Subsurface Flux Research Articles

Evaluating surface and subsurface fluxes in hydrological models to advance basin-scale operational water supply forecasting

ABSTRACT Comprehensive assessments of hydrological components are crucial for enhancing operational water supply simulations. However, hydrological models are often evaluated based on their surface flow simulations, while the validation of subsurface and groundwater components tends to be overlooked or not well documented. In this study, we evaluated the outputs of two hydrological models, the Large Basin Runoff Model (LBRM) and the Weather Research and Forecasting – Hydrological modeling extension package (WRF-Hydro), for potential implementation in operational water balance forecasting in the Great Lakes region. We examined the simulated hydrological variables including surface (e.g. snow water equivalent, evapotranspiration, and streamflow), subsurface (e.g. soil moisture at different layers), and groundwater components with observed or reference data from ground-based stations and remotely sensed images. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of each model. These findings contribute to more informed water management strategies for the Great Lakes region.

Subsurface fluxes dominate the dissolved nitrogen losses from rice paddies in central China

Nitrogen losses in rice paddy fields pose a high risk to surrounding aquatic environment. While the surface N losses have garnered considerable attention in recent years, subsurface flux, including vertical leaching and near-ditch lateral seepage, has barely been quantified. To understand how it impacts the N run off, we collected three-year high-frequency and systematic field observations and adopted a two-dimensional quantitative model coupling water, nitrogen dynamics and crop growth. We quantified the magnitude and dynamics of subsurface N loss during rice growing season. Our results showed that subsurface N loss, reaching 6.2 kg N ha−1 and 4% of total applied N in rice growing seasons, was 2-fold larger than surface N runoff, in which lateral seepage contributed 33%. The driving factors include hydraulic gradients brought by ponded water depth and ditch water level. Based on our study, optimized irrigation management and conservation tillage were priority in mitigating subsurface N loss, with 41% and 32% reduction potential, respectively, and improved ditch-pond system combined with irrigation-drainage management could also be an effective solution. Together, these findings highlight an important role of subsurface flux including lateral seepage, which could be instrumental for future water-quality improvements in rice paddy-ditch landscape.

Assessing the sensitivity of modelled water partitioning to global precipitation datasets in a data‐scarce dryland region

AbstractPrecipitation is the primary driver of hydrological models, and its spatial and temporal variability have a great impact on water partitioning. However, in data‐sparse regions, uncertainty in precipitation estimates is high and the sensitivity of water partitioning to this uncertainty is unknown. This is a particular challenge in drylands (semi‐arid and arid regions) where the water balance is highly sensitive to rainfall, yet there is commonly a lack of in situ rain gauge data. To understand the impact of precipitation uncertainty on the water balance in drylands, here we have performed simulations with a process‐based hydrological model developed to characterize the water balance in arid and semi‐arid regions (DRYP: DRYland water Partitioning model). We performed a series of numerical analyses in the Upper Ewaso Ng'iro basin, Kenya driven by three gridded precipitation datasets with different spatio‐temporal resolutions (IMERG, MSWEP, and ERA5), evaluating simulations against streamflow observations and remotely sensed data products of soil moisture, actual evapotranspiration, and total water storage. We found that despite the great differences in the spatial distribution of rainfall across a climatic gradient within the basin, DRYP shows good performance for representing streamflow (KGE >0.6), soil moisture, actual evapotranspiration, and total water storage (r >0.5). However, the choice of precipitation datasets greatly influences surface (infiltration, runoff, and transmission losses) and subsurface fluxes (groundwater recharge and discharge) across different climatic zones of the Ewaso Ng'iro basin. Within humid areas, evapotranspiration does not show sensitivity to the choice of precipitation dataset, however, in dry lowland areas it becomes more sensitive to precipitation rates as water‐limited conditions develop. The analysis shows that the highest rates of precipitation produce high rates of diffuse recharge in Ewaso uplands and also propagate into runoff, transmission losses and, ultimately focused recharge, with the latter acting as the main mechanism of groundwater recharge in low dry areas. The results from this modelling exercise suggest that care must be taken in selecting forcing precipitation data to drive hydrological modelling efforts, especially in basins that span a climatic gradient. These results also suggest that more effort is required to reduce uncertainty between different precipitation datasets, which will in turn result in more consistent quantification of the water balance.

