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Quantification of subsurface hydrologic connectivity in four headwater catchments using graph theory
G Zuecco1, M Rinderer2, D Penna3
1Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, Italy.
The Science of the Total Environment
|September 22, 2018
Summary
Graph theory quantifies subsurface hillslope-stream connectivity using groundwater data. This connectivity impacts streamflow and water quality, with network changes showing limited influence on results.
Area of Science:
- Hydrology
- Geomorphology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Hillslope-stream connectivity is crucial for streamflow and water quality but challenging to quantify.
- Graph theory offers a method to analyze linear connections between groundwater measurement sites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify subsurface hillslope-stream connectivity using graph theory.
- To determine the relationship between rainfall, antecedent wetness, and subsurface connectivity.
- To assess the sensitivity of connectivity metrics to groundwater monitoring network design.
Main Methods:
- Applied graph theory to surface topography and shallow groundwater data from four headwater catchments.
- Analyzed event stormflow, rainfall, antecedent conditions, and connectivity metrics.
- Conducted sensitivity analysis by removing one monitoring site at a time.
Main Results:
- Event total stormflow correlated with maximum subsurface connectivity.
- Subsurface connectivity increased during rainfall, showing anti-clockwise hysteresis with peak streamflow.
- Connectivity was influenced by rainfall amount, antecedent conditions, and site-specific topographic characteristics (e.g., Topographic Wetness Index, distance to stream).
Conclusions:
- Graph theory effectively quantifies subsurface hydrologic connectivity in small catchments.
- Connectivity is influenced by rainfall and catchment topography, with varying relationships based on riparian zone characteristics.
- The approach is robust to minor changes in monitoring network structure, but requires validation in diverse catchments.
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