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Published on: October 29, 2016
Subsurface hydrological connectivity controls nitrate export flux in a hilly catchment
1State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Health and Green Remediation, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China; Jiangxi Academy of Water Science and Engineering, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029, PR China.
Subsurface hydrological connectivity strongly controls nitrate export in hilly catchments. Nitrate flux rapidly increases when connectivity exceeds a threshold, especially with higher rainfall.
Area of Science:
- Hydrology
- Environmental Science
- Geomorphology
Background:
- Subsurface runoff is the primary nitrate transport pathway in hilly catchments.
- Subsurface hydrological connectivity influences nitrate export magnitude.
- Current understanding of this regulation is insufficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how subsurface hydrological connectivity regulates catchment nitrate export.
- To analyze the dynamic changes in connectivity during rainfall events.
- To quantify the relationship between connectivity and nitrate flux.
Main Methods:
- High-frequency shallow groundwater monitoring over 17 months.
- Topography-based upscaling and graph theory to analyze subsurface hydrological connectivity for 38 rainfall events.
- Cross-correlation analysis to link connectivity and nitrate flux.
Main Results:
- Maximum subsurface hydrological connectivity was often below 0.5.
- Most catchment areas lacked connectivity with the stream, despite dynamic flow paths.
- A connectivity threshold (0.121) triggered rapid nitrate flux increases.
- Connectivity strongly controlled nitrate flux (median cross-correlation 0.67), increasing with rainfall amount and intensity.
Conclusions:
- Subsurface hydrological connectivity is a critical regulator of catchment nitrate export.
- Nitrate export patterns include flushing, dilution, and chemostatic behavior.
- The control of connectivity on nitrate flux is dynamic and rainfall-dependent.
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