Water

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https://hdl.handle.net/10388/14358

As the population continues to grow and as water becomes more and more an issue of political and social importance, well-managed safe drinking water and water quality are pervasive needs across Earth and environment. We are developing new interdisciplinary science, technology and policy to address these urgent issues.

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Effects of river flow on walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment in the Saskatchewan River Delta
(Canadian Science Publishing, 2025-02-06) Twilley, Jacqueline T.; Enders, Eva C.; Paul, Andrew J.; Wastle, Rick J.; Jardine, Timothy D.
Alteration of natural flow regimes is affecting freshwater fish populations. For example, the walleye (Sander vitreus) fishery in the Saskatchewan River Delta has declined since the mid-1990s, which may be related to changes to flow regimes due to upstream dams. To test this hypothesis, walleye age data obtained from otoliths collected through sustenance and commercial fishing were used in a generalized linear mixed model catch-curve analysis to test the relationship between discharge during predefined biologically significant periods and walleye recruitment. The best fit model identified that the fry growth period (weeks 30–42) had a positive relationship between river discharge and future recruits. Based on the estimated Bayesian posterior distribution, there was a very high probability (p > 0.99) that the effect was different from zero. This effect had an estimated 69% increase (28%–105% credible interval) in recruitment with every 100 m3·s−1 increase in discharge over the fry growth period. These findings support previous work on walleye recruitment in another northern freshwater delta and will inform water resource management in these systems.
Novel statistical analysis illustrates the importance of flow source for extreme variation in dissolved organic carbon in a eutrophic reservoir in the Great Plains
(European Geosciences Union, 2025-03) Baron, Anthony; Baulch, Helen M.; Nazemi, Ali; Whitfield, Colin
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) trends, predominantly showing long-term increases in concentration, have been observed across many regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Elevated DOC concentrations are a major concern for drinking water treatment plants, owing to the effects of disinfection byproduct formation, the risk of bacterial regrowth in water distribution systems, and treatment cost increases. Using a unique 30-year data set encompassing both extreme wet and dry conditions in a eutrophic drinking water reservoir in the Great Plains of North America, we investigate the effects of changing source-water and in-lake water chemistry on DOC. We employ novel wavelet coherence analyses to explore the coherence of changes in DOC with other environmental variables and apply a generalized additive model to understand predictor–DOC responses. We found that the DOC concentration was significantly coherent with (and lagging behind) flow from a large upstream mesotrophic reservoir at long (> 18-month) timescales. DOC was also coherent with (lagging behind) sulfate and in phase with total phosphorus, ammonium, and chlorophyll a concentrations at short (≤ 18-month) timescales across the 30-year record. These variables accounted for 56 % of the deviance in DOC from 1990 to 2019, suggesting that water-source and in-lake nutrient and solute chemistry are effective predictors of the DOC concentration. Clearly, climate and changes in water and catchment management will influence source-water quality in this already water-scarce region. Our results highlight the importance of flow management to shallow eutrophic reservoirs; wet periods can exacerbate water quality issues, and these effects can be compounded by reducing inflows from systems with lower DOC. These flow management decisions address water level and flood risk concerns but also have important impacts on drinking water treatability.
Mitigating synchronization bottlenecks in high-performance actor-model-based software
(IEEE, 2025) Klenk, Kyle; Moayeri, Mohammad Mahdi; Guo, Junwei; Clark, Martyn; Spiteri, Raymond
Bulk synchronous programming (in distributed-memory systems) and the fork-join pattern (in shared-memory systems) are often used for problems where independent processes must periodically synchronize. Frequent synchronization can greatly undermine the performance of software designed to solve such problems. We use the actor model of concurrent computing to balance the load of hundreds of thousands of short-lived tasks and mitigate synchronization bottlenecks by buffering communication via actor batching. The actor model is becoming increasingly popular in scientific and high-performance computing because it can handle heterogeneous tasks and computing environments with enhanced programming flexibility and ease relative to conventional paradigms like MPI. For a hydrologic simulation of continental North America with over 500,000 elements, the proposed buffering approach is approximately 4 times faster than no buffering, outperforms MPI on single and multiple nodes, and remains competitive with OpenMP on a single node and MPI+OpenMP on multiple nodes.
Short-term economic effects of the São Francisco Inter-basin Water Transfer on the low-income population in Brazil
(Regional Science Policy & Practice, 2025-03) de Melo Galindo de Lima, Vitoria Roberta Martins; Duarte, Gisleia; Zapata, Oscar
Exploring the short-term effects of water supply promoted by the São Francisco Inter-basin Water Transfer (PISF) on economic aspects in benefited municipalities in Brazil is relevant for three main reasons. First, water is crucial for local development. Second, there was a large volume of resources employed. Finally, many people were affected by the project. To fill the gap in the literature, this research proposes to verify the impacts on the low-income population living in municipalities that received water from PISF in 2017. To reach this purpose, we applied a Differences in Differences identification method using three different control groups, considering 2016 and 2018 as the before and after treatment periods. We investigated the effects on individual and family income per capita, whether individuals had a paid work, and whether they participated in the Bolsa Familia Program, a Brazilian income transfer program. The main results imply that the project has generally played a positive role in low-income population lives in the short term. However, the observed improvement in the analyzed variables does not necessarily mean a rise in family well-being.
Bioresource Waste Management and Circular Economy
(Sustainability, 2024-11) Jha, Shivangi; Nanda, Sonil; Zapata, Oscar; Acharya, Bishnu; Dalai, Ajay K.
A plethora of sustainability-related challenges plague the modern world, among which is residue management. The significant implications of waste management on local populations and the global climate system have propelled research efforts toward residue management. Improved understanding and predictions in biomass residue management can help identify opportunities to advance residue management to address these complex challenges. In recent years, sustainability science has gained momentum and is viewed as the most effective approach to addressing wicked problems. For instance, the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is a major contributor to climate change. This review examines how a greater knowledge of human–environment interaction and the value of ecological services could facilitate the recycling of agricultural and forestry wastes for their uses in bioenergy production and soil protection. In addition, it highlights the connection between biomass residual management and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, thereby strengthening the circular and ecological economy. Additionally, this review also discusses how interdisciplinary and systems thinking can contribute to the advancement of biomass residue management. This review aims to explore how the principles of sustainability science and systems thinking can help enhance the reutilization of agricultural and forest residues through biomass residue management. It also aims to assess their potential in reducing environmental and social impacts.
The hysteretic and gatekeeping depressions model − A new model for variable connected fractions of prairie basins
(Elsevier, 2025-06) Shook, Kevin; Pomeroy, John W.
The Prairie Pothole Region of western North America has unusual hydrology and hydrography. Its level, post-glacial topography means that many drainage basins are dominated by internally drained depressions, rather than having conventional dendritic drainage networks of stream channels. Modelling the hydrology of these regions is difficult because the relationship between depressional storage and the connected fraction of a basin is hysteretic. Existing models are either computationally intensive and require high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data which may not exist or require calibration and cannot reproduce the hysteresis between the basin connected fraction and depressional storage. The Hysteretic and Gatekeeping Depressions Model (HGDM) has been developed to simplify modelling of prairie basins with variable connected/contributing fractions. The model uses “meta” depressions to model the hysteretic responses of small depressions and a discrete model of large depressions, which cause “gatekeeping”, meaning that they prevent upstream flows from reaching the outlet until the depressions are filled. The HGDM was added to the Cold Regions Hydrological Modelling (CRHM) platform which is one of the few models that has successfully simulated land surface hydrology in the Canadian Prairies. CRHM + HGDM is tested by modelling streamflows at Smith Creek, a basin in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is demonstrated that CRHM + HGDM can reproduce the relationship between the connected/contributing fractions of sub-basins and their depressional storage at least as well as existing models. Importantly, it appears that HGDM can be used with coarse-resolution DEMs, which may permit its use in the many locations where higher-resolution data is unavailable. The simplicity and limited parameterization needs of HGDM may allow for broader representation of depressions and variable contributing area in prairie hydrology.