Impacts of Uncontrolled Operator Splitting Methods on Parameter Identification, Prediction Uncertainty, and Subsurface Flux Representation in Conceptual Hydrological Models

AbstractThe proper numerical representation of physical processes in mechanistic hydrological models is essential to produce robust predictions. A common problem with numerical schemes in hydrological models is that multiple concurrent fluxes are calculated sequentially. Although the importance of errors introduced by inappropriate numerical schemes is well recognized in the literature, many hydrological models calculate concurrent fluxes sequentially. Here, two versions of the HYPE model are used to investigate the limitations of sequential calculations. A fourth order Gear‐Nordsieck solution of the continuous state‐space formulation of HYPE (I‐HYPE) is developed to provide a robust solution, and a fixed‐step implicit Euler scheme (IE‐HYPE) is implemented to provide a computationally efficient and robust approximation of the I‐HYPE simulations. In contrast to I‐HYPE, results show that the original HYPE and the sequential calculation implemented in the continuous state‐space formulation of HYPE (SQ‐HYPE) typically simulate no interflow when soil moisture levels exceed the field capacity. The discrepancy between SQ‐HYPE and I‐HYPE grows with the size of the computation time step, and this implies a compromised representation of flow paths by sequential schemes. IE‐HYPE provides responses comparable with I‐HYPE for both daily and hourly time steps. IE‐HYPE and SQ‐HYPE are compared in terms of their groundwater representation, parameter identifiability, and predictive skills for two catchments. The sequential models have larger groundwater contributions to flow than IE‐HYPE because the splitting errors in SQ‐HYPE limit the interflow flux. IE‐HYPE estimates of the groundwater flux are more consistent with literature values of groundwater contributions to flow for the basins studied.

A process-based hydrological model for continuous multi-year simulations of large-scale watersheds

Process-based hydrological models are useful tools to understand the mechanisms responsible for extreme floods and droughts and thus facilitate watershed management. This paper describes a watershed model, based on the coupled surface-subsurface distributed model Penn State Hydrologic Model (PIHM), to capture the hydrologic response of large watersheds over decades. Mathematical models for coupling surface-subsurface fluxes were developed to achieve mass conservation in multi-year simulations. A Voronoi technique was implemented to improve accuracy and computational efficiency. The model was used to simulate the Cedar River Watershed, IA from 2003 to 2018. Model predictions were compared against streamflow observations at four gauging stations. Results show good model performance with average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values greater than 0.70. The model results helped to identify the main hydrologic processes that contributed to the historic 2008 flood in the Cedar River Watershed. In addition to heavy storms, several other factors played an important role, including snowmelt and rainstorms in the spring, as well as low evapotranspiration values associated with traditional row crop agriculture in the first half of the year.

Investigating Near-Surface Hydrologic Connectivity in a Grass-Covered Inter-Row Area of a Hillslope Vineyard Using Field Monitoring and Numerical Simulations

The interplay of surface and shallow subsurface fluxes plays a critical role in controlling water movement in hillslope agroecosystems and impacting soil and plant health during prolonged dry periods, demonstrating a need for in-field monitoring. This study was conducted for two years (2021–2022) by combining field monitoring of the grass-covered inter-row area (passive wick lysimeter, surface runoff, and meteorological data), laboratory determination of soil hydraulic properties (SHPs), and numerical modeling with the aim to explore near-surface fluxes at the SUPREHILL Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) located on a hillslope vineyard. Additionally, sensitivity analysis for basic root water uptake (RWU) parameters was conducted. The model was evaluated (R2, RMSE, and NSE) with lysimeter (hillslope) and runoff (footslope) data, producing good agreement, but only after the inverse optimization of laboratory estimated hydraulic conductivity was conducted, demonstrating that adequate parameterization is required to capture the hydropedological response of erosion-affected soil systems. Results exhibit the dependence of runoff generation on hydraulic conductivity, rainfall, and soil moisture conditions. The data suggest different soil-rewetting scenarios based on temporal rainfall variability. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that Leaf Area Index (LAI) was the most responsive parameter determining the RWU. The study offers an approach for the investigation of fluxes in the topsoil for similar sites and/or crops (and covers), presenting the methodology of self-constructed soil–water collection instruments.

