Time Scales of Precipitation-Groundwater-Stream Impulse Response Across a Northeast Watershed
Abstract
This project exploits the extensive meteorological, streamflow and groundwater monitoring networks at Sleepers River Research Watershed to identify 1) seasonal and spatial variations in lag time between precipitation event mass centroid and peak flow and 2) GW-hydrograph phase differences to ask the question: What are the time scales of response in the Precipitation-Groundwater-Stream impulse across several stream orders in a single watershed? The 111 km2 SRRW basin ranges from 201 to 780 m AMSL and is a mix of 33% agriculture (pasture, hay, corn) and 67% forest. The stream network in SRRW is underlain by granulite/quartz mica phyllite bedrock and dense basal till. The depth of till varies with topography and is overlain by podzols and inceptisols. Mean annual precipitation is 1,100 mm/yr and includes seasonal snowfall from late November into April of approximately 275 mm SWE. Discharge response is strongly controlled by topography, elevation and the thickness of glacial till. Recent analysis indicates that storm event depth and intensity has increased over the Northeast USA with resulting impacts to forest disruption, stream water quality and stream bed mobilization. We ask whether storm intensity increases the risk of condensed peak timing at catchments with differing land cover. We use short interval precipitation, well depth records and hydrograph peaks from summer storm events to clarify thresholds to diel flow, low flow and timing of peak to document the different behaviors from headwater streams to large catchments under agricultural and forest cover.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.H13J1875C
- Keywords:
-
- 1804 Catchment;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1879 Watershed;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1880 Water management;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1895 Instruments and techniques: monitoring;
- HYDROLOGY