Baseflow and transmission loss: A review

Abstract

There is an extensive literature dealing with the interaction between groundwater and surface water, and this includes major reviews on baseflow, transmission losses, baseflow recession analysis, and broader aspects of low flows. Although these are mature topics in hydrology, they continue to attract strong interest, with hundreds of papers published in leading journals over the past 20 years. Our comprehensive review of the relevant literature focusses in detail on the use of linear and nonlinear models of recession discharge, and on transmission loss. From this review we identify three approaches to understanding recession, namely (a) theoretical approaches based on the Boussinesq equation, (b) applications of recession slope analysis, and (c) estimates of transmission loss by input–output water balance. We review the application of these techniques to ephemeral and humid areas and note the wide adoption of linear models despite most researchers accepting that the processes are nonlinear. Few papers address the characteristics of groundwater flow to ephemeral streams from unconfined aquifers. Although initially considered an ephemeral arid/semi‐arid stream feature, transmission loss occurs in streams in humid areas. Interestingly, we identify a significant omission in the literature, in that while it is common to observe nonlinear behavior in streamflow recessions, little explicit account has been given to the role of transmission loss which can be an important factor in identifying the structure of nonlinear recession models. This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Hydrological Processes

Representation of Bi‐Directional Fluxes Between Groundwater and Surface Water in a Bucket‐Type Hydrological Model

“…The addition of the exchange routine to simulate the bi‐directional fluxes between the groundwater and the stream allows us to simulate what happens in intermittent streams, namely that streamflow ceases in certain stretches of the stream and reappears further downstream (Covino & McGlynn, 2007; Doering et al., 2007; Payn et al., 2009; Simpson & Meixner, 2013; Yu et al., 2013; Zimmer & McGlynn, 2017) or groundwater flow from one sub‐catchment to another (e.g., Fan, 2019; Le Moine et al., 2007). Because losing stream conditions are common (e.g., Fan, 2019; McMahon & Nathan, 2021) and most streams are intermittent (Datry et al., 2014; Fritz et al., 2013; Hammond et al., 2021; Nadeau & Rains, 2007; Shanafield et al., 2021; van Meerveld et al., 2020), it is useful to explore the benefits and limitations of such an exchange routine. However, as already mentioned, we also introduce more parameters to the model.…”

“…Equally important, losing stream conditions and decreasing streamflow along the stream network cannot be simulated by these models. In reality, however, there can be a flux from the stream toward the groundwater, so that streamflow decreases downstream (e.g., Huang et al., 2015; McCallum et al., 2014; McMahon & Nathan, 2021; Orlowski et al., 2014; Shanafield & Cook, 2014). Multiple field studies have highlighted the high variability in gaining and losing flow conditions along the stream network and during different flow conditions (Covino & McGlynn, 2007; Doering et al., 2007; Payn et al., 2009; Simpson & Meixner, 2013; Ward et al., 2013; Yu et al., 2013; Zimmer & McGlynn, 2017).…”

Understanding event runoff coefficient variability across Australia using the hydroEvents R package

“…On the one hand, extreme precipitation events can cause flooding and risk to life (Razavi et al, 2020; Wasko et al, 2021a), but on the other hand, a lack of precipitation events can result in drought, water scarcity, and threaten agricultural production (Vogel et al, 2019). The calculation of hydrologic event characteristics such as event runoff coefficients can describe runoff generation processes and classify catchment behaviour (Merz et al, 2006; Tarasova et al, 2018; McMahon and Nathan, 2021). Calculating the water quality during periods of streamflow events and baseflow helps understand the source and transport of contaminants (Minaudo et al, 2019; Guo et al, 2022).…”

A Physically Based Model of a Two‐Pass Digital Filter for Separating Groundwater Runoff From Streamflow Time Series

“…In many cases, groundwater runoff constitutes a predominant portion of the base flow that is controlled by surface–groundwater exchanges (McMahon & Nathan, 2021). At present, a major challenge for the hydrological community is to identify the effects of current climatic changes on surface–groundwater interactions at the regional level (Blöschl et al., 2019).…”