Water Resources Research v.48 n.2 2012

Key Points

The prediction issue of free convection was comprehensively reviewed
A quantitative evaluation was conducted to assist in elucidation
A paradigm change is significantly proposed to change our way of thinking

Influence of soil structure and root water uptake strategy on unsaturated flow in heterogeneous media

Kuhlmann, A., I. Neuweiler, S. E. A. T. M. van der Zee, and R. Helmig

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02534, doi:10.1029/2011WR010651

Publication Date: 28 February 2012

16 pages, 17 figures

Key Points

Standard root uptake models in heterogeneous media can lead to local wilting
Compensating RWU strategies attenuate, but do not eliminate local wilting
In the wet, influence of heterogeneity on head is similar with or without RWU

Application of ground-penetrating radar to measure near-saturation soil water content in peat soils

Parsekian, A. D., L. Slater, and D. Giménez

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02533, doi:10.1029/2011WR011303

Publication Date: 28 February 2012

9 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

We show a new method for varying water content precisely near saturation
Calibrated models can improve geophysical estimates of water content in peat
GPR is used to estimate water content in near-saturation peat

Relative permeability and trapping of CO₂ and water in sandstone rocks at reservoir conditions

Krevor, S. C. M., R. Pini, L. Zuo, and S. M. Benson

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02532, doi:10.1029/2011WR010859

Publication Date: 28 February 2012

16 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables

Key Points

CO2/water rel-perm and residual trapping are measured in 4 sandstones
Characteristic curves are consistent with water-wet rocks
Residual CO2 trapping is confirmed as significant

An assessment of surface soil temperature products from numerical weather prediction models using ground-based measurements

Holmes, T. R. H., T. J. Jackson, R. H. Reichle, and J. B. Basara

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02531, doi:10.1029/2011WR010538

Publication Date: 28 February 2012

14 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables

Key Points

An assessment of NWP temperature products in preparation for SMAP satellite mission
GMAO and ECMWF provide temperature fields with an RMSE below 1.8 K at 6am

An algorithm for treating flat areas and depressions in digital elevation models using linear interpolation

Pan, F., M. Stieglitz, and R. B. McKane

Water Resour. Res., 48, W00L10, doi:10.1029/2011WR010735

Publication Date: 28 February 2012

13 pages, 12 figures

Key Points

Treat flat areas and depressions (FADs) in DEMs using linear interpolation
The proposed algorithm was integrated in a DEM processing tool called PDEM
PDEM is better than ArcGIS and TOPAZ for extracting drainage networks from DEMs

Controlled CO₂ injection into heterogeneous geologic formations for improved solubility and residual trapping

Shamshiri, H., and B. Jafarpour

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02530, doi:10.1029/2011WR010455

Publication Date: 24 February 2012

15 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables

Key Points

Optimization method for improved sweep efficiency in geologic CO2 storage system
Enhancement and accelaration of residual and solubility trapping
Introduction of pseudo wells for optimization of injection rate allocation

Factors controlling nitrate fluxes in groundwater in agricultural areas

Liao, L., C. T. Green, B. A. Bekins, and J. K. Böhlke

Water Resour. Res., 48, W00L09, doi:10.1029/2011WR011008

Publication Date: 24 February 2012

18 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Field data from 14 sites were fit with a vertical transport-reaction model
Predicted depths of nitrate fronts range from 7 to 100% of aquifer thicknesses
Nitrate will migrate deeper in thick aquifers with low to medium reaction rates

Interannual variability of snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, United States: Examples from two alpine watersheds

Jepsen, S. M., N. P. Molotch, M. W. Williams, K. E. Rittger, and J. O. Sickman

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02529, doi:10.1029/2011WR011006

Publication Date: 23 February 2012

15 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables

Key Points

Snow is more spatially variable at the continental site than maritime site
Turbulent fluxes are more variable at the continental site than maritime site
Lag of streamflow behind snowmelt is associated with hydrogeology and melt rate

A modified surface energy balance algorithm for land (M-SEBAL) based on a trapezoidal framework

Long, D., and V. P. Singh

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02528, doi:10.1029/2011WR010607

Publication Date: 23 February 2012

24 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables

Key Points

SEBAL is of a rectangular framework of the relationship between fc and Trad
M-SEBAL substitutes a trapezoidal framework for the rectangular framework in SEBAL
M-SEBAL reduces subjectivity and ambiguity in ET estimation in SEBAL