Insights into freeze–thaw and infiltration in seasonally frozen soils from field observations
(Vadose Zone Journal, 2025-02) Sanchez-Rodriguez, Ines; Ireson, Andrew; Brannen, Rosa; Brauner, Haley
Snowmelt infiltration into frozen soils in seasonally frozen landscapes is a critically important hydrological process, with consequences for agriculture, water resources, and flooding. The partitioning of snowmelt between infiltration and runoff in any given location and in any given year is highly uncertain. While it is intuitive to expect lower infiltration capacities in frozen soils, extensive past field research has shown that infiltration is often the dominant flux over runoff during this process, and this is attributed to infiltration into air-filled macropores. Despite this understanding, we still lack models that can predict frozen soil infiltration reliably. In this study, we examine detailed field observations from the seasonally frozen Canadian Prairies to determine the controls on soil freeze/thaw, snowmelt partitioning, and groundwater recharge. We show how soil moisture, water table depth, snow water equivalent, and air temperature are all significant and confounding factors that determine soil freezing depth and snowmelt partitioning. Plain Language Summary Infiltration of snowmelt into seasonally frozen soil plays a key role in agriculture, water supply, and flood risk. However, predicting how much snowmelt will infiltrate into the soil versus runoff is uncertain. While it seems logical that frozen soils would absorb less water, research shows infiltration often dominates due to water entering air-filled channels called macropores. Despite this, reliable models to predict frozen soil infiltration are still lacking. This study uses data from the Canadian Prairies to explore what affects soil freezing, snowmelt behavior, and groundwater recharge. Our findings highlight that soil moisture, water table depth, snow amount, and air temperature all influence soil freezing and how snowmelt is split between infiltration and runoff.
Convergent and Transdisciplinary Integration: On the Future of Integrated Modeling of Human-Water Systems
(Water Resources Research, 2025-02) Razavi, Saman; Duffy, Ashleigh; Eamen, Leila; Jakeman, Anthony; Jardine, Timothy D; Wheater, Howard; Hunt, Randall; Maier, Holger; Abdelhamed, Mohamed Safaaeldin Moustafa; Ghoreishi, Mohammad; Döll, Petra; Moallemi, Enayat A.; Yassin, Dr. Fuad; Strickert, Graham; Nabavi, Ehsan; Mai, Juliane; Li, Yanping; Thériault, Julie M.; Wu, Wenyan; Pomeroy, John W.; Clark, Martyn; Ferguson, Grant; Gober, Patricia; Cai, Ximing; Reed, Maureen G.; Saltelli, Andrea; Elshorbagy, Amin; Sedighkia, Mahdi; Terry, Julie; Lindenschmidt, Karl-Erich; Hannah, David; Li, Kailong; Asadzadeh, Masoud; Harvey, Natasha ; Moradkhani, Hamid; Grimm, Volker
The notion of convergent and transdisciplinary integration, which is about braiding together different knowledge systems, is becoming the mantra of numerous initiatives aimed at tackling pressing water challenges. Yet, the transition from rhetoric to actual implementation is impeded by incongruence in semantics, methodologies, and discourse among disciplinary scientists and societal actors. Here, we embrace “integrated modeling”—both quantitatively and qualitatively—as a vital exploratory instrument to advance such integration, providing a means to navigate complexity and manage the uncertainty associated with understanding, diagnosing, predicting, and governing human-water systems. From this standpoint, we confront disciplinary barriers by offering seven focused reviews and syntheses of existing and missing links across the frontiers distinguishing surface and groundwater hydrology, engineering, social sciences, economics, Indigenous and place-based knowledge, and studies of other interconnected natural systems such as the atmosphere, cryosphere, and ecosphere. While there are, arguably, no bounds to the pursuit of inclusivity in representing the spectrum of natural and human processes around water resources, we advocate that integrated modeling can provide a focused approach to delineating the scope of integration, through the lens of three fundamental questions: (a) What is the modeling “purpose”? (b) What constitutes a sound “boundary judgment”? and (c) What are the “critical uncertainties” and their compounding effects? More broadly, we call for investigating what constitutes warranted “systems complexity,” as opposed to unjustified “computational complexity” when representing complex natural and human-natural systems, with careful attention to interdependencies and feedbacks, scaling issues, nonlinear dynamics and thresholds, hysteresis, time lags, and legacy effects.
Metal Mobilization from Thawing Permafrost Is an Emergent Risk to Water Resources
(ACS Publications, 2024-12-10) Skierszkan, Elliott; Dockrey, John W.; Lindsay, Matthew B. J.
Metals are ubiquitous in Earth’s Critical Zone and play key roles in ecosystem function, human health, and water security. They are essential nutrients at low concentrations, yet some metals are toxic at a high dose.Permafrost thaw substantially alters all the physical and chemical processes governing metal mobility, including water movement and solute transport and(bio)geochemical interactions involving water, organic matter, minerals, and microbes. The outcomes of these interconnected changes are nonintuitive yet hold global implications for water resources and ecosystem health. This Perspective outlines the primary factors affecting metal mobility in thawing permafrost and underscores the urgent need and priorities for interdisciplinary research to better understand this emerging issue.
Modeling the lagged and nonlinear effects of weather conditions on abundance of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes in Saskatchewan, Western Canada using a bi-dimensional distributed lag nonlinear model
(Elsevier, 2024-12-24) Gizaw, Zemichael; Vidrio-Sahagún, Cuauhtémoc Tonatiuh; Pietroniro, Alain; Schuster Wallace, Corinne
The establishment of West Nile Virus (WNV) competent vectors continues to pose a major public health challenge in Canada, especially in the south. While studies have examined the association between weather conditions and the abundance of mosquitoes over trap weeks, there is limited research on the effects of weather conditions on the abundance of Culex tarsalis (Cx. tarsalis) mosquitoes for a lapse of time beyond the trap week in Saskatchewan, Western Canada. To address this gap, we analyzed provincially available weekly mosquito trap and co-incident meteorological station data in Saskatchewan from 2010 to 2021 using a bi-dimensional distributed lag and nonlinear model. Data indicate that 171,141 Cx. tarsalis mosquitoes were trapped across much of Saskatchewan, from 2010 to 2021. Cx. tarsalis were found to be most abundant between weeks 26 and 35 (July and August) and peaked in weeks 30 and 31. Based on the WNV-positive pools, mosquito infection rates increased from week 23 to 36. While weekly average maximum air temperatures between 20 °Cand 30 °C were associated with more Cx. tarsalis across all lags (0 – 8 weeks), higher weekly average minimum air temperatures had a strong and immediate effect that diminished over longer lags. Higher weekly average rainfall amounts (> 20 mm) were associated with fewer Cx. tarsalis mosquitoes across all lags, while average weekly rainfall between 8 and 20 mm was strongly associated with a high abundance of Cx. tarsalis mosquitoes over longer lags (5 -7 weeks). Additionally, increasing wind speed was associated with lower abundance of Cx. tarsalis across all lags. Findings identified nonlinear lag associations for weekly average maximum air temperature and rainfall, but linear associations for weekly average minimum air temperature and wind speed. Identified lags and thresholds for temperature, rainfall, and wind speed at which mosquito abundance peaked could help to inform public health authorities in timing of vector control measures to prevent WNV transmission.
Principles, barriers, and challenges of Indigenous water governance around the world
(Elsevier, 2025-01-02) Bharadwaj, Lalita; Bataebo, Sonia; Schuster Wallace, Corinne
Globally, Indigenous Nations are disproportionately faced with water challenges. This is partly because current approaches to water governance continue to systematically exclude Indigenous peoples and their worldviews from contemporary water governance structures. Given the need to reform current water governance systems to redress injustices and secure water resources for Indigenous peoples, this paper presents the findings of a scoping review designed to identify the principles, values, challenges/problems, and existing models of Indigenous water governance around the globe. Findings indicate that “water is life” is a fundamental principle of Indigenous water governance frameworks, as is “water as an interconnected whole” that forms a greater part of a community’s life and identity. The “Living Water, First Law” model and the Kistihtamahwin framework are examples of Indigenous water governance models identified. Colonization and the relegation of Indigenous knowledge remain a critical challenge to effective implementation of existing models of Indigenous water governance systems. This requires reform of contemporary water governance structures or formation of new systems that unsettle colonial legacies and privilege Indigenous worldviews and governance frameworks. These must focus on the overall health of the rivers, lakes, or freshwater entity and the holistic health of communities and be preceded by genuine nation-to-nation relationships.
Converting land use–land cover to E. coli contamination potential classes for improved management of groundwater wells: a case study in Ontario, Canada
(Springer, 2024-12-19) White, Katie; Schuster Wallace, Corinne; Dickson-Anderson, Sarah
Land use-land cover (LULC) types have been used as a proxy for Escherichia Coli (E. coli) sources and transport mechanisms. This study aims to advance the understanding of the relationship between LULC and E. coli presence in wells for the 11 major LULC categories. This represents a novel approach for assessing the broad potential for well contamination and informing groundwater management strategies. The approach combines insights gained from regression analyses conducted using a combination of large datasets with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method for consistent treatment of uncertainties within literature. Generalized Additive Models for Location, Shape, and Scale (GAMLSS) regression analyses were used to identify and support relationships between a large dataset of E. coli presence in wells and LULC data, identifying potential risk classes. A raster dataset for Ontario, Canada identifying areas of low to very high potential for E. coli presence in wells was created. Notably, the pastoral/agricultural LULC category was found to be in the very high-risk class, urban and aggregate mines in the high-risk class, forest in the moderate risk class, and water and grasslands in the low-risk class. However, gaps in understanding the relationship between some LULC categories and the presence of E. coli in wells remain in the disturbance, bedrock, and scrubland LULCs due to data limitations in both the study area and literature. These results provide private well users, who may lack technical expertise, with an accessible source of information on the potential for E. coli contamination.
Analyzing water uptake of apple trees using isotopic techniques in the Shandong Peninsula, China
(Elsevier, 2025-01-03) Pang, Tianze; Zhao, Ying; Poca, Maria; Wang, Jianjun; Li, Hongchen; Liu, Jinzhao
Study region The hilly area of Shandong Peninsula is a pivotal apple-producing region in China. However, the precise water sources utilized by the apple trees for transpiration remain poorly understood in this region. Study focus Here we quantify the water sources used by apple trees in this area using stable isotopic tracing methods. Through on-field studies in a representative apple orchard and subsequent isotopic assessments, the primary water sources tapped by the apple trees were identified in three plots with contrasting soil characteristics and through 5 days of sub daily sampling. New hydrological insights for the region Our results show that apple trees have a marked preference for soil water centered at the 60 cm depth, with more deep water use at plots without weathered layers. Notably, the isotopic compositions of the xylem water leaned more towards signatures of soil water, rather than immediate irrigation water or groundwater. Given the irrigation water used to be the dominant water source recharging into soil, the weak contribution of irrigation water to plant would be attributed to the high soil evaporation rates during the growth phase, which strongly alter the isotopic composition of irrigation water in shallow soil layers. These insights boosted our comprehension of water sourcing mechanisms in the sloped orchard ecosystems in the Shandong Peninsula and lay the groundwork for deeper exploration into the irrigation ratio to rainwater utilized by apple trees in comparable regions.
