Groundwater components in the alluvial aquifer of the alpine Rhone River valley, Bois de Finges area, Wallis Canton, Switzerland

Schürch, Marc; Vuataz, François-David

doi:10.1007/s100400000094

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…To fill this gap, the present study focused on the Pfyn alluvial forest in the Wallis Canton (Switzerland), located along the Rhône River in the Swiss Alps. In this area, the alluvial plain is governed by a glacial hydrological regime and a subcontinental climate (Schürch and Vuataz, ; Fette, ). Thus, the growth period is usually characterized by low precipitation but high river discharge leading to shallow water table conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The valley is mainly composed of sandy gravel, partly overlain by rockslide deposits from the Würm period and forming small hills reaching 700 m a.s.l. (Schürch and Vuataz, ). With an average annual rainfall of only about 587 mm, the Pfyn forest is the driest site in Switzerland (Schürch and Vuataz, ).…”

Section: Hydrogeological and Environmental Settingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For this study, δ 18 O and δ 2 H signatures in the various water cycle compartments were investigated. In the context of the Pfyn forest, this approach is well suited because the aquifer is mainly recharged by water coming from a high altitude (Schürch and Vuataz, ) and groundwater is expected to have a distinctly different isotope signature from local rain supplying soil water. The hydrological parameters were constrained by analysing isotopic signatures of rainwater, soil water and groundwater at various times of the hydrological season and at different sites selected across the alluvial plain featured by different mean water table depths.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland

et al. 2012

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International audienceSources of water use by 10 alluvial trees in various hydrogeological and ecological situations at the Pfyn forest (Wallis canton, Switzerland) were assessed by analysing 18O and 2H isotopes of precipitation, soil water at different depths, surface water, groundwater and xylem sap. The soil water line in a δ18O versus δ2H diagram shows evidence of kinetic fractionation related to evaporation. The tree water line is close to the soil trend; however, an additional enrichment may occur and could be related to xylem–phloem communication under water stress. At sites where the water table was at least 2 m below the ground surface, isotopic temporal variability of soils and trees was strongly linked with seasonal variation of soil water content. When soil water content was low and water table shallow, trees used both soil water and groundwater. When soil water content was high, this source was usually the dominant source for transpiration. In addition, some ecological strategies, reproduction or growth competition, could explain shifts in the utilization of different water sources, for example, from soil water to a mix of soil water and groundwater. At one site where soil water and groundwater were abundant throughout the year (next to the river course), neighbouring trees permanently used distinct water sources. This is consistent with a strategy of competition limitation, which would favour bank colonization. These results provide insight into the ecohydrological functioning of this system and will aid future management responses to both local and climate changes

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Hydrogeological and Environmental Settingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland

et al. 2012

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“…Mean annual precipitation ranges from ~570 mm in the lower part of the drainage basin [26] to 1700 mm at its sum- mits [27], rendering it one of the driest sites in Switzerland [28]. Intense rainstorms occur mainly in summer, and estimated rainfall intensities with a return period of 100 years are 35 and 57 mm h -1 for a 0.5 and a 1 h rainfall event, respectively [27].…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Tree-Ring Reconstruction of Debris-Flow Events Leading to Overbank Sedimentation on the Illgraben Cone (Valais Alps, Switzerland)

Stoffel

Bollschweiler

Leutwiler

et al. 2008

TOGEOJ

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Dendrogeomorphological analyses of trees affected by debris flows have regularly been used to date past events. However, while previous studies in the Swiss Alps have focused primarily on granitic and gneissic debris-flow material and on Larix decidua Mill. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. trees, they have -at the same time -widely disregarded torrents dominated by finely fractured calcareous and dolomitic lithologies and forests populated with Pinus sylvestris L. In this paper, we report on results obtained from a debris-flow cone in the Rhone valley (Valais, Switzerland) where very fine and muddy material (limestone, dolomite, quartzite and calcite) occasionally affects P. sylvestris trees. Based on the results of a geomorphic map, 1004 increment cores from 451 disturbed P. sylvestris, 37 L. decidua and five P. abies trees were sampled, allowing reconstruction of 15 events between AD 1793 and 2005 as well as the determination of breakout locations of events. From the data, it also appears that debris-flow material only rarely left the incised channel over the last 200 years and that overbank sedimentation events did not occur after 1961, when a rockslide delivered large amounts of erodible material and subsequent debris flows caused an important incision of the canyon on the cone.

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“…In a riverside alluvial setting, however, the processes of groundwater recharge and flow are typically quite complex because of the heterogeneity of aquifer materials consisting of alluvium sediments ranging from gravel to clays (Teles et al, 2004). An integrated use of hydrogeological, hydrochemical, and isotopic data is helpful in identifying the sources and mechanisms of groundwater recharge in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer (Schürch and Vuataz, 2000). Environmental isotopes (υ 18 O, υ 2 H, and 3 H) have been particularly successful in elucidating the source and recharge characteristics of alluvial groundwater (Guglielmi et al, 1998;Harvey and Sibray, 2001;Böhnke et al, 2002;Trettin et al, 2002;Zhang et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of groundwater recharge sources and processes in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer: results from multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes in a riverside agricultural area in Korea

Choi

Yun

Mayer

et al. 2009

Hydrological Processes

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Abstract:We evaluated sources and pathways of groundwater recharge for a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer beneath an agricultural field, based on multi-level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes of a riverside groundwater system at Buyeo, Korea. Two distinct groundwater zones were identified with depth: (1) a shallow oxic groundwater zone, characterized by elevated concentrations of NO 3 and (2) a deeper (>10-14 m from the ground surface) sub-oxic groundwater zone with high concentrations of dissolved Fe, silica, and HCO 3 , but little nitrate. The change of redox zones occurred at a depth where the aquifer sediments change from an upper sandy stratum to a silty stratum with mud caps. The υ 18 O and υ 2 H values of groundwater were also different between the two zones. Hydrochemical and υ 18 O-υ 2 H data of oxic groundwater are similar to those of soil water. This illustrates that recharge of oxic groundwater mainly occurs through direct infiltration of rain and irrigation water in the sandy soil area where vegetable cropping with abundant fertilizer use is predominant. Oxic groundwater is therefore severely contaminated by agrochemical pollutants such as nitrate. In contrast, deeper sub-oxic groundwater contains only small amounts of dissolved oxygen (DO) and NO 3 . The 3 H contents and elevated silica concentrations in sub-oxic groundwater indicate a somewhat longer mean residence time of groundwater within this part of the aquifer. Sub-oxic groundwater was also characterized by higher υ 18 O and υ 2 H values and lower d-excess values, indicating significant evaporation during recharge. We suggest that recharge of sub-oxic groundwater occurs in the areas of paddy rice fields where standing irrigation and rain water are affected by strong evaporation, and that reducing conditions develop during subsequent sub-surface infiltration. This study illustrates the existence of two groundwater bodies with different recharge processes within an alluvial aquifer.

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Groundwater components in the alluvial aquifer of the alpine Rhone River valley, Bois de Finges area, Wallis Canton, Switzerland

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland

Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland

Tree-Ring Reconstruction of Debris-Flow Events Leading to Overbank Sedimentation on the Illgraben Cone (Valais Alps, Switzerland)

Identification of groundwater recharge sources and processes in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer: results from multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes in a riverside agricultural area in Korea

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Groundwater components in the alluvial aquifer of the alpine Rhone River valley, Bois de Finges area, Wallis Canton, Switzerland

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ18O, δ2H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland

Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ18O, δ2H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland

Tree-Ring Reconstruction of Debris-Flow Events Leading to Overbank Sedimentation on the Illgraben Cone (Valais Alps, Switzerland)

Identification of groundwater recharge sources and processes in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer: results from multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes in a riverside agricultural area in Korea

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Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland

Determination of spatiotemporal variability of tree water uptake using stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) in an alluvial system supplied by a high‐altitude watershed, Pfyn forest, Switzerland