scholarly journals Insight into the influence of local streambed heterogeneity on hyporheic-zone flow characteristics

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 2697-2712
Author(s):  
Robert Earon ◽  
Joakim Riml ◽  
Liwen Wu ◽  
Bo Olofsson
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Penetration Depth ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Tracer Injection ◽  
Hyporheic Flow ◽  
Exchange Processes

AbstractInteraction between surface water and groundwater plays a fundamental role in influencing aquatic chemistry, where hyporheic exchange processes, distribution of flow paths and residence times within the hyporheic zone will influence the transport of mass and energy in the surface-water/groundwater system. Geomorphological conditions greatly influence hyporheic exchange, and heterogeneities such as rocks and clay lenses will be a key factor for delineating the hyporheic zone. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) were used to investigate the streambed along a 6.3-m-long reach in order to characterise geological layering and distinct features which may influence parameters such as hydraulic conductivity. Time-lapse ERT measurements taken during a tracer injection demonstrated that geological features at the meter-scale played a determining role for the hyporheic flow field. The penetration depth of the tracer into the streambed sediment displayed a variable spatial pattern in areas where the presence of highly resistive anomalies was detected. In areas with more homogeneous sediments, the penetration depth was much more uniformly distributed than observed in more heterogeneous sections, demonstrating that ERT can play a vital role in identifying critical hydraulic features that may influence hyporheic exchange processes. Reciprocal ERT measurements linked variability and thus uncertainty in the modelled resistivity to the spatial locations, which also demonstrated larger variability in the tracer penetration depth, likely due to local heterogeneity in the hydraulic conductivity field.

Seasonal Shifts in Surface Water-Groundwater Connections in a Ferricrete-Impacted Stream Estimated from Electrical Resistivity

Geophysics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-55
Author(s):  
Ariel Rickel ◽  
Beth Hoagland ◽  
Alexis Navarre-Sitchler ◽  
Kamini Singha
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Resistivity ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Breakthrough Curves ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
High Discharge ◽  
Storage Area ◽  
And Storage

The efficacy of the hyporheic zone (HZ) — where surface water and groundwater mix — for processing nutrients or uptake of metals is dependent on streambed hydraulic conductivity and stream discharge, among other characteristics. Here, we explore electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) of hyporheic exchange in Cement Creek near Silverton, Colorado, which is affected by ferricrete precipitation. To quantify flows through the HZ, we conducted four-hour salt injection tracer tests and collected time-lapse ERT of the streambed and banks of Cement Creek at high and low flow. We installed piezometers to conduct slug tests, which suggested a low permeability zone at 44-cm depth likely comprised of ferricrete that cemented cobbles together. Based on the ERT, the tracer released into the stream was constrained within the shallow streambed with little subsurface flow through the banks. Tracer was detected in the HZ for a longer time at high flow compared to low flow, suggesting that more flow paths were available to connect the stream to the HZ. Tracer was confined above the ferricrete layer during both the high- and low-flow tests. Mass transfer and storage area parameters were calculated from combined analysis of apparent bulk conductivity derived from ERT and numerical modeling of the tracer breakthrough curves. The hyporheic storage area estimated at low discharge (0.1 m2) was smaller than at high discharge (0.4 m2) and residence times were 2.7 h at low discharge and 4.1 h at high discharge. During high discharge, in-stream breakthrough curves displayed slower breakthrough and longer tails, which was consistent with the time-lapse electrical inversions and One-dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage (OTIS) modeling. Our findings indicate that ferricrete reduces the hydraulic conductivity of the streambed and limits the areal extent of the HZ, which may lower the potential for pollutant attenuation from the metal-rich waters of Cement Creek.

scholarly journals Hyporheic exchange in recirculating flumes under heterogeneous bacterial and morphological conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Betterle ◽  
Anna Jaeger ◽  
Malte Posselt ◽  
Claudia Coll ◽  
Jonathan P. Benskin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Numerical Model ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Numerical Representation ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Riverine Ecosystems ◽  
Hyporheic Flow ◽  
Intrinsic Complexity

AbstractHyporheic exchange (HE) contributes to the biogeochemical turnover of macro- and micro-pollutants in rivers. However, the spatiotemporal complexity and variability of HE hinder understanding of its role in the overall functioning of riverine ecosystems. The present study focuses on investigating the role of bacterial diversity and sediment morphology on HE using a multi-flume experiment. A fully coupled surface–subsurface numerical model was used to highlight complex exchange patterns between surface water and the underlying flow field in the sediments. Under the experimental conditions, the surface water flow induced by bedforms has a prominent effect on both local trajectories and residence time distributions of hyporheic flow paths, whereas mean hyporheic retention times are mainly modulated by average surface flowrates. In case of complex bedform morphologies, the numerical model successfully reproduces the HE estimated by means of salt dilution tests. However, the 2D numerical representation of the system falls short in predicting HE in absence of bedforms, highlighting the intrinsic complexity of water circulation patterns in real scenarios. Finally, results show that higher bacterial diversities in the stream sediments can significantly reduce hyporheic fluxes. This work provides a framework to interpret micropollutants turnover in light of the underlying physical transport processes in the hyporheic zone. The study emphasizes the importance of better understanding the tradeoff between physically driven transport processes and bacterial dynamics in the hyporheic zone to quantify the fate of pollutants in streams and rivers.

Transient hyporheic exchange during rainfall events in a gaining stream: Field investigation, conceptual model, and numerical interpretation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengpeng Lu ◽  
Keyan Ji ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Jan Fleckenstein ◽  
Chunmiao Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Modeling ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Biogeochemical Processes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Hyporheic Flow

<p>Hyporheic exchange is transient in nature, considering the temporal fluctuations in hydrological and/or biogeochemical conditions in surface water and groundwater (SW/GW).  Efforts are needed to further identify the patterns and driving mechanisms of transient hyporheic exchange.  This study combined a reach-scale field survey and numerical modeling analysis to reveal the pattern of transient hyporheic exchange during rainfall events in the Zhongtian River, southeast of China. Field observations revealed hydrodynamic properties and temperature variations in SW/GW, suggesting that the regional groundwater recharged the study reach.  A one-dimensional heat transport solution was built and used to generate the planar and cross-sectional hyporheic flow fields. A two-step numerical modeling procedure, including a hydraulic surface flow model and a groundwater flow model, was then used to simulate the observed flow system. The hyporheic exchange exhibited strong temporal evolution, as indicated by the rainfall event-driven hyporheic exchange, the depth-dependent hysteretic response to rainfall, and the area of local downwelling flow increasing with rainfall. Dynamics of the hyporheic exchange in the study reach, therefore, significantly changed in space and time due to rainfall. The reversal of hydraulic gradient and transient hyporheic exchange were observed and validated using the numerical simulation. Anisotropic hydraulic conductivity is the key to generate transient hyporheic exchange. A revised conceptual model was used to interpret the observed temporal patterns in hyporheic exchange  The pattern of transient hyporheic exchange indicates that transient hyporheic exchange only appears after an increased phase of river stage but does not last for a long time. The temporal pattern of hyporheic exchange can significantly affect the evolution of biogeochemical processes in the hyporheic zone for a gaining stream by, for example, temporally facilitating special biogeochemical processes.</p>

scholarly journals Influence of Streambed Heterogeneity on Hyporheic Flow and Sorptive Solute Transport

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanhong Liu ◽  
Corey D. Wallace ◽  
Yaoquan Zhou ◽  
Reza Ershadnia ◽  
Faranak Behzadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solute Transport ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Sorptive Capacity ◽  
Hyporheic Flow ◽  
Sedimentary Architecture ◽  
Mixing Dynamics ◽  
Facies Types ◽  
Sediment Heterogeneity