Using high-resolution distributed temperature sensing to quantify spatial and temporal variability in vertical hyporheic flux

Briggs, M. A., L. K. Lautz, J. M. McKenzie, R. P. Gordon, and D. K. Hare

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02527, doi:10.1029/2011WR011227

Publication Date: 23 February 2012

16 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables

Key Points

Shallow hyporheic flux hot spots organize by streambed morphologic unit
Flux may both increase and decrease through time within the same system
High resolution fiber-optic heat tracing is a valuable tool to the community

Effect of spatial concentration fluctuations on effective kinetics in diffusion-reaction systems

Tartakovsky, A. M., P. de Anna, T. Le Borgne, A. Balter, and D. Bolster

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02526, doi:10.1029/2011WR010720

Publication Date: 21 February 2012

14 pages, 6 figures

Key Points

We studied the effect of fluctuations on non-linear reactions
We found and explained change in scaling behavior of the concentrations
Fluctuations decrease the rate of chemical reactions

Geostatistical analysis of centimeter-scale hydraulic conductivity variations at the MADE site

Bohling, G. C., G. Liu, S. J. Knobbe, E. C. Reboulet, D. W. Hyndman, P. Dietrich, and J. J. Butler Jr

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02525, doi:10.1029/2011WR010791

Publication Date: 21 February 2012

15 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Direct-push tools provide information on hydraulic conductivity variations
Direct-push techniques are much more efficient than well-based techniques
Direct-push and well-based techniques give similar results at a well known site

Pore-scale simulation of mixing-induced calcium carbonate precipitation and dissolution in a microfluidic pore network

Yoon, H., A. J. Valocchi, C. J. Werth, and T. Dewers

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02524, doi:10.1029/2011WR011192

Publication Date: 18 February 2012

11 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Pore-scale model of coupled fluid flow, reactive transport, and CaCO3 reaction
Mechanistical evaluation of precipitation and dissolution of CaCO3
Coupled effects of diffusion, hydrodynamics, and reaction

Improved methods for daily streamflow estimates at ungauged sites

Shu, C., and T. B. M. J. Ouarda

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02523, doi:10.1029/2011WR011501

Publication Date: 18 February 2012

15 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables

Key Points

A regression based logarithmic interpolation method for FDC estimation
Spatial interpolation algorithm to obtain daily streamflow estimates
Methods developed in the paper show siginificant better performances

A phenomenological model for the flow resistance over submerged vegetation

Konings, A. G., G. G. Katul, and S. E. Thompson

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02522, doi:10.1029/2011WR011000

Publication Date: 18 February 2012

9 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

Key Points

A novel approach for Manning's n in streams with submerged vegetation is derived
The model uses a description of momentum transfer via ejections and sweeps
The model is independent of plant spacing and usable for heterogeneous canopies

Projections of future water resources and their uncertainty in a glacierized catchment in the Swiss Alps and the subsequent effects on hydropower production during the 21st century

Finger, D., G. Heinrich, A. Gobiet, and A. Bauder

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02521, doi:10.1029/2011WR010733

Publication Date: 18 February 2012

20 pages, 10 figures, 8 tables

Key Points

Projected future water resources will affect hydropower production
Projected changes are greater than the modeling uncertainty
New integrative modeling approach (climate, hydrology, glaciers and hydropower)

A comparative study of multiple approaches to soil hydraulic parameter scaling applied at the hillslope scale

Jana, R. B., and B. P. Mohanty

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02520, doi:10.1029/2010WR010185

Publication Date: 18 February 2012

16 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables

Key Points

Four different algorithms to upscale soil hydraulic parameters were compared
Equivalence of coarse scale parameters tested in a watershed
Better performance by inclusion of topography in hydraulic parameter scaling

A topography-based scaling algorithm for soil hydraulic parameters at hillslope scales: Field testing

Jana, R. B., and B. P. Mohanty

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02519, doi:10.1029/2011WR011205

Publication Date: 18 February 2012

16 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables

Key Points

Soil hydraulic parameters aggregated from 30 m to 1 km extents
Upscaling algorithm tested under different hydroclimates and soil complexities
Simulated and observed soil moisture matched across topography and landcover

On topographic controls of soil hydraulic parameter scaling at hillslope scales

Jana, R. B., and B. P. Mohanty

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02518, doi:10.1029/2011WR011204

Publication Date: 18 February 2012

18 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables

Key Points

Influence of topographic variations on effective upscaled soil hydraulics
Effective upscaled parameters captured equivalent flows and states
Different topographic features inherit characteristics upscaling thresholds

Spectral induced polarization of shaly sands: Influence of the electrical double layer

Revil, A.

