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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Equation for Describing Solute Transport in Field Soils with Preferential Flow Paths

2005 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Jin Kim ◽  
Christophe J. G. Darnault ◽  
Nathan O. Bailey ◽  
J.-Yves Parlange ◽  
Tammo S. Steenhuis
Keyword(s):  
Solute Transport ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Flow Paths ◽  
Preferential Flow Paths ◽  
Field Soils

Effects of riffle–step restoration on hyporheic zone chemistry in N-rich lowland streams

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamao Kasahara ◽  
Alan R Hill
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Ion Concentration ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Exchange Flow ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Lowland Streams ◽  
Hyporheic Zones

Stream restoration projects that aim to rehabilitate ecosystem health have not considered surface–subsurface linkages, although stream water and groundwater interaction has an important role in sustaining stream ecosystem functions. The present study examined the effect of constructed riffles and a step on hyporheic exchange flow and chemistry in restored reaches of several N-rich agricultural and urban streams in southern Ontario. Hydrometric data collected from a network of piezometers and conservative tracer releases indicated that the constructed riffles and steps were effective in inducing hyporheic exchange. However, despite the use of cobbles and boulders in the riffle construction, high stream dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were depleted rapidly with depth into the hyporheic zones. Differences between observed and predicted nitrate concentrations based on conservative ion concentration patterns indicated that these hyporheic zones were also nitrate sinks. Zones of low hydraulic conductivity and the occurrence of interstitial fines in the restored cobble-boulder layers suggest that siltation and clogging of the streambed may reduce the downwelling of oxygen- and nitrate-rich stream water. Increases in streambed DO levels and enhancement of habitat for hyporheic fauna that result from riffle–step construction projects may only be temporary in streams that receive increased sediment and nutrient inputs from urban areas and croplands.

scholarly journals Dye staining and excavation of a lateral preferential flow network

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 935-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Anderson ◽  
M. Weiler ◽  
Y. Alila ◽  
R. O. Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Slope Stability ◽  
Solute Transport ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Flow Paths ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Preferential Flow Paths ◽  
Dye Staining ◽  
Hillslope Scale ◽  
Surrounding Soil

Abstract. Preferential flow paths have been found to be important for runoff generation, solute transport, and slope stability in many areas around the world. Although many studies have identified the particular characteristics of individual features and measured the runoff generation and solute transport within hillslopes, very few studies have determined how individual features are hydraulically connected at a hillslope scale. In this study, we used dye staining and excavation to determine the morphology and spatial pattern of a preferential flow network over a large scale (30 m). We explore the feasibility of extending small-scale dye staining techniques to the hillslope scale. We determine the lateral preferential flow paths that are active during the steady-state flow conditions and their interaction with the surrounding soil matrix. We also calculate the velocities of the flow through each cross-section of the hillslope and compare them to hillslope scale applied tracer measurements. Finally, we investigate the relationship between the contributing area and the characteristics of the preferential flow paths. The experiment revealed that larger contributing areas coincided with highly developed and hydraulically connected preferential flow paths that had flow with little interaction with the surrounding soil matrix. We found evidence of subsurface erosion and deposition of soil and organic material laterally and vertically within the soil. These results are important because they add to the understanding of the runoff generation, solute transport, and slope stability of preferential flow-dominated hillslopes.

scholarly journals Assessment of Hydrologic Transient Storage of Three Streams

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 79-80
Author(s):  
Michael Gooseff
Keyword(s):  
Porous Media ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Stream Sediments ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Stream Channel ◽  
Ample Opportunity ◽  
Biogeochemical Transformations

Stream sediments are important locations of biogeochemical transformations upon which many stream ecosystem functions depend. Stream water is often exchanged between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface locations - this process is known as hyporheic exchange. While stream water is moving through the hyporheic zone, solutes and nutrients may undergo important chemical reactions that are not possible in the main stream channel. Further, because the hyporheic zone is composed of porous media (sand, sediment, alluvium, etc.), flow inherently slows down and the exchanging water has ample opportunity to interact with mineral grain surfaces and biofilms.

The Daisy agroecological system model: A physically based model for preferential water flow and solute transport in drained agricultural fields

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efstathios Diamantopoulos ◽  
Maja Holbak ◽  
Per Abrahamsen
Keyword(s):  
Solute Transport ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Column Experiment ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Physically Based Model ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Rapid Transport ◽  
Preferential Water

<p>Preferential water flow and solute transport in agricultural systems affects not only the quality of groundwater but also the quality of surface waters like streams and lakes. This is due to the rapid transport of agrochemicals, immediately after application, through subsurface drainpipes and surface water. Experimental evidence attributes this to the occurrence of continuously connected pathways, connecting the soil surface directly with the drainpipes. We developed a physically-based model describing preferential flow and transport in biopores and implemented it in the agroecological model Daisy. The model simulates the often observed rapid transport of chemicals from   the upper soil layers to the drainpipes or to deeper layers of the soil matrix. Based on field investigations, biopores with specific characteristics can be parameterized as classes with different vertical and horizontal distributions. The model was tested against experimental data from a column experiment with an artificial biopore and showed good results in simulating preferential flow dynamics. We illustrate the performance of the new approach, by conducting five simulations assuming a two-dimensional simulation domain with different biopore parametrizations, from none to several different classes. The simulation results agreed with experimental observations reported in the literature, indicating rapid transport from the soil to the drainpipes. Furthermore, the different biopore parametrizations resulted in distinctly different leaching patterns, raising the expectation that biopore properties could be estimated or constrained based on observed leaching data and direct measurements.</p>

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