The subsurface region where river water and groundwater actively mix (the hyporheic zone) plays an important role in conservative and reactive solute transport along rivers. Deposits of high-conductivity (K) sediments along rivers can strongly control hyporheic processes by channeling flow along preferential flow paths wherever they intersect the channel boundary. Our goal is to understand how sediment heterogeneity influences conservative and sorptive solute transport within hyporheic zones containing high- and low-K sediment facies types. The sedimentary architecture of high-K facies is modeled using commonly observed characteristics (e.g., volume proportion and mean length), and their spatial connectivity is quantified to evaluate its effect on hyporheic mixing dynamics. Numerical simulations incorporate physical and chemical heterogeneity by representing spatial variability in both K and in the sediment sorption distribution coefficient ( K d ). Sediment heterogeneity significantly enhances hyporheic exchange and skews solute breakthrough behavior, while in homogeneous sediments, interfacial flux and solute transport are instead controlled by geomorphology and local-scale riverbed topographies. The hyporheic zone is compressed in sediments with high sorptive capacity, which limits solute interactions to only a small portion of the sedimentary architecture and thus increases retention. Our results have practical implications for groundwater quality, including remediation strategies for contaminants of emerging concern.

scholarly journals The Effect of Stream Discharge on Hyporheic Exchange

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Babak Mojarrad ◽  
Andrea Betterle ◽  
Tanu Singh ◽  
Carolina Olid ◽  
Anders Wörman
Keyword(s):  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Subsurface Water ◽  
Stream Discharge ◽  
Hyporheic Flow ◽  
Sediment Permeability ◽  
Natural Tracer ◽  
Streambed Sediments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Numerical Approaches

Streambed morphology, streamflow dynamics, and the heterogeneity of streambed sediments critically controls the interaction between surface water and groundwater. The present study investigated the impact of different flow regimes on hyporheic exchange in a boreal stream in northern Sweden using experimental and numerical approaches. Low-, base-, and high-flow discharges were simulated by regulating the streamflow upstream in the study area, and temperature was used as the natural tracer to monitor the impact of the different flow discharges on hyporheic exchange fluxes in stretches of stream featuring gaining and losing conditions. A numerical model was developed using geomorphological and hydrological properties of the stream and was then used to perform a detailed analysis of the subsurface water flow. Additionally, the impact of heterogeneity in sediment permeability on hyporheic exchange fluxes was investigated. Both the experimental and modelling results show that temporally increasing flow resulted in a larger (deeper) extent of the hyporheic zone as well as longer hyporheic flow residence times. However, the result of the numerical analysis is strongly controlled by heterogeneity in sediment permeability. In particular, for homogeneous sediments, the fragmentation of upwelling length substantially varies with streamflow dynamics due to the contribution of deeper fluxes.

Seasonal variations in surface water groundwater interaction alter the relation of solute transport and biogeochemical processes in the hyporheic zone

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara-Maria Schmitgen ◽  
Tobias Schuetz
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Waste Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Surface Water And Groundwater ◽  
Exchange Flux

