Articles | Volume 16, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4497-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4497-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
28 Nov 2019
Research article |
| 28 Nov 2019
| 28 Nov 2019
High-frequency measurements explain quantity and quality of dissolved organic carbon mobilization in a headwater catchment
Benedikt J. Werner
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –
UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Andreas Musolff
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –
UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Oliver J. Lechtenfeld
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Research group BioGeoOmics, Helmholtz
Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Gerrit H. de Rooij
Department of Soil System Sciences, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental
Research – UFZ, 06120 Halle, Germany
Marieke R. Oosterwoud
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –
UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Jan H. Fleckenstein
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –
UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Related authors
Benedikt J. Werner, Oliver J. Lechtenfeld, Andreas Musolff, Gerrit H. de Rooij, Jie Yang, Ralf Gründling, Ulrike Werban, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6067–6086, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6067-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6067-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from riparian zones (RZs) is an important yet poorly understood component of the catchment carbon budget. This study chemically and spatially classifies DOC source zones within a RZ of a small catchment to assess DOC export patterns. Results highlight that DOC export from only a small fraction of the RZ with distinct DOC composition dominates overall DOC export. The application of a spatial, topographic proxy can be used to improve DOC export models.
Asha Nambiar and Gerrit Huibert de Rooij
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-412, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-412, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
The way infiltrating water moves in soil affects vegetation as well as groundwater recharge. This flow of soil water is captured by a mathematical function that covers all water contents from very dry to water-saturated. We tested several such functions for different soils and climates to see how model-calculated water fluxes are affected. Luckily, the effects of weather and the soil are much more important than the choice of the mathematical function.
Gerrit Huibert de Rooij
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3487, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3487, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geoscientific Model Development (GMD).
Short summary
Short summary
Water flows ever more slowly in soil when the soil dries out. This can be described by the conductivity curve that accounts for water filling up small spaces, sticking to grains if films, and water vapour diffusion. This paper introduces a relatively simple model for this curve that needs one parameter less then most others. It works well for most soils, but some need the extra parameter. The paper also presents a computer program to determine the parameter values of this and other models.
Pia Ebeling, Andreas Musolff, Rohini Kumar, Andreas Hartmann, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2761, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2761, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Groundwater is a crucial resource at risk by droughts. To understand drought effects on groundwater in Germany, we grouped 6626 wells into six regional and two nationwide head patterns. Weather explained half of the head variations with varied response times. Shallow groundwater responds fast and is more vulnerable to short droughts (few months). Dampened deep heads buffer short droughts but suffer from long droughts and recoveries. Two nationwide trend patterns were linked to human water use.
Arianna Borriero, Rohini Kumar, Tam V. Nguyen, Jan H. Fleckenstein, and Stefanie R. Lutz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2989–3004, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2989-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2989-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed the uncertainty of the water transit time distribution (TTD) arising from model input (interpolated tracer data) and structure (StorAge Selection, SAS, functions). We found that uncertainty was mainly associated with temporal interpolation, choice of SAS function, nonspatial interpolation, and low-flow conditions. It is important to characterize the specific uncertainty sources and their combined effects on TTD, as this has relevant implications for both water quantity and quality.
Michael Rode, Jörg Tittel, Frido Reinstorf, Michael Schubert, Kay Knöller, Benjamin Gilfedder, Florian Merensky-Pöhlein, and Andreas Musolff
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1261–1277, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1261-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1261-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Agricultural catchments show elevated phosphorus (P) concentrations during summer low flow. In an agricultural stream, we found that phosphorus in groundwater was a major source of stream water phosphorus during low flow, and stream sediments derived from farmland are unlikely to have increased stream phosphorus concentrations during low water. We found no evidence that riparian wetlands contributed to soluble reactive (SR) P loads. Agricultural phosphorus was largely buffered in the soil zone.
Carolin Winter, Tam V. Nguyen, Andreas Musolff, Stefanie R. Lutz, Michael Rode, Rohini Kumar, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 303–318, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-303-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-303-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The increasing frequency of severe and prolonged droughts threatens our freshwater resources. While we understand drought impacts on water quantity, its effects on water quality remain largely unknown. Here, we studied the impact of the unprecedented 2018–2019 drought in Central Europe on nitrate export in a heterogeneous mesoscale catchment in Germany. We show that severe drought can reduce a catchment's capacity to retain nitrogen, intensifying the internal pollution and export of nitrate.
Thomas Hermans, Pascal Goderniaux, Damien Jougnot, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Philip Brunner, Frédéric Nguyen, Niklas Linde, Johan Alexander Huisman, Olivier Bour, Jorge Lopez Alvis, Richard Hoffmann, Andrea Palacios, Anne-Karin Cooke, Álvaro Pardo-Álvarez, Lara Blazevic, Behzad Pouladi, Peleg Haruzi, Alejandro Fernandez Visentini, Guilherme E. H. Nogueira, Joel Tirado-Conde, Majken C. Looms, Meruyert Kenshilikova, Philippe Davy, and Tanguy Le Borgne
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 255–287, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-255-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-255-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Although invisible, groundwater plays an essential role for society as a source of drinking water or for ecosystems but is also facing important challenges in terms of contamination. Characterizing groundwater reservoirs with their spatial heterogeneity and their temporal evolution is therefore crucial for their sustainable management. In this paper, we review some important challenges and recent innovations in imaging and modeling the 4D nature of the hydrogeological systems.
Felipe A. Saavedra, Andreas Musolff, Jana von Freyberg, Ralf Merz, Stefano Basso, and Larisa Tarasova
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 6227–6245, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6227-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6227-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrate contamination of rivers from agricultural sources is a challenge for water quality management. During runoff events, different transport paths within the catchment might be activated, generating a variety of responses in nitrate concentration in stream water. Using nitrate samples from 184 German catchments and a runoff event classification, we show that hydrologic connectivity during runoff events is a key control of nitrate transport from catchments to streams in our study domain.
Gerrit Huibert de Rooij
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5849–5858, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5849-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5849-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The way soils capture infiltrating water affects crops and natural vegetation as well as groundwater recharge. This retention of soil water is captured by a mathematical function that covers all water contents from very dry to water-saturated. Unfortunately, data in the dry range are often absent or unreliable. I modified an earlier function to be more robust in the absence of dry-range data, and present a computer program to estimate the parameters of the new function.
Jie Yang, Qiaoyu Wang, Ingo Heidbüchel, Chunhui Lu, Yueqing Xie, Andreas Musolff, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5051–5068, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5051-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5051-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We assessed the effect of catchment topographic slopes on the nitrate export dynamics in terms of the nitrogen mass fluxes and concentration level using a coupled surface–subsurface model. We found that flatter landscapes tend to retain more nitrogen mass in the soil and export less nitrogen mass to the stream, explained by the reduced leaching and increased potential of degradation in flat landscapes. We emphasized that stream water quality is potentially less vulnerable in flatter landscapes.
Pia Ebeling, Rohini Kumar, Stefanie R. Lutz, Tam Nguyen, Fanny Sarrazin, Michael Weber, Olaf Büttner, Sabine Attinger, and Andreas Musolff
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3715–3741, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3715-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3715-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Environmental data are critical for understanding and managing ecosystems, including the mitigation of water quality degradation. To increase data availability, we present the first large-sample water quality data set (QUADICA) of riverine macronutrient concentrations combined with water quantity, meteorological, and nutrient forcing data as well as catchment attributes. QUADICA covers 1386 German catchments to facilitate large-sample data-driven and modeling water quality assessments.
Guilherme E. H. Nogueira, Christian Schmidt, Daniel Partington, Philip Brunner, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1883–1905, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1883-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1883-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In near-stream aquifers, mixing between stream water and ambient groundwater can lead to dilution and the removal of substances that can be harmful to the water ecosystem at high concentrations. We used a numerical model to track the spatiotemporal evolution of different water sources and their mixing around a stream, which are rather difficult in the field. Results show that mixing mainly develops as narrow spots, varying In time and space, and is affected by magnitudes of discharge events.
Joni Dehaspe, Fanny Sarrazin, Rohini Kumar, Jan H. Fleckenstein, and Andreas Musolff
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6437–6463, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6437-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6437-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Increased nitrate concentrations in surface waters can compromise river ecosystem health. As riverine nitrate uptake is hard to measure, we explore how low-frequency nitrate concentration and discharge observations (that are widely available) can help to identify (in)efficient uptake in river networks. We find that channel geometry and water velocity rather than the biological uptake capacity dominate the nitrate-discharge pattern at the outlet. The former can be used to predict uptake.
Benedikt J. Werner, Oliver J. Lechtenfeld, Andreas Musolff, Gerrit H. de Rooij, Jie Yang, Ralf Gründling, Ulrike Werban, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6067–6086, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6067-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6067-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from riparian zones (RZs) is an important yet poorly understood component of the catchment carbon budget. This study chemically and spatially classifies DOC source zones within a RZ of a small catchment to assess DOC export patterns. Results highlight that DOC export from only a small fraction of the RZ with distinct DOC composition dominates overall DOC export. The application of a spatial, topographic proxy can be used to improve DOC export models.
