems.

Spatial and temporal variation of dissolved heavy metals in the Lijiang River, China: implication of rainstorm on drinking water quality.

Lijiang River is an essential drinking water source and natural scenery in the Guilin City. For the first time, implications of rainstorm were taken into consideration by investigating spatial and temporal variation of dissolved heavy metals (HMs) in the Lijiang River water. A total of 68 water samples were collected during low flow (normal) season and high flow (rainstorm) season from 34 sampling sites. Dissolved HMs including Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sb, and Pb were found to meet the respective drinking water standards, while comparatively higher concentration was observed after the rainstorm season, except for Cr. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that Co, Cu, Cr, Zn, Sb, and Pb in normal season were mainly controlled by anthropogenic sources. Furthermore, higher concentrations of Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, and Zn during the high flow season were attributed to rainstorm. The water quality index (WQI) showed good grades and comparatively lower in rainstorm season. The results of health risk assessment revealed that HMs in Lijiang River posed limited health risk; however, As posed potential health risk specially in rainstorm season. It is suggested to adopt preventive measures for mining activities and industrial waste-water discharge at the river's upstream and downstream.

An index-based approach for assessment of upstream-downstream flow regime alteration

River regulation is challenging when there is diverse upstream and downstream interest, leading to regional and international conflict. However, quantifying the upstream-downstream flow regime changes and their causes are given less consideration in the river basin. In this study, we presented three new ratios for downstream-upstream low flow contribution (DUL), downstream-upstream high flow contribution ratio (DUH), and meteorological-hydrological drought ratio (MHD), for an integrated assessment of flow regime alteration across the river basin. To test the methods, we compared flow regime alteration upstream and downstream in the Ceyhan basin in central Turkey, which was significantly modified by agriculture between 1984 and 2018 (the irrigated area increased 2.8-fold, rainfed farming decreased by 67.6%). Our analysis revealed a clear change in the contribution of low and high flow seasons to annual flow in the last station of the river at Misis after 1984, but no considerable change in upstream tributaries. In the last decade (2005–2014) and the second half (1995–2014) of the study, the frequency of hydrological droughts increased, while meteorological droughts followed a stationary pattern. Evaluation of the impact of anthropogenic activities on river regime (by comparing flow regime characteristics after 1984 with those from 1975 to 1984 as post- and pre-impact periods) revealed low to incipient impact upstream (Hanköy, Karaahmet, and Kadirli river headwaters), severe impact below the Aslantaş dam in the basin center, and moderate impact at the last station on the Ceyhan river. The new metrics provide supplementary information on the flow regime alteration in the basin and can be introduced as a novel quantitative measure to recognize the driving factor of droughts.

Can we estimate flood frequency with point-process spatial-temporal rainfall models?

Stochastic rainfall models are commonly used in practice for long-term flood risk management. One of the most widely used model types is based on point processes. Despite the widespread use of such models, whether their known simplifications in describing the space–time structure of rainfall will affect the accuracy of flood estimation has not been quantified. In this study, we quantify the biases introduced by the rainfall model limitations to flood estimates in two medium-sized river catchments (717 km2 and 844 km2) in the South East of the UK. To achieve this, we used nine years of hourly radar rainfall data, a dense network of hourly rain gauges, a spatial–temporal rainfall stochastic model based on point processes, and a fully distributed hydrological model. We modelled the corresponding catchment water dynamics using observed and simulated hourly rainfall and then assessed whether the errors introduced by the stochastic model will propagate in the river flow dynamics. Our results show that the stochastic rainfall model properly captures the point-scale rainfall statistics, including point extremes and the cross-site spatial correlations. However, the model results in a bias on extremes of areal statistics, including an overestimation of the areal reduction factor, extreme areal mean precipitation, and the areal fraction of rain (wet area ratio). Using this as input for continuous hydrological simulations, we find that the flow duration curves are well preserved, particularly in the high flow seasons (relative bias is less than 7%). The model also reproduces well the flood frequency curves at a daily scale with an averaged relative bias of 0.36–16.9% at 10-year return levels, confirming its ability to infer the long-term flood risk for medium-sized catchments. However, the summer-season hourly peak discharge is highly overestimated with a relative bias of over 163.5% at the same return level. The overestimation in summer hourly peak discharge is explained by the dominating convective systems in summer and the misrepresented spatial structure in the model.

Speciation and bioavailability of mercury in sediments from Mokolo River, Limpopo Province, South Africa

The presence of coal-based power plants and coal mine in the Waterberg area subjects the Mokolo River to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as mercury (Hg). Mercury is an extremely toxic element. Thus, monitoring and chemical speciation of Hg in water bodies; particularly in sediments is a vital tool for assessing water quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of Hg(II) and methyl Hg (MeHg(I)) in sediment samples collected from Mokolo River in different seasons, as well as examining factors such as pH, temperature and organic matter content, which could affect Hg methylation rates. An ultrasonic based method was used for the extraction of Hg species in sediments. This was followed by the chromatographic separation and detection of Hg(II) and MeHg(I) by the on-line coupling of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A solution containing HCl and 2-mercaptoethanol was employed for the extraction of Hg species in sediments. Separation of the two species of Hg was achieved using isocratic elution mode with a mobile phase containing L-cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol, ammonium acetate and methanol. The accuracy of the method was checked and yielded a percentage recovery of 86%. The Hg(II) concentrations ranged from 38.4 to 89.05 ng g−1 and 34.8 to 57.3 ng g−1 in low and high flow seasons, respectively. The concentrations of MeHg(I) ranged from 0.702 to 4.5 ng g−1 and 0.5 to 2.5 ng g−1 in the low and high flow seasons, respectively. Factors such as pH and temperature were found to influence the methylation rates, however correlation couldn’t be established to organic matter content due to similar amount of organic matter in all the samples.

Nitrate sources and transformations along a mountain-to-plain gradient in the Taizi River basin in Northeast China.

Fifty-seven riverine samples in three typical regions, namely, upper mountainous (zone 1), middle hilly (zone 2), and lower plain (zone 3) regions, were collected in May (low flow) and August (high flow) of 2016, and chemical parameters and isotopes were analyzed to enrich the knowledge of riverine nitrate sources and transformations in the Taizi River basin. Results showed that NO3- concentrations in zone 3 were the highest, followed by zones 2 and 1. NO3-/Cl- molar ratios and nitrate dual isotopes indicated that NO3- was mainly from chemical fertilizer (CF) in zones 1 (57.0%) and 2 (43.1%) according to a Bayesian mixing model (SIAR) and mixed sources of CF, nitrification of soil organic nitrogen (SON), and manure and sewage (M&S) in zone 3 (92.8%), during the high-flow season. NO3- was mainly from CF and SON in zones 1 (76.7%) and 2 (74.0%), during the low-flow season. NO3-sources were different in the three rivers of zone 3 mainly due to various urban inputs. Contributions of CF, SON, and M&S increased by 13%, 8.3%, and 7.5% in zones 1, 2, and 3, respectively, from the low-flow to the high-flow season. NO3- in the Taizi River was mainly influenced by nitrification in soils, while no significant denitrification was found in the three zones. Measures for reducing NO3- inputs to rivers should be considered by improving effectively utilizing rate of chemical fertilizer and inhibit nitrification.

Hydrological and biogeochemical controls on temporal variations of dissolved carbon and solutes in a karst river, South China

BackgroundUnderstanding the responses of riverine dissolved carbon dynamics and chemical weathering processes to short-term climatic variabilities is important to understand the Surface-Earth processes under ongoing climate change. Temporal variations of solutes and stable carbon isotope of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC) were analysed during a hydrological year in the Guijiang River, South China. We aimed to unravel the chemical weathering processes and carbon dynamics in karst areas under ongoing climate changes.ResultsSignificant positive relationships were found between weathering rates and climatic factors (i.e. temperature and discharge) over the hydrological year. The total flux of CO2 consumption (760.4 × 103 mol/km2/year) in the Guijiang River was much higher than the global mean flux, with a higher CO2 consumption capacity in the Guijiang River relative to most other global rivers. Chemical weathering fluxes in this karst area showed high sensitivity to global climate change. CO2 evasion during the warm–wet seasons was much lower than those during cold–dry seasons. Light δ13CDIC values occurred under high-flow conditions, corresponding with the high temperatures in high-flow seasons. IsoSource modelling revealed that biological carbon could account for 53% of all dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), controlling the temporal carbon variabilities.ConclusionThis study quantitatively evaluated the temporal variations in CO2 fluxes and carbon cycling of karstic river systems and demonstrated that riverine carbon cycling will have a higher sensibility to ongoing global climate change. High discharges accelerate solutes transport, with relatively large quantities of 13C-depleted carbon being flushed into rivers. Meanwhile, high temperatures also accelerate organic carbon mineralisation, producing high content of soil CO2, whose influx can shift the 13C-depleted values in the high-flow seasons. Taken together, biological carbon influx should be responsible for the temporal carbon dynamics.

Intra- and Inter-Annual Variability in the Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in an Urbanized River before and after Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades: Case Study in the Grand River (Southwestern Ontario)

External nitrogen (N) inputs originating from human activities act as essential nutrients accumulation in aquatic ecosystems or it is exported elsewhere, where the assimilation capacity is surpassed. This research presents a multi-annual case study of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in an urban river in Ontario (Canada), assessed changes in N downstream of the largest wastewater treatment plant (WTP) in the watershed. Changes in the DIN effluent discharge, in-river concentrations and loads were observed comparing the intra- and inter-annual variability (2010–2013) before, during and after WTP upgrades. These upgrades reduced the ammonium concentration in the river from 0.44 to 0.11 mg N-NH4+/L (year average), but the N load in the effluent increased. In the river, nitrate and ammonium concentrations responded to seasonal variability, being higher during the low temperature (>10 °C) and high flow seasons (spring and spring melt). Among years, changes in the DIN concentration are likely controlled by the effluent to river dilution ratio, which variability resides on the differences in river discharge between years. This suggest that the increasing trend in the DIN concentration and loads are the result of agricultural and urban additions, together with reduced N assimilation, in addition to N loads responding to variable river discharge. Finally, we propose monitoring both concentrations and loads, as they provide answers to different questions for regulatory agencies and water managers, allowing tailored strategies for different purposes, objectives and users.