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02517, doi:10.1029/2011WR011260

Publication Date: 16 February 2012

23 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables

Key Points

Induced polarization of shaly sands is controlled by the Stern layer
The quadrature conductivity depends on salinity and CEC
The model accounts for temperature and saturation

Salt marsh ecohydrological zonation due to heterogeneous vegetation–groundwater–surface water interactions

Moffett, K. B., S. M. Gorelick, R. G. McLaren, and E. A. Sudicky

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02516, doi:10.1029/2011WR010874

Publication Date: 15 February 2012

22 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables

Key Points

Variety of salt marsh root zone environments much greater than supposed
Heterogeneous plant and sediment hydraulics physically organize salt marshes
First realistic 3D model of coupled surface-groundwater salt marsh hydrology

Modeling effects of floods on streambed hydraulic conductivity and groundwater-surface water interactions

Simpson, S. C., and T. Meixner

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02515, doi:10.1029/2011WR011022

Publication Date: 15 February 2012

13 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Preferential transport of fine bed sediments can increase hydraulic conductivity
Deposition of fine material can reduce bed conductivity and river-aquifer fluxes
A temporally varying bed can have long-lasting impacts on water composition

Stochastic simulation of nonstationary oscillation hydroclimatic processes using empirical mode decomposition

Lee, T., and T. B. M. J. Ouarda

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02514, doi:10.1029/2011WR010660

Publication Date: 15 February 2012

15 pages, 18 figures

Key Points

Introduction of a stochastic simulation technique reproducing the NSO processes
Test of the proposed approach with synthetic datasets
Application of the proposed approach to a climate index and to streamflow data

Attribution of water resources evolution in the highly water-stressed Hai River Basin of China

Jia, Y., X. Ding, H. Wang, Z. Zhou, Y. Qiu, and C. Niu

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02513, doi:10.1029/2010WR009275

Publication Date: 14 February 2012

18 pages, 9 figures, 8 tables

Key Points

Attribution of observed water resource changes
Climate change and human activity
Couple climate model with hydrological model

Contaminant discharge and uncertainty estimates from passive flux meter measurements

Klammler, H., K. Hatfield, J. A. Guimarães da Luz, M. D. Annable, M. Newman, J. Cho, A. Peacock, V. Stucker, J. Ranville, S. A. Cabaniss, and P. S. C. Rao

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02512, doi:10.1029/2011WR010535

Publication Date: 14 February 2012

19 pages, 9 figures, 1 table

Key Points

Deliberate implementation of stochastic simulation for discharge estimation
Use effective number of independent data for simple approximations
Two pfm field examples for TCE and uranium plumes demonstrate results

Do internal flow measurements improve the calibration of rainfall-runoff models?

Lerat, J., V. Andréassian, C. Perrin, J. Vaze, J. M. Perraud, P. Ribstein, and C. Loumagne

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02511, doi:10.1029/2010WR010179

Publication Date: 14 February 2012

18 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables

Key Points

Multi-site calibration does not perform better than single-site calibration
Performance are equivalent at the catchment outlet and at interior points
Multi-site calibration does not allow to better identify distributed parameters

Solute transport in divergent radial flow with multistep pumping

Chen, Y., C. Lu, and J. Luo

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02510, doi:10.1029/2011WR010692

Publication Date: 11 February 2012

10 pages, 4 figures

Key Points

Transient pumping problems can be transformed into a steady-state flow problem
Cumulative injected flow domain is very efficient for transient pumping
Linear convolution can be applied on the cumulative injected flow domain

Solute transport and retention in three-dimensional fracture networks

Cvetkovic, V., and A. Frampton

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02509, doi:10.1029/2011WR011086

Publication Date: 11 February 2012

11 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Transport resistance is a key random variable for solute transport in rocks
Low values of transport resistance can be predicted reasonably well
Assumed hydraulic law will have a large impact on effective representation

Monitoring groundwater storage changes in the highly seasonal humid tropics: Validation of GRACE measurements in the Bengal Basin

Shamsudduha, M., R. G. Taylor, and L. Longuevergne

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02508, doi:10.1029/2011WR010993

Publication Date: 10 February 2012

12 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables

Key Points

Validates satellite measurements of groundwater storage changes in the humid tropics
Evaluates the ability of various GRACE products to trace groundwater storage changes
Demonstrates the critical but often ignored contribution of surface water storage