Katharina Blaurock, Burkhard Beudert, Benjamin S. Gilfedder, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Stefan Peiffer, and Luisa Hopp
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5133–5151, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5133-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5133-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an important part of the global carbon cycle with regards to carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions and drinking water treatment. In this study, we compared DOC export of a small, forested catchment during precipitation events after dry and wet preconditions. We found that the DOC export from areas that are usually important for DOC export was inhibited after long drought periods.
Gerrit Huibert de Rooij, Juliane Mai, and Raneem Madi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 983–1007, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-983-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-983-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The way soils capture infiltrating water affects crops and natural vegetation and groundwater recharge. This retention of soil water is described by a mathematical function that covers all water contents from very dry to water saturated. We combined two existing lines of research to improve the behaviour of a popular function for very dry and very wet conditions. Our new function could handle a wider range of conditions than earlier curves. We provide fits to a wide range of soils.
Ingo Heidbüchel, Jie Yang, Andreas Musolff, Peter Troch, Ty Ferré, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2895–2920, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2895-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2895-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
With the help of a 3-D computer model we examined how long the water of different rain events stays inside small catchments before it is discharged and how the nature of this discharge is controlled by different catchment and climate properties. We found that one can only predict the discharge dynamics when taking into account a combination of catchment and climate properties (i.e., there was not one single most important predictor). Our results can help to manage water pollution events.
Conrad Jackisch, Kai Germer, Thomas Graeff, Ines Andrä, Katrin Schulz, Marcus Schiedung, Jaqueline Haller-Jans, Jonas Schneider, Julia Jaquemotte, Philipp Helmer, Leander Lotz, Andreas Bauer, Irene Hahn, Martin Šanda, Monika Kumpan, Johann Dorner, Gerrit de Rooij, Stefan Wessel-Bothe, Lorenz Kottmann, Siegfried Schittenhelm, and Wolfgang Durner
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 683–697, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-683-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-683-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Soil water content and matric potential are central hydrological state variables. A large variety of automated probes and sensor systems for field monitoring exist. In a field experiment under idealised conditions we compared 15 systems for soil moisture and 14 systems for matric potential. The individual records of one system agree well with the others. Most records are also plausible. However, the absolute values of the different measuring systems span a very large range of possible truths.
Adam S. Ward, Steven M. Wondzell, Noah M. Schmadel, Skuyler Herzog, Jay P. Zarnetske, Viktor Baranov, Phillip J. Blaen, Nicolai Brekenfeld, Rosalie Chu, Romain Derelle, Jennifer Drummond, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Vanessa Garayburu-Caruso, Emily Graham, David Hannah, Ciaran J. Harman, Jase Hixson, Julia L. A. Knapp, Stefan Krause, Marie J. Kurz, Jörg Lewandowski, Angang Li, Eugènia Martí, Melinda Miller, Alexander M. Milner, Kerry Neil, Luisa Orsini, Aaron I. Packman, Stephen Plont, Lupita Renteria, Kevin Roche, Todd Royer, Catalina Segura, James Stegen, Jason Toyoda, Jacqueline Hager, and Nathan I. Wisnoski
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 5199–5225, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-5199-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-5199-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The movement of water and solutes between streams and their shallow, connected subsurface is important to many ecosystem functions. These exchanges are widely expected to vary with stream flow across space and time, but these assumptions are seldom tested across basin scales. We completed more than 60 experiments across a 5th-order river basin to document these changes, finding patterns in space but not time. We conclude space-for-time and time-for-space substitutions are not good assumptions.
Adam S. Ward, Jay P. Zarnetske, Viktor Baranov, Phillip J. Blaen, Nicolai Brekenfeld, Rosalie Chu, Romain Derelle, Jennifer Drummond, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Vanessa Garayburu-Caruso, Emily Graham, David Hannah, Ciaran J. Harman, Skuyler Herzog, Jase Hixson, Julia L. A. Knapp, Stefan Krause, Marie J. Kurz, Jörg Lewandowski, Angang Li, Eugènia Martí, Melinda Miller, Alexander M. Milner, Kerry Neil, Luisa Orsini, Aaron I. Packman, Stephen Plont, Lupita Renteria, Kevin Roche, Todd Royer, Noah M. Schmadel, Catalina Segura, James Stegen, Jason Toyoda, Jacqueline Hager, Nathan I. Wisnoski, and Steven M. Wondzell
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 11, 1567–1581, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-1567-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-1567-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Studies of river corridor exchange commonly focus on characterization of the physical, chemical, or biological system. As a result, complimentary systems and context are often lacking, which may limit interpretation. Here, we present a characterization of all three systems at 62 sites in a 5th-order river basin, including samples of surface water, hyporheic water, and sediment. These data will allow assessment of interacting processes in the river corridor.
Sophie Ehrhardt, Rohini Kumar, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Sabine Attinger, and Andreas Musolff
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3503–3524, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3503-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3503-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study shows quantitative and temporal offsets between nitrogen input and riverine output, using time series of three nested catchments in central Germany. The riverine concentrations show lagged reactions to the input, but at the same time exhibit strong inter-annual changes in the relationship between riverine discharge and concentration. The study found a strong retention of nitrogen that is dominantly assigned to a hydrological N legacy, which will affect future stream concentrations.
Gerrit Huibert de Rooij
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2018-97, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2018-97, 2018
Publication in GMD not foreseen
Short summary
Short summary
Areas that have few or no weather stations or are subject to climate change still need weather data in order to model the demand for water, the risk of floods and droughts, etc. TEmpotRain generates rainfall, daily temperature extremes, and daily potential evaporation (from the soil) / transpiration (by plants). The physical meaning of the model parameters is clear. This allows realistic values for them to be estimated, even for hypothetical (future) climates for which data are not available.
Raneem Madi, Gerrit Huibert de Rooij, Henrike Mielenz, and Juliane Mai
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1193–1219, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1193-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1193-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Water flows through soils with more difficulty when the soil is dried out. Scant rainfall in deserts may therefore result in a seemingly wet soil, but the water will often not penetrate deeply enough to replenish the groundwater. We compared the mathematical functions that describe how well different soils hold their water and found that only a few of them are realistic. The function one chooses to model the soil can have a large impact on the estimate of groundwater recharge.
Rémi Dupas, Andreas Musolff, James W. Jawitz, P. Suresh C. Rao, Christoph G. Jäger, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Michael Rode, and Dietrich Borchardt
Biogeosciences, 14, 4391–4407, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4391-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4391-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon and nutrient export regimes were analyzed from archetypal headwater catchments to
downstream reaches. In headwater catchments, land use and lithology determine
land-to-stream C, N and P transfer processes. The crucial role of riparian
zones in C, N and P coupling was investigated. In downstream reaches,
point-source contributions and in-stream processes alter C, N and P export
regimes.
W. He, C. Beyer, J. H. Fleckenstein, E. Jang, O. Kolditz, D. Naumov, and T. Kalbacher
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 3333–3348, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-3333-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-3333-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This technical paper presents a new tool to simulate reactive transport processes in subsurface systems and which couples the open-source software packages OpenGeoSys and IPhreeqc. A flexible parallelization scheme was developed and implemented to enable an optimized allocation of computer resources. The performance tests of the coupling interface and parallelization scheme illustrate the promising efficiency of this generally valid approach to simulate reactive transport problems.
