Solute transport and transformation in an intermittent, headwater mountain stream with diurnal discharge fluctuations

Adam S. Ward; Marie J. Kurz; Noah M. Schmadel; Julia L.A. Knapp; Phillip J. Blaen; Ciaran J. Harman; Jennifer D. Drummond; David M. Hannah; Stefan Krause; Angang Li; Eugenia Marti; Alexander Milner; Melinda Miller; Kerry Neil; Stephen Plont; Aaron I. Packman; Nathan I. Wisnoski; Steven M. Wondzell; Jay P. Zarnetske

doi:10.3390/w11112208

Solute transport and transformation in an intermittent, headwater mountain stream with diurnal discharge fluctuations

Adam S. Ward, Marie J. Kurz, Noah M. Schmadel, Julia L.A. Knapp, Phillip J. Blaen, Ciaran J. Harman, Jennifer D. Drummond, David M. Hannah, Stefan Krause, Angang Li, Eugenia Marti, Alexander Milner, Melinda Miller, Kerry Neil, Stephen Plont, Aaron I. Packman, Nathan I. Wisnoski, Steven M. Wondzell, Jay P. Zarnetske

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Time-variable discharge is known to control both transport and transformation of solutes in the river corridor. Still, few studies consider the interactions of transport and transformation together. Here, we consider how diurnal discharge fluctuations in an intermittent, headwater stream control reach-scale solute transport and transformation as measured with conservative and reactive tracers during a period of no precipitation. One common conceptual model is that extended contact times with hyporheic zones during low discharge conditions allows for increased transformation of reactive solutes. Instead, we found tracer timescales within the reach were related to discharge, described by a single discharge-variable StorAge Selection function. We found that Resazurin to Resorufin (Raz-to-Rru) transformation is static in time, and apparent differences in reactive tracer were due to interactions with different ages of storage, not with time-variable reactivity. Overall we found reactivity was highest in youngest storage locations, with minimal Raz-to-Rru conversion in waters older than about 20 h of storage in our study reach. Therefore, not all storage in the study reach has the same potential biogeochemical function and increasing residence time of solute storage does not necessarily increase reaction potential of that solute, contrary to prevailing expectations.

Original language	English
Article number	2208
Journal	Water (Switzerland)
Volume	11
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/w11112208
State	Published - Nov 1 2019
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Where rivers, groundwater and disciplines meet: A hyporheic research network), the UK Natural Environment Research Council (Large woody debris-A river restoration panacea for streambed nitrate attenuation? NERC NE/L003872/1), and the European Commission supported HiFreq: Smart high-frequency environmental sensor networks for quantifying nonlinear hydrological process dynamics across spatial scales (project ID 734317). Data and facilities were provided by the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest and Long Term Ecological Research program, administered cooperatively by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon State University, and the Willamette National Forest and funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DEB-1440409. Additional support to individual authors is acknowledged from National Science Foundation (NSF) awards EAR 1652293, EAR 1417603, EAR 1846855, and EAR 1446328, Department of Energy (DOE) award DE-SC0019377, and DOE's Office of Biological and Environmental Research via the Mercury Scientific Focus Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government nor any author. Underlying data for this study are hosted by CUAHSI's HydroShare at: http://www.hydroshare.org/resource/d353ce4a7dc643c8a566504bfd578a57. Funding: This research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Where rivers, groundwater and disciplines meet: A hyporheic research network), the UK Natural Environment Research Council (Large woody debris—A river restoration panacea for streambed nitrate attenuation? NERC NE/L003872/1), and the European Commission supported HiFreq: Smart high-frequency environmental sensor networks for quantifying nonlinear hydrological process dynamics across spatial scales (project ID 734317). Data and facilities were provided by the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest and Long Term Ecological Research program, administered cooperatively by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon State University, and the Willamette National Forest and funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DEB-1440409. Additional support to individual authors is acknowledged from National Science Foundation (NSF) awards EAR 1652293, EAR 1417603, EAR 1846855, and EAR 1446328, Department of Energy (DOE) award DE-SC0019377, and DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research via the Mercury Scientific Focus Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Keywords

Diurnal discharge fluctuations
Headwaters
Hyporheic
Intermittent stream
Reactive tracers
Resazurin
River corridor
Solute transport
Unsteady-state discharge

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10.3390/w11112208

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Ward, A. S., Kurz, M. J., Schmadel, N. M., Knapp, J. L. A., Blaen, P. J., Harman, C. J., Drummond, J. D., Hannah, D. M., Krause, S., Li, A., Marti, E., Milner, A., Miller, M., Neil, K., Plont, S., Packman, A. I., Wisnoski, N. I., Wondzell, S. M., & Zarnetske, J. P. (2019). Solute transport and transformation in an intermittent, headwater mountain stream with diurnal discharge fluctuations. Water (Switzerland), 11(11), Article 2208. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11112208