Aloe vera mucilage as a sustainable biopolymer flocculant for efficient arsenate anion removal from water
(The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024-07-24) Venegas-García, Deysi J.; Wilson, Lee; De la Cruz Guzmán , Paola Mayela
In recent years, utilization of biopolymers as natural coagulant–flocculant (CF) systems has become an area of interest, due to their sustainable nature (renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic) and potential utility as alternative systems to replace synthetic flocculants. Herein, a biopolymer extracted from Aloe vera mucilage (AVM) was investigated for its arsenic(V) removal properties in a CF water treatment process. Structural characterization of AVM was supported by spectroscopy (FTIR, 13C solids NMR & XPS), TGA, rheology, and pHpzc. The arsenic(V) removal process was optimized by employing the Box–Behnken design under three main factors (coagulant, flocculant dosage and initial arsenic(V) concentration), which led to a reduction of the initial arsenic(V) concentration to levels below the Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC; 10 μg L−1). The kinetics and thermodynamics of arsenic(V) removal were analyzed with a one-pot in situ method, where the kinetic profiles followed a pseudo-first-order model. The thermodynamic parameters are characteristic of a spontaneous (entropy-driven) and endothermic physisorption removal process. Flocs isolated from the process were analyzed by XPS, where the results reveal that calcium and amide groups of AVM contribute to the arsenic(V) removal mechanism.
Climate Driven Trends in Historical Extreme LowStreamflows on Four Continents
(Wiley, American Geophysical Union, 2024-06-17) Hodgkins, Glenn; Renard, Benjamin; Whitfield, Paul; Laaha, Gregor; Stahl, Kerstin; Hannaford, Jamie; Burn, Donald; Westra, Seth; Fleig, Anne; Lopes, Walszon Terllizzie Araújo; Murphy, Conor; Mediero, Luis; Hanel, Martin
Understanding temporal trends in low streamflows is important for water management and ecosystems. This work focuses on trends in the occurrence rate of extreme low-flow events (5- to 100-year return periods) for pooled groups of stations. We use data from 1,184 minimally altered catchments in Europe, North and South America, and Australia to discern historical climate-driven trends in extreme low flows (1976–2015 and 1946–2015). The understanding of low streamflows is complicated by different hydrological regimes in cold, transitional, and warm regions. We use a novel classification to define low-flow regimes using air temperature and monthly low-flow frequency. Trends in the annual occurrence rate of extreme low-flow events (proportion of pooled stations each year) were assessed for each regime. Most regimes on multiple continents did not have significant (p < 0.05) trends in the occurrence rate of extreme low streamflows from 1976 to 2015; however, occurrence rates for the cold-season low-flow regime in North America were found to be significantly decreasing for low return-period events. In contrast, there were statistically significant increases for this period in warm regions of NA which were associated with the variation in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Significant decreases in extreme low-flow occurrence rates were dominant from 1946 to 2015 in Europe and NA for both cold- and warm-season low-flow regimes; there were also some non-significant trends. The difference in the results between the shorter (40-year) and longer (70-year) records and between low-flow regimes highlights the complexities of low-flow response to changing climatic conditions.
The 2021 heatwave results in simultaneous but different hydrological responses over Canada west of 100◦W
(Journal of Hydrology, 2024-02) Whitfield, Paul H; Abdelmoaty, Hebatallah; Nerantzaki, Sofia; Papalexiou, Simon Michael
The 2021 Western North America heatwave resulted in record high air temperatures over a large area of Canada west of 100°. The heatwave persisted from mid-June into July, depending upon the threshold used to define the heatwave. The heatwave was a weather event that was short lived but had a widespread transient impact on hydrology in this single year. These impacts were more evident in nival systems because of the prominent role of snowmelt. In normal years, the timing of hydrological processes, particularly snowmelt, is a function of latitude and elevation; in 2021 the heatwave resulted in simultaneous high rates of snowmelt across rivers where a snowpack existed at the time of the event, and strong diurnal melt signal was a diagnostic. In 2021, rivers throughout Canada west of 100°W responded strongly to the heatwave, but the response depended on three factors: location relative to the heat dome, the hydrologic regime, and the amount of snow present at the time. The melt signal was strongest in those basins that had not reached their annual peak often having discharges in the highest 5 % of historical observations for that day of the year. Discharges rapidly declined in basins already in recession indicating the rapid depletion of the snowpack. In basins with little or no remaining snow, streamflow often declined during the same period often to levels in the lowest 5 % of historical observations for that day of the year.
Evaluating Trace Fossils, Fluvial Architecture, and Colonization Patterns in Channel and Overbank Deposits from the Miocene Vinchina Formation, Vinchina Basin, Western Argentina
(Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), 2024-10-24) Valencia, Gustavo L.; Buatois, Luis; Mangano, Maria Gabriela; Farina, Martin; Krapovickas, Verónica
Trace-fossil distribution within the framework of three-dimensional fluvial architecture has been commonly overlooked. The Miocene Vinchina Formation in western Argentina preserves extensive outcrops of fluvial deposits, including architectural elements of both anastomosing and braided systems identified along the Quebrada de La Troya. Multistorey sandy channels, amalgamated sandy channels, heterolithic multistorey channels, channels with gravel bars, abandoned channels, muddy floodplains, crevasse splays, and crevasse channels have been identified. Of these, only the deposits of three elements were bioturbated, namely crevasse splays, anastomosing abandoned channels, and braided abandoned channels. Vertical simple burrows (Skolithos isp.), large-sized J burrows (Capayanichnus vinchinensis), and simple horizontal burrows (Palaeophycus tubularis) are the most common trace fossils in the Vinchina Formation. Other elements include the horizontal meniscate trace Taenidium barretti and the vertebrate footprints Tacheria troyana, Macrauchenichnus troyana, and Ardeipeda isp. The trace-fossil assemblages identified in the Vinchina Formation collectively illustrate the Scoyenia Ichnofacies. In addition, five ichnofabrics are characterized. The position of the water table, substrate consistency, flow energy, and time between depositional events under arid to semi-arid climate conditions were the main parameters controlling bioturbation. Based on detailed observation of the cross-cutting relationship among ichnotaxa, the ichnofabric distribution and the preservation features of the trace fossils studied, a colonization sequence for each of the subenvironments of the Vinchina Formation is proposed in this study. In addition to integration with conventional facies analysis, articulating ichnologic data and fluvial architecture provides further insights into the application of trace fossils to unravel the sedimentary dynamics of alluvial systems.
Connecting hydrological modelling and forecasting from global to local scales: Perspectives from an international joint virtual workshop
(Journal of Flood Risk Management, 2023) Dasgupta, Antara; Arnal, Louise; Emerton, Rebecca; Harrigan, Shaun; Matthews, Gwyneth; Muhammad, Ameer; O'Regan, Karen; Pérez-Ciria, Teresa; Valdez, Emixi; van Osnabrugge, Bart; Werner, Micha; Buontempo, Carlo; Cloke, Hannah; Pappenberger, Florian; Pechlivanidis, Ilias G; Prudhomme, Christel; Maria-Helena, Ramos; Salamon, Peter
The unprecedented progress in ensemble hydro-meteorological modelling and forecasting on a range of temporal and spatial scales, raises a variety of new challenges which formed the theme of the Joint Virtual Workshop, ‘Connecting global to local hydrological modelling and forecasting: challenges and scientific advances’. Held from 29 June to 1 July 2021, this workshop was co-organised by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Copernicus Emergency Management (CEMS) and Climate Change (C3S) Services, the Hydrological Ensemble Prediction EXperiment (HEPEX), and the Global Flood Partnership (GFP). This article aims to summarise the state-of-the-art presented at the workshop and provide an early career perspective. Recent advances in hydrological modelling and forecasting, reflections on the use of forecasts for decision-making across scales, and means to minimise new barriers to communication in the virtual format are also discussed. Thematic foci of the workshop included hydrological model development and skill assessment, uncertainty communication, forecasts for early action, co-production of services and incorporation of local knowledge, Earth observation, and data assimilation. Connecting hydrological services to societal needs and local decision-making through effective communication, capacity-building and co-production was identified as critical. Multidisciplinary collaborations emerged as crucial to effectively bring newly developed tools to practice.