L. Jørgensen, O. J. Lechtenfeld, R. Benner, M. Middelboe, and C. A. Stedmon
Biogeosciences, 11, 5349–5363, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5349-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5349-2014, 2014
E. Bloem, M. de Gee, and G. H. de Rooij
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-11-6993-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-11-6993-2014, 2014
Manuscript not accepted for further review
G. H. de Rooij
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-11-83-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-11-83-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
B. J. Kopp, J. H. Fleckenstein, N. T. Roulet, E. Humphreys, J. Talbot, and C. Blodau
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 3485–3498, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3485-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3485-2013, 2013
B. te Brake, M. J. van der Ploeg, and G. H. de Rooij
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 1933–1949, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-1933-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-1933-2013, 2013
S. Strohmeier, K.-H. Knorr, M. Reichert, S. Frei, J. H. Fleckenstein, S. Peiffer, and E. Matzner
Biogeosciences, 10, 905–916, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-905-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-905-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Rivers & Streams
Temporal dynamics and environmental controls of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes measured by the eddy covariance method over a boreal river
Shifts in organic matter character and microbial assemblages from glacial headwaters to downstream reaches in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
Molecular-level characterization of supraglacial dissolved and water-extractable organic matter along a hydrological flow path in a Greenland Ice Sheet micro-catchment
Seasonal and spatial pattern of dissolved organic matter biodegradation and photodegradation in boreal humic waters
The role of nitrogen and iron biogeochemical cycles in the production and export of dissolved organic matter in agricultural headwater catchments
Riverine dissolved organic matter responds to alterations differently in two distinct hydrological regimes from Northern Spain
From Iron Curtain to green belt: shift from heterotrophic to autotrophic nitrogen retention in the Elbe River over 35 years of passive restoration
The influence of burn severity on dissolved organic carbon concentrations across a stream network differs based on seasonal wetness conditions
Seasonal particulate organic carbon dynamics of the Kolyma River tributaries, Siberia
Geomorphologic controls and anthropogenic impacts on dissolved organic carbon from mountainous rivers: insights from optical properties and carbon isotopes
Alkalinity generation from carbonate weathering in a silicate-dominated headwater catchment at Iskorasfjellet, northern Norway
Physical and stoichiometric controls on stream respiration in a headwater stream
Local processes with a global impact: unraveling the dynamics of gas evasion in a step-and-pool configuration
Complex dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the roof of the world – Tibetan DOM molecular characteristics indicate sources, land use effects, and processing along the fluvial–limnic continuum
Maximum respiration rates in hyporheic zone sediments are primarily constrained by organic carbon concentration and secondarily by organic matter chemistry
Glacier loss and vegetation expansion alter organic and inorganic carbon dynamics in high-mountain streams
Particulate organic matter in the Lena River and its delta: from the permafrost catchment to the Arctic Ocean
Stable isotopic evidence for the excess leaching of unprocessed atmospheric nitrate from forested catchments under high nitrogen saturation
Nitrogen isotopes reveal a particulate-matter-driven biogeochemical reactor in a temperate estuary
High-resolution vertical biogeochemical profiles in the hyporheic zone reveal insights into microbial methane cycling
Organic matter transformations are disconnected between surface water and the hyporheic zone
CO2 emissions from peat-draining rivers regulated by water pH
Effects of peatland management on aquatic carbon concentrations and fluxes
Resistance and resilience of stream metabolism to high flow disturbances
Enhanced bioavailability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in human-disturbed streams in Alpine fluvial networks
Spatial and temporal variability of pCO2 and CO2 emissions from the Dong River in south China
Fluvial carbon dioxide emission from the Lena River basin during the spring flood
Diel patterns in stream nitrate concentration produced by in-stream processes
Complex interactions of in-stream dissolved organic matter and nutrient spiralling unravelled by Bayesian regression analysis
Spatial–temporal variations in riverine carbon strongly influenced by local hydrological events in an alpine catchment
Rapid soil organic carbon decomposition in river systems: effects of the aquatic microbial community and hydrodynamical disturbance
Increased carbon capture by a silicate-treated forested watershed affected by acid deposition
Thermokarst amplifies fluvial inorganic carbon cycling and export across watershed scales on the Peel Plateau, Canada
Temporary and net sinks of atmospheric CO2 due to chemical weathering in subtropical catchment with mixing carbonate and silicate lithology
From canals to the coast: dissolved organic matter and trace metal composition in rivers draining degraded tropical peatlands in Indonesia
Distribution and flux of dissolved iron in the peatland-draining rivers and estuaries of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Comparisons of dissolved organic matter and its optical characteristics in small low and high Arctic catchments
Dissolved inorganic nitrogen in a tropical estuary in Malaysia: transport and transformation
Behaviour of Dissolved Phosphorus with the associated nutrients in relation to phytoplankton biomass of the Rajang River-South China Sea continuum
Synchrony in catchment stream colour levels is driven by both local and regional climate
The post-monsoon carbon biogeochemistry of the Hooghly–Sundarbans estuarine system under different levels of anthropogenic impacts
Riverine particulate C and N generated at the permafrost thaw front: case study of western Siberian rivers across a 1700 km latitudinal transect
Geochemistry of the dissolved loads during high-flow season of rivers in the southeastern coastal region of China: anthropogenic impact on chemical weathering and carbon sequestration
CO2 partial pressure and CO2 emission along the lower Red River (Vietnam)
Stable isotopes of nitrate reveal different nitrogen processing mechanisms in streams across a land use gradient during wet and dry periods
Riverine carbon export in the arid to semiarid Wuding River catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau
Use of argon to measure gas exchange in turbulent mountain streams
Reviews and syntheses: Anthropogenic perturbations to carbon fluxes in Asian river systems – concepts, emerging trends, and research challenges
Shifts in stream hydrochemistry in responses to typhoon and non-typhoon precipitation
QUAL-NET, a high temporal-resolution eutrophication model for large hydrographic networks
Aki Vähä, Timo Vesala, Sofya Guseva, Anders Lindroth, Andreas Lorke, Sally MacIntyre, and Ivan Mammarella
Biogeosciences, 22, 1651–1671, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1651-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1651-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Boreal rivers are significant sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) for the atmosphere, but the controls of these emissions are uncertain. We measured 4 months of CO2 and CH4 exchanges between a regulated boreal river and the atmosphere with eddy covariance. We found statistical relationships between the gas exchange and several environmental variables, the most important of which were dissolved CO2 partial pressure in water, wind speed and water temperature.
Hayley F. Drapeau, Suzanne E. Tank, Maria A. Cavaco, Jessica A. Serbu, Vincent L. St. Louis, and Maya P. Bhatia
Biogeosciences, 22, 1369–1391, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1369-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1369-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
From glacial headwaters to 100 km downstream, we found clear organic matter gradients in Canadian Rocky Mountain rivers. In contrast, microbial communities exhibited overall cohesion, indicating that species dispersal may be an over-riding control on community dynamics in these connected rivers. Identification of glacial-specific microbes suggests that glaciers seed headwater microbial assemblages; these findings show the importance of glacial waters and microbiomes in changing mountain systems.
Eva L. Doting, Ian T. Stevens, Anne M. Kellerman, Pamela E. Rossel, Runa Antony, Amy M. McKenna, Martyn Tranter, Liane G. Benning, Robert G. M. Spencer, Jon R. Hawkings, and Alexandre M. Anesio
Biogeosciences, 22, 41–53, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-41-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-41-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides the first evidence for biogeochemical cycling of supraglacial dissolved organic matter (DOM) in meltwater flowing through the porous crust of weathering ice that covers glacier ice surfaces during the melt season. Movement of water through the weathering crust is slow, allowing microbes and solar radiation to alter the DOM in glacial meltwaters. This is important as supraglacial meltwaters deliver DOM to downstream aquatic environments.
Artem V. Chupakov, Natalia V. Neverova, Anna A. Chupakova, Svetlana A. Zabelina, Liudmila S. Shirokova, Taissia Ya. Vorobyeva, and Oleg S. Pokrovsky
Biogeosciences, 21, 5725–5743, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5725-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5725-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In the boreal humic waters of a forest lake and bog, the rate of dissolved organic matter photodegradation is 4 times higher than that of biodegradation. However, given the shallow, light-penetrating layer, the biodegradation provides the largest contribution to CO2 emissions from water surfaces. Trace metals were partially removed (1–10 %) during photodegradation and biodegradation via precipitation of Fe(III) hydroxides after destabilization of organoferric colloids and organic complexes.
Thibault Lambert, Rémi Dupas, and Patrick Durand
Biogeosciences, 21, 4533–4547, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4533-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4533-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export in headwater catchments. Results show small links between DOC, nitrates, and the iron cycle throughout the year, calling into question our current conceptualization of DOC export at the catchment scale. Indeed, this study evidences that the winter period, referred as a non-productive period in our current conceptual model, acts as an active period for DOC production in riparian soils and DOC export toward stream waters.
Selin Kubilay, Edurne Estévez, José Barquín Ortiz, and Gabriel Singer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2772, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2772, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Here, we studied how dams change the natural flow of rivers and their organic matter dynamics in Northern Spain. We found that in Atlantic rivers, natural rivers showed a higher turnover of organic material quality, which we believe is due to the interference of dams with the natural seasonal flow patterns. This suggests that Mediterranean rivers might be more resilient to flow regime alterations while Atlantic rivers lose their natural variability in organic material.
Alexander Wachholz, James W. Jawitz, and Dietrich Borchardt
Biogeosciences, 21, 3537–3550, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3537-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3537-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Human activities are rivers' main source of nitrogen, causing eutrophication and other hazards. However, rivers can serve as a natural defense mechanism against this by retaining nitrogen. We show that the Elbe River retains more nitrogen during times of high pollution. With improvements in water quality, less nitrogen is retained. We explain this with changed algal and bacterial activities, which correspond to pollution and have many implications for the river and adjacent ecosystems.
Katie A. Wampler, Kevin D. Bladon, and Allison N. Myers-Pigg
Biogeosciences, 21, 3093–3120, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3093-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3093-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Following a high-severity wildfire, we sampled 129 sites during four different times of the year across a stream network to quantify dissolved organic carbon. The results from our study suggested that dissolved organic carbon may decrease with increasing burn severity. They also suggest that landscape characteristics can override wildfire impacts, with the seasonal timing of sampling influencing the observed response of dissolved organic carbon concentrations to wildfire.
Kirsi H. Keskitalo, Lisa Bröder, Tommaso Tesi, Paul J. Mann, Dirk J. Jong, Sergio Bulte Garcia, Anna Davydova, Sergei Davydov, Nikita Zimov, Negar Haghipour, Timothy I. Eglinton, and Jorien E. Vonk
Biogeosciences, 21, 357–379, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-357-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-357-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost thaw releases organic carbon into waterways. Decomposition of this carbon pool emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, enhancing climate warming. We show that Arctic river carbon and water chemistry are different between the spring ice breakup and summer and that primary production is initiated in small Arctic rivers right after ice breakup, in contrast to in large rivers. This may have implications for fluvial carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas uptake and emission balance.
