High-frequency water quality time series in precipitation and streamflow: from fragmentary signals to scientific challenge

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Neal, Colin; Reynolds, Brian; Rowland, Philip; Norris, David; Kirchner, James W.; Neal, Margaret; Sleep, Darren; Lawlor, Alan; Woods, Clive; Thacker, Sarah; Guyatt, Hayley; Vincent, Colin; Hockenhull, Kathryn; Wickham, Heather; Harman, Sarah; Armstrong, Linda. 2012 High-frequency water quality time series in precipitation and streamflow: from fragmentary signals to scientific challenge. Science of the Total Environment, 434. 3-12. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.10.072

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.10.072

Abstract/Summary

Eighteen months of 7-hourly analyses of rainfall and stream water chemistry are presented, spanning a wide range of chemical determinands and building on over 20 years of weekly records for the moorland headwaters of the river Severn. The high-frequency time series data show that hydrochemical responses to major hydrological and biological drivers of short-term variability in rainfall and rivers are not captured by conventional low-frequency monitoring programmes. A wealth of flow related, flow independent, diurnal, seasonal and annual fluctuations indicate a cacophony of interactions within the catchment and stream. The complexity of the chemical dynamics is visually obvious, although there appears to be no clear way of translating this complexity into a simple algorithm. The work provides a proof of concept for the complex structure of catchment functioning revealed by extensive high-frequency measurements coupled with high analytical sensitivity and reproducibility. It provides new insights into hydrogeochemical functioning and a novel resource for catchment modelling.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number/DOI:	10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.10.072
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 onwards > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 1 - Monitoring and Interpretation of Biogeochemical and Climate Changes CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 onwards > Water > WA Topic 1 - Variability and Change in Water Systems
CEH Sections:	Acreman CEH fellows Emmett Shore
ISSN:	0048-9697
Additional Keywords:	stream water chemistry, Plynlimon, high resolution, fractal, complexity, rainwater chemistry
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences Chemistry
Date made live:	12 Oct 2012 14:49
URI:	http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/19914

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number/DOI:

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.10.072

Programmes:

CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 onwards > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 1 - Monitoring and Interpretation of Biogeochemical and Climate Changes
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 onwards > Water > WA Topic 1 - Variability and Change in Water Systems

CEH Sections:

Acreman
CEH fellows
Emmett
Shore

ISSN:

0048-9697

Additional Keywords:

stream water chemistry, Plynlimon, high resolution, fractal, complexity, rainwater chemistry