Two experimental rainfall simulation plots in the Edwards Aquifer region of Texas were established to measure the effects of brush clearing on surface and subsurface water movement pathways. Multi-stage rainfall simulations were carried out at a site with Juniperus ashei (ashe juniper) cover both before and after brush removal, with three replications of a particular rainfall event for each vegetation condition. Similar simulations were carried out on a plot with a longstanding grass cover. Both plots included trenches at their downhill ends for observation of shallow lateral subsurface flow. Canopy interception was found to represent a major water loss, with interception of 32.7 mm for an average 166 mm, 5.25 hr rainfall event. Brush clearing had little impact on surface runoff, with no overland flow occurring at the juniper plot for either vegetation condition, while 31.9 percent of applied rainfall moved as overland flow at the grass plot. This difference was attributed to differences in the structure and permeability of the epikarst. Brush removal caused significant (90 percent confidence level) reduction in shallow lateral subsurface flow into the trench after brush removal, with 56.7 percent of water reaching the surface entering the trench for the pre-cut condition and only 43.4 percent for the post-cut condition. However, subsurface water movement through other pathways increased from 31.0 to 54.1 percent after brush removal. This additional water, due to removal of canopy interception, could either move off-site through conduit and fracture flow or remain on site as storage in conduits, unconsolidated caliche/marl layers, or in soil pockets. Two tracer tests with fluorescent dyes were also conducted using simulated rainfall to assess discrete flow paths discharging into the trench at the downhill end of the juniper plot. Analysis of samples from sixteen outlet locations revealed that not all areas of the plot were connected hydraulically to the trench. Additionally, subsurface flow paths were found to have a high degree of interconnection, linking conduit flow outlets with multiple inlet locations on the plot surface. Conduits showed strong connection with an area surrounding juniper vegetation, with rapid water flow (up to 2.4 m/h) from this area.

No description available.

Following the crash of a Norwegian Hercules aircraft on Rabots glaciär in the Kebnekaise mountain range in 2012, a field campaign was initiated in order to assess the fate of the hydrocarbon pollution in the system. It is hypothesized that soluble components of the aircraft fuel will be transported within the glacial meltwater. This thesis focuses on constraining the likely transit time and dispersion of the meltwater as a proxy for potential pollution pathways. Therefore, the hydrologic configuration of Rabots glaciär was studied during the ablation season 2013 by means of dye tracing experiments and discharge monitoring in the proglacial stream. The analyses of the dye return curves and stream monitoring suggest that Rabots glaciär exhibits a widely efficient drainage system towards the end of the ablation season, but with analyses revealing heterogeneity in the drainage system form. The seasonal evolution of efficiency was also assessed, showing an increase over time, although was hampered by early onset of melting before the field season began. There are different hydrological configurations on the north and south side of the glacier, possibly influenced by shading. The system on the north side is routing meltwater along the glacier bed over a long distance as indicated by the turbid outlet stream. Water routing on the southern side likely occurs through englacial channels. This configuration may be influenced by the thermal regime and distribution of cold surface layers. It has further been revealed that both systems are likely to be disconnected from each other. Pollution that is transported with the meltwater down from the crash site on the southern side does not reach the drainage system on the northern side. Besides revealing potential pathways for soluble hydrocarbon pollutants, this case study contributes to the previously very limited knowledge of Rabots glacial hydrology, and our general understanding of polythermal glacier hydrology.

Groundwater flow through fractured karst conduit systems can be complex and difficult to diagnose. This project explores the role of geologic structures that influence the location of recharge points, flow paths, velocities, and discharge locations within Morrell Cave and at the resurgence of Morrell Spring, both of which are located near the city of Bluff City, TN. Understanding of the groundwater sources and flow paths in the Bluff City area will allow future researchers to more readily identify sources of pollution and better resolve local agricultural well drawdown conflicts among residents. The objectives of this project are to: 1) identify the active allogenic recharge sources of Morrell Spring, the largest known spring in the Bluff City area; 2) delineate a springshed for Morrell Spring and; 3) diagnose the structural controls for groundwater flow paths to Morrell Spring. It was found that surface streams flowing across the Sevier Shale on the northern slope of Holston Mountain enter the subsurface karst system through swallets along the Sevier shale and the Jonesboro Limestone contact. Once underground the water flows to the NW following 2 dominant joint sets until it reaches the NE/SW oriented fault line along which Morrell Cave has formed. Upon entering the cave the groundwater flows to the NE to Morrell Spring and into the South Fork Holston River.