Shuai Chen, Jun Zhong, Lishan Ran, Yuanbi Yi, Wanfa Wang, Zelong Yan, Si-liang Li, and Khan M. G. Mostofa
Biogeosciences, 20, 4949–4967, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4949-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4949-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study found the source of dissolved organic carbon and its optical properties (e.g., aromaticity, humification) are related to human land use and catchment slope in anthropogenically impacted subtropical mountainous rivers. The study highlights that the combination of dual carbon isotopes and optical properties represents a useful tool in tracing the origin of dissolved organic carbon and its in-stream processes.
Nele Lehmann, Hugues Lantuit, Michael Ernst Böttcher, Jens Hartmann, Antje Eulenburg, and Helmuth Thomas
Biogeosciences, 20, 3459–3479, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3459-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3459-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Riverine alkalinity in the silicate-dominated headwater catchment at subarctic Iskorasfjellet, northern Norway, was almost entirely derived from weathering of minor carbonate occurrences in the riparian zone. The uphill catchment appeared limited by insufficient contact time of weathering agents and weatherable material. Further, alkalinity increased with decreasing permafrost extent. Thus, with climate change, alkalinity generation is expected to increase in this permafrost-degrading landscape.
Jancoba Dorley, Joel Singley, Tim Covino, Kamini Singha, Michael Gooseff, David Van Horn, and Ricardo González-Pinzón
Biogeosciences, 20, 3353–3366, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3353-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3353-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We quantified how microbial respiration is controlled by discharge and the supply of C, N, and P in a stream. We ran two rounds of experiments adding a conservative tracer, an indicator of aerobic respiration, and nutrient treatments: a) N, b) N+C, c) N+P, and d) C+N+P. Microbial respiration remained similar between rounds and across nutrient treatments. This suggests that complex interactions between hydrology, resource supply, and biological community drive in-stream respiration.
Paolo Peruzzo, Matteo Cappozzo, Nicola Durighetto, and Gianluca Botter
Biogeosciences, 20, 3261–3271, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3261-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3261-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Small cascades greatly enhance mountain stream gas emissions through the turbulent energy dissipation rate and air bubbles entrained into the water. We numerically studied the local contribution of these mechanisms driving gas transfer velocity used to quantify the outgassing. The gas evasion is primarily due to bubbles concentrated in irregular spots of limited area. Consequently, the gas exchange velocity is scale-dependent and unpredictable, posing concerns about its use in similar scenarios.
Philipp Maurischat, Michael Seidel, Thorsten Dittmar, and Georg Guggenberger
Biogeosciences, 20, 3011–3026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3011-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3011-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Production and consumption of organic matter (OM) on the Tibetan Plateau are important for this sensitive ecosystem. We investigated the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter and the most mobile fraction of OM in glaciers, wetlands, and groundwater as well as in the rivers and a large terminal lake. Our data show that the sources differ in the molecular composition of OM, that the stream is influenced by agriculture, and that the lake strongly changes the inflowing organic matter.
James C. Stegen, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Robert E. Danczak, Amy E. Goldman, Lupita Renteria, Joshua M. Torgeson, and Jacqueline Hager
Biogeosciences, 20, 2857–2867, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2857-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2857-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Chemical reactions in river sediments influence how clean the water is and how much greenhouse gas comes out of a river. Our study investigates why some sediments have higher rates of chemical reactions than others. We find that to achieve high rates, sediments need to have two things: only a few different kinds of molecules, but a lot of them. This result spans about 80 rivers such that it could be a general rule, helpful for predicting the future of rivers and our planet.
Andrew L. Robison, Nicola Deluigi, Camille Rolland, Nicolas Manetti, and Tom Battin
Biogeosciences, 20, 2301–2316, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2301-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2301-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change is affecting mountain ecosystems intensely, including the loss of glaciers and the uphill migration of plants. How these changes will affect the streams draining these landscapes is unclear. We sampled streams across a gradient of glacier and vegetation cover in Switzerland and found glacier loss reduced the carbon dioxide sink from weathering, while vegetation cover increased dissolved organic carbon in the stream. These changes are important to consider for mountains globally.
Olga Ogneva, Gesine Mollenhauer, Bennet Juhls, Tina Sanders, Juri Palmtag, Matthias Fuchs, Hendrik Grotheer, Paul J. Mann, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences, 20, 1423–1441, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1423-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1423-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Arctic warming accelerates permafrost thaw and release of terrestrial organic matter (OM) via rivers to the Arctic Ocean. We compared particulate organic carbon (POC), total suspended matter, and C isotopes (δ13C and Δ14C of POC) in the Lena delta and Lena River along a ~1600 km transect. We show that the Lena delta, as an interface between the Lena River and the Arctic Ocean, plays a crucial role in determining the qualitative and quantitative composition of OM discharged into the Arctic Ocean.
Weitian Ding, Urumu Tsunogai, Fumiko Nakagawa, Takashi Sambuichi, Masaaki Chiwa, Tamao Kasahara, and Ken'ichi Shinozuka
Biogeosciences, 20, 753–766, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-753-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-753-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
By monitoring the concentration and Δ17O of stream nitrate in three forested streams, the new nitrogen saturation index of forested catchments (Matm/Datm ratio) was estimated. We found that (1) the unprocessed atmospheric nitrate in our studied forested stream (FK1 catchment) was the highest ever reported in forested streams; (2) the Matm/Datm ratio can be used as a robust index for evaluating nitrogen saturation in forested catchments as the Matm/Datm ratio is independent of the precipitation.
Kirstin Dähnke, Tina Sanders, Yoana Voynova, and Scott D. Wankel
Biogeosciences, 19, 5879–5891, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5879-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5879-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrogen is an important macronutrient that fuels algal production in rivers and coastal regions. We investigated the production and removal of nitrogen-bearing compounds in the freshwater section of the tidal Elbe Estuary and found that particles in the water column are key for the production and removal of water column nitrate. Using a stable isotope approach, we pinpointed regions where additional removal of nitrate or input from sediments plays an important role in estuarine biogeochemistry.
Tamara Michaelis, Anja Wunderlich, Ömer K. Coskun, William Orsi, Thomas Baumann, and Florian Einsiedl
Biogeosciences, 19, 4551–4569, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4551-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4551-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The greenhouse gas methane (CH4) drives climate change. Microorganisms in river sediments produce CH4 when degrading organic matter, but the contribution of rivers to atmospheric CH4 concentrations is uncertain. To better understand riverine CH4 cycling, we measured concentration profiles of CH4 and relevant reactants that might influence the CH4 cycle. We found substantial CH4 production, especially in fine, organic-rich sediments during summer and signs of microbial CH4 consumption.
James C. Stegen, Sarah J. Fansler, Malak M. Tfaily, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Amy E. Goldman, Robert E. Danczak, Rosalie K. Chu, Lupita Renteria, Jerry Tagestad, and Jason Toyoda
Biogeosciences, 19, 3099–3110, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3099-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3099-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Rivers are vital to Earth, and in rivers, organic matter (OM) is an energy source for microbes that make greenhouse gas and remove contaminants. Predicting Earth’s future requires understanding how and why river OM is transformed. Our results help meet this need. We found that the processes influencing OM transformations diverge between river water and riverbed sediments. This can be used to build new models for predicting the future of rivers and, in turn, the Earth system.
Alexandra Klemme, Tim Rixen, Denise Müller-Dum, Moritz Müller, Justus Notholt, and Thorsten Warneke
Biogeosciences, 19, 2855–2880, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2855-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2855-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Tropical peat-draining rivers contain high amounts of carbon. Surprisingly, measured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from those rivers are comparatively moderate. We compiled data from 10 Southeast Asian rivers and found that CO2 production within these rivers is hampered by low water pH, providing a natural threshold for CO2 emissions. Furthermore, we find that enhanced carbonate input, e.g. caused by human activities, suspends this natural threshold and causes increased CO2 emissions.
Amy E. Pickard, Marcella Branagan, Mike F. Billett, Roxane Andersen, and Kerry J. Dinsmore
Biogeosciences, 19, 1321–1334, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1321-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1321-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Peatlands have been subject to a range of land management regimes over the past century. This has affected the amount of carbon that drains into surrounding streams and rivers. In our study, we measured carbon concentrations in streams draining from drained, non-drained, and restored areas of the Flow Country blanket bog in N Scotland. We found that drained peatland had higher concentrations and fluxes of carbon relative to non-drained areas. Restored peatland areas were highly variable.
Brynn O'Donnell and Erin R. Hotchkiss
Biogeosciences, 19, 1111–1134, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1111-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1111-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A stream is defined by flowing water, but higher flow from storms is also a frequent disturbance. This paper tests how higher flow changes stream metabolism (respiration and photosynthesis, R and P). P was less resistant to changes in flow compared to R, and P took longer to recover from storms than R (2.2 versus 0.6 d). Further work on metabolic responses to flow disturbance is critical given projected increases in storms and the influence of higher flows on ecosystem health and functioning.
Thibault Lambert, Pascal Perolo, Nicolas Escoffier, and Marie-Elodie Perga
Biogeosciences, 19, 187–200, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-187-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-187-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The bacterial mineralization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in inland waters contributes to CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Human activities affect DOM sources. However, the implications on DOM mineralization are poorly known. Combining sampling and incubations, we showed that higher bacterial respiration in agro-urban streams related to a labile pool from aquatic origin. Therefore, human activities may have a limited impact on the net carbon exchanges between inland waters and atmosphere.