Diffusivity of rocks: Gas diffusion measurements and correlation to porosity and pore size distribution

Peng, S., Q. Hu, and S. Hamamoto

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02507, doi:10.1029/2011WR011098

Publication Date: 9 February 2012

9 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Gas diffusivity measured for consolidated rocks and construction materials
Archie's law describes diffusivity-porosity relation with different m values
Relations between diffusivity and pore-size distribution proposed

Unified measurement system with suction control for measuring hysteresis in soil-gas transport parameters

Rouf, M. A., S. Hamamoto, K. Kawamoto, T. Sakaki, T. Komatsu, and P. Moldrup

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02506, doi:10.1029/2011WR010615

Publication Date: 8 February 2012

11 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Development and verification of unified measurement system with suction control
Hysteresis of SWCC and gas transport parameters
Effects of trapped air content on gas transport parameters

Sediment dynamics in a sand bed stream with riparian vegetation

Gorrick, S., and J. F. Rodríguez

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02505, doi:10.1029/2011WR011030

Publication Date: 7 February 2012

15 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables

Key Points

Convective fluxes of suspended sediment are dominant in shaping the streambed
Width variations and curvature affect transverse fluxes of sediment
Riparian vegetation interfere with convective fluxes and straightened the reach

Predicting natural base-flow stream water chemistry in the western United States

Olson, J. R., and C. P. Hawkins

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02504, doi:10.1029/2011WR011088

Publication Date: 4 February 2012

19 pages, 4 figures, 8 tables

Key Points

We develop data describing chemical and physical attributes of bedrock geology
Empirical models successfully predict stream chemistry from environmental data
Geochemistry > temperature > precipitation in predicting stream chemistry

A method for physically based model analysis of conjunctive use in response to potential climate changes

Hanson, R. T., L. E. Flint, A. L. Flint, M. D. Dettinger, C. C. Faunt, D. Cayan, and W. Schmid

Water Resour. Res., 48, W00L08, doi:10.1029/2011WR010774

Publication Date: 4 February 2012

23 pages, 15 figures

Key Points

Conjunctive Use in Response to Potential Climate Change
Integrated hydrologic linked physically-based models
Analysis of Supply-constrained/Demand-Driven Water Use

Replies to comments on “A revisit of drawdown behavior during pumping in unconfined aquifers” by Neuman and Mishra

Yeh, T.-C. J., D. Mao, L. Wan, C.-H. Lee, J.-C. Wen, and W. Lu

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02802, doi:10.1029/2011WR011153

Publication Date: 3 February 2012

3 pages

Key Points

Transition of water release mechanisms
Heterogeneous, variably saturated flow equation
Unconfined aquifers

Comments on “A revisit of drawdown behavior during pumping in unconfined aquifers” by D. Mao, L. Wan, T.-C. J. Yeh, C.-H. Lee, K.-C. Hsu, J.-C. Wen, and W. Lu

Neuman, S. P., and P. K. Mishra

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02801, doi:10.1029/2011WR010785

Publication Date: 3 February 2012

2 pages

Key Points

One must not draw general conclusions from one (numerical) experiment
Conclusions drawn by Mao et al on such basis are in part invalid
Mao et al. ignore and/or mischaracterize some relevant previous WRR papers

Flow and turbulence redistribution in a straight artificial pool

MacVicar, B. J., and C. D. Rennie

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02503, doi:10.1029/2010WR009374

Publication Date: 2 February 2012

15 pages, 11 figures, 1 table

Key Points

Lateral flow convergence in pools is linked with flow deceleration
A simple 2D bedform generates 3D hydrodynamic effects
Alt. theories of pool formation are subcomponents of convective acceleration

Tidal influence on seawater intrusion in unconfined coastal aquifers

Kuan, W. K., G. Jin, P. Xin, C. Robinson, B. Gibbes, and L. Li

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02502, doi:10.1029/2011WR010678

Publication Date: 2 February 2012

11 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables

Key Points

Tide-induced seawater circulation may reduce the extent of seawater intrusion
Freshwater discharge zone shifts seaward due to tide-induced seawater circulation
Glover solution is modified to account for the tidal effect on the saltwater wedge

Bayesian assessment of the expected data impact on prediction confidence in optimal sampling design

Leube, P. C., A. Geiges, and W. Nowak

Water Resour. Res., 48, W02501, doi:10.1029/2010WR010137

Publication Date: 1 February 2012

16 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables