HR: 09:40h
AN: H31E-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Multi-scale field investigation of water flow pathways and residence times in mountainous catchments during monsoon rainfall
AU: * Troch, P A
EM: patroch@hwr.arizona.edu
AF: Department of Hydrology and Water Resources The University of Arizona, 1133 N. James E. Roger Way, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
AU: Lyon, S W
EM: slyon@hwr.arizona.edu
AF: Department of Hydrology and Water Resources The University of Arizona, 1133 N. James E. Roger Way, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
AU: Desilets, S
EM: seinloth@hwr.arizona.edu
AF: Department of Hydrology and Water Resources The University of Arizona, 1133 N. James E. Roger Way, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
AB: The "sky islands" of Arizona and New Mexico in the southwestern United States form a unique complex of about 27 mountain ranges whose ecosystems support many perennial and ephemeral streams in an arid climate. Among these sky islands are the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, AZ, with a peak elevation of 9157 ft at Mt. Lemmon. Sabino Canyon Creek is the main stream which runs on the south face of the mountain range. It usually flows from July through April with an average daily flow of approximately 0.28 m3/s (10 cfs). However, flash floods are common both during summer as a result of intense monsoon rains and during spring because of rapid snowmelt. During these events, flow increases drastically, reaching peak flows up to 480 m3/s (15,984 cfs, July 2006). Characterizing water flow pathways and residence times in these complex catchments is important for improving flash flood warning systems, estimating mountain front recharge, managing forest and wild fires, and understanding ecosystem functions. In the summer of 2006, we set up an extensive hydrometrical and hydro- chemical monitoring network in Sabino Canyon Creek, comprising 40 tipping bucket rain gauges (two of which were equipped to automatically collect rainwater samples), 5 automatic surface water level stations (three of which were equipped with auto samplers), and 8 manual soil lysimeters. In addition, several rain and stream water grab samples were collected manually during intensive rain events. Water samples are analyzed for major ions and liquid water isotopic concentration (2H and 18O) in rain, soil, ground and surface water. The data allows for a detailed reconstruction of water flow pathways and residence times at 3 different catchment scales (2 km2, 8 km2, and 91 km2) during the recorded flow events, including the highest monsoon rainfall-runoff event ever recorded in these mountains.
DE: 0454 Isotopic composition and chemistry (1041, 4870)
DE: 1821 Floods
DE: 1854 Precipitation (3354)
DE: 1860 Streamflow
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly