scholarly journals Hydrological connectivity from glaciers to rivers in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: roles of suprapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 4803-4823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Ma ◽  
Ziyong Sun ◽  
Yalu Hu ◽  
Qixin Chang ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Heihe River ◽  
High Mountains ◽  
Stream Channels ◽  
Piedmont Plain ◽  
Water Conduction ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Abstract. The roles of groundwater flow in the hydrological cycle within the alpine area characterized by permafrost and/or seasonal frost are poorly known. This study explored the role of permafrost in controlling groundwater flow and the hydrological connections between glaciers in high mountains and rivers in the low piedmont plain with respect to hydraulic head, temperature, geochemical and isotopic data, at a representative catchment in the headwater region of the Heihe River, northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The results show that the groundwater in the high mountains mainly occurred as suprapermafrost groundwater, while in the moraine and fluvioglacial deposits on the planation surfaces of higher hills, suprapermafrost, intrapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater cooccurred. Glacier and snow meltwaters were transported from the high mountains to the plain through stream channels, slope surfaces, and supra- and subpermafrost aquifers. Groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer in the piedmont plain was recharged by the lateral inflow from permafrost areas and the stream infiltration and was discharged as baseflow to the stream in the north. Groundwater maintained streamflow over the cold season and significantly contributed to the streamflow during the warm season. Two mechanisms were proposed to contribute to the seasonal variation of aquifer water-conduction capacity: (1) surface drainage through the stream channel during the warm period and (2) subsurface drainage to an artesian aquifer confined by stream icing and seasonal frost during the cold season.

scholarly journals Hydrological connectivity from glaciers to rivers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: roles of suprapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Ma ◽  
Ziyong Sun ◽  
Yalu Hu ◽  
Qixing Chang ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Stream Flow ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
High Mountains ◽  
Piedmont Plain ◽  
Quaternary Aquifer ◽  
Water Conduction ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Abstract. The roles of subsurface groundwater flow in the hydrological cycle within the alpine area characterized by permafrost and/or seasonal frost are poorly known. We studied the role of permafrost in controlling groundwater flow and the hydrological connections between glaciers in high mountain and river in the low plain with hydraulic head, temperature, geochemical, and isotopic data. The study area was a catchment in the headwater region of the Heihe River in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The groundwater in the high mountains mainly occurs as suprapermafrost groundwater, and in the moraine and fluvio-glacial deposits on the planation surfaces of higher hills suprapermafrost, intrapermafrost, and subpermafrost groundwater co-occur. Glacier and snow-meltwater are transported from the high mountains to the plain through stream channels, slope surfaces, and supra- and subpermafrost aquifers. Groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer under the piedmont plain is recharged by the lateral inflow from permafrost groundwaters and the infiltration of streams, and is discharged as baseflow to the stream in the north. Groundwater maintained stream flow over the cold season and significantly contributed to the stream flow during the rainy season. 3H and 14C data indicated that the age of supra- and sub-permafrost groundwater, and groundwater in Quaternary aquifer of seasonal frost zone, ranges from 30–60 years. Two proposed mechanisms contribute to seasonal variation of the aquifer water-conduction capacity: (1) surface drainage through the stream channel during the high-flow period, and (2) subsurface drainage to an artesian aquifer confined by stream icing and seasonal frost during the cold season.

scholarly journals Effects of Air Temperature and Precipitation on Soil Moisture on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the 2015 Growing Season

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Qingyan Xie ◽  
Jianping Li ◽  
Yufei Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Ecosystem Stability ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) holds massive freshwater resources and is one of the most active regions in the world with respect to the hydrological cycle. Soil moisture (SM) plays a critical role in hydrological processes and is important for plant growth and ecosystem stability. To investigate the relationship between climatic factors (air temperature and precipitation) and SM during the growing season in various climate zones on the QTP, data from three observational stations were analyzed. The results showed that the daily average (Tave) and minimum air temperatures (Tmin) significantly influenced SM levels at all depths analyzed (i.e., 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 cm deep) at the three stations, and Tmin had a stronger effect on SM than did Tave. However, the daily maximum air temperature (Tmax) generally had little effect on SM, although it had showed some effects on SM in the middle and deeper layers at the Jiali station. Precipitation was an important factor that significantly influenced the SM at all depths at the three stations, but the influence on SM in the middle and deep layers lagged the direct effect on near-surface SM by 5–7 days. These results suggest that environment characterized by lower temperatures and higher precipitation may promote SM conservation during the growing season and in turn support ecosystem stability on the QTP.

scholarly journals Differences in Reference Evapotranspiration Variation and Climate-Driven Patterns in Different Altitudes of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (1961–2017)

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1749
Author(s):  
Yuan Liu ◽  
Xiaolei Yao ◽  
Qianyang Wang ◽  
Jingshan Yu ◽  
Qi Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Reference Evapotranspiration ◽  
Kendall Test ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Enhancement Effect ◽  
Test Results ◽  
The Common ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽  
Maximum Air Temperature

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) in the hydrological cycle is one of the processes that is significantly affected by climate change. The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) is universally recognized as a region that is sensitive to climate change. In this study, an area elevation curve is used to divide the study area into three elevation zones: low (below 2800 m), medium (2800–3800 m) and high (3800–5000 m). The cumulative anomaly curve, Mann–Kendall test, moving t-test and Yamamoto test results show that a descending mutation occurred in the 1980s, and an ascending mutation occurred in 2005. Moreover, a delay effect on the descending mutation in addition to an enhancement effect on the ascending mutation of the annual ET0 were coincident with the increasing altitude below 5000 m. The annual ET0 series for the QTP and different elevation zones showed an increasing trend from 1961 to 2017 and increased more significantly with the increase in elevation. Path analysis showed that the climate-driven patterns in different elevation zones are quite different. However, after the ascending mutations occurred in 2005, the maximum air temperature (Tmax) became the common dominant driving factor for the whole region and the three elevation zones.

scholarly journals Temporal Variations in the Quantity of Groundwater Flow in Nam Co Lake

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Du ◽  
Zhide Huang ◽  
Mowen Xie ◽  
Asim Farooq ◽  
Chen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Nam Co ◽  
Lake Water Level ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽  
Nam Co Lake

This paper aims to calculate and analyze the spatial and temporal variations in the groundwater flow quantity in Nam Co Lake based on the water balance principle. The results show that a large amount of groundwater was gradually lost and that, groundwater loss decreased from 1.9 billion m3 to 1.5 billion m3 from the period of 1980–1984 to 1995–2009. The comparative analysis in the current study indicates that the decrease in the groundwater index has a strong linear relationship with the temperature of the ground surface on the Tibetan Plateau, with a correlation coefficient as high as 0.92. Moreover, environmental variations such as large-scale engineering construction projects and increases in water storage may have played dominant roles in the sudden changes in the water quantities of plateau lakes (e.g., Nam Co Lake) during the periods of 1990–1995 and 2000–2009. The increased water levels resulted in reduced groundwater losses, which may lead to the substantial expansion or gradual shrinkage of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau lakes over short periods of time. The results of this study provide an important reference for studying the mechanisms of lake water level changes on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.

scholarly journals Supplementary feeding of cattle-yak in the cold season alters rumen microbes, volatile fatty acids, and expression of SGLT1 in the rumen epithelium

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11048
Author(s):  
Yuzhu Sha ◽  
Jiang Hu ◽  
Bingang Shi ◽  
Renqing Dingkao ◽  
Jiqing Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Community Structure ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Cattle-yak, a hybrid offspring of yak (Bos grunniens) and cattle (Bos taurus), inhabit the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of more than 3,000 m and obtain nutrients predominantly through grazing on natural pastures. Severe shortages of pasture in the cold season leads to reductions in the weight and disease resistance of grazing cattle-yak, which then affects their production performance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementary feeding during the cold season on the rumen microbial community of cattle-yak. Six cattle-yak (bulls) were randomly divided into two groups—“grazing + supplementary feeding” (G+S) (n = 3) and grazing (G) (n = 3)—and rumen microbial community structure (based on 16S rRNA sequencing), volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and ruminal epithelial sodium ion-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) expression were assessed. There were significant differences in the flora of the two groups at various taxonomic classification levels. For example, Bacteroidetes, Rikenellaceae, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group were significantly higher in the G+S group than in the G group (P < 0.05), while Firmicutes and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group were significantly lower in the G+S group than in the G group (P < 0.05). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) analyses revealed that functions related to carbohydrate metabolism and energy production were significantly enriched in the G+S group (P < 0.05). In addition, the concentration of total VFAs, along with concentrations of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, were significantly higher in the G+S group than in the G group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, SGLT1 expression in ruminal epithelial tissue was significantly lower in the G+S group (P < 0.01). Supplementary feeding of cattle-yak after grazing in the cold season altered the microbial community structure and VFA contents in the rumen of the animals, and decreased ruminal epithelial SGLT1 expression. This indicated that supplementary feeding after grazing aids rumen function, improves adaptability of cattle-yak to the harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and enhances ability of the animals to overwinter.

scholarly journals Impacts of Groundwater Flow on Evolution of a Thermokarst Lake in the Permafrost Region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Jinlong Li ◽  
Xianmin Ke ◽  
Kai Chen ◽  
Zeyong Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Permafrost Region ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Lake Bottom ◽  
Explicit Consideration ◽  
Thawing Process ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽  
Permafrost Regions

Thermokarst lakes and permafrost degradation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) resulting from global warming have been considerably affected the local hydrological and ecological process in recent decades. Simulation with coupled moisture-heat models that follows talik formation in the Beiluhe Basin (BLB) in the hinterland of permafrost regions on the QTP provides insight into the interaction between groundwater flow and freezing-thawing process. A total of 30 modified SUTRA schemes have been established to examine the effect of hydrodynamic forces, permeability and climate. The simulated results show that the hydrodynamic conditions impact the permafrost degradation surrounding the lake, thereby further affecting groundwater flow and late-stage freezing-thawing process. The thickness of the active layer varies with time and location under different permeability conditions, which significantly influences the occurrence of a breakthrough of the lake bottom. Warmer climate accelerates thawing and decreases the required time of formation of the breakthrough zone. Overall, these results indicate that explicit consideration of hydrologic process is critical to improve the understanding of environmental and ecological changes in cold regions.

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