2010

Water Resources Management Under Climate Variability – Overview Of CADSWES Projects And Tools

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:30:10 +0000

Water Resources Management Under Climate Variability – Overview Of CADSWES Projects And Tools Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:30 Edie Zagona

Zagona, Edie ¹ ; Rajagopalan, Balaji ²

¹ Research Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and Director, Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES)
² Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and Fellow, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

This talk describes ongoing research projects at CADSWES that quantify hydrologic variability and improve water management practices through development and use of model and analysis tools. Reclamation and NOAA sponsor studies that extend understanding of hydrologic variability in the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ River Basin through statistical analysis of paleo (tree ring) data. In this the dominant modes of streamflow variability in the basin are related to large scale climate forcings at a variety of low frequencies such as ENSO, PDO and AMO; this understanding allows improved seasonal to multi-year forecasting as well as generation of multi-decadal simulated hydrologic traces for improved planning. Patterns of variability that are thus revealed are being used to develop operational strategies that at once adapt to these patterns in responsive and effective ways, and demonstrate ranges of possible management outcomes. Complementary research evaluates the future reliability of environmental flows in the ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Basin; sponsored by NGOs, this research utilizes both statistical and modeling techniques to explore tradeoff potentials for environmental benefits. CADSWES decision support tools, including RiverWare®, funded by Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers and Tennessee Valley Authority, allow detailed modeling and analysis of operational policies and are widely used for operations and planning studies as well as hydropower optimization. A new DOE-funded project will use RiverWare to evaluate the “realistic” potential for integration of wind energy with hydropower, considering typical water operations requirements and constraints. These diverse projects are unified by the underlying need for advanced characterization of hydrology and the representation of complex and adaptive operating policies.

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Groundwater Flow Simulation Of Uranium In-Situ Leach Mining In Northern ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:29:21 +0000

Groundwater Flow Simulation Of Uranium In-Situ Leach Mining In Northern ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:29 Miori Yoshino

Yoshino, Miori ¹ ; Ge, Shemin ²

¹ University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ
² University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ

A uranium deposit in north-central ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ is under consideration for in-situ leach mining. The stratigraphy of the area includes, in ascending order, the Pierre Shale, the Fox Hills sandstone, and the Laramie Formation. Two roll front mineral deposits are located in the upper Fox Hills sandstone. This study seeks to understand if groundwater exchange between the Upper Fox Hills sandstone and the neighboring strata exists during in-situ leaching. A three-dimensional, finite-difference groundwater flow model is developed over various domains. Groundwater flows predominantly from west to east through the upper Fox Hills sandstone under a hydraulic gradient of approximately 0.01. To examine the impact of in-situ leaching, a five-well configuration was simulated with four injection wells symmetrically surrounding one extraction well, all terminating in the Upper Fox Hills sandstone. The extraction rate is approximately four times the injection rate. The vertical conductivity of the Upper Fox Hills is set in the range of 1E-5 m/s to 1E-7 m/s. Isotropic and anisotropic conditions will be evaluated. Smaller vertical hydraulic conductivity restricts upward flow into the Laramie formation and thus is more conducive to in-situ leaching. Preliminary results suggest that while most of the injected solution flows toward the extraction well, some of the injected solution may travel eastward, outside the flow field of the five-well configuration. In addition, preliminary results imply that the amount of leakage into adjacent formations depends on hydraulic conductivity values and anisotropy.

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Decadal Changes In Climate And Hydrological Responses In High Elevation Catchments, ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Front Range

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:28:47 +0000

Decadal Changes In Climate And Hydrological Responses In High Elevation Catchments, ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Front Range Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:28 Mark W Williams

Williams, Mark W ¹ ; Hill, Ken ² ; Caine, Nel ³

¹ ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ-Boulder
² National Park Service
³ ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ-Boulder

Potential climate impacts on the hydrochemistry of two seasonally snow covered catchments is evaluated using 24 years of data from Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Site, ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ. At the larger (220 ha), higher elevation (3570 m) GL4 catchment annual discharge did not change signiﬁcantly based on nonparametric trend testing. However, October streamﬂow volumes and groundwater storage did increase, despite drought conditions near the end of the record in 2000-2004. In contrast, at the smaller (8 ha), lower elevation (3400 m) MART catchment, annual discharge decreased signiﬁcantly over the study period with the most substantial changes in July-September. The study period was separated into "wet", "normal", and "dry" years based on the 75th and 25th quartiles of annual precipitation. Results indicate that MART is particularly sensitive to changes in precipitation with dry years exhibiting decreased snowmelt peak ﬂows, earlier snowmelt timing, decreased annual discharge, and reduced late-season ﬂows. GL4 was less susceptible to changes in precipitation and surprisingly late-season ﬂow volumes (Sept.-Oct.) were not signiﬁcantly different between wet, normal, and dry conditions. Surprisingly, during dry years both the concentrations and annual fluxes of Ca2+ and SO42- increased in the outflow of GL4, but not at the Martinelli catchment. These differeneces in hydrochemistry were particularly pronounced during the low-flow period. Streamwater chemistry in GL4 during drought years resembled that of permafrost, suggesting augmented flow during the fall due to permafrost melt. This study shows that seasonally snow covered catchments are particularly sensitive to changes in climate, but the hydrochemical response may depend on landscape characteristics.

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Stoichiometric Control Of Organic Carbon-Nitrate Relationships From Soils To The Sea

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:28:10 +0000

Stoichiometric Control Of Organic Carbon-Nitrate Relationships From Soils To The Sea Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:28 Philip G Taylor

Taylor, Philip G ¹ ; Townsend, Alan R ²

¹ University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ
² University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ

Human creation of reactive nitrogen has risen an order of magnitude since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. This dramatic reorganization of a global biogeochemical cycle has brought substantial benefits, but increasingly causes detrimental outcomes for both people and ecosystems. One such problem is the accumulation of nitrate (NO3-) in both freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems. Here we establish that ecosystem NO3- accrual exhibits consistent and negative nonlinear correlations with organic carbon (C) availability along a hydrologic continuum from soils, through freshwaters and coastal margins, to the open ocean (Figure 1). The trend also prevails in ecosystems subject to substantial human alteration. Across this diversity of environments, we find evidence that resource stoichiometry (organic C:NO3-) strongly influences NO3- accumulation by regulating a suite of microbial processes which couple DOC and NO3- cycling. Through meta-analysis, we show that heterotrophic microbes maintain low NO3- concentrations when organic C:NO3- ratios match the stoichiometric demands of microbial anabolism (Figure 2A). However, when resource ratios drop below the minimum C:N ratio of microbial biomass, the onset of C limitation appears to drive rapid NO3- accrual, which may then be further enhanced by nitrification (Figure 2B). At low organic C:NO3- ratios, denitrification appears to constrain the extent of NO3- accretion once organic C and NO3- availability approach the 1:1 stoichiometry of this catabolic process (Figure 2C). Collectively, these microbial processes express themselves on local to global scales by restricting the threshold ratios underlying NO3- accrual to a constrained stoichiometric window. Our findings indicate that ecological stoichiometry can help explain the fate of NO3- across disparate environments and in the face of human disturbance, which has significant implications for the management of a rapidly changing N cycle.

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Interactions Between Turbulent Mixing And Broadcast Spawning

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:27:31 +0000

Interactions Between Turbulent Mixing And Broadcast Spawning Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:27 Michael Soltys

Soltys, Michael ¹ ; Crimaldi, John P ²

¹ University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ
² University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ

Turbulent fluid flow plays an important role in many physical and biological mixing processes. This is exemplified by broadcast spawning, the reproductive strategy used by corals and many other marine invertebrates. When spawning, male and female invertebrates release their gametes into a flow and then rely on the physics of turbulence to bring eggs and sperm close enough to promote fertilization. Current biological models predict that the efficiency of broadcast spawning is vastly insufficient to sustain coral populations (Denny, 1988), but the existence of these animals suggests otherwise. It is likely that the role of instantaneous turbulent stirring, missing from current models, is responsible for the under-prediction of spawning efficiency. In order for broadcast spawning to be successful it is necessary that the sperm and the eggs be brought together in high concentrations. It has been shown that over short time scales structured filaments of high concentration form in turbulent flow before being dispersed to low concentrations at longer times (Crimaldi and Koseff, 2006). It is hypothesized that when two scalars (e.g., sperm and eggs) are released into turbulent flow, coherent velocity structures will initially bring high-concentration filaments of these two scalars together. This Hypothesis is studied using a specially developed two-channel planar laser-induced fluorescence system which tracks two dyes as surrogates for coral sperm and egg. Preliminary results confirm the importance of coherent structures and their effects on mixing.

