The dynamic response of hyporheic zone redox zonation after surface flow perturbation

Abstract:

As water in a stream or river flows over ripples and other bedforms, differential surface pressures create bedform-induced hyporheic exchange. The oxygen, carbon, and nutrients carried into the bed by the surface water as well as those already existing in the bed material form the basis for microbial communities in the sediment.The resulting dissolved oxygen conditions are a critical control on the ecological function of the hyporheic zone (HZ), from both micro- and macro-biological habitat perspectives. Because hyporheic exchange rates are controlled by surface flow velocity, variations in surface flow have significant impact on the subsurface oxygen conditions. Most rivers are subject to flow velocity variations due to natural forcing including precipitation and variations in evapotranspiration as well as anthropogenic forces like dam releases. We use a large (10m x 0.7m x 0.3m) programmable flume instrumented with a bedform-scale high-resolution planar optode dissolved oxygen imaging system to observe the distribution of oxygenated sediment within the HZ over time. Using this system we characterize the rate at which hyporheic oxygen conditions reconfigure in response to changes in the surface flow velocity, particularly the time it takes for conditions to recover after a pulse of increased flow velocity. In addition, we make use of numerical models to further identify critical response time drivers. With these tools, we develop equations to describe the post-disturbance recovery time as a function of relative pulse magnitude and duration. Using these equations we can predict the time scale over which the hyporheic zone will recover following both natural and anthropogenic flow regime disturbances. Being able to predict the magnitude and duration of dissolved oxygen changes in the wake of flow perturbing events allows us to better understand the impact these disturbances have on the ecology of the hyporheic zone.