Dissolved organic carbon transport in the Qilian mountainous areas of China

Liu

Shi

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

Abstract. Ecosystems in arid areas are fragile and are easily disturbed by various natural and human factors. The purpose of this study is to clarify the hydrological and ecological processes of arid inland river basins in Eurasia and provide a scientific basis for their sustainable development. From 2015 to 2020, we took the Shiyang River Basin, which has the highest utilization rate of water resources and the most prominent contradiction of water use, as a typical demonstration basin to establish and improve the isotope hydrology observation system. The data in the observation system are classified by water type (precipitation, river water, lake water, groundwater, soil water, and plant water). Six observation systems with stable isotopes as the main observation elements, including river source region, oasis region, reservoir channel system region, oasis farmland region, ecological engineering construction region, and salinization process region, have been built, and meteorological and hydrological data have also been collected. We will gradually improve the various observation systems, increase the data of observation sites, and update the data set yearly. We can use these data to carry out hydrometeorological and ecological scientific research and provide a scientific basis for water resources utilization and ecological environment restoration in arid areas. The datasets are available at https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/d5kzm92nn3/1 (Zhu et al., 2021).

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable water isotope monitoring network of different water bodies in Shiyang River Basin, a typical arid river in China

Liu

Shi

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

“…The Shiyang River Basin is located in the eastern section of Qilian Mountain and Hexi Corridor, and it is the third-largest river in the flowing water system in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province. The topography of the Shiyang River Basin slopes sharply from southwest to northeast, with Qilian Mountains in the south, alluvial plains and Gobi in the middle, and flood plains and deserts in the north (Zhu et al, 2020). The river is about 250 km long, and the basin area is 4.16× 10 4 km 2 (101°41'-104°16'E and 36°29'-39°27'N).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable water isotope monitoring network of different water bodies in Shiyang River basin, a typical arid river in China

Liu

Shi

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

Abstract. We have established a stable water isotope monitoring network in the Shiyang River Basin in China’arid northwest. The basin is characterized by low precipitation, high evaporation and dense population. It is the basin with the most significant ecological pressure and the greatest water resources shortage in China. The monitoring station covers the upper, middle and lower reaches of the river basin, with six observation systems: river source area, oasis area, reservoir canal system area, oasis farmland area, ecological restoration area, and salinized area. All data in the data set are differentiated by water body types (precipitation, river water, lake water, groundwater, soil water, plant water). The data set is updated annually to gradually improve each observation system and increase data from observation points. So far, the data have been obtained for five consecutive years. The data set includes stable isotope data, meteorological data and hydrological data in the Shiyang River Basin. The data set can analyze the relationship between different water bodies and water circulation in the Shiyang River Basin. This observation network’s construction provides us with stable water isotopes data and hydrometeorological data, and we can use theae data for hydrological and meteorological related scientific research. It can also provide a scientific basis for water resources utilization, water conservancy project construction, and ecological environment restoration decision-making in China’s arid areas. The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Zhu (2021) at “Data sets of Stable water isotope monitoring network of different water bodies in Shiyang River Basin, a typical arid river in China (Supplemental Edition)”, Mendeley Data, V1, doi: 10.17632/w5rpxwf99g.1.

“…The Xiying River Basin is characterized by strong solar radiation, abundant sunshine, strong evaporation and large temperature differences between day and night. The average annual precipitation in the basin is 281.2 mm and the average annual evaporation is as high as 1133.4 mm (Zhu et al, 2020). The river has an average annual outflow of 3.184 × 10 8 m 3 , ranking first among the eight rivers in the Shiyang River basin, accounting for about 22.3% of the average annual outflow of Shiyang River (Zhu et al, 2021).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variability of runoff recharge sources and influence mechanisms in an arid mountain flow‐producing zone

Sang

Qiu

et al. 2022

Hydrological Processes

Self Cite

In‐depth knowledge of the hydrological conditions of basins in arid regions can help to maintain the long‐term water security. The mechanisms of runoff generation and flow paths in different landscape areas are not fully known due to spatial variability. We have explored the mechanisms by which spatial variability affects the runoff recharge sources in the Xiying River Basin. The results showed that the spatial variability of the sources and generation mechanisms of runoff in the arid mountain flow‐producing zone is the result of the combined effect of different landscape, elevation and meteorological elements. In the upstream area, the short mean transit time (MTT) combined with the high contribution of recharge from the meltwater (29.32%) and the proportion of pre‐event water (between 60% and 90%) means that runoff production processes are strongly controlled by meltwater recharge and precipitation events. The MTT and the proportion of pre‐event water in the midstream area are ranked in the middle of the three landscape areas, but the highest contribution of precipitation (16.57%) indicates the importance of precipitation to runoff production processes. In the downstream area, the MTT is the longest and the proportion of pre‐event water is the smallest, and groundwater remains the basis for long‐term stability of runoff (groundwater contribution rate: 40.62%). By enhancing the spatial resolution for identifying runoff recharge sources can reduce the model uncertainty by 69%. Thus, taking full account of the spatial heterogeneity in arid regions is an important initiative to achieve scientific water resources management.