Boyi Liu, Mingyang Tian, Kaimin Shih, Chun Ngai Chan, Xiankun Yang, and Lishan Ran
Biogeosciences, 18, 5231–5245, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5231-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5231-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Spatial and temporal patterns of pCO2 in the subtropical Dong River basin were mainly affected by C inputs and in-stream metabolism, both of which varied due to differential catchment settings, land cover, and hydrological conditions. CO2 fluxes in the wet season were 2-fold larger than in the dry season due to high pCO2 and turbulence caused by high flow velocity. The absence of high CO2 fluxes in small rivers could be associated with the depletion effect caused by abundant precipitation.
Sergey N. Vorobyev, Jan Karlsson, Yuri Y. Kolesnichenko, Mikhail A. Korets, and Oleg S. Pokrovsky
Biogeosciences, 18, 4919–4936, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4919-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4919-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In order to quantify riverine carbon (C) exchange with the atmosphere in permafrost regions, we report a first assessment of CO2 and CH4 concentration and fluxes of the largest permafrost-affected river, the Lena River, during the peak of spring flow. The results allowed identification of environmental factors controlling GHG concentrations and emission in the Lena River watershed; this new knowledge can be used for foreseeing future changes in C balance in permafrost-affected Arctic rivers.
Jan Greiwe, Markus Weiler, and Jens Lange
Biogeosciences, 18, 4705–4715, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4705-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4705-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed variability in diel nitrate patterns at three locations in a lowland stream. Comparison of time lags between monitoring sites with water travel time indicated that diel patterns were created by in-stream processes rather than transported downstream from an upstream point of origin. Most of the patterns (70 %) could be explained by assimilatory nitrate uptake. The remaining patterns suggest seasonally varying dominance and synchronicity of different biochemical processes.
Matthias Pucher, Peter Flödl, Daniel Graeber, Klaus Felsenstein, Thomas Hein, and Gabriele Weigelhofer
Biogeosciences, 18, 3103–3122, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3103-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3103-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Dissolved organic matter is an important carbon source in aquatic ecosystems, yet the uptake processes are not totally understood. We found evidence for the release of degradation products, efficiency loss in the uptake with higher concentrations, stimulating effects, and quality-dependent influences from the benthic zone. To conduct this analysis, we included interactions in the equations of the nutrient spiralling concept and solve it with a Bayesian non-linear fitting algorithm.
Xin Wang, Ting Liu, Liang Wang, Zongguang Liu, Erxiong Zhu, Simin Wang, Yue Cai, Shanshan Zhu, and Xiaojuan Feng
Biogeosciences, 18, 3015–3028, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3015-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3015-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We show a comprehensive monitoring dataset on the discharge and carbon transport in a small alpine river on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, where riverine carbon increased downstream in the pre-monsoon season due to an increasing contribution of organic matter derived from seasonal permafrost thaw while it fluctuated in the monsoon season induced by sporadic precipitation. These results indicate a high sensitivity of riverine carbon in alpine headwater catchments to local hydrological events.
Man Zhao, Liesbet Jacobs, Steven Bouillon, and Gerard Govers
Biogeosciences, 18, 1511–1523, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1511-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1511-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the relative importance of two individual factors (hydrodynamical disturbance and aquatic microbial community) that possibly control SOC decomposition rates in river systems. We found aquatic microbial organisms led to rapid SOC decomposition, while effect of mechanical disturbance is relative minor. We propose a simple conceptual model: hydrodynamic disturbance is only important when soil aggregates are strong enough to withstand the disruptive forces imposed by water immersions.
Lyla L. Taylor, Charles T. Driscoll, Peter M. Groffman, Greg H. Rau, Joel D. Blum, and David J. Beerling
Biogeosciences, 18, 169–188, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-169-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-169-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy involving soil amendments with silicate rock dust. Over 15 years, a small silicate application led to net CDR of 8.5–11.5 t CO2/ha in an acid-rain-impacted New Hampshire forest. We accounted for the total carbon cost of treatment and compared effects with an adjacent, untreated forest. Our results suggest ERW can improve the greenhouse gas balance of similar forests in addition to mitigating acid rain effects.
Scott Zolkos, Suzanne E. Tank, Robert G. Striegl, Steven V. Kokelj, Justin Kokoszka, Cristian Estop-Aragonés, and David Olefeldt
Biogeosciences, 17, 5163–5182, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5163-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5163-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
High-latitude warming thaws permafrost, exposing minerals to weathering and fluvial transport. We studied the effects of abrupt thaw and associated weathering on carbon cycling in western Canada. Permafrost collapse affected < 1 % of the landscape yet enabled carbonate weathering associated with CO2 degassing in headwaters and increased bicarbonate export across watershed scales. Weathering may become a driver of carbon cycling in ice- and mineral-rich permafrost terrain across the Arctic.
Yingjie Cao, Yingxue Xuan, Changyuan Tang, Shuai Guan, and Yisheng Peng
Biogeosciences, 17, 3875–3890, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3875-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3875-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
About half of the global CO2 sequestration due to chemical weathering occurs in warm and high-runoff regions. To evaluate the temporary and net sinks of atmospheric CO2 due to chemical weathering, we selected a typical subtropical catchment as our study area and did fieldwork to sample surface water along the main channel and major tributaries in 1 hydrological year. The result of mass balance calculation showed that human activities dramatically decreased the CO2 net sink.
Laure Gandois, Alison M. Hoyt, Stéphane Mounier, Gaël Le Roux, Charles F. Harvey, Adrien Claustres, Mohammed Nuriman, and Gusti Anshari
Biogeosciences, 17, 1897–1909, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1897-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1897-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Worldwide, peatlands are important sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and trace metals (TMs) to surface waters, and these fluxes may increase with peatland degradation. In Southeast Asia, tropical peatlands are being rapidly deforested and drained. This work aims to address the fate of organic carbon and its role as a trace metal carrier in drained peatlands of Indonesia.
Xiaohui Zhang, Moritz Müller, Shan Jiang, Ying Wu, Xunchi Zhu, Aazani Mujahid, Zhuoyi Zhu, Mohd Fakharuddin Muhamad, Edwin Sien Aun Sia, Faddrine Holt Ajon Jang, and Jing Zhang
Biogeosciences, 17, 1805–1819, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1805-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1805-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study offered detailed information on dFe concentrations, distribution and the magnitude of yield in the Rajang River, the largest river in Malaysia. Three blackwater rivers, draining from peatlands, were also included in our study. Compared with the Rajang River, the dFe concentrations and yield from three blackwater rivers were much higher. The precipitation and agricultural activities, such as palm oil plantations, may markedly increase the concentration dFe in these tropical rivers.
Caroline Coch, Bennet Juhls, Scott F. Lamoureux, Melissa J. Lafrenière, Michael Fritz, Birgit Heim, and Hugues Lantuit
Biogeosciences, 16, 4535–4553, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4535-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4535-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change affects Arctic ecosystems. This includes thawing of permafrost (ground below 0 °C) and an increase in rainfall. Both have substantial impacts on the chemical composition of river water. We compared the composition of small rivers in the low and high Arctic with the large Arctic rivers. In comparison, dissolved organic matter in the small rivers is more susceptible to degradation; thus, it could potentially increase carbon dioxide emissions. Rainfall events have a similar effect.
Shan Jiang, Moritz Müller, Jie Jin, Ying Wu, Kun Zhu, Guosen Zhang, Aazani Mujahid, Tim Rixen, Mohd Fakharuddin Muhamad, Edwin Sien Aun Sia, Faddrine Holt Ajon Jang, and Jing Zhang
Biogeosciences, 16, 2821–2836, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2821-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2821-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Three cruises were conducted in the Rajang River estuary, Malaysia. The results revealed that the decomposition of terrestrial organic matter and the subsequent soil leaching were the main sources of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in the fresh river water. Porewater exchange and ammonification enhanced DIN concentrations in the estuary water, while intensities of DIN addition varied between seasons. The riverine DIN flux could reach 101.5 ton(N) / d, supporting the coastal primary producers.
Edwin Sien Aun Sia, Jing Zhang, Shan Jiang, Zhuoyi Zhu, Gonzalo Carrasco, Faddrine Holt Jang, Aazani Mujahid, and Moritz Müller
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2019-219, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2019-219, 2019
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Nutrient loads carried by large rivers and discharged into the continental shelf and coastal waters are vital to support primary production. Our knowledge of tropical river systems is fragmented with very few seasonal studies available for Southeast Asia (SEA). We present data from three sampling campaigns on the longest river in Malaysia, the Rajang river. Our results show the generalization of SEA as a nutrient hotspot might not hold true for all regions and requires further investigation.
Brian C. Doyle, Elvira de Eyto, Mary Dillane, Russell Poole, Valerie McCarthy, Elizabeth Ryder, and Eleanor Jennings
Biogeosciences, 16, 1053–1071, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1053-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1053-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores the drivers of variation in the water colour of rivers, and hence organic carbon export, in a blanket peatland catchment. We used 6 years of weekly river water colour data (2011 to 2016) from three proximate river sub-catchments in western Ireland. in tandem with a range of topographical, hydrological and climate data, to discover the principle environmental drivers controlling changes in colour concentration in the rivers.