Declines in nutrient losses from China’s rice paddies jointly driven by fertilizer application and extreme rainfall

Rice production consumes large amounts of fertilizer and irrigation water and contributes to the non-point source pollution (NPSP) by delivering nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) through surface and subsurface fluxes. However, due to the lack of spatially detailed datasets we barely understand the temporal variations of nutrient fluxes or what the key drivers are. Here, we developed a data-driven model and a rice-specific dataset of fertilizer and irrigation schemes to quantify N and P loss fluxes from China’s rice paddies across 2320 counties during 1979–2018. Both of the surface and subsurface fluxes decreased, ∼16 % for N and ∼28 % for P over the past four decades. Instead of a steady decrease, the N surface and subsurface fluxes slightly increase at first, until decrease since 1999 at rates of − 1.2 and − 4.7 kiloton N yr−2, respectively. Similarly, the P surface and subsurface fluxes decline rates jumped to − 0.4 and − 0.2 kiloton P yr−2, respectively. N loss via subsurface flux was slightly prevailing compared with surface runoff, their trends were mainly driven by fertilizer application and extreme rainfall, respectively. P was primarily exported via surface runoff, with its trends jointly driven by extreme rainfall and fertilizer application, while the trends of subsurface P fluxes were largely driven by the latter. Consequently, N and P require different mitigation strategies, with N focusing on optimized fertilizer application and P on optimized water scheme. The combination of mitigation strategies on 20 % of the national rice sowing area accounted for 48 % of N and 70 % of P mitigation potentials under future warming. These findings suggest that we should implement regional specific policy interventions for critical regions and pathways, to effectively alleviate the national NPSP.

The winter central Arctic surface energy budget: A model evaluation using observations from the MOSAiC campaign

This study evaluates the simulation of wintertime (15 October, 2019, to 15 March, 2020) statistics of the central Arctic near-surface atmosphere and surface energy budget observed during the MOSAiC campaign with short-term forecasts from 7 state-of-the-art operational and experimental forecast systems. Five of these systems are fully coupled ocean-sea ice-atmosphere models. Forecast systems need to simultaneously simulate the impact of radiative effects, turbulence, and precipitation processes on the surface energy budget and near-surface atmospheric conditions in order to produce useful forecasts of the Arctic system. This study focuses on processes unique to the Arctic, such as, the representation of liquid-bearing clouds at cold temperatures and the representation of a persistent stable boundary layer. It is found that contemporary models still struggle to maintain liquid water in clouds at cold temperatures. Given the simple balance between net longwave radiation, sensible heat flux, and conductive ground flux in the wintertime Arctic surface energy balance, a bias in one of these components manifests as a compensating bias in other terms. This study highlights the different manifestations of model bias and the potential implications on other terms. Three general types of challenges are found within the models evaluated: representing the radiative impact of clouds, representing the interaction of atmospheric heat fluxes with sub-surface fluxes (i.e., snow and ice properties), and representing the relationship between stability and turbulent heat fluxes.

How do hydrologists perceive watersheds? A survey and analysis of perceptual model figures for experimental watersheds

AbstractTo describe process knowledge at the watershed scale, hydrologists commonly refer to a ‘perceptual model’, an expert summary of the watershed and its runoff processes often supported by field observations. Perceptual models are often presented as a schematic figure, although such a figure will necessarily simplify the hydrologist's complex mental model. In this paper, our aim was to understand what constitutes a visual expert summary of watershed process knowledge, and to evaluate how perceptual models could be used to share hydrological process information at larger scales. To do so, we conducted a systematic review of the literature and found 63 perceptual model figures. We counted and categorized the stores and fluxes in each figure using a taxonomic classification and quantified a variety of figure attributes including spatial or temporal zonation, inclusion of vegetation, soils, topographical and geological data and consideration of uncertainty. Our analysis showed that a typical figure has 1 surface flux, 4 subsurface fluxes, 3–4 subsurface stores and 0–1 channel stores; 28 out of 63 figures use sub‐figures to show temporal dynamics (e.g., wet/dry conditions), and 12 out of 63 show spatial zones. Perceptual model figures, therefore, provide a concise summary of watershed processes with a complexity comparable to that of many conceptual hydrological models. However, only four figures showed any information on uncertainty or knowledge gaps. We recommend that perceptual figure value could be easily increased by consistent captioning of figures to assist automated search, and wider use of standard figure annotations such as legends and scale markings to ensure that information is fully conveyed to the user. If perceptual figures are proposed as a primary method for sharing process information, the hydrological community should consider how to link more detailed text descriptions to figures, and how to represent process uncertainty.

Estimating Groundwater Recharge in Fully Integrated pde‐Based Hydrological Models

AbstractGroundwater recharge is the main forcing of regional groundwater flow. In traditional partial‐differential‐equation (pde)‐based models that treat aquifers as separate compartments, groundwater recharge needs to be defined as a boundary condition or it is a coupling condition to other compartments. Integrated models that treat the vadose and phreatic zones as a continuum allow for a more sophisticated calculation of subsurface fluxes, as feedbacks between both zones are captured. However, they do not contain an explicit groundwater‐recharge term so it needs to be estimated by post‐processing. Groundwater recharge consists of changes in groundwater storage and of the flux crossing the water table, which can be calculated based on hydraulic gradients. We introduce a method to evaluate the change of groundwater storage by a time‐cumulative water balance over the depth section of water table fluctuations, avoiding the use of a specific yield. We demonstrate the approach first by a simple 1‐D vertical model that does not allow for lateral outflow and illustrates the ambiguity of computing groundwater recharge by different methods. We then apply the approach to a 3‐D model with a complex topography and subsurface structure. The latter example shows that groundwater recharge is highly variable in space and time with notable differences between regional and local estimates. Local heterogeneity of topography or subsurface properties results in complex redistribution patterns of groundwater. In fully integrated models, river‐groundwater exchange flow may severely bias the estimate of groundwater recharge. We, therefore, advise masking out groundwater recharge at river locations.

Quantifying Subsurface Flow and Solute Transport in a Snowmelt‐Recharged Hillslope With Multiyear Water Balance

AbstractQuantifying flow and transport from hillslopes is vital for understanding water quantity and quality in rivers, but remains obscure because of limited subsurface measurements. Using measured hydraulic conductivity K profiles and water balance over a single year to calibrate a transmissivity feedback model for a hillslope in the East River watershed (Colorado) proved unsatisfactory for predicting flow over the subsequent years. Well‐constrained field‐scale K were obtained by optimizing subsurface flux predictions over years having large differences in recharge, and by including estimates of interannual transfer of excess snowmelt recharge. Water and solute exports during high snowmelt recharge occur predominantly via shallow groundwater flow through weathered rock and soil because of their enlarged transmissivities under saturated conditions. Conversely, these shallow pathways are less active in snow drought years when the water table remains deeper within the weathering zone. Hillslope soil water monitoring showed that rainfall does not infiltrate deeply during summer and fall months, and revealed water losses consistent with model ET predictions. By combining water table‐dependent fluxes with pore water chemistry in different zones, time‐dependent rates of solute exports become predictable. As an example, calibrated K were combined with dissolved nitrogen concentrations in pore waters to show the snowmelt‐dependence of reactive nitrogen exported from the hillslope, further supporting the recent finding that the weathering zone is the dominant source of reactive nitrogen at this site. Subsurface export predictions can now be obtained for wide ranges of recharge based on measurements of water table elevation and profiles of pore water chemistry.

Subsurface heat conduction along the CHINARE traverse route, East Antarctica

AbstractUsing data from three automatic weather stations (LGB69, Eagle and Dome A) from distinctly different climatological zones along the CHINARE (Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition) traverse route from Zhongshan Station to Dome A, we investigated the characteristics of meteorological conditions and subsurface heat conduction. Spatial analysis indicated decreasing trends in air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed from the coastal katabatic wind zone to the inland plateau region, and air temperatures clearly showed a strong daily variability in winter, suggesting the effect from the fluctuation in the Antarctic atmospheric system. We also analyzed the optimal response time of the 1 and 3 m depth snow temperatures to the 0.1 m depth snow temperature for each site under clear/overcast and day/night situations. This showed an important enhancement to the heat transfer from shortwave radiation penetration. Using an iterative optimization method, we estimated the subsurface heat conduction variations along the transect. This was ~3–5 W m–2. Multiple maxima in daily mean subsurface fluxes were found in winter, with a typical value above 2 W m–2, while a single minimum value under –2 W m–2was found in summer. On an annual scale, a larger mean loss of subsurface heat conduction was observed in the inland plateau compared to in the coastal katabatic area. Finally, we discussed the possible influences of turbulent and radiant transport on the vertical heat response and confirmed the wind enhancement on the growth of thermal conductivity. This preliminary study provides a brief perspective and an important reference for studying subsurface heat conduction in inland areas of Antarctica.

Sediment Release in the Benguela Upwelling System Dominates Trace Metal Input to the Shelf and Eastern South Atlantic Ocean

AbstractUpwelling of subsurface waters injects macronutrients (fixed N, P, and Si) and micronutrient trace metals (TMs) into surface waters supporting elevated primary production in Eastern Boundary Upwelling Regions. The eastern South Atlantic features a highly productive shelf sea transitioning to a low productivity N‐Fe (co)limited open ocean. Whilst a gradient in most TM concentrations is expected in any off‐shelf transect, the factors controlling the magnitude of cross‐shelf TM fluxes are poorly constrained. Here, we present dissolved TM concentrations of Fe, Co, Mn, Cd, Ni, and Cu within the Benguela Upwelling System from the coastal section of the GEOTRACES GA08 cruise. Elevated dissolved Fe, Co, Mn, Cd, Ni, Cu and macronutrient concentrations were observed near shelf sediments. Benthic sources supplied 2.22 ± 0.99 μmol Fe m−2 day−1, 0.05 ± 0.03 μmol Co m−2 day−1, 0.28 ± 0.11 μmol Mn m−2 day−1 and were found to be the dominant source to shallow shelf waters compared to atmospheric depositions. Similarly, off‐shelf transfer was a more important source of TMs to the eastern South Atlantic Ocean compared to atmospheric deposition. Assessment of surface (shelf, upper 200 m) and subsurface (shelf edge, 200–500 m) fluxes of Fe and Co indicated TM fluxes from subsurface were 2–5 times larger than those from surface into the eastern South Atlantic Ocean. Under future conditions of increasing ocean deoxygenation, these fluxes may increase further, potentially contributing to a shift toward more extensive regional limitation of primary production by fixed N availability.

Improving Hillslope Link Model Performance from Non-Linear Representation of Natural and Artificially Drained Subsurface Flows

This study evaluates the potential for a newly proposed non-linear subsurface flux equation to improve the performance of the hydrological Hillslope Link Model (HLM). The equation contains parameters that are functionally related to the hillslope steepness and the presence of tile drainage. As a result, the equation provides better representation of hydrograph recession curves, hydrograph timing, and total runoff volume. The authors explore the new parameterization’s potential by comparing a set of diagnostic and prognostic setups in HLM. In the diagnostic approach, they configure 12 different scenarios with spatially uniform parameters over the state of Iowa. In the prognostic case, they use information from topographical maps and known locations of tile drainage to distribute parameter values. To assess performance improvements, they compare simulation results to streamflow observations during a 17-year period (2002–2018) at 140 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauging stations. The operational setup of the HLM model used at the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) serves as a benchmark to quantify the overall improvement of the model. In particular, the new equation provides better representation of recession curves and the total streamflow volumes. However, when comparing the diagnostic and prognostic setups, the authors found discrepancies in the spatial distribution of hillslope scale parameters. The results suggest that more work is required when using maps of physical attributes to parameterize hydrological models. The findings also demonstrate that the diagnostic approach is a useful strategy to evaluate models and assess changes in their formulations.

Distinct methane-dependent biogeochemical states in Arctic seafloor gas hydrate mounds

Archaea mediating anaerobic methane oxidation are key in preventing methane produced in marine sediments from reaching the hydrosphere; however, a complete understanding of how microbial communities in natural settings respond to changes in the flux of methane remains largely uncharacterized. We investigate microbial communities in gas hydrate-bearing seafloor mounds at Storfjordrenna, offshore Svalbard in the high Arctic, where we identify distinct methane concentration profiles that include steady-state, recently-increasing subsurface diffusive flux, and active gas seepage. Populations of anaerobic methanotrophs and sulfate-reducing bacteria were highest at the seep site, while decreased community diversity was associated with a recent increase in methane influx. Despite high methane fluxes and methanotroph doubling times estimated at 5–9 months, microbial community responses were largely synchronous with the advancement of methane into shallower sediment horizons. Together, these provide a framework for interpreting subseafloor microbial responses to methane escape in a warming Arctic Ocean.

Historic low stand of Great Salt Lake, Utah: I

Great Salt Lake of Utah is among the largest and most ecologically important water bodies in North America. Since the late 1950s, the lake has been divided into two hydrologically distinct water bodies by a rock-fill railroad causeway. Flux through the causeway is driven by two forces: differential surface elevation and differential density between the north and south arms. The south arm features episodic vertical stratification due to the influx of deep, dense brine from the north arm. The source of this brine (a breach, two culverts, or subsurface flow) has been investigated over the past 50 years. Quantification of subsurface water flux through the causeway has been problematic due to the heterogeneous and slowly compacting nature of the causeway fill over time. Between 2008 and 2015, enhanced gauging of various surface inflows and outflows and density measurements made throughout the lake permitted detailed water volume calculations of both lake arms. Results show that during high precipitation years, density-driven, north-to-south flow through the causeway predominates due to freshening of water in the south arm. At other times, south-to-north head gradient driven flow and north-to-south density-driven flow are approximately equal. The model suggests subsurface flux through the causeway is one important driver of the ecologically important deep brine layer in the south arm of the lake over the past 20 years.

Characterization of subsurface fluxes at the plot scale during flash floods in the Valescure catchment, France

AbstractThis study focuses on a 10‐m2 plot within a granitic hillslope in Cevennes mountainous area in France, in order to study infiltration and subsurface hydrological processes during heavy rainfalls and flash floods. The monitoring device included water content at several depths (0–70 cm for the shallow soil water; 0–10 m for the deep water) during both intense artificial and natural rainfall events, chemical and physical tracers, time‐lapse electrical resistivity tomography. During the most intense events, the infiltrated water was estimated to be some hundreds of millimetres, which largely exceeds the topsoil capacity (≤40 cm deep in most of the cases). The weathered/fractured rock area below the soil clearly has an active role in the water storage and sub‐surface flow dynamics. Vertical flow was dominant in the first 0–10 m, and lateral flow was effective at 8–10 m depth, at the top of the saturated area. The speed of the vertical flow was estimated between 1 and 10 m/hr, whereas it was estimated between 0.1 and 1 m/hr for the lateral flow. The interpretation of the experiments might lead to a local pattern of the 2D‐hydrological processes and profile properties, which could be generic for most of the mountainous catchments under Mediterranean climate. It suggests that fast triggering of floods at the catchment scale cannot be explained by a mass transfer within the hillslope, but should be due to a pressure wave propagation through the bedrock fractures, which allows exfiltration of the water downstream the hillslope.