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Search For The Origins Of Dissolved Organic Matter In A Supraglacial Stream On The Cotton Glacier, Antarctica

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:26:54 +0000

Search For The Origins Of Dissolved Organic Matter In A Supraglacial Stream On The Cotton Glacier, Antarctica Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:26 Michael D SanClements

SanClements, Michael ¹ ; McKnight, Diane ² ; Chin, Yu-Ping ³ ; Foreman, Christine ⁴ ; Kilduff, Chip ⁵

¹ INSTAAR, University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ at Boulder
² INSTAAR, University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ at Boulder
³ Ohio State University
⁴ Montana State University
⁵ Rensselear Polytechnic Institute

Antarctica provides a unique natural environment for the study of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The absence of vascular plants results in an organic carbon pool derived from microbial sources (i.e., extracellular release and leachate from bacteria and algae) (McKnight et al. 2001). While terrestrial waters in the dry valleys of Antarctica provide valuable insight into the composition of autochthonous organic matter, preliminary data from a supraglacial stream on the Cotton Glacier suggests a unique system for studying the origins of DOM (Foreman et al. in review; Aiken et al. 1996). Field observations and data from 2004 suggest the Cotton Glacier fluvial system is extremely dynamic, resulting in little or no accumulation of recalcitrant and humic carbon on a yearly basis (Foreman et al. in review). This lack of refractory organic matter makes it an ideal setting for analyzing the nature of autochthonous DOM precursors. Over the course of the 2009-10 austral summer we sampled the Cotton Glacier Stream four times. As a comparison, Canada Stream, a terrestrial stream in the McMurdo Dry Valleys was also sampled. Waters from both sites were analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DIC), base cations, and anions. Reverse osmosis (RO) was employed to concentrate and isolate DOM from stream waters. UV-VIS and excitation-emission fluorescence spectroscopy were used to infer the composition of DOM in whole waters and RO concentrates. Results from the 2004 and 2009-10 field seasons reveal systems with low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, generally < 1 mg/L in both Cotton and Canada streams. Reverse osmosis proved a successful technique for the isolation of DOM from low DOC waters. UV-VIS and fluorescence spectroscopy indicate a unique and transient DOM signature in waters of the Cotton Glacier, while DOM from Canada Stream revealed a more stable refractory organic matter pool. Cotton Glacier waters lacked a humic signature but over time (days) changes in the fluorescence signature demonstrated a shift toward characteristics more commonly found in DOM of other natural waters (i.e., the formation of humic peaks). Over the next two years this project aims to answer questions regarding linkages between microbial communities and DOM formation through continued sampling and analysis of Cotton Glacier waters and sediment.

McKnight, D. M., E. W. Boyer, P. K. Westerhoff, P. T. Doran, T. Kulbe, and D. T. Andersen, 2001 Limnology and Oceanography,v 46, p. 38-48.
Foreman, C. M., C. E. Morris, R. M. Cory, J. T. Lisle, P. L. Miller, Y.-P. Chin, and D. M. McKnight. Journal of Geophysical Research, In review.
Aiken, G., D. McKnight, R. Harnish, and R. Wershaw, 1996, Biogeochemistry, v 34, p. 157-188.

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A Radar-Based Climatology Of High Precipitation Events In The European Alps: 2000-2008

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:26:24 +0000

A Radar-Based Climatology Of High Precipitation Events In The European Alps: 2000-2008 Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:26 James V Rudolph

Rudolph, James V ¹ ; Friedrich, Katja ² ; Germann, Urs ³

¹ University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
² University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
³ MeteoSwiss

Characterizing and quantifying precipitation on temporal and spatial scales in mountainous regions is essential for better understanding of the processes that modulate precipitation intensity, distribution, and type. Knowledge about precipitation variability on annual, decadal, and centennial time scales and the linkage to large-scale atmospheric circulation sets the basis for assessing the impact of climate change on alpine precipitation and validating regional and global climate models. To better understand regional precipitation variability and trends in the European Alps, a 9 year (2000-2008) precipitation climatology has been generated from ground-based operational weather radar data provided by the Swiss radar network. As compared to a rain gauge based precipitation climatology, the radar-based climatology has the advantage of providing finer spatial and temporal resolution as well as vertical information. The radar-based climatology that is developed has resolution of 2 x 2 km2 and enables analysis of the relationships between synoptic scale flow and mesoscale precipitation patterns over complex alpine terrain. The analysis divides the Alps into six regions (each approximately 200 x 200 km2 in size), one on the Northern, two each on the Western and Southern side of the Alps, and one in the Massif Central, representing various orographic aspects and regional climates within the radar coverage area. For each region, estimated rainfall rate derived from radar data is analyzed for duration, extent, and frequency of high precipitation events on an annual and seasonal basis. The summer season shows the greatest frequency and geographic extent of high precipitation events for all regions in the study with winter having the longest interval between high precipitation events. The region south of the Alps was found to have the greatest frequency of high precipitation events. The fine spatial scale of the radar coverage also enables correlation of high precipitation events to topographic aspect and elevation. Future work will analyze vertical structure for variation in snow/rain ratio: a precipitation characteristic with particular importance for hydrological parameters such as runoff, water storage, and glacier retreat. In addition, further study is planned to correlate topography and upstream conditions at the synoptic, meso-, and convective scale to precipitation patterns and characteristics within each region.

Germann, U., G. Galli, M. Boscacci, and M. Bolliger, 2006: Precipitation measurement in a mountainous region. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 132, p. 1669-1692.
IPCC, 2008: Gaps in knowledge and suggestions for further work. In B. C. Bates, Z. W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu, & J. P. Palutikof (Eds.), Climate Change and Water: Technical Paper VI: (pp. 133-137), Geneva: IPCC Secretariat.
Joss, J. S., 1998: Operational Use of Radar for Precipitation Measurements in Switzerland. Zurich: Hochschulverlag AG.

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Public Perceptions Of Tsunamis And Tsunami Warning Signs In Los Angeles

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:25:45 +0000

Public Perceptions Of Tsunamis And Tsunami Warning Signs In Los Angeles Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:25 Antonia Rosati

Rosati, Antonia ¹

¹ Santa Monica College

After the devastating December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, California and other coastal states began installing "Tsunami Warning Zone" and "Evacuation Route" signs at beaches and major access roads.

The geography of the Los Angeles area may not be conducive to signage alone for communication of the tsunami risk and safety precautions. Over a year after installation, most surveyed do not know about or recognize the tsunami signs.

More alarming is that many did not believe a tsunami could occur in the area even though earthquake generated waves have reached nearby beaches as recently as September 2009!

The public need more than signs to become prepared for a tsunami. The dense population, expansive geography and tourism patterns should be better assessed before moving forward with the project.

The state must understand the expectations of the area's population and find a way to meet or adjust those expectations to match emergency management plans and capabilities.

Atwater, B., Cisternas, V., Bourgeois, J., Dudley, W., Hendley, J., Stauffer, P. (2005). Surviving a Tsunami – Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan. U.S. Geologic Survey. Circular 1187, Version 1.1.
California Department of Transportation. (2009). Tsunami Sign Policy. Lander, J., Lockridge, P. (1989). United States Tsunamis 1690-1988. Boulder, CO: National Geophysical Data Center.
NOAA’s National Weather Service. (2010). West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. (2009). U.S. States and Territories National Tsunami Hazard Assessment: Historical Record and Sources for Waves.
National Weather Service. (2009). TsunamiReady.

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Generation Of Colored And Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter By Alpine Lake Bacteria

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:24:59 +0000

Generation Of Colored And Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter By Alpine Lake Bacteria Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:24 Isabel Reche , Natalie Mladenov

Reche, Isabel ¹ ; Mladenov, Natalie ² ; Ortega, Eva ³

² Presenting Author

¹ Universidad de Granada
² INSTAAR, University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ
³ Laboratoire d’Oceanographie Microbienne de Banyuls

The conversion of labile dissolved organic matter (DOM) into refractory DOM has consequences for the maintenance of DOM in the water column and represents DOM that cannot be channeled to the microbial loop. Bacteria release about 15-30% of the DOM the take up as refractory DOM. Virus lytic cycles also contribute to the release DOM during bacterial lysis. Also, dust deposition may influence bacterial production and CDOM and FDOM generation in oligotrophic alpine lakes via dust inputs of nutrients and DOM to the water column. To explore the generation of colored DOM (CDOM) and fluorescent DOM (FDOM) by bacteria in an oligotrophic alpine lake of southern Spain, we analyzed the optical spectroscopic properties, UV-vis absorbance and fluorescence, of viral-sterilized and unsterilized lake water amended with a) dust and b) a cocktail of glucose, N, and P. Interestingly, bacteria, in the absence of viruses, processed more organic carbon and released greater amounts of both amino acid-like and humic like compounds. Without viruses present, the quality of organic matter with dust and glucose+N+P addition was more amino acid-like, suggesting that more labile DOM was released. The addition of dust in the absence of viruses greatly stimulated bacterial production. Given that the dust loading to alpine lakes in southern Spain is expected to increase with climate change and that alpine lakes contain low virus:bacteria ratios, the generation of more bioavailable DOM may have ecosystem-wide implications, including effects on lake productivity.

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Combining Remote Sensing And Isotopic Analysis To Determine The Contribution Of Snow- And Ice-Melt To Streamflow In The Nepal Himalaya: A Multi-Scale Approach

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:24:02 +0000

Combining Remote Sensing And Isotopic Analysis To Determine The Contribution Of Snow- And Ice-Melt To Streamflow In The Nepal Himalaya: A Multi-Scale Approach Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/21/2018 - 16:24 Adina Racoviteanu

Racoviteanu, Adina E ¹ ; Armstrong , Richard ² ; Williams, Mark W. ³ ; Alford , Don ⁴ ; Cowie, Rory ⁵

¹ Dept of Geography and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ
² National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ
³ Dept of Geography and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ
⁴ 4 1831 Poly Drive, Billings, MT
⁵ Dept of Geography and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ

Recent controversies about the retreat of Himalayan glaciers pose concerns about the future of water supplies in this region. While snow and ice are an important component of the hydrologic regime of many large mountain ranges including the Himalaya, the role of glaciers in the hydrologic regime of this mountain range, in particular their contribution to base flow, is not well understood. Here we focus on assessing the relative contributions of snow- and ice-melt to base flow in selected basins of the Eastern Himalaya (Nepal). This research combines remote sensing-derived glacier data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) with field-based measurements of streamflow and water chemistry. Our approach relies on ablation gradients, the area-altitude distributions of glaciers, degree-day approaches and mixing models. Based on the ablation gradient method, we estimate that the contribution of glacier annual melt water to annual streamflow into the Ganges basin from the glacierized catchments of the Nepal Himalaya represents 2-3% of the total annual streamflow volume of the rivers of Nepal.

Preliminary results from the Langtang and Dudh Kosi basins using stable water isotopes collected during baseflow conditions in November 2008 and December 2009 show that glacial outflows at about 4600m have delta18O values of about -16 parts per mil. The delta18O values increase by about 1 part per mil at an elevation of 3300 m in river flow, and by 3 parts per mil at an elevation of 1400 m. These results suggest that glacial contributions to discharge decrease rapidly with decreasing elevation and increasing basin area, consistent with the results from the ablation modeling above.

Alford, D., Armstrong, R. and Racoviteanu, A. 2009. Glacier retreat in the Nepal Himalaya: An assessment of the role of glaciers in the hydrologic regime of the Nepal Himalaya. (in press), South Asia Sustainable Development Office, Environment and Water Resources Unit, The World Bank, Washington, DC.

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2010

Water Resources Management Under Climate Variability – Overview Of CADSWES Projects And Tools

Zagona, Edie 1 ; Rajagopalan, Balaji 2

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Groundwater Flow Simulation Of Uranium In-Situ Leach Mining In Northern ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ

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Decadal Changes In Climate And Hydrological Responses In High Elevation Catchments, ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Front Range

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Stoichiometric Control Of Organic Carbon-Nitrate Relationships From Soils To The Sea

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Interactions Between Turbulent Mixing And Broadcast Spawning

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Search For The Origins Of Dissolved Organic Matter In A Supraglacial Stream On The Cotton Glacier, Antarctica

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A Radar-Based Climatology Of High Precipitation Events In The European Alps: 2000-2008

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Public Perceptions Of Tsunamis And Tsunami Warning Signs In Los Angeles

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Generation Of Colored And Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter By Alpine Lake Bacteria

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Combining Remote Sensing And Isotopic Analysis To Determine The Contribution Of Snow- And Ice-Melt To Streamflow In The Nepal Himalaya: A Multi-Scale Approach

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Zagona, Edie ¹ ; Rajagopalan, Balaji ²

Groundwater Flow Simulation Of Uranium In-Situ Leach Mining In Northern ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ

Decadal Changes In Climate And Hydrological Responses In High Elevation Catchments, ŷ��ڱ��Ƶ Front Range