FROSTBYTE: a reproducible data-driven workflow for probabilistic seasonal streamflow forecasting in snow-fed river basins across North America
(Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2024-09) Arnal, Louise; Clark, Martyn P.; Pietroniro, Alain; Vionnet, Vincent; Casson, David R; Whitfield, Paul; Fortin, Vincent; Wood, Andrew; Knoben, Wouter; Newton, Brandi W; Walford, Colleen
Seasonal streamflow forecasts provide key information for decision-making in fields such as water supply management, hydropower generation, and irrigation scheduling. The predictability of streamflow on seasonal timescales relies heavily on initial hydrological conditions, such as the presence of snow and the availability of soil moisture. In high-latitude and high-altitude headwater basins in North America, snowmelt serves as the primary source of runoff generation. This study presents and evaluates a data-driven workflow for probabilistic seasonal streamflow forecasting in snow-fed river basins across North America (Canada and the USA). The workflow employs snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements as predictors and streamflow observations as predictands. Gap-filling of SWE datasets is accomplished using quantile mapping from neighboring SWE and precipitation stations, and principal component analysis is used to identify independent predictor components. These components are then utilized in a regression model to generate ensemble hindcasts of streamflow volumes for 75 nival basins with limited regulation from 1979 to 2021, encompassing diverse geographies and climates. Using a hindcast evaluation approach that is user-oriented provides key insights for snow-monitoring experts, forecasters, decision-makers, and workflow developers. The analysis presented here unveils a wide spectrum of predictability and offers a glimpse into potential future changes in predictability. Late-season snowpack emerges as a key factor in predicting spring and summer volumes, while high precipitation during the target period presents challenges to forecast skill and streamflow predictability. Notably, we can predict lower-than-normal and higher-than-normal streamflows during spring to early summer with lead times of up to 5 months in some basins. Our workflow is available on GitHub as a collection of Jupyter Notebooks, facilitating broader applications in cold regions and contributing to the ongoing advancement of methodologies.
Observations and management implications of crop and water interactions in cold water-limited regions
(Journal of Hydrology, 2024-11) Harder, Phillip; Helgason, Warren D; Johnson, Bruce; Pomeroy, John W.
Crop and water interactions strongly influence crop production in water-limited dryland agricultural systems in cold regions, such as the Canadian Prairies. A water balance approach was used to quantify crop water use, identify the source of water and corresponding hydrological processes, and evaluate the effectiveness of management techniques to increase agricultural productivity. Detailed water balance observations for 19 site-years were collected at four sites. Crop water use was consistently greater than or equal to growing season precipitation and displayed substantial interannual variation. On average, growing season precipitation provided 66% of crop water use whilst antecedent soil moisture from water surpluses in shoulder and winter seasons and preceding wet years supplied the remainder. Up to 70% of crop water use was derived from non-growing season water sources when high precipitation winters preceded dry growing seasons. Observations of soil moisture, snow accumulation, precipitation, and evaporative fluxes showed substantial spatial and temporal variability in antecedent soil moisture contributions to crop growth, which has implications for agricultural management. The relative importance of antecedent soil water to crop growth decreased with increased growing season precipitation. The water balance observations were used to constrain the water-limited yield potential associated with the optimisation of stubble and crop residue management practices. Increasing retention of snowfall with stubble management and suppression of soil evaporation with increased crop residue cover was estimated to increase potential crop water availability on average by 20% but, depended on seasonal dynamics, ranging between 4 and 48%. These results articulate the complex interactions between cold and warm season hydrological processes that drive dryland agricultural production in Western Canada and constrain the potential for stubble and residue management practices to mitigate crop water extremes.

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