Semi-analytical solution for temperature rise in a heterogeneous half plane containing arbitrarily shaped inhomogeneities subjected to surface heating

Temperature rise caused by surface heating is responsible for thermal-related failures of heterogeneous material, such as composites and alloys, in manufacturing processes and tribology. This study presents a semi-analytical method (SAM) for temperature rise in a half plane involving dispersed inhomogeneities of arbitrary shape undergoing external heat load. Green functions and frequency response functions (FRFs) for subsurface heat flux induced by the applied heat load, as well as a set of formulas for influence coefficients correlating disturbed temperature rise and uniform eigen-temperature gradients inside a rectangular inclusion in a full plane, are derived. The rectangular inclusion solution in a full plane is treated as an elementary solution to solve disturbed temperature rise in a heterogeneous half plane involving arbitrarily shaped inhomogeneities, through implementing the equivalent inclusion method (EIM), the method of images and discretizing the total computation area into a good many rectangular elements with the same size. Results obtained by the SAM are consistent with those of the finite element method (FEM). Effects of inhomogeneity numbers, material properties, volume fractions, and velocities of the moving heat load on temperature rise are discussed in detail. HIGHLIGHTS Green functions and frequency response functions for heat flux in a half plane subjected to surface heating are obtained. Influence coefficients relating disturbed temperature rise and uniform rectangular inclusion in a full plane are derived. The elementary rectangular inclusion method is utilized to cope with problems for inhomogeneities of arbitrary shapes and distributions. Effects of inhomogeneity numbers, material properties, volume fractions, and velocities of the moving heat load on temperature rise are discussed.

Multidecadal polynya formation in a conceptual (box) model

Abstract. Maud Rise polynyas (MRPs) form due to deep convection, which is caused by static instabilities of the water column. Recent studies with the Community Earth System Model (CESM) have indicated that a multidecadal varying heat accumulation in the subsurface layer occurs prior to MRP formation due to the heat transport over the Weddell Gyre. In this study, a conceptual MRP box model, forced with CESM data, is used to investigate the role of this subsurface heat accumulation in MRP formation. Cases excluding and including multidecadal varying subsurface heat and salt fluxes are considered, and multiple polynya events are only simulated in the cases where subsurface fluxes are included. The dominant frequency for MRP events in these results, approximately the frequency of the subsurface heat and salt accumulation, is still visible in cases where white noise is added to the freshwater flux. This indicates the importance and dominance of the subsurface heat accumulation in MRP formation.

Soil Solution Analysis With Untargeted GC–MS—A Case Study With Different Lysimeter Types

Surface-sourced organic compounds in infiltrating waters and percolates are transformed during their belowground passage. Biotic and abiotic processes thereby lead to continuously changing chemical environments in subsurface compartments. The investigation of such transformations of organic compounds aims for tracing subsurface fluxes as well as biotic and abiotic activity. To collect samples of soil solution, different kinds of lysimeters are available, spanning simple free-draining devices that sample water based on gravimetric flow and tension lysimeters allowing for approximating natural hydraulic conditions. Protocols for untargeted analytical profiling of organic soil solution constituents are scarce. We report here a solid phase extraction followed by GC–MS analysis, utilizing two long-term sampling devices in the Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory in Thuringia, Germany. In addition, we introduce a new lysimeter constructed exclusively from inert materials that allows for obtaining samples with little background signals in GC–MS. Polyvinylchloride (PVC)-based lysimeters introduce substantial background signals from plasticizers. We show how signals from these contaminants can be lowered during data analysis using chemometric background removal. Applying multivariate statistics for data analysis, we demonstrate the ability for monitoring of several sugars, fatty acids and phenolic acids at the topsoil-subsoil boundary and even beyond, via an untargeted analytical approach. Statistical tools facilitated the detection of differences in chemical signatures at three different land use sites. Data mining methods for metabolomics led to the identification of 3-carboxyphenylalanin as marker for a pasture site. The combined approach is suitable for the collection and extraction of topsoil and subsoil solution for untargeted metabolomics under near-natural flow conditions.