Variations in Bedrock and Vegetation Cover Modulate Subsurface Water Flow Dynamics of a Mountainous Hillslope

Uhlemann, S.; Peruzzo, L.; Chou, C.; Williams, K. H.; Wielandt, S.; Wang, C.; Falco, N.; Wu, Y.; Carr, B.; Meldrum, P.; Chambers, J.; Dafflon, B.. 2024 Variations in Bedrock and Vegetation Cover Modulate Subsurface Water Flow Dynamics of a Mountainous Hillslope. Water Resources Research, 60 (2), e2023WR036137. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036137

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.

Preview

Text (Open Access Paper)
Water Resources Research - 2024 - Uhlemann - Variations in Bedrock and Vegetation Cover Modulate Subsurface Water Flow.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Download (6MB) | Preview

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036137

Abstract/Summary

Predicting the hydrological response of watersheds to climate disturbances requires a detailed understanding of the processes connecting hillslopes and streams. Using a network of soil moisture and temperature sensors, electrical resistivity tomography monitoring, and a weather station we assess the above and below-ground processes driving the hydrological response of a hillslope during snowmelt and summer monsoon. The transect covers bedrock and vegetation gradients, with a steep upper part characterized by shallow bedrock, and gentle lower part underlain by colluvium. The main vegetation cover is conifers on the upper, and grass and veratrum on the lower part. Combined with a simplified hydrological model, we show that the thin soil layer of the steep slope acts as a preferential flow path, leading to mostly shallow lateral flow, interrupted by vertical flow, mostly at tree locations, and likely facilitated by flow along fractures and roots. Vertical flow and upstream-driven groundwater dynamics are prevailing at the colluvium, presenting a very different hydrological behavior compared to the upper part. These results show that subsurface structure and features have a strong control on the hydrological response of a hillslope and that those can create considerably varying hydrological dynamics across small spatial scales.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036137
ISSN:	0043-1397
Date made live:	25 Mar 2024 16:18 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537166

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036137

ISSN:

0043-1397

Date made live:

25 Mar 2024 16:18 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537166