@article{1aaf8e20d1bb41a8819f14daec735181,

title = "Solute transport and transformation in an intermittent, headwater mountain stream with diurnal discharge fluctuations",

abstract = "Time-variable discharge is known to control both transport and transformation of solutes in the river corridor. Still, few studies consider the interactions of transport and transformation together. Here, we consider how diurnal discharge fluctuations in an intermittent, headwater stream control reach-scale solute transport and transformation as measured with conservative and reactive tracers during a period of no precipitation. One common conceptual model is that extended contact times with hyporheic zones during low discharge conditions allows for increased transformation of reactive solutes. Instead, we found tracer timescales within the reach were related to discharge, described by a single discharge-variable StorAge Selection function. We found that Resazurin to Resorufin (Raz-to-Rru) transformation is static in time, and apparent differences in reactive tracer were due to interactions with different ages of storage, not with time-variable reactivity. Overall we found reactivity was highest in youngest storage locations, with minimal Raz-to-Rru conversion in waters older than about 20 h of storage in our study reach. Therefore, not all storage in the study reach has the same potential biogeochemical function and increasing residence time of solute storage does not necessarily increase reaction potential of that solute, contrary to prevailing expectations.",

keywords = "Diurnal discharge fluctuations, Headwaters, Hyporheic, Intermittent stream, Reactive tracers, Resazurin, River corridor, Solute transport, Unsteady-state discharge",

author = "Ward, {Adam S.} and Kurz, {Marie J.} and Schmadel, {Noah M.} and Knapp, {Julia L.A.} and Blaen, {Phillip J.} and Harman, {Ciaran J.} and Drummond, {Jennifer D.} and Hannah, {David M.} and Stefan Krause and Angang Li and Eugenia Marti and Alexander Milner and Melinda Miller and Kerry Neil and Stephen Plont and Packman, {Aaron I.} and Wisnoski, {Nathan I.} and Wondzell, {Steven M.} and Zarnetske, {Jay P.}",

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Ward, AS, Kurz, MJ, Schmadel, NM, Knapp, JLA, Blaen, PJ, Harman, CJ, Drummond, JD, Hannah, DM, Krause, S, Li, A, Marti, E, Milner, A, Miller, M, Neil, K, Plont, S, Packman, AI, Wisnoski, NI, Wondzell, SM & Zarnetske, JP 2019, 'Solute transport and transformation in an intermittent, headwater mountain stream with diurnal discharge fluctuations', Water (Switzerland), vol. 11, no. 11, 2208. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11112208

TY - JOUR

T1 - Solute transport and transformation in an intermittent, headwater mountain stream with diurnal discharge fluctuations

AU - Ward, Adam S.

AU - Kurz, Marie J.

AU - Schmadel, Noah M.

AU - Knapp, Julia L.A.

AU - Blaen, Phillip J.

AU - Harman, Ciaran J.

AU - Drummond, Jennifer D.

AU - Hannah, David M.

AU - Krause, Stefan

AU - Li, Angang

AU - Marti, Eugenia

AU - Milner, Alexander

AU - Miller, Melinda

AU - Neil, Kerry

AU - Plont, Stephen

AU - Packman, Aaron I.

AU - Wisnoski, Nathan I.

AU - Wondzell, Steven M.

AU - Zarnetske, Jay P.

PY - 2019/11/1

Y1 - 2019/11/1

N2 - Time-variable discharge is known to control both transport and transformation of solutes in the river corridor. Still, few studies consider the interactions of transport and transformation together. Here, we consider how diurnal discharge fluctuations in an intermittent, headwater stream control reach-scale solute transport and transformation as measured with conservative and reactive tracers during a period of no precipitation. One common conceptual model is that extended contact times with hyporheic zones during low discharge conditions allows for increased transformation of reactive solutes. Instead, we found tracer timescales within the reach were related to discharge, described by a single discharge-variable StorAge Selection function. We found that Resazurin to Resorufin (Raz-to-Rru) transformation is static in time, and apparent differences in reactive tracer were due to interactions with different ages of storage, not with time-variable reactivity. Overall we found reactivity was highest in youngest storage locations, with minimal Raz-to-Rru conversion in waters older than about 20 h of storage in our study reach. Therefore, not all storage in the study reach has the same potential biogeochemical function and increasing residence time of solute storage does not necessarily increase reaction potential of that solute, contrary to prevailing expectations.

AB - Time-variable discharge is known to control both transport and transformation of solutes in the river corridor. Still, few studies consider the interactions of transport and transformation together. Here, we consider how diurnal discharge fluctuations in an intermittent, headwater stream control reach-scale solute transport and transformation as measured with conservative and reactive tracers during a period of no precipitation. One common conceptual model is that extended contact times with hyporheic zones during low discharge conditions allows for increased transformation of reactive solutes. Instead, we found tracer timescales within the reach were related to discharge, described by a single discharge-variable StorAge Selection function. We found that Resazurin to Resorufin (Raz-to-Rru) transformation is static in time, and apparent differences in reactive tracer were due to interactions with different ages of storage, not with time-variable reactivity. Overall we found reactivity was highest in youngest storage locations, with minimal Raz-to-Rru conversion in waters older than about 20 h of storage in our study reach. Therefore, not all storage in the study reach has the same potential biogeochemical function and increasing residence time of solute storage does not necessarily increase reaction potential of that solute, contrary to prevailing expectations.

KW - Diurnal discharge fluctuations

KW - Headwaters

KW - Hyporheic

KW - Intermittent stream

KW - Reactive tracers

KW - Resazurin

KW - River corridor

KW - Solute transport

KW - Unsteady-state discharge

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075566470&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/w11112208

DO - 10.3390/w11112208

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85075566470

SN - 2073-4441

VL - 11

JO - Water (Switzerland)

JF - Water (Switzerland)

IS - 11

M1 - 2208

ER -

Solute transport and transformation in an intermittent, headwater mountain stream with diurnal discharge fluctuations

Abstract

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Keywords

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