Manab Kumar Dutta, Sanjeev Kumar, Rupa Mukherjee, Prasun Sanyal, and Sandip Kumar Mukhopadhyay
Biogeosciences, 16, 289–307, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-289-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-289-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The study focused on understanding C biogeochemistry of two adjacently located estuaries undergoing different levels of anthropogenic stresses. Different parameters related to C cycling were measured in an anthropogenically influenced and a mangrove-dominated estuary. Although the entire estuarine system acted as a source of carbon dioxide to the regional atmosphere, emission approximately 17 times higher was noticed from the anthropogenically affected estuary compared to mangrove-dominated one.
Ivan V. Krickov, Artem G. Lim, Rinat M. Manasypov, Sergey V. Loiko, Liudmila S. Shirokova, Sergey N. Kirpotin, Jan Karlsson, and Oleg S. Pokrovsky
Biogeosciences, 15, 6867–6884, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6867-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6867-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We tested the effect of climate, permafrost and physio-geographical landscape parameters on particulate C, N and P concentrations in small- and medium- sized rivers in the Western Siberian Lowland (WSL). We discovered a maximum of particulate C and N concentrations at the beginning of the permafrost appearance. A northward shift of permafrost boundaries may increase the particulate C and N export by WSL rivers to the Arctic Ocean by a factor of 2.
Wenjing Liu, Zhifang Xu, Huiguo Sun, Tong Zhao, Chao Shi, and Taoze Liu
Biogeosciences, 15, 4955–4971, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4955-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4955-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The southeastern coastal region is the top acid-rain-impacted area in China. It is worth evaluating the acid deposition impacts on chemical weathering and CO2 consumption there. River water geochemistry evidenced an overestimation of CO2 sequestration if H2SO4/HNO3 involvement was ignored, which accounted for 33.6 % of the total flux by silicate weathering in this area. This study quantitatively highlights the anthropogenic acid effects on chemical weathering and associated CO2 consumption.
Thi Phuong Quynh Le, Cyril Marchand, Cuong Tu Ho, Nhu Da Le, Thi Thuy Duong, XiXi Lu, Phuong Kieu Doan, Trung Kien Nguyen, Thi Mai Huong Nguyen, and Duy An Vu
Biogeosciences, 15, 4799–4814, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4799-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4799-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The Red River is a typical south-east Asian river, strongly affected by climate and human activity. This study showed the spatial and seasonal variability of CO2 emissions at the water–air interface of the lower part of this river due to natural conditions (meteo-hydrological-geomorphological characteristics) and human activities (dam impoundment, population, land use). The Red River water was supersaturated with CO2, providing a mean water–air CO2 flux of 530 ± 17 mmol m−2 d−1.
Wei Wen Wong, Jesse Pottage, Fiona Y. Warry, Paul Reich, Keryn L. Roberts, Michael R. Grace, and Perran L. M. Cook
Biogeosciences, 15, 3953–3965, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3953-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3953-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Over-enrichment of nitrate can pose substantial risk to the quality of freshwater ecosystems. Hence, understanding the dynamics of nitrate is the key to better management of waterways. This study evaluates the relationship between the effects of land use and rainfall on the major sources and processing of nitrate within and between five streams in five catchments spanning an agricultural land use gradient. We found that rainfall exerted significant control over the fate of nitrate.
Lishan Ran, Mingyang Tian, Nufang Fang, Suiji Wang, Xixi Lu, Xiankun Yang, and Frankie Cho
Biogeosciences, 15, 3857–3871, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3857-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3857-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We systematically assessed the transport and fate of riverine carbon in the moderate-sized Wuding catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau by constructing a riverine carbon budget and further relating it to terrestrial ecosystem productivity. The riverine carbon export accounted for 16 % of the catchment's net ecosystem production (NEP). It seems that a significant fraction of terrestrial NEP in this catchment is laterally transported from the terrestrial biosphere to the drainage network.
Robert O. Hall Jr. and Hilary L. Madinger
Biogeosciences, 15, 3085–3092, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3085-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3085-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Streams exchange oxygen with the atmosphere, but this rate is difficult to measure. We added argon to small mountain streams to estimate gas exchange. We compared these rates with sulfur hexafluoride, an intense greenhouse gas. Argon worked well to measure gas exchange, but had higher-than-predicted rates than sulfur hexafluoride. Argon exchange is more likely to represent that for oxygen because they share similar physical properties. We suggest argon to measure gas exchange in small streams.
Ji-Hyung Park, Omme K. Nayna, Most S. Begum, Eliyan Chea, Jens Hartmann, Richard G. Keil, Sanjeev Kumar, Xixi Lu, Lishan Ran, Jeffrey E. Richey, Vedula V. S. S. Sarma, Shafi M. Tareq, Do Thi Xuan, and Ruihong Yu
Biogeosciences, 15, 3049–3069, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3049-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3049-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Human activities are drastically altering water and material flows in river systems across Asia. This review provides a conceptual framework for assessing the human impacts on Asian river C fluxes and an update on anthropogenic alterations of riverine C fluxes, focusing on the impacts of water pollution and river impoundments on CO2 outgassing from the rivers draining South, Southeast, and East Asian regions that account for the largest fraction of river discharge and C exports from Asia.
Chung-Te Chang, Jr-Chuan Huang, Lixin Wang, Yu-Ting Shih, and Teng-Chiu Lin
Biogeosciences, 15, 2379–2391, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2379-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2379-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Our analysis of ion input–output budget illustrates that hydrochemical responses to typhoon storms are distinctly different from those of regular storms. In addition, even mild land use change may have large impacts on nutrient exports/losses. We propose that hydrological models should separate hydrochemical processes into regular and extreme conditions to better capture the whole spectrum of hydrochemical responses to a variety of climate conditions.
Camille Minaudo, Florence Curie, Yann Jullian, Nathalie Gassama, and Florentina Moatar
Biogeosciences, 15, 2251–2269, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2251-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2251-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We developed the model QUALity-NETwork (QUAL-NET) to simulate water quality variations in large drainage networks. This model is accurate enough to represent processes occurring over short periods of time such as storm events and helps to fully understand water quality variations in stream networks in the context of climate change and varying human pressures. It was tested on the Loire River and provided good performances and a new understanding of the functioning of the river.
Cited articles
Ågren, A., Jansson, M., Ivarsson, H., Bishop, K., and Seibert, J.:
Seasonal and runoff-related changes in total organic carbon concentrations
in the River Öre, Northern Sweden, Aquat. Sci., 70, 21–29,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-007-0943-9, 2007.
Ågren, A., Berggren, M., Laudon, H., and Jansson, M.: Terrestrial
export of highly bioavailable carbon from small boreal catchments in spring
floods, Freshwater Biol., 53, 964–972,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2008.01955.x, 2008.
Alarcon-Herrera, M. T., Bewtra, J. K., and Biswas, N.: Seasonal variations
in humic substances and their reduction through water treatment processes,
Can. J. Civil Eng., 21, 173–179, https://doi.org/10.1139/l94-020,
1994.
Allen, R. G., Pereira, L. S., Raes, D., and Smith, M.: Crop evapotranspiration-Guidelines for computing crop water requirements-FAO Irrigation and drainage paper 56, FAO, Rome,Italy, 300 pp., 1998.
Barrow, C. J.: World atlas of desertification (United nations environment
programme), edited by: Middleton, N.,Thomas, D. S. G., and Arnold, E., Land
Degrad. Dev., 3, 249–249, https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3400030407, 1992.
Battin, T. J., Luyssaert, S., Kaplan, L. A., Aufdenkampe, A. K., Richter,
A., and Tranvik, L. J.: The boundless carbon cycle, Nat. Geosci., 2,
598–600, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo618, 2009.
Berggren, M. and del Giorgio, P. A.: Distinct patterns of microbial
metabolism associated to riverine dissolved organic carbon of different
source and quality, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 120,
989–999, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jg002963, 2015.
Bernal, S., Lupon, A., Catalán, N., Castelar, S., and Martí, E.:
Decoupling of dissolved organic matter patterns between stream and riparian
groundwater in a headwater forested catchment, Hydrol. Earth Syst.
Sci., 22, 1897–1910, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1897-2018, 2018.
Birkel, C., Soulsby, C., and Tetzlaff, D.: Integrating parsimonious models
of hydrological connectivity and soil biogeochemistry to simulate stream DOC
dynamics, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 119, 1030–1047, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013jg002551,
2014.
Birkel, C., Broder, T., and Biester, H.: Nonlinear and threshold-dominated
runoff generation controls DOC export in a small peat catchment, J.
Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 122, 498–513,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016jg003621, 2017.
Bishop, K., Seibert, J., Köhler, S., and Laudon, H.: Resolving the
Double Paradox of rapidly mobilized old water with highly variable responses
in runoff chemistry, Hydrol. Process., 18, 185–189,
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.5209, 2004.
Bishop, K. H., Grip, H., and O'Neill, A.: The origins of acid runoff in a
hillslope during storm events, J. Hydrol., 116, 35–61,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(90)90114-d, 1990.
Botter, G., Basso, S., Rodriguez-Iturbe, I., and Rinaldo, A.: Resilience of
river flow regimes, P. Natl. Acad. Sci., 110,
12925–12930, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1311920110, 2013.
Broder, T., Knorr, K. H., and Biester, H.: Changes in dissolved organic
matter quality in a peatland and forest headwater stream as a function of
seasonality and hydrologic conditions, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21,
2035–2051, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-2035-2017, 2017.
Buffam, I., Galloway, J. N., Blum, L. K., and McGlathery, K. J.: A
stormflow/baseflow comparison of dissolved organic matter concentrations and
bioavailability in an Appalachian stream, Biogeochemistry, 53, 269–306,
https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1010643432253, 2001.
Chen, M., Kim, S., Park, J. E., Jung, H. J., and Hur, J.: Structural and
compositional changes of dissolved organic matter upon solid-phase
extraction tracked by multiple analytical tools, Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 408,
6249–6258, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9728-0, 2016.
Christ, M. J. and David, M. B.: Temperature and moisture effects on the
production of dissolved organic carbon in a Spodosol, Soil Biol.
Biochem., 28, 1191–1199,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(96)00120-4, 1996.
Clark, J. M., Chapman, P. J., Adamson, J. K., and Lane, S. N.: Influence of
drought-induced acidification on the mobility of dissolved organic carbon in
peat soils, Glob. Change Biol., 11, 791–809,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.00937.x, 2005.
Creed, I. F., McKnight, D. M., Pellerin, B., Green, M. B., Bergamaschi, B.,
Aiken, G. R., Burns, D. A., Findlay, S. E. G., Shanley, J. B., Striegl, R.
G., Aulenbach, B. T., Clow, D. W., Laudon, H., McGlynn, B. L., McGuire, K.
J., Smith, R. A., and Stackpoole, S. M.: The river as a chemostat: fresh
perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum,
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 72, 1272–1285,
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2014-0400, 2015.
Etheridge, J. R., Birgand, F., Osborne, J. A., Osburn, C. L., Burchell, M.
R., and Irving, J.: Using in situ ultraviolet-visual spectroscopy to measure
nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, and suspended solids concentrations at a high
frequency in a brackish tidal marsh, Limnol. Oceanogr.-Method.,
12, 10–22, https://doi.org/10.4319/lom.2014.12.10, 2014.
Fox, J. and Weisberg, S.: An R Companion to
Applied Regression, Sage, 608 pp., 2011.
Frei, S., Lischeid, G., and Fleckenstein, J. H.: Effects of micro-topography
on surface–subsurface exchange and runoff generation in a virtual riparian
wetland – A modeling study, Adv. Water Resour., 33, 1388–1401,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2010.07.006, 2010.
Futter, M. N. and de Wit, H. A.: Testing seasonal and long-term controls of
streamwater DOC using empirical and process-based models, Sci. Total Environ.,
407, 698–707, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.10.002, 2008.
Garcia-Pausas, J., Casals, P., Camarero, L., Huguet, C., Thompson, R.,
Sebastià, M.-T., and Romanyà, J.: Factors regulating carbon
mineralization in the surface and subsurface soils of Pyrenean mountain
grasslands, Soil Biol. Biochem., 40, 2803–2810,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.08.001, 2008.
Guarch-Ribot, A. and Butturini, A.: Hydrological conditions regulate
dissolved organic matter quality in an intermittent headwater stream. From
drought to storm analysis, Sci. Total Environ., 571, 1358–1369,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.060, 2016.
Gustard, A. and Demuth, S.: Manual on Low-flow Estimation and Prediction,
World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 136 pp., 2009.
Hansen, A. M., Kraus, T. E. C., Pellerin, B. A., Fleck, J. A., Downing, B.
D., and Bergamaschi, B. A.: Optical properties of dissolved organic matter
(DOM): Effects of biological and photolytic degradation, Limnol.
Oceanogr., 61, 1015–1032, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10270, 2016.
Helms, J. R., Stubbins, A., Ritchie, J. D., Minor, E. C., Kieber, D. J., and
Mopper, K.: Absorption spectral slopes and slope ratios as indicators of
molecular weight, source, and photobleaching of chromophoric dissolved
organic matter, Limnol. Oceanogr., 53, 955–969,
https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2008.53.3.0955, 2008.
Herzsprung, P., von Tumpling, W., Hertkorn, N., Harir, M., Buttner, O.,
Bravidor, J., Friese, K., and Schmitt-Kopplin, P.: Variations of DOM quality
in inflows of a drinking water reservoir: linking of van Krevelen diagrams
with EEMF spectra by rank correlation, Environ. Sci. Technol., 46, 5511–5518,
https://doi.org/10.1021/es300345c, 2012.
Hood, E., Gooseff, M. N., and Johnson, S. L.: Changes in the character of
stream water dissolved organic carbon during flushing in three small
watersheds, Oregon, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 111, G01007, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005jg000082, 2006.
Hope, D., Billett, M. F., and Cresser, M. S.: A review of the export of
carbon in river water: Fluxes and processes, Environ. Pollut., 84,
301–324, https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(94)90142-2, 1994.
Hrachowitz, M., Benettin, P., van Breukelen, B. M., Fovet, O., Howden, N. J.
K., Ruiz, L., van der Velde, Y., and Wade, A. J.: Transit times-the link
between hydrology and water quality at the catchment scale, Wiley
Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 3, 629–657, https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1155, 2016.
Hruška, J., Krám, P., McDowell, W. H., and Oulehle, F.: Increased Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) in Central European Streams is Driven by Reductions in Ionic Strength Rather than Climate Change or Decreasing Acidity, Environ. Sci. Technol., 43, 4320–4326, https://doi.org/10.1021/es803645w, 2009.
Hutchins, R. H. S., Aukes, P., Schiff, S. L., Dittmar, T., Prairie, Y. T.,
and del Giorgio, P. A.: The Optical, Chemical, and Molecular Dissolved
Organic Matter Succession Along a Boreal Soil-Stream-River Continuum,
J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 122, 2892–2908,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jg004094, 2017.
Inamdar, S., Finger, N., Singh, S., Mitchell, M., Levia, D., Bais, H.,
Scott, D., and McHale, P.: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration and
quality in a forested mid-Atlantic watershed, USA, Biogeochemistry, 108,
55–76, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9572-4, 2011.
Jawitz, J. W. and Mitchell, J.: Temporal inequality in catchment discharge
and solute export, Water Resour. Res., 47, W00J14, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010WR010197,
2011.
Kaiser, K. and Kalbitz, K.: Cycling downwards – dissolved organic matter in
soils, Soil Biol. Biochem., 52, 29–32,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.04.002, 2012.
Kalbitz, K., Solinger, S., Park, J.-H., Michalzik, B., and Matzner, E.:
Controls on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in soils: a review,
Soil Sci., 165, 277–304, 2000.
Kaplan, L. A., Wiegner, T. N., Newbold, J. D., Ostrom, P. H., and Gandhi,
H.: Untangling the complex issue of dissolved organic carbon uptake: a
stable isotope approach, Freshwater Biol., 53, 855–864,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2007.01941.x, 2008.
Koffler, D., Gauster, T., and Laaha, G.: lfstat: Calculation of Low Flow
Statistics for Daily Stream Flow Data, R package version 0.9.4, 2016.
Köhler, S., Buffam, I., Jonsson, A., and Bishop, K.: Photochemical and
microbial processing of stream and soil water dissolved organic matter in a
boreal forested catchment in northern Sweden, Aquat. Sci., 64, 269–281,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-002-8071-z, 2002.
Köhler, S. J., Buffam, I., Laudon, H., and Bishop, K. H.: Climate's
control of intra-annual and interannual variability of total organic carbon
concentration and flux in two contrasting boreal landscape elements, J.
Geophys. Res., 113, G03012, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007jg000629, 2008.
Köhler, S. J., Buffam, I., Seibert, J., Bishop, K. H., and Laudon, H.:
Dynamics of stream water TOC concentrations in a boreal headwater catchment:
Controlling factors and implications for climate scenarios, J.
Hydrol., 373, 44–56, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.04.012, 2009.
Kottek, M., Grieser, J., Beck, C., Rudolf, B., and Rubel, F.: World Map of
the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated, Meteorol.
Z., 15, 259–263, https://doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130, 2006.
Laudon, H., Sjöblom, V., Buffam, I., Seibert, J., and Mörth, M.: The
role of catchment scale and landscape characteristics for runoff generation
of boreal streams, J. Hydrol., 344, 198–209,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.07.010, 2007.
Laudon, H., Buttle, J., Carey, S. K., McDonnell, J., McGuire, K., Seibert,
J., Shanley, J., Soulsby, C., and Tetzlaff, D.: Cross-regional prediction of
long-term trajectory of stream water DOC response to climate change,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L18404, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012gl053033, 2012.
Ledesma, J. L., Grabs, T., Bishop, K. H., Schiff, S. L., and Kohler, S. J.:
Potential for long-term transfer of dissolved organic carbon from riparian
zones to streams in boreal catchments, Glob. Change Biol., 21, 2963–2979,
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12872, 2015.
Ledesma, J. L. J., Kothawala, D. N., Bastviken, P., Maehder, S., Grabs, T.,
and Futter, M. N.: Stream Dissolved Organic Matter Composition Reflects the
Riparian Zone, Not Upslope Soils in Boreal Forest Headwaters, Water
Resour. Res., 54, 3896–3912, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017WR021793, 2018.
