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Quantifying daily versus annual contributions of snowmelt water to streamflow using graphical and geochemical hydrograph separation
  • Samuel Miller,
  • Steve Lyon,
  • Scott Miller
Samuel Miller
The Ohio State University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Steve Lyon
Ohio State University
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Scott Miller
University of Wyoming
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Abstract

In this study, we characterize the snowmelt hydrological response of nine nested headwater watersheds in southeast Wyoming by separating streamflow into three components using a combination of tracer and graphical approaches. First, continuous records of specific conductance (SC) from 2016 to 2018 were used to separate streamflow into direct runoff and baseflow components. Then, diurnal streamflow cycles occurring during the snowmelt season were used to graphically separate direct runoff into quickflow, representing water with the shortest residence time, and throughflow, representing water with longer residence time in the soil column and/or regolith layers before becoming streamflow. On average, annual streamflow was comprised of between 22% to 46% baseflow, 7% to 14% quickflow, and 46% to 55% throughflow across the watersheds. We then quantified hysteresis at both annual and daily timescales by plotting SC versus discharge. Annually, most watersheds showed negative, concave, anti-clockwise hysteretic direction suggesting faster flow pathways dominate streamflow on the rising limb of the annual hydrograph relative to the falling limb. At the daily timescale during snowmelt-induced diurnal streamflow cycles, hysteresis was negative, but with a clockwise direction implying that quickflow peaks generated from the concurrent daily snowmelt, with shorter residence times and lower specific conductance, arrive after throughflow peaks and preferentially contribute on the falling limb of diurnal cycles. Slope aspect and surficial geology were highly correlated with the partitioning of streamflow components. South-facing watersheds were more susceptible to early season snowmelt at slower rates, resulting in less direct runoff and more baseflow contribution. Conversely, north-facing watersheds had longer snow persistence and larger proportions of direct runoff and quickflow. Watersheds with surficial and bedrock geologies dominated by glacial deposits had a lower proportion of quickflow compared to watersheds with large percentages of metasedimentary rocks and glaciated bedrock.
08 Jul 2020Submitted to Hydrological Processes
10 Jul 2020Submission Checks Completed
10 Jul 2020Assigned to Editor
10 Jul 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 Aug 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Aug 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
15 Sep 20201st Revision Received
16 Sep 2020Submission Checks Completed
16 Sep 2020Assigned to Editor
16 Sep 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
20 Oct 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
05 Nov 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
06 Nov 20202nd Revision Received
09 Nov 2020Assigned to Editor
09 Nov 2020Submission Checks Completed
09 Nov 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
13 Nov 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
13 Nov 2020Editorial Decision: Accept