Determination of hydrologic pathways during snowmelt for alpine/subalpine basins, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Suecker, Julie K.; Ryan, Joseph N.; Kendall, Carol; Jarrett, Robert D.

doi:10.1029/1999wr900296

Cited by 103 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The snowmelt contribution increased as the freshet period progressed and peaked with high contributions at the beginning of June. Beaulieu et al (2012) and Sueker et al (2000) reported comparable results for their physically similar catchments during peak melt with 62 and up to 76 % event water contributions to streamflow, respectively. At the event-scale comparable studies are rare.…”

Section: Hydrograph Separation Results and Inferred Runoff Generationsupporting

confidence: 61%

The importance of snowmelt spatiotemporal variability for isotope-based hydrograph separation in a high-elevation catchment

Schmieder

Hanzer

Marke

et al. 2016

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Seasonal snow cover is an important temporary water storage in high-elevation regions. Especially in remote areas, the available data are often insufficient to accurately quantify snowmelt contributions to streamflow. The limited knowledge about the spatiotemporal variability of the snowmelt isotopic composition, as well as pronounced spatial variation in snowmelt rates, leads to high uncertainties in applying the isotope-based hydrograph separation method. The stable isotopic signatures of snowmelt water samples collected during two spring 2014 snowmelt events at a north-and a south-facing slope were volume weighted with snowmelt rates derived from a distributed physicsbased snow model in order to transfer the measured plotscale isotopic composition of snowmelt to the catchment scale. The observed δ 18 O values and modeled snowmelt rates showed distinct inter-and intra-event variations, as well as marked differences between north-and south-facing slopes. Accounting for these differences, two-component isotopic hydrograph separation revealed snowmelt contributions to streamflow of 35 ± 3 and 75 ± 14 % for the early and peak melt season, respectively. These values differed from those determined by formerly used weighting methods (e.g., using observed plot-scale melt rates) or considering either the north-or south-facing slope by up to 5 and 15 %, respectively.

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Section: Hydrograph Separation Results and Inferred Runoff Generationsupporting

confidence: 61%

The importance of snowmelt spatiotemporal variability for isotope-based hydrograph separation in a high-elevation catchment

Schmieder

Hanzer

Marke

et al. 2016

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…This mechanism is referred to as "fill and spill" in the hillslope hydrology literature (e.g. Spence and Woo, 2003;Tromp-van Meerveld and McDonnell, 2006). The shape of the bedrock basin indicates a saddle at the south end of the meadow (Fig.…”

Section: Discussion: Synthesis Of Geophysical and Hydrological Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent hydrological field studies in high-elevation watersheds have shown that during this high-flow melt period the contribution of subsurface flow to alpine streams can be as large as, if not larger than, that from surface flow (e.g. Sueker et al, 2000;Clow et al, 2003;Liu et al, 2004;Hood et al, 2006). In addition, although as much as 80% of total annual flow to alpine streams occurs during the Spring melting period from May to July (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Groundwater flow and storage within an alpine meadow-talus complex

McClymont

Hayashi

Bentley

et al. 2010

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. The different types of geological deposits and rock formations found in alpine watersheds play key roles in regulating the rate and timing of runoff to mountain rivers. Talus and alpine meadows are dominant features in these areas, but scant data exist for their capacity to store and transmit groundwater. To gain further understanding of these processes, we have undertaken a combined geophysical and hydrological study of a small (2100 m 2 ) alpine meadow and surrounding talus within the Lake O'Hara watershed in the Canadian Rockies. Several intersecting ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles and a seismic refraction profile were acquired to map the thickness of the talus and to image the topography of the bedrock basin that underlies the meadow. From analysis of the GPR and seismic profiles, we estimate that the talus deposits are relatively thin (<6 m). Combined interpretations from the GPR and ERT data show that the fine-grained sediment comprising the meadow basin has a total volume of ca. 3300 m 3 and has a maximum thickness of ca. 4 m. Annual snow surveys and stream gauging reveal that the total input volume of snowmelt and rainfall to the meadow basin is several times larger than its groundwater storage capacity, giving rise to low total-dissolved species concentrations (14-21 mg/L) within the meadow groundwater. Observations from four piezometers established on the meadow show that the water table fluctuates rapidly in response to spring snowmelt and precipitation events but otherwise maintains a relatively stable depth of 0.3-0.4 m below the meadow surface during summer months. A slug test performed on one of the piezometers indicated that the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the shallow meadow sediments is 2.5×10 −7 m/s.Correspondence to: A. F. McClymont (alastairmcclymont@gmail.com) We suggest that a bedrock saddle imaged underneath the southern end of the meadow forms a natural constriction to subsurface flow out of the basin and helps to maintain the stable water-table depth.

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“…Silica [Si] was selected as a tracer to characterize these end-members as it has been 11 used in previous studies to split groundwater contributions to bulk streamflow from dilute concentrations were calculated in the laboratory using the molybdosilicic method (ASTM 14 D859 -10). Basin specific, two end-member mixing models were used for hydrograph 15 separation approach to calculate meltwater and groundwater proportions for each reach using 16 simple mass-balance equations (Sueker et al, 2000). 17…”

Section: Ss = G S Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of invertebrates as indicators of environmental change in alpine rivers and lakes

Khamis

Hannah

Brown

et al. 2014

Science of The Total Environment

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1In alpine regions climatic change will alter the balance between water sources (rainfall, ice-2 melt, snowmelt, and groundwater) for aquatic systems, particularly modifying the relative 3 contributions of meltwater, groundwater and rain to both rivers and lakes. Whilst these 4 changes are expected to have implications for alpine aquatic ecosystems, little is known about 5 potential ecological tipping points and associated indicator taxa. Within the EU-FP7 6 ACQWA project we examined changes in biotic communities along a gradient of glacier 7 influence for two study systems; (1) a stream network in the French Pyrénées and (2) a 8 network of lakes in the Italian Alps, with the aim of identifying potential indicator taxa 9 (macroinvertebrates and zooplankton) of glacier retreat in these environments. To assess 10 parallels in biotic responses across streams and lakes, both primary data and findings from 11 other publications were synthesized. Using TITAN (Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis) 12 threshold changes in community composition of river taxa were identified at <5.1% glacier 13 cover and <66.6% meltwater contribution. Below this point the loss of cold stenothermic 14 benthic invertebrate taxa, Diamesa spp. and the Pyrenean endemic Rhyacophila angelieri was 15 apparent. Some generalist taxa including Protonemura sp., Perla grandis, Baetis alpinus, 16Rhithrogena loyolaea and Microspectra sp. increased when glacier cover was < 2.7 % and < 17 52 % meltwater. Patterns were not as distinct for the alpine lakes, due to fewer sampling 18 sites; however, Daphnia longispina grp. and the benthic invertebrate groups Plectopera and 19Planaria were identified as potential indictors. While further work is required to assess 20 potential indicator taxa for alpine lake systems findings from alpine river systems were 21 consistent between methods for assessing glacier influence (meltwater contribution/glacier 22 cover). Hence, it is clear that this approach (TITAN) could become a useful a management 23 tool, enabling: (i) the identification of taxa particularly sensitive to glacier retreat; and (ii) 24 conservation efforts/resources to be better directed in alpine aquatic systems. 25

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Determination of hydrologic pathways during snowmelt for alpine/subalpine basins, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Cited by 103 publications

References 40 publications

The importance of snowmelt spatiotemporal variability for isotope-based hydrograph separation in a high-elevation catchment

The importance of snowmelt spatiotemporal variability for isotope-based hydrograph separation in a high-elevation catchment

Groundwater flow and storage within an alpine meadow-talus complex

The use of invertebrates as indicators of environmental change in alpine rivers and lakes

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