scholarly journals Modelling the Effects of Historical and Future Land Cover Changes on the Hydrology of an Amazonian Basin

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Abe ◽  
Felipe Lobo ◽  
Yonas Dibike ◽  
Maycira Costa ◽  
Vanessa Dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
Conservation Policies ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Water Assessment

Land cover changes (LCC) affect the water balance (WB), changing surface runoff (SurfQ), evapotranspiration (ET), groundwater (GW) regimes, and streamflow (Q). The Tapajós Basin (southeastern Amazon) has experienced LCC over the last 40 years, with increasing LCC rates projected for the near future. Several studies have addressed the effects of climate changes on the region’s hydrology, but few have explored the effects of LCC on its hydrological regime. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to model the LCC effects on the hydrology of the Upper Crepori River Basin (medium Tapajós Basin), using historical and projected LCC based on conservation policies (GOV_2050) and on the “Business as Usual” trend (BAU_2050). LCC that occurred from 1973 to 2012, increased Q by 2.5%, without noticeably altering the average annual WB. The future GOV_2050 and BAU_2050 scenarios increased SurfQ by 238.87% and 300.90%, and Q by 2.53% and 2.97%, respectively, and reduced GW by 4.00% and 5.21%, and ET by 2.07% and 2.43%, respectively. Results suggest that the increase in deforestation will intensify floods and low-flow events, and that the conservation policies considered in the GOV_2050 scenario may still compromise the region’s hydrology at a comparable level to that of the BAU_2050.

scholarly journals Finding land cover change impacts on low flow regimes

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 196-206
Author(s):  
Chandramouli V. Chandramouli ◽  
Sivakumar Buddaraju ◽  
Nicholas Kaoukis
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
Ann Model ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Strength Effect

Abstract Climate changes, as well as land cover changes, affect the flow regimes in streams. Understanding the contributions of climate variables and land cover changes on low flows will help planners and decision makers to improve water resources management. An approach which uses data driven artificial neural networks (ANNs) is proposed in this study. Land cover, rainfall, snow and temperature were used as inputs to the ANN model. In this approach, an index called relative strength effect was used to assess the contribution of each input used in ANN. The proposed approach was experimented in three contrasting watersheds in northwest Indiana, USA. The study indicates that the changes in low flow regime for a less urbanized watershed were explained by land cover changes up to 30% while the remaining 70% variations were explained by meteorological inputs. In the watershed with a more developed area, the low flow variations were influenced up to 80% by meteorological inputs.

scholarly journals Investigation of Sinkhole Formation with Human Influence: A Case Study from Wink Sink in Winkler County, Texas

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3537
Author(s):  
Shannon English ◽  
Joonghyeok Heo ◽  
Jaewoong Won
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Meteoric Water ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
Hydrologic Systems ◽  
Current State

The formation of sinkholes in Winkler County, Texas is concerning due to the amount of oil and gas infrastructure and the potential for catastrophic losses. Evidences of new and potential sinkholes have been documented, and determining the cause of these sinkholes is paramount to mitigate the devastating consequences thereof. Studies have shown that the Wink sinkholes result from both natural and anthropogenic influences. Data depicting land-cover changes, alterations in the hydrologic systems, climate changes, and oil and gas activity were analyzed in an effort to better understand the link between these processes and sinkhole formation. Results indicate that the combination of these processes lead to the current state. Land cover changes were highest in shrub versus grasses, undeveloped to developed and croplands. Rises in temperature and a decrease in precipitation indicate a shift towards a more arid climate. Changes to the hydraulic system are a direct result of these land cover changes while the groundwater quality depicts an environment prone to dissolution. Historical oil and gas activities have created pathways of meteoric water infiltration to the underlying limestone and evaporite formation. The combination of these processes create an environment that accelerates sinkhole formations. Understanding these processes allows for the development and implementation of better land practices, better groundwater protections, and the need for monitoring and maintaining aging oil and gas infrastructure.

scholarly journals Climate or land cover variations: what is driving observed changes in river peak flows? A data-based attribution study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan De Niel ◽  
Patrick Willems
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
Peak Flows ◽  
Catchment Characteristics ◽  
Interaction Terms

Abstract. Climate change and land cover changes are influencing the hydrological regime of our rivers. The intensification of the hydrological cycle caused by climate change is projected to cause more flooding in winters and an increased urbanization could amplify these effects by a quicker runoff on paved surfaces. The relative importance of both drivers, however, is still uncertain and interaction effects between both drivers are not yet well understood. In order to better understand the hydrological impact of climate variability and land cover changes, including their interaction effects, we fitted a statistical model to historical data over 3 decades for 29 catchments in Flanders, covering various catchment characteristics. It was found that the catchment characteristics explain up to 18 % of changes in river peak flows, climate variability 6 % and land cover changes 8 %. Interaction terms explain up to 32 %. An increase in urban area of +1 % might cause increases in river peak flows up to +5 %.

scholarly journals Effects of Land Cover Changes on Sediment and Nutrient Balance in the Catchment with Cascade-Dammed Waters

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 3414
Author(s):  
Dawid Szatten ◽  
Michał Habel
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Catchment Area ◽  
Nutrient Balance ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Trapping Efficiency ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
Matter Transport

It is commonly believed that changes in the use of the catchment area have a direct impact on the quality of the water environment. Rivers with dams and reservoirs are characterized by a disturbed outflow of sediments and nutrients from the catchment area. The research was based on indicating the variation in time and space of loads of selected parameters of the water quality of the Brda River (Northern Poland) against the land cover changes based on the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data for the 1990–2018 period. In the lower part of the Brda catchment area, there are three hydropower dams with reservoirs in the form of a cascade, whose work clearly affects the hydrological regime of the river. The analysis of the dependence of the dynamics of water quality changes on the usage of CLC was based on indicators such as sediments (suspended sediment load) and nutrients (total phosphorus load and total nitrogen load). The use of hydrological data on the Brda discharge above and below the reservoirs made it possible to calculate sediment and nutrient trapping efficiency. Linking the CLC data with the indices responsible for the mechanical denudation of the catchment area made it possible to show the strength of changes taking place in the catchment area. The results of the research do not indicate any direct correlation between land cover changes and the dynamics of the denudation process and matter transport in the Brda catchment area. As our research shows, the strong influence on the hydrological regime of the catchment points out the necessity to search for still other research methods supporting the decision-making cycle in the field of water management in the face of climate change.

scholarly journals Assessing flow regime alterations in a temporary river – the River Celone case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Maria De Girolamo ◽  
Antonio Lo Porto ◽  
Giuseppe Pappagallo ◽  
Francesc Gallart
Keyword(s):  
Flow Regime ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Temporary River

AbstractIn this paper, we present an approach to evaluate the hydrological alterations of a temporary river. In these rivers, it is expected that anthropogenic pressures largely modify low-flow components of the flow regime with consequences for aquatic habitat and diversity in invertebrate species. First, by using a simple hydrological index (IARI) river segments of the Celone stream (southern Italy) whose hydrological regime is significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities have been identified. Hydrological alteration has been further classified through the analysis of two metrics: the degree (Mf) and the predictability of dry flow conditions (Sd6). Measured streamflow data were used to calculate the metrics in present conditions (impacted). Given the lack of data from pristine conditions, simulated streamflow time series were used to calculate the metrics in reference conditions. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to estimate daily natural streamflow. Hydrological alterations associated with water abstractions, point discharges and the presence of a reservoir were assessed by comparing the metrics (Mf, Sd6) before and after the impacts. The results show that the hydrological regime of the river segment located in the upper part of the basin is slightly altered, while the regime of the river segment downstream of the reservoir is heavily altered. This approach is intended for use with ecological metrics in defining the water quality status and in planning streamflow management activities.

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