HR: 0800h
AN: H51B-0456    [Abstracts]
TI: Identification of Water Source Areas Using a Multi Tracer Approach in a Semiarid Catchment in Inner Mongolia, PR China
AU: * Barthold, F K
EM: frauke.barthold@agrar.uni-giessen.de
AF: Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, Giessen, 35392, Germany
AU: Schneider, K
EM: katrin.schneider@agrar.uni-giessen.de
AF: Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, Giessen, 35392, Germany
AU: Breuer, L
EM: lutz.breuer@agrar.uni-giessen
AF: Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, Giessen, 35392, Germany
AU: Vach\´{e}, K B
EM: kellie.b.vache@agrar.uni-giessen.de
AF: Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, Giessen, 35392, Germany
AU: Frede, H
EM: hans-georg.frede@agrar.uni-giessen.de
AF: Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, Giessen, 35392, Germany
AU: McDonnell, J J
EM: jeff.mcdonnell@oregonstate.edu
AF: Department of Forest Engineering, Oregon State University, 015 Peavy Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-5706, United States
AB: The upscaling of hydrologic process understanding to mesoscale catchments is challenging, in part because of measurement limitations: we cannot characterize the hydrometric response of large catchments using standard hydrometric measurement protocols. Tracer-based approaches, however, do have significant potential to contribute to our understanding in larger catchments. The application of tracer-based approaches to catchment characterization are increasingly common, and are of particular interest to a number of recent research initiatives including PUB, which have been formulated based upon the clear need for the hydrologic sciences to more fully contribute to watershed management strategies at larger scales. This study was designed to identify water source areas and flow paths in the previously ungauged basin of the 3600 km² comprising catchment of the Xilin river, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China, in order to improve process understanding for further model development. The catchment is characterized by a relatively homogenous land use consisting of large steppe and sand dune areas used for grazing purposes and few small villages. There is no industry which could act as contaminating point sources to the river. We hypothesize that the water chemistry of the Xilin river reflects the composition of the underlying soils and geology. Snapshot sampling was conducted during summers of 2005 and 2006. Samples taken were analyzed for elemental composition with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and for anions with an ion chromatograph (IC). Also, in situ measurements of pH and EC were conducted. In this paper we present mixing diagrams and results of multivariate statistical analysis to better understand and quantify the sources of streamflow. Our results suggest that a simple three component mixture model is capable of describing the water composition during the vegetation period. The three components identified are one groundwater, one tributary and a headwater source.
DE: 1806 Chemistry of fresh water
DE: 1831 Groundwater quality
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting