Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhongyuan Xu, Jayaram Hariharan, Paola Passalacqua, Elisabeth Steel, Chris Paola, Holly A. Michael
Summary: Understanding the subsurface structure and groundwater flow in deltaic aquifers is crucial for assessing groundwater vulnerability in delta systems. This study links depositional environments in deltaic aquifers to static and dynamic connectivity metrics, demonstrating the influence of geologic setting on both aspects of connectivity. The research highlights the potential for using information from delta surface networks and depositional history to predict vulnerability to aquifer contamination.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Danelle Agnew, Kirstie Fryirs
Summary: By connecting corridors of river recovery, resilience can be built into river systems to mitigate against future floods and droughts. However, there is a lack of methods to identify where these corridors can be built in river management practice. The Open Access NSW River Styles database provides comprehensive information on geomorphic river condition and recovery potential, which can be used to analyze potential locations for river recovery corridors. The study found significant spatial variability in the types and lengths of connections made across different catchments. These findings provide important guidance for river conservation and rehabilitation activities in practice.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Constantinos Matsoukis, Laurent O. O. Amoudry, Lucy Bricheno, Nicoletta Leonardi
Summary: Excessive salinity can harm ecosystems and affect anthropogenic activities in river deltas. Research shows that adjusting the timing and flow distribution of river discharge can improve freshwater conditions in deltas. These findings are important for coastal scientists and stakeholders managing freshwater resources in river deltas worldwide.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Liang Xiao, Jianjun Liu, Fuwan Gan, Lihua Chen, Yongxin Xu
Summary: In this paper, a new semianalytical solution is proposed to investigate the mechanism of transient confined-unconfined flow under the non-Darcian condition in a fully penetrated confined aquifer. The acceptability of the proposed solutions was verified by comparisons with numerical solutions by COMSOL Multiphysics and an analytical solution. The effects of the non-Darcian index, hydraulic conductivity, and the storativity ratio on developments of drawdown and the transient unconfined region were especially investigated. The result offers important insights in the field of mine dewatering and the application of geological and hydrological conditions.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGIC ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yongge Zang, Miao Li
Summary: The study showed that using compressed air injection as a method to control seawater intrusion is effective. By injecting compressed air into the toe of the saltwater wedge in the aquifer, a hydraulic gradient driving seawater back towards the ocean is produced. The injection rate of air is related to operational costs, but the increase is not significant as the change rate decreases.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Troels Aagaard, Edward J. Anthony, Beth Gillies, Simon N. Laursen, Frederik N. Sukstorf, Henrik Breuning-Madsen
Summary: Field process measurements and OSL/AMS-dating methods were used to investigate the Holocene evolution of the Keta Sand Spit in Ghana, revealing the hydrodynamic processes driving present spit dynamics. The spit migrates slowly in an easterly direction, causing significant coastal erosion rates in the lee of the spit, primarily due to morphodynamic interactions between wave-induced longshore sediment transport gradients and shoreline orientation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Carmine Donatelli, Paola Passalacqua, Kyle Wright, Gerard Salter, Michael P. Lamb, Daniel Jensen, Sergio Fagherazzi
Summary: Deltas are threatened by sea-level rise, sediment starvation, and subsidence. Remote sensing can be used to estimate flow velocities in deltas by leveraging the synoptic information offered by the technology. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal variability in flow velocity, which is crucial for forecasting the fate of these fragile ecosystems.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Qing Zhao, Jiayi Pan, Adam Thomas Devlin, Maochuan Tang, Chengfang Yao, Virginia Zamparelli, Francesco Falabella, Antonio Pepe
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the application of remote sensing technologies in studying coastal and delta river regions and their impact on climate change. It emphasizes the role of satellite sensor constellations for Earth Observation and summarizes the characteristics of key technologies. The paper focuses on various disaster risks that affect coastal and megacity areas.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rachel A. Spinti, Laura E. Condon, Jun Zhang
Summary: It is well-known that dams reduce river connectivity. However, previous studies on global river fragmentation focused only on a small number of large dams. In the United States, mid-sized dams, which are not included in global databases, account for a significant percentage of anthropogenic structures and reservoir storage. This study evaluates the evolution of anthropogenic river bifurcation in the country, considering over 50,000 inventoried dams. The findings reveal that mid-sized dams contribute to the majority of anthropogenically created stream fragments in the US, especially short fragments, posing a significant threat to aquatic habitats.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xinxin Wang, Xiangming Xiao, Xi Zhang, Jihua Wu, Bo Li
Summary: Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to sea-level rise, extreme climate, and human activities, especially in large river deltas. This study quantified the changes in area and patch number of coastal wetlands in China's four major river deltas, and assessed the effects of driving factors. It was found that the Liaohe River Delta and Yellow River Delta experienced substantial losses, while the Yangtze River Delta showed recent recoveries. The Pearl River Delta had a relatively stable area trend but an increasing patch number trend. Protected areas were effective in halting the decreasing trends in coastal wetland areas, but were counteracted by invasive plant invasions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Liang Xiao, Guanghua Guo, Lihua Chen, Fuwan Gan, Yongxin Xu
Summary: A semi-analytical solution is developed to study drawdown of transient confined-unconfined flow towards a fully penetrating well in a confined aquifer. The results show that the proposed solution, with the parameter γ introduced, can investigate the delayed responses of drawdown.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Daniele Curiel, Sandra Kraljevic Pavelic, Agata Kovacev, Chiara Miotti, Andrea Rismondo
Summary: Anthropogenic pressures in the twentieth century have greatly endangered the Mediterranean coastal zone and led to significant retreat of marine seagrass habitats, particularly those of Posidonia oceanica. Restoration programs through transplantation activities have been implemented with varying degrees of success, including on other Mediterranean marine seagrasses.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Carlos Garcia de Leaniz, Jesse R. O'Hanley
Summary: Barrier removal is an effective method for restoring river connectivity, but resources for defragmenting rivers are limited, requiring a prioritization strategy. The effectiveness of barrier removal depends on barrier typology, location, size, and impacts, with a focus on targeting barriers with high fragmentation impacts. Prioritization methods can be reactive or proactive, local or larger-scale, and formal or informal, with a hybrid approach likely to be the most effective. Accuracy in stream networks, barrier coordinates, and numbers is crucial for successful barrier removal projects, with ground truthing and predictive modeling as potential solutions for uncertainties.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lunjiang Wang, Yanle Zhang, Junchao Jia, Qing Zhen, Xingchang Zhang
Summary: The study found that as the spacing between alfalfa plants increased, the total flow path width and mean width per flow path decreased, while the total flow path length increased. The total flow path width was positively related to the infiltration rate, indicating the need to consider runoff loss via infiltration. Runoff velocity was significantly related to the flow pathway characteristics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
K. M. Bowes, J. R. White, K. Maiti, E. Meselhe
Summary: Louisiana, located in the southeast United States, is responsible for a significant portion of the nation's coastal wetland loss. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project aims to redirect sediment-laden river water into Barataria Basin, but this influx of colder water could negatively impact water quality.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
A. J. Chadwick, E. Steel, R. A. Williams-Schaetzel, P. Passalacqua, C. Paola
Summary: We present a method to measure channel migration in deltaic river networks using particle image velocimetry (PIV). By tracking channels moving on the delta surface using PIV, we can accurately capture channel-bank movements. Unlike other methods, PIV focuses specifically on channel migration, excluding changes associated with channel avulsions and overbank flow. Experimental results support recent models and indicate that channel migration rates can displace channels a distance comparable to their width in a short time.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Elisabeth Steel, Chris Paola, Austin J. Chadwick, Jayaram Hariharan, Paola Passalacqua, Zhongyuan Xu, Holly A. Michael, Hannah Brommecker, Elizabeth A. Hajek
Summary: Understanding the distribution and connectivity of subsurface sandbodies is crucial for characterizing groundwater aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs. Analyzing river networks from time-series imagery can provide valuable information for constraining the shallow subsurface. Channel bathymetry and river kinematics have minimal impact on the connectivity of sand bodies, with subsurface architecture primarily controlled by channel location and kinematics.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Gerard Salter, Paola Passalacqua, Kyle Wright, Sarah Feil, Daniel Jensen, Marc Simard, Michael P. Lamb
Summary: This study developed a method for accurately inferring deposition/erosion rates in deltas using remote sensing technology and hydrodynamic models. The results showed that this method can reveal coherent spatial patterns of land change across wide areas in deltas.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
John M. Swartz, Benjamin T. Cardenas, David Mohrig, Paola Passalacqua
Summary: The boundaries of coastal landscape's dendritic drainage basins are initially set and controlled by sinuous alluvial ridges, defining the initial extent and occurrence of coastal drainages, even though these boundaries are formed by depositional processes, they exhibit geometric scaling characteristics similar to basins interpreted to have evolved through erosion. This finding provides evidence for the creation and evolution of erosional dendritic channel networks within depositional environments, with broad implications for understanding floodplain channelization, sediment and water routing, and landscape evolution mechanisms. Drainage divides between coastal plain channel networks can be constructed through depositional processes, as revealed by lidar-based topographic analysis of the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiaohe Zhang, Kyle Wright, Paola Passalacqua, Marc Simard, Sergio Fagherazzi
Summary: This study utilizes remote sensing imagery-derived channel networks as a baseline to build a high-resolution hydrodynamic model, aiming to improve the model performance in coastal wetlands. The results show that a minimum channel depth of 2 meters and a width of four grid elements are required for realistic tidal propagation in wetland channels.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2022)
Article
Geology
Hima J. Hassenruck-Gudipati, Paola Passalacqua, David Mohrig
Summary: Flood dynamics in low-relief landscapes control the lateral exchange of water and sediment between a river and its floodplain. The range of bank elevations and the distribution of different landforms along a river depend on downstream position and variations in river stage. Levees are most prevalent at the coast, while other landform types decrease in proportion downstream.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jayaram Hariharan, Anastasia Piliouras, Jon Schwenk, Paola Passalacqua
Summary: River deltas are complex channel networks that play a crucial role in conveying matter to the shoreline. Remote sensing data is used to estimate flow distribution within these channels. The study suggests that discharge partitioning based on average channel width is universally applicable.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. J. Chadwick, E. Steel, P. Passalacqua, C. Paola
Summary: Successful management of flooding and erosion hazards depends on predicting river channel shape and flow duration. Unlike single-thread channels, braided channels do not exhibit a balance between bank erosion and accretion, causing individual threads to widen and infill until they are abandoned. Threshold channel theory accurately predicts thread width.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Kyle Wright, Paola Passalacqua, Marc Simard, Cathleen E. Jones
Summary: Hydrodynamic models are essential but limited in practical application in coastal environments. This study presents a method using remote sensing data to improve the models and reduce computational demand by embedding landscape connectivity information. The results show that this method decreases computational demand without sacrificing accuracy.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ryan Sincavage, Man Liang, Jennifer Pickering, Steven Goodbred, Paola Passalacqua
Summary: Favorable topographic gradients and channel bed aggradation are often cited as primers for river channel avulsion. However, a localized backwater effect from a seasonal lake that forms in Sylhet Basin, known as a hydraulic barrier, is not a plausible mechanism for channel steering unless water depths are increased beyond the physical dimensions of the basin. The introduction of a scoured antecedent channel along the western margin induces a strong preference for bypass of the central basin.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Carmine Donatelli, Paola Passalacqua, Kyle Wright, Gerard Salter, Michael P. Lamb, Daniel Jensen, Sergio Fagherazzi
Summary: Deltas are threatened by sea-level rise, sediment starvation, and subsidence. Remote sensing can be used to estimate flow velocities in deltas by leveraging the synoptic information offered by the technology. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal variability in flow velocity, which is crucial for forecasting the fate of these fragile ecosystems.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhongyuan Xu, Mahfuzur R. Khan, Kazi Matin Ahmed, Anwar Zahid, Jayaram Hariharan, Paola Passalacqua, Elisabeth Steel, Austin Chadwick, Chris Paola, Steven L. L. Goodbred Jr, Anner Paldor, Holly A. Michael
Summary: Groundwater is the primary water source in the Bengal Delta, but it is under threat from contamination. By using surface information to model subsurface features, the predictions of groundwater flow can be improved. The land surface features in active deltas play a significant role in evaluating groundwater vulnerability to contamination.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Callie Snow, Sibel Bargu, Courtney Nicole Hammond, Matthew Hiatt, John R. R. White
Summary: Globally, estuaries are experiencing hydrological changes due to climate change and flood management, resulting in increased harmful algal blooms (HABs). In coastal Louisiana, the introduction of nutrient-rich Mississippi River water into Lake Pontchartrain Estuary leads to toxic cyanobacterial blooms (CyanoHABs). This study examines the impact of the river input on biological measures of the water column and provides insights into predicting the response of estuaries to nutrient-loading events.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Carmine Donatelli, Paola Passalacqua, Daniel Jensen, Talib Oliver-Cabrera, Cathleen E. Jones, Sergio Fagherazzi
Summary: Water movement in coastal wetlands is influenced by topography, vegetation characteristics, and hydrological processes. This study utilizes remote sensing data to analyze water-level changes and vegetation contributions in marshes, revealing the importance of small geomorphic features and the minor role of vegetation in water retention.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Matthew Preisser, Paola Passalacqua, R. Patrick Bixler, Stephen Boyles
Summary: Government and non-governmental agencies are making efforts to quantify the disproportionate effects of climate risk on vulnerable populations and create more resilient communities. This study addresses the limitation of using sociodemographic based indices to measure vulnerability and proposes a model based on open-source data to assess individuals' access to critical resources during and after a flood event. The results show that the most vulnerable households are the least resilient and experience the largest shifts in metric values, while the least vulnerable quarter of the population carries the smallest burdens. The model developed can assist emergency planning stakeholders in identifying households that require specific resources in real-time.
FRONTIERS IN WATER
(2023)