Studies of glacier-hydrology have focused on clean Alpine glaciers, and recently ice sheet outlet glaciers, but there are few studies on debris-covered glaciers. It is known debris affects ablation rates, and that debris-covered glaciers evolve differently to their debris-free counterparts, but how the debris influences the hydrology is poorly understood. This thesis aims to understand the influence of the debris on the hydrological system and water balance of Miage Glacier, Western Italian Alps. The supraglacial hydrology was studied by modelling ablation using a distributed energy balance melt model, and measuring supraglacial stream discharges; the structure and evolution of the englacial and subglacial network was investigated using dye tracing and water chemistry monitoring; and the proglacial runoff was examined through detailed hydrograph analysis. Glacier velocity measurements were used to investigate the debris’ influence on the glacier dynamics. High ablation rates occurred on clean ice and beneath thin debris on the upper glacier, resulting in large supraglacial streams which led into an efficient drainage system. Glacier velocities had a greater magnitude and variability close to the upper glacier moulins. Thick debris on the lower glacier reduced ablation, and consequently the discharge of supraglacial streams and efficiency of the hydrological network. Despite locally inefficient subglacial drainage, glacier velocities on the lower glacier remained subdued, partly because the debris attenuated water inputs. This attenuation reduced the occurrence of high amplitude diurnal cycles in the proglacial runoff and confined them to particularly warm weather. Lag times from peak air temperature to peak runoff were long relative to comparable debris-free glaciers. Evaporation of rainfall from debris-surfaces was high, and dependant on the debris permeability, suggesting this is an important water balance component. Under climate warming, it is predicted the ablation of Miage Glacier will increase, but this may be negated given an increase in debris cover.

The study in this thesis concerns Storglaciären, a very well known and studied glacier in northern Sweden. The glacier has been an object for research since the endof the 19th century. During the meltseason of 2012 25 dyetracing experiments were executed. These experiments were conducted to investigate the internal drainage system of Storglaciären in the lower ablation area. Similar studies were done in 1989 by Regine Hock and Roger Leb Hooke (1993). The outcome of the study in 2012 has been compared with their results to see if any changes in the drainage systemhave occurred. The results have also been compared to the results of Seaberg etal. (1988) from their experiments in 1984 and 1985. Studies of glacier behaviour are important since they have a large impact on the local and global environment. Moreover it has been observed that smaller glaciers (such as Storglaciären), that are easier to reach and to work on, have similar behaviour as bigger glaciers, making them good objects for research (Jansson, 1996). The experiments were conducted between the 6th and 24th of august and executed by first injecting dye into moulins on the glacier and then measuring the concentration of dye in the proglacial streams merging out from the front of Storglaciären. Rhodamine WT was used as dye. Storglaciären has three main pro-glacialstreams named Nordjåkk, Centerjåkk and Sydjåkk. Nordjåkk merges from the northside and the other two from the south side of the glacier front. Measurements were in the beginning taken in all of the streams but since no concentration was visible in Nordjåkk the focus was at the end of the fieldperiod only at Centerjåkk and Sydjåkk, which both had detectable dye concentrations. Both manual and automatical measurements were done. Breakthrough curves (concentration vs. time) were plotted for each experimentand for both Centerjåkk and Sydjåkk. From these curves calculations were donefollowing the methods in Willis et al. (2011). The main parameters calculatedwere: transit velocity, dispersivity and dye recovery. Breakthrough curves were also modelled for each experiment using the method in Willis et al. (1990). Overall the drainage system in the lower part of the ablation area of Storglaciärenhas not changed signicantly during the past 20 years. But the drainage systemseems to be divided into dierent parts using both a straight channel system and a distributed system. The distributed system of 2012 seems to be more homogeneous than in 1989 but whether the system is braided or consists of a linked cavity systemis hard to tell. Differences seen this year compared to previous investigations are that the transition from an early to a late season drainage system occurred later in the meltseason. The dominating subglacial stream in 2012 was Centerjåkk and not Sydjåkk as in previous investigations (Nordjåkk dominated north as before). The meltseason lasted only a few weeks in 2012 because of the cold conditions and low precipitation. This may have had a big inuence on the behaviour of the glacier.