Luke, S. H., Luckai, N. J., Burke, J. M., and Prepas, E. E.: Riparian areas
in the Canadian boreal forest and linkages with water quality in streams,
Environ. Rev., 15, 79–97, https://doi.org/10.1139/A07-001, 2007.
Marquardt, D. W.: Generalized Inverses, Ridge Regression, Biased Linear
Estimation, and Nonlinear Estimation, Technometrics, 12, 591–612,
https://doi.org/10.2307/1267205, 1970.
Menard, S.: Applied logistic regression analysis, SAGE publications, 128 pp., 2001.
Mevik, B.-H. and Wehrens, R.: The pls Package: Principal Component and Partial
Least Squares Regression in R, J. Stat. Softw., 18, 128 pp.,
https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v018.i02, 2007.
Moatar, F., Abbott, B. W., Minaudo, C., Curie, F., and Pinay, G.: Elemental
properties, hydrology, and biology interact to shape concentration-discharge
curves for carbon, nutrients, sediment, and major ions, Water Resour.
Res., 53, 1270–1287, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016wr019635, 2017.
Mueller, C., Zink, M., Samaniego, L., Krieg, R., Merz, R., Rode, M., and
Knöller, K.: Discharge Driven Nitrogen Dynamics in a Mesoscale River
Basin As Constrained by Stable Isotope Patterns, Environ. Sci.
Technol., 50, 9187–9196, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b01057, 2016.
Musolff, A., Schmidt, C., Selle, B., and Fleckenstein, J. H.: Catchment
controls on solute export, Adv. Water Resour., 86, 133–146,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2015.09.026, 2015.
Musolff, A., Selle, B., Büttner, O., Opitz, M., and Tittel, J.:
Unexpected release of phosphate and organic carbon to streams linked to
declining nitrogen depositions, Glob. Change Biol., 23, 1891–1901,
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13498, 2017.
Musolff, A., Fleckenstein, J. H., Opitz, M., Büttner, O., Kumar, R., and
Tittel, J.: Spatio-temporal controls of dissolved organic carbon stream
water concentrations, J. Hydrol., 566, 205–215, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.09.011, 2018.
Nimick, D. A., Gammons, C. H., and Parker, S. R.: Diel biogeochemical
processes and their effect on the aqueous chemistry of streams: A review,
Chem. Geol., 283, 3–17,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2010.08.017, 2011.
Preston, M. D., Eimers, M. C., and Watmough, S. A.: Effect of moisture and
temperature variation on DOC release from a peatland: Conflicting results
from laboratory, field and historical data analysis, Sci. Total
Environ., 409, 1235–1242,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.12.027, 2011.
Raeke, J., Lechtenfeld, O. J., Tittel, J., Oosterwoud, M. R., Bornmann, K.,
and Reemtsma, T.: Linking the mobilization of dissolved organic matter in
catchments and its removal in drinking water treatment to its molecular
characteristics, Water Res., 113, 149–159, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.01.066,
2017.
R-Core-Team: R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2017.
Rode, M., Wade, A. J., Cohen, M. J., Hensley, R. T., Bowes, M. J., Kirchner,
J. W., Arhonditsis, G. B., Jordan, P., Kronvang, B., Halliday, S. J.,
Skeffington, R. A., Rozemeijer, J. C., Aubert, A. H., Rinke, K., and Jomaa,
S.: Sensors in the Stream: The High-Frequency Wave of the Present, Environ.
Sci. Technol., 50, 10297–10307, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b02155, 2016.
Rodhe, A.: On the Generation of Stream Runoff in Till Soils: Paper presented
at the Nordic Hydrological Conference (Rovaniemi, Finland, August – 1988),
Hydrol. Res., 20, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.1989.0001, 1989.
Rodríguez-Iturbe, I., Ijjász-Vásquez, E. J., Bras, R. L., and
Tarboton, D. G.: Power law distributions of discharge mass and energy in
river basins, Water Resour. Res., 28, 1089–1093,
https://doi.org/10.1029/91WR03033, 1992.
Roth, V.-N., Dittmar, T., Gaupp, R., and Gleixner, G.: Latitude and pH
driven trends in the molecular composition of DOM across a north south
transect along the Yenisei River, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 123,
93–105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.09.002, 2013.
Samaniego, L., Kumar, R., and Attinger, S.: Multiscale parameter
regionalization of a grid-based hydrologic model at the mesoscale, Water
Resour. Res., 46, W05523, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008wr007327, 2010.
Sanderman, J., Lohse, K. A., Baldock, J. A., and Amundson, R.: Linking soils
and streams: Sources and chemistry of dissolved organic matter in a small
coastal watershed, Water Resour. Res., 45, W03418, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008wr006977,
2009.
Seibert, J., Grabs, T., Köhler, S., Laudon, H., Winterdahl, M., and Bishop, K.: Linking soil- and stream-water chemistry based on a Riparian Flow-Concentration Integration Model, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2287–2297, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2287-2009, 2009.
Shang, P., Lu, Y., Du, Y., Jaffé, R., Findlay, R. H., and Wynn, A.:
Climatic and watershed controls of dissolved organic matter variation in
streams across a gradient of agricultural land use, Sci. Total
Environ., 612, 1442–1453,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.322, 2018.
Shen, Y., Chapelle, F. H., Strom, E. W., and Benner, R.: Origins and
bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in groundwater, Biogeochemistry,
122, 61–78, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-014-0029-4, 2015.
Spencer, R. G. M., Butler, K. D., and Aiken, G. R.: Dissolved organic carbon
and chromophoric dissolved organic matter properties of rivers in the USA,
J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 117, G03001,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jg001928, 2012.
Stewart, A. and Wetzel, R.: Dissolved humic materials: Photodegradation,
sediment effects, and reactivity with phosphate and calcium carbonate
precipitation, Arch. Hydrobiol., 92, 265–286, 1981.
Strohmeier, S., Knorr, K. H., Reichert, M., Frei, S., Fleckenstein, J. H.,
Peiffer, S., and Matzner, E.: Concentrations and fluxes of dissolved organic
carbon in runoff from a forested catchment: insights from high frequency
measurements, Biogeosciences, 10, 905–916, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-905-2013, 2013.
Tunaley, C., Tetzlaff, D., Lessels, J., and Soulsby, C.: Linking
high-frequency DOC dynamics to the age of connected water sources, Water
Resour. Res., 52, 5232–5247, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015wr018419, 2016.
Vaughan, M. C. H., Bowden, W. B., Shanley, J. B., Vermilyea, A., Sleeper,
R., Gold, A. J., Pradhanang, S. M., Inamdar, S. P., Levia, D. F., Andres, A.
S., Birgand, F., and Schroth, A. W.: High-frequency dissolved organic carbon
and nitrate measurements reveal differences in storm hysteresis and loading
in relation to land cover and seasonality, Water Resour. Res., 53,
5345–5363, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017wr020491, 2017.
Weishaar, J. L., Aiken, G. R., Bergamaschi, B. A., Fram, M. S., Fujii, R.,
and Mopper, K.: Evaluation of Specific Ultraviolet Absorbance as an
Indicator of the Chemical Composition and Reactivity of Dissolved Organic
Carbon, Environ. Sci. Technol., 37, 4702–4708,
https://doi.org/10.1021/es030360x, 2003.
Werner, B. J.: High frequency dataset of the upper Rappbode Catchment in the Harz Mountains, Germany, https://doi.org/10.4211/hs.e0e6fbc0571149b79b1e75fa44d5c4ab, last access: 14 May 2019.
Winterdahl, M., Laudon, H., Lyon, S. W., Pers, C., and Bishop, K.:
Sensitivity of stream dissolved organic carbon to temperature and discharge:
Implications of future climates, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 121, 126–144, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jg002922, 2016.
Wollschläger, U., Attinger, S., Borchardt, D., Brauns, M., Cuntz, M.,
Dietrich, P., Fleckenstein, J. H., Friese, K., Friesen, J., Harpke, A.,
Hildebrandt, A., Jäckel, G., Kamjunke, N., Knöller, K., Kögler,
S., Kolditz, O., Krieg, R., Kumar, R., Lausch, A., Liess, M., Marx, A.,
Merz, R., Mueller, C., Musolff, A., Norf, H., Oswald, S. E., Rebmann, C.,
Reinstorf, F., Rode, M., Rink, K., Rinke, K., Samaniego, L., Vieweg, M.,
Vogel, H.-J., Weitere, M., Werban, U., Zink, M., and Zacharias, S.: The Bode
hydrological observatory: a platform for integrated, interdisciplinary
hydro-ecological research within the TERENO Harz/Central German Lowland
Observatory, Environ. Earth Sci., 76, 29 pp.,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6327-5, 2016.
Zarnetske, J. P., Bouda, M., Abbott, B. W., Saiers, J., and Raymond, P. A.:
Generality of Hydrologic Transport Limitation of Watershed Organic Carbon
Flux Across Ecoregions of the United States, Geophys. Res. Lett.,
45, 11702–711711, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080005, 2018.
Short summary
Increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in streams can pose a threat to downstream water resources. Analyzing data from an in-stream probe we found that hydroclimatic and hydrological drivers can describe up to 72 % of the observed DOC concentration and composition variability. Variability was found to be highest during discharge events with warm and dry preconditions. The findings suggest an impact of climate change on DOC exports and thus also on downstream water quality.
Increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in streams can pose a threat to...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint