Study on the contribution of cryosphere to runoff in the cold alpine basin: A case study of Hulugou River Basin in the Qilian Mountains

Li, Zongxing; Feng, Qi; Liu, Wei; Wang, Tingting; Cheng, Anning; Gao, Yan; Guo, Xulin; Pan, Yanhui; Li, Jianguo; Guo, R.T.; Jiang, Bing

doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2014.10.001

Cited by 85 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Triassic shales with feldspar and sandstone and Cretaceous purple sandstone with gypsum and mudstone represent the dominant bedrock in the erosion hills, and Cretaceous conglomerates and purple sandstone with gypsum and mudstone represent the primary bedrock in the alluvial plain ( Figure 2; Cao, 1977;Li et al, 2014;Yang et al, 2011). A mantle of loose Quaternary sediment, with a thickness ranging from a thin veneer in the mountains to tens of meters, lies over the bedrock in the erosion hills and on the alluvial plain; moreover, this loose sediment consists of sands and gravels with poor spatial selectivity and arrangement and weak stratification.…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the main water-producing regions of the Heihe River, the headwater catchments provide large volumes of water for the residential, agricultural, and industrial use in the downward reaches. Recently, more studies have been conducted in the headwater catchments of the Heihe River, and these studies have focused on the water balance and surface runoff generation process (Chen et al, 2007;Feng, Liu, Su, Zhang, & Si, 2004;Gao et al, 2018;Li et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2009;Yang et al, 2011;Yao et al, 2015;Zhu, Su, & Feng, 2008). For example, Wang et al (2009) indicated that 80.2% of the annual mountainous runoff originated in the alpine permafrost-snow-ice zone, that is, in areas with elevations above 3,600 m above sea level (a.s.l.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Wang et al (2009) indicated that 80.2% of the annual mountainous runoff originated in the alpine permafrost-snow-ice zone, that is, in areas with elevations above 3,600 m above sea level (a.s.l.). Li et al (2014) suggested that 68% of recharge in the Hulugou catchment was from precipitation, and the cryosphere contributed to almost one third of the outlet runoff according to hydrogeochemical and isotopic data. The simulation results from Gao et al (2018) showed that 8.8% of the permafrost areas had degraded into seasonally frozen ground in the upper Heihe River basin from 1971 to 2013; additionally, runoff increased significantly during the cold season (i.e., November to March).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using hydrogeochemical data to trace groundwater flow paths in a cold alpine catchment

Wang

et al. 2019

Hydrological Processes

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Significant uncertainty remains in understanding the groundwater flow pathways in the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Hydrogeochemical and isotopic data as well as hydrogeological data were combined to explore the groundwater flow path in a representative cold alpine catchment in the headwater region of the Heihe River. The results indicate that the suprapermafrost groundwater chemical components were mainly affected by calcite dissolution and evaporation, whereas the geochemistry of subpermafrost groundwater was controlled by dolomite and gypsum dissolution, calcite precipitation, and albite and halite dissolution. Distinct hydrogeochemical characteristics and controlling processes suggest a poor hydraulic connectivity between the suprapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater. The hydraulic connectivity between permafrost groundwater and groundwater in the seasonally frozen area was confirmed by their similar hydrogeochemical features. In the seasonally frozen area, a silty clay layer with low permeability separates the aquifer into the deep (depth >20 m) and shallow (depth <20 m) flow paths. The deep groundwater was characterized by the enhanced dedolomitization and enhanced cation exchange processes compared with the shallow groundwater. Groundwater in the seasonally frozen area finally discharges as base flow into the stream. These results provide useful information about the groundwater flow systems in the unique alpine gorge catchments in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The above findings suggest that the permafrost distribution and the aquifer structures within the seasonally frozen area have significant impact on groundwater flow paths. Cross‐validation by drilling work and hydrograph data confirms that the hydrogeochemical and isotopic tracers combined with field investigations can be relatively low‐cost tools in interpreting the groundwater flow paths in similar alpine catchments.

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Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using hydrogeochemical data to trace groundwater flow paths in a cold alpine catchment

Wang

et al. 2019

Hydrological Processes

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“…Suprapermafrost groundwater is distributed in many areas of the QTP (Chang et al, 2018). Using isotope tracers, many researchers have found that groundwater can account for 47-80% of river recharge (Chang et al, 2018;Li et al, 2014;; however, the contribution of suprapermafrost groundwater has not been determined. used the artificial neural network model to predict the increase in the suprapermafrost groundwater level under climate change, but they did not analyse and discuss the discharge process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of land surface temperatures on suprapermafrost groundwater on the central Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Huang

Dai

Wang

et al. 2019

Hydrological Processes

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To investigate the influences of land surface temperatures (LSTs) on suprapermafrost groundwater discharge, a river valley was selected in a typical permafrost region of Fenghuoshan (FHS) watershed on the central Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. We developed a two‐dimensional model to simulate the suprapermafrost groundwater seasonal dynamics controlled by LSTs and the changing trends under a warming climate scenario (3°C/100 year). We calibrated key parameters of our model by the field observations at FHS watershed and analysed the relationship between the different LSTs and the suprapermafrost groundwater discharge dynamics in the active layer. The results show that (a) by changing the permeability of the active layer, the LSTs have a significant effect on the suprapermafrost groundwater discharge. A higher LST causes more suprapermafrost groundwater discharge, resulting in a different discharge pattern and affecting the ability to replenish the nearby river in the permafrost area. (b) Under a warming climate, the most obvious change in the suprapermafrost groundwater occurs in the freeze initiation period (from October to December), and there is a significant increase in the suprapermafrost groundwater discharge rate. This study reveals that the LST has a controlling effect on the seasonal dynamics of shallow groundwater systems in permafrost regions, indicating that the impact of local topography on the suprapermafrost groundwater should not be ignored in suprapermafrost groundwater simulations. Moreover, the warming simulation results demonstrate that the freezing season is the significant transformation period of suprapermafrost groundwater dynamics under future climate change, which can be used to better understand hydrological and ecological process changes in permafrost regions under climate warming.

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“…In addition, the Alps represent unique areas also from the viewpoint that such changes of vegetational cover had a considerable effect on the water balance of biotopes (D' Amico et al 2014). When the vegetation structure changes, alterations of transpiration flow, accumulation of snow and its melting speed, soil surface evaporation and a depth of soil freezing modify those processes that control the water balance of a habitat Zongxing et al 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on the Alpine ecosystem: an overview with focus on the soil

Chersich¹,

Rejšek²,

Vranová³

et al. 2015

J. For. Sci.

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ABSTRACT:The Alpine ecosystem is very sensitive to climatic changes, which have an influence on glaciers, snow, vegetation and soils. The aim of this review is to illustrate the effects of global change on the Alpine soil ecosystem, which is an optimal marker to record them. The manuscript enhances our understanding of the global change effect on the Alpine environment: on morphology, on ice, on vegetation and points out how the cycles of soil nutrients equilibrium have been changed with a direct effect on soils that support plant species. The changes in cryosphere, glacier reduction and periglacial environment as glaciers retreat, decrease in the snow cover extent and earlier snowmelt, determine an effect on soils (on the structure, organic matter and humus forms, soil processes and soil types) from the top of the Alpine horizon to the bottom. The processes induced by climate change (such as erosion and tree line shifting) have a direct effect on water balance that can be observed on soil profile characters with an effect on upward migration, change in phenology, extensive losses of species. The equilibrium of the biogeochemical cycles has been changed and this has a direct effect on soils that support plant species.

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Study on the contribution of cryosphere to runoff in the cold alpine basin: A case study of Hulugou River Basin in the Qilian Mountains

Cited by 85 publications

References 34 publications

Using hydrogeochemical data to trace groundwater flow paths in a cold alpine catchment

Using hydrogeochemical data to trace groundwater flow paths in a cold alpine catchment

The impact of land surface temperatures on suprapermafrost groundwater on the central Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Climate change impacts on the Alpine ecosystem: an overview with focus on the soil

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