<p>The hyporheic interstitial as interface between surface water and groundwater offers a unique environment for contaminant attenuation and nutrient cycling, with steep chemical gradients and high retention times. Disentangling the effect of seasonal dynamics in exchange flux intensities and directions, we carried out 19 measurement campaigns where we sampled the continuum surface water - hyporheic zone - groundwater and the climatic and hydraulic boundary conditions of a whole year. Groundwater, surface water and hyporheic zone pore water from four depths were sampled at two vertical profiles in a second order stream about 150 m downstream a municipal waste water treatment plant effluent. Samples were analyzed for physical water parameters, major anions, ammonium, iron, manganese, NPOC and five selected pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, carbamazepine, caffeine, ethinylestradiol and clofibric acid). Surface water and groundwater levels as well as river discharge were measured to quantify the hydraulic boundary conditions. In addition, three vertical profiles, each equipped with five newly developed probes (Truebner AG) allowed a parallel monitoring of continuous bulk water temperatures and bulk electrical conductivity dynamics over two years. Furthermore, continuous hyporheic exchange flux intensities and exchange depths were calculated using analytical and numerical model schemes to allow distinguishing between small scale transport and attenuation processes.</p><p>The typical behavior of the redox sensitive metals and nutrients with depth is visible in each single profile snapshot. The picture is not as clear for the examined pharmaceuticals, because dilution has a major effect on the observable low concentrations. However, a clear seasonal variation driven by hydraulic and climatic processes can be observed for all substances. We were able to trace the organic pollutants down to the groundwater. Furthermore, the influence of hyporheic exchange flux intensities and directions on nutrient and contaminant depth profiles is shown.</p>

Identifying flow transience in the hyporheic zone by Electric Resistivity Tomography

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Riml ◽  
Liwen Wu ◽  
Robert Earon ◽  
Stefan Krause ◽  
Theresa Blume
Keyword(s):  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Tracer Injection ◽  
Resistivity Tomography ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Flood Hydrograph

<p>The importance of hydrological interactions between groundwater and surface waters and the consequential transport of mass and energy across the streambed – water interface has gained significant research attention lately. In this phenomenological study we investigated the transient nature of hyporheic exchange as a response to flood events by performing a stream manipulation experiment in a small boreal stream within the Krycklan catchment, Sweden. The stream flow was manipulated in order to create a flood event and investigate the responding dynamically changing spatial extent of the hyporheic zone. The artificial flood caused an approximately 5-fold increase in stream discharge.</p><p>The experimental set-up consisted of both geophysical and hydrological methods, including time-lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) along the thalweg of a 6.3 m long stream section, with a 0.1 m longitudinal spacing of the electrodes. A constant stream water electric conductivity (EC) was obtained throughout the experiment by using a variable rate tracer injection of chloride. Additional measurements of background EC in the streambed sediments as well as streambed topography (from a total station) and subsurface structures (from Ground Penetrating Radar) were used to support the results from the ERT.</p><p>With combined experimental and numerical modeling approaches, the hyporheic response to transient hydrologic boundary conditions and small scale streambed heterogeneities were investigated. Results indicated that a quick response of the hyporheic zone to the changing pressure distribution on the streambed was strongly controlled by the shape of the flood hydrograph. Moreover, the response resulted in an alteration of the hyporheic flowpaths, which increased the hyporheic zone depth and contributed to a dynamically-changing residence time distribution within the hyporheic zone. This alteration was further complicated by the local streambed heterogeneities. The observed substantial variabilities in the hyporheic fluxes over the time span of a flood hydrograph and longitudinally over the measured stream section has direct consequences on the biogeochemical and hydro-ecological functioning of the hyporheic zone, which would be inadequately estimated using homogenous, steady-state approaches.</p>

A Comparison of Field Techniques for the Analysis of Groundwater-Surface-Water Interactions: Porewater Sampling and Hyporheic Temperature and EC Time Series

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolai Brekenfeld ◽  
Uwe Schneidewind ◽  
Sophie Comer-Warner ◽  
Hanna Schulz ◽  
Nick Kettridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Temperature Time Series ◽  
Repeated Measurements ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Hyporheic Flow ◽  
Temperature Time

<p>The interactions between streamwater and hyporheic or riparian porewater are tightly linked to the biogeochemical and ecological processes within fluvial ecosystems. The analyses of hyporheic biogeochemical cycles or hyporheic exchange fluxes often involves manual sampling of porewater or measurement of temperature time series in the streambed. Here, we compare these two techniques with electrical conductivity time series from a cluster of small, hyporheic EC sensors and discuss their implications on the interpretation of groundwater – surface-water interactions in a first-order boreal stream.</p><p>Based on repeated measurements and the co-located small, hyporheic EC sensors, we found that even small sampling-rates of sediment porewater alter the hyporheic flow at some locations significantly. However, since porewater samples are necessary for the analysis of hyporheic biogeochemical cycles and water source partitioning, we recommend for future experiments to either co-locate small, continuous sensors with the sampling ports or to conduct experiments quantifying the induced flux.</p><p>Calculated 1D fluxes based on profiles of temperature time series are often integrated over many centimetres to a few decimetres, if the sensors spacing is not very small. This might be the reason, why fluxes based on our temperature and EC measurements do not always have the same direction, especially if the fast hyporheic exchange fluxes are very shallow.</p><p>We conclude, that using several, co-located techniques together can compensate for the limitations of each technique and reduce the risk of misleading conclusions.</p>

scholarly journals Integral Flow Modelling Approach for Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions along a Rippled Streambed

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabea Broecker ◽  
Katharina Teuber ◽  
Vahid Sobhi Gollo ◽  
Gunnar Nützmann ◽  
Jörg Lewandowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Darcy Flow ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Coupled Models ◽  
Navier Stokes Equations ◽  
Surface Water Flow

Exchange processes of surface and groundwater are important for the management of water quantity and quality as well as for the ecological functioning. In contrast to most numerical simulations using coupled models to investigate these processes, we present a novel integral formulation for the sediment-water-interface. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model OpenFOAM was used to solve an extended version of the three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations which is also applicable in non-Darcy-flow layers. Simulations were conducted to determine the influence of ripple morphologies and surface hydraulics on the flow processes within the hyporheic zone for a sandy and for a gravel sediment. In- and outflowing exchange fluxes along a ripple were determined for each case. The results indicate that larger grain size diameters, as well as ripple distances, increased hyporheic exchange fluxes significantly. For higher ripple dimensions, no clear relationship to hyporheic exchange was found. Larger ripple lengths decreased the hyporheic exchange fluxes due to less turbulence between the ripples. For all cases with sand, non-Darcy-flow was observed at an upper layer of the ripple, whereas for gravel non-Darcy-flow was recognized nearly down to the bottom boundary. Moreover, the sediment grain sizes influenced also the surface water flow significantly.

scholarly journals Methane emissions from a sediment-deposited island in a Lancang-Mekong reservoir

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenqing Shi ◽  
Qiuwen Chen ◽  
Jianyun Zhang ◽  
Cheng Chen ◽  
Yuchen Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methane Emission ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Sediment Accumulation ◽  
Methane Flux ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Water Level Fluctuations ◽  
Hyporheic Flow ◽  
Methane Sink

Abstract. In dammed rivers, sediment accumulation creates potential methane emission hotspots, which have been extensively studied in forebays. However, methane emissions from sidebays remain poorly understood. We investigated methane emissions from a sediment-deposited island situated in the sidebay of the Manwan Reservoir, Lancang-Mekong River. High methane emissions (maximum 10.4 mg h−1 m−2) were observed at the island center, while a ring-like zone of low-to-negative methane emission was discovered around the island edge, whose flux varied between −0.2–1.6 mg h−1 m−2. The ring-like zone accounted for 89.1 % of the island area, of which 9.1 % was a methane sink zone. Microbial processes in the hyporheic zone, regulated by hydrological variations, were responsible for the low methane flux in this area. Under reservoir operation, frequent water level fluctuations enhanced hyporheic exchange and created redox gradients along the hyporheic flow path. Dissolved oxygen in hyporheic water decreased from 4.80 mg L−1 at the island bank edge to 0.43 mg L−1 at the center, which in turn decreased methanogen abundance for methane production and increased methanotroph abundance for methane oxidation at the ring-like zone. This study adds to our understanding of methane emissions from dammed rivers and helps to screen efficient strategies for future mitigation of the global warming effects of hydropower systems.

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