No description available.

No description available.

The bedrock under Griesgletscher is formed in a bowled-shaped cavity, an overdeepening. This is known to affect the flow of ice and subglacial water by causing inefficient drainage through the overdeepening. This report aims to, from field data, investigate what further consequences overdeepenings might have for subglacial drainage mechanisms and seasonal evolution. A field campaign was performed at Griesgletscher, Switzerland, during the summer 2017. Turbidity, discharge and electrical conductivity were monitored in a proglacial stream throughout the ablation season. 115 water samples were collected for calibration of the turbidity measurements and the relationship between the concentration of suspended sediments in the meltwater and the magnitude of discharge was investigated through simple and multiple linear regression. In addition, ten tracer experiments were conducted by injecting dye in moulins on the glacier tongue, and measuring the fluorescence of the water in the proglacial streams. The results obtained during the field campaign suggest that the main part of the overdeepened area at Griesgletscher is drained via a lateral channel passing around the overdeepening and that subglacial water from the overdeepening is drained at times of high discharge. The driving force for drainage of subglacial water from the overdeepening is suggested to be the gradient created from rising water pressure in the ice above the overdeepening. Results further suggest that subglacial drainage at a part of the adverse slope is inefficient and remains inefficient throughout the ablation season. This differs from the seasonal evolution normally seen at nonoverdeepened glaciers, in which an efficient, channelized system evolves during the course of the season. / Formen på berggrunden under en glaciär är avgörande för flödet av smältvatten och is. Det är vanligt att berggrunden under en glaciär utgör en skålformad fördjupning kallad överfördjupning. Det är sedan tidigare känt att flödet genom överfördjupningar är begränsat och forskning tyder på att smältvatten tenderar att välja kanaler över eller runt överfördjupningen i de fall då sådana finns tillgängliga. Många frågor kvarstår dock gällande vilken betydelse överfördjupningar har för det subglaciala dräneringssystemet och dess säsongsutveckling och antalet fältstudier som berör ämnet är få. Den här rapporten syftar till att, från fältdata, tillföra kunskap om överfördjupningars inverkan på subglacial dränering. Under sommaren 2017 utfördes en fältstudie på Griesgletscher, en överfördjupad glaciär belägen i de Schweiziska alperna. Turbiditet, elektrisk konduktivitet och flöde mättes i en av de proglaciära smältbäckarna. 115 vattenprover samlades in för bestämning av koncentrationen suspenderade sediment och användes för att omvandla mätningar av turbiditet till koncentration av suspenderade sediment. Relationen mellan transport av suspenderade sediment och flöde kunde sedan undersökas genom enkel och multipel linjär regression. I tillägg utfördes tio försök då ett fluorescerande spårämne injicerades i en moulin på glaciärtungan och fluorescensen mättes i smältbäckarna som avrinner från Griesgletscher. Utifrån resultaten kunde Griesgletschers dräneringssystem och dess utveckling kartläggas. De resultat som uppnåtts under fältstudien tyder på att det överfördjupade området av Griesgletscher i huvudsak dräneras via en sidokanal som passerar runt överfördjupningen samt att subglacialt vatten från överfördjupningen främst dräneras vid högt flöde. Drivkraften för dränering av subglacialt vattnet från överfördjupningen föreslås vara den gradient som skapas vid hög avrinning, då vattentrycket i isen ovanför överfördjupningen stiger. Resultatet från de regressionsanalyser som utförts visade sig vara representativt enbart för en del av det överfördjupade området. Tolkningar av resultaten tyder på att det subglaciala dräneringssystemet i detta område var ineffektivt att evakuera smältvatten och förblev ineffektivt under hela smältsäsongen. Detta skiljer sig från den säsongsmässiga utvecklingen som normalt kan ses på glaciärer utan överfördjupning, där ett effektivt kanaliserat dräneringssystem utvecklas under sommaren. Slutligen kunde graden av flöde fastställas som den viktigaste drivvariabeln för koncentrationen av suspenderade sediment i smältvattnet tillsammans med förändringen av flöde, tidigare koncentration av suspenderade sediment och nederbörd.