Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship
Abstract Large‐scale cross‐site scientific synthesis on low‐flow storage–discharge relation can promote developing transferable hypotheses on the interactions among critical zone attributes and on how such interactions affect catchments’ water vulnerabilities. This study leverages cross‐site empiric...
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Wiley
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Water Resources Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR034155 |
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| author | Hongyi Li Ali A. Ameli |
| author_facet | Hongyi Li Ali A. Ameli |
| author_sort | Hongyi Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Large‐scale cross‐site scientific synthesis on low‐flow storage–discharge relation can promote developing transferable hypotheses on the interactions among critical zone attributes and on how such interactions affect catchments’ water vulnerabilities. This study leverages cross‐site empirical and theoretical analyses and develops a similarity index, based on the interactions among critical zone attributes, to help determine the less‐explored influence of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy on storage–discharge relation. We show that an increase in the relative extent of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy to low‐flow discharge, occurring through deep slow low‐moving (e.g., bedrock) storage unit, leads to (a) an increase in the nonlinearity of low‐flow discharge sensitivity to storage (β1) and (b) an increase in the convexity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation. Our findings also raise new hypotheses on the applicability of Boussinesq‐based hydraulic groundwater theory at low‐flow condition. Empirical results show that in a portion of our study catchments, particularly in those with a relatively small extent of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy, the theory’s proposed range of nonlinearity sufficiently explains the nonlinearity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation. However, in catchments with a strong influence of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy through deep slow‐moving storage unit, the current state of hydraulic groundwater theory, using one single (non)linear representative storage unit, may not be sufficient to explain the large nonlinearity and convexity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation (or the long tail of hydrograph late recession). Considering β1 informs the low‐flow vulnerability of catchments, the findings of this study deepen and generalize our understanding of where low‐flow discharge is vulnerable to storage’s change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-61302ca5ef5e45bcbdb1f212339cf7cf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0043-1397 1944-7973 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Resources Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-61302ca5ef5e45bcbdb1f212339cf7cf2025-08-20T03:32:27ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732023-10-015910n/an/a10.1029/2022WR034155Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge RelationshipHongyi Li0Ali A. Ameli1Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC CanadaDepartment of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC CanadaAbstract Large‐scale cross‐site scientific synthesis on low‐flow storage–discharge relation can promote developing transferable hypotheses on the interactions among critical zone attributes and on how such interactions affect catchments’ water vulnerabilities. This study leverages cross‐site empirical and theoretical analyses and develops a similarity index, based on the interactions among critical zone attributes, to help determine the less‐explored influence of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy on storage–discharge relation. We show that an increase in the relative extent of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy to low‐flow discharge, occurring through deep slow low‐moving (e.g., bedrock) storage unit, leads to (a) an increase in the nonlinearity of low‐flow discharge sensitivity to storage (β1) and (b) an increase in the convexity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation. Our findings also raise new hypotheses on the applicability of Boussinesq‐based hydraulic groundwater theory at low‐flow condition. Empirical results show that in a portion of our study catchments, particularly in those with a relatively small extent of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy, the theory’s proposed range of nonlinearity sufficiently explains the nonlinearity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation. However, in catchments with a strong influence of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy through deep slow‐moving storage unit, the current state of hydraulic groundwater theory, using one single (non)linear representative storage unit, may not be sufficient to explain the large nonlinearity and convexity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation (or the long tail of hydrograph late recession). Considering β1 informs the low‐flow vulnerability of catchments, the findings of this study deepen and generalize our understanding of where low‐flow discharge is vulnerable to storage’s change.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR034155critical zone processgroundwater subsidy from upland hillslopelarge‐sample hydrologylow‐flow sensitivity to changes in subsurface storagestorage–discharge relationtwo linear reservoir model |
| spellingShingle | Hongyi Li Ali A. Ameli Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship Water Resources Research critical zone process groundwater subsidy from upland hillslope large‐sample hydrology low‐flow sensitivity to changes in subsurface storage storage–discharge relation two linear reservoir model |
| title | Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship |
| title_full | Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship |
| title_fullStr | Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship |
| title_full_unstemmed | Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship |
| title_short | Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship |
| title_sort | upland hillslope groundwater subsidy affects low flow storage discharge relationship |
| topic | critical zone process groundwater subsidy from upland hillslope large‐sample hydrology low‐flow sensitivity to changes in subsurface storage storage–discharge relation two linear reservoir model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR034155 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hongyili uplandhillslopegroundwatersubsidyaffectslowflowstoragedischargerelationship AT aliaameli uplandhillslopegroundwatersubsidyaffectslowflowstoragedischargerelationship |