Hydrochemical Regime in Riverine Aqual Complexes: Case Study of the Small Il’d River (Rybinsk Reservoir Basin), Abstract The results of studying the space and time dynamics of the hydrochemical regime in discrete aquatic areas of a riverine aquatic–territorial complex of a small river over period 2001–2010 are given. Each discrete area considered separately has specific features of hydrochemical regime formation.

Modelling Technique for Sediment Evaluation at Reservoir (South India) Abstract In India, the availability of accurate information on runoff is scarce. However, in view of the quickening watershed management programme for conservation and development of natural resources, run off information plays a major role in managing water resources. Soil erosion is a hydrological process which affects the fertility of the top soil and reduces the agricultural potential of reservoirs in India. Excessive exploitation increases the susceptibility of the soil to fluvial and upland erosion, which is responsible for increasing the sediment transport and deposition into the reservoir. In the recent studies, advanced mathematical models are being used to predict the hydrological processes such as land use, sedimentation, weather changes and other geological aspects. The present work deals with the evaluation of sedimentation at Vaigai reservoir situated in Tamilnadu state, India. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been used in this work. The model is used to simulate the catchment area of Vaigai reservoir for quantity of water and sediment inflow to the reservoir. The comparison has been carried out for predicted and observed values. The calibrated model can be used for further analysis of land use changes, climate and water quality analysis. Moreover, the modelling can also be applied for planning of future dam construction and prediction of flood disaster and hence, their applications play a vital role in development activities of a country.

The Structure of the Net Alongshore Sediment Transport in the Eastern Gulf of Gdansk Abstract The published schemes of the net alongshore sediment transport near the eastern coast of Gdansk Bay have been systematized. Considerable discrepancies have been identified in the structure and localization of the convergence zones of opposite currents. The results of station-based measurements of bottom currents near the Strait of Baltiysk at depths of 6–16 m were used to show that, at winds >6 m/s, the alongshore currents run along the alongshore wind component. The morphodynamic accumulation (filling of the entry corner and abrasion in the shadow zone of the obstacle) and abrasion (orientation of the abrasion depression at the extreme end of the harbor moles) criteria are discussed. The abrasion criterion is shown to work better than the accumulation criterion in determining the net sediment transport in the coastal reaches with a normal or near-normal approach angle of the wave energy flow toward the shore. The specific features of the mechanism of sediment transport from south to north, by-passing Baltiisk harbor moles, from the abrasion to accumulation shore segments are given. Two schemes of the opposite Vistula and Sambian alongshore sediment flows are proposed: before the construction of the entry harbor moles in the Baltic Strait with a vast migration zone near the northern end of the Vistula Spit and after the construction of these moles, which has narrowed this zone and shifted its southern boundary northward toward the moles.

Evaluating Parameters of the Distributions of Extreme Storms with Several Events per Year Taken into Account Abstract Applied problems of the analysis of data series of flood-forming storm precipitation (rain intensity over short time intervals), containing several events per year are discussed. The use of data containing several events per year has been shown to be justified for reliable determination of statistical characteristics of time series at a short observation period. The statistics of time series containing one or more events per year have been shown to correlate well with the frequency of the observed phenomenon in the Ural region. Recommendations have been developed for recalculating the statistics of the series containing several events per year into statistics for a single event per year; a brief comparative analysis of the methods used in Russia in this field is given.

Effect of Slope Length and Rainfall Intensity on Runoff and Erosion Conversion from Laboratory to Field Abstract Predictions of soil and water loss at large extents often relies on data obtained from laboratory flume experiments. It is necessary to have a reliable approach to extrapolate from laboratory collected data to larger field areas. In this study, a series of experiments were designed using rainfall simulator on laboratory flumes with varying surface areas (ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 m2) as well as field plots ranging in surface areas between 4 and 20 m2. Both the flumes and field plots had the same slope gradient (20°), surface trait (bare slope) and soil type (red soil). We varied rainfall intensities from 30 to 150 mm/h, and measured runoff and erosion. Results confirmed that actual erosion in field cannot be simply extrapolated from laboratory data, rather we showed that erosion modulus directly relates to surface area and rainfall intensity in both the laboratory and field experiments. However, the effect of surface area on runoff is more complicated. Compared to surface area, rainfall intensity showed more pronounced influence on runoff. Based on our experimental results, a conversion calculation method was investigated and a conversion coefficient model, which is a function of rainfall intensity and ratio of field area to laboratory area, was introduced. The model provides a reference for laboratory to field conversions and allows for soil erosion prediction at larger extents in the field.

Basic Environmental–Hydrogeological Studies in the Territory of European Russia Affected by Chernobyl Accident Abstract A procedure for assessing the protection of groundwater against pollution is considered. This is a basic procedure for tentative forecast estimates of changes in the ecological–hydrogeological conditions in the territory of Kaluga oblast polluted by Chernobyl radionuclides. It has been used as the basis for the development of a new procedure for assessing the protection of confined groundwater against pollution and for unification of its application to solving various ecological problems.

Zoning of Groundwater Quality for Plain Garmsar in Iran Abstract Groundwater performs an important role in the territory of the plains Garmsar. In this study, on the basis of water samples, which were obtained from the wells of the region, assessment of groundwater quality was carried by piezometric and a map of contamination of the water has been made in the software of ArcGIS. Zoning maps were prepared in the ArcGIS software for assessment of water quality after collection of statistical data and choosing the best interpolation method to estimate better tendency to change. The results showed that in addition to the parameters of chlorine in the period from 2002 to 2011, concentration of elements was reduced and we were surprised by this, as should be the opposite. At the same time, geological study of the region showed that the salinity of the upper layers of the earth’s surface is larger than the bottom, and as the water level in the period from 2002 to 2011 has been decreased, it can be assumed that the water quality was improved.

Evaluation of Sediment-associated Heavy Metal Pollution in Chaohu Lake, Eastern China Abstract Heavy metal pollution in lacustrine sediments is a worldwide environmental issue. In the present study, eight heavy metals including Zn, Pb, Co, Cr, Cd, Mn, As and Cu in sediment cores collected from Chaohu Lake, Eastern China were determined, and potential sources and risks of selected heavy metals were evaluated using multivariate statistical techniques and pollution indices. Results show that all sampling areas were extremely contaminated by Cd, and were not significantly affected by Mn. High accumulation of Zn, Pb and Cu in urban area related sites implies they were generally derived from urban sources including municipal and industrial sewage. Whereas high concentrations of As and Cd, and Co in rural locations possibly suggests agricultural sources. Possible decreasing trends for most elements in the sediment cores indicate the reduction of total input amounts which would be attributed to the increasing operation of wastewater treatment plants in the urban areas. Different intercorrelations between each two elements for four sampling sites reflect the different input sources. Cluster analysis also indicates the residual elements in sediment cores of Chaohu Lake were generally from natural materials for Mn, from urban origins for Cu, Zn and Pb, and from agricultural activities for the remaining elements. The results from both contamination factors and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) suggest sediments were not polluted by Mn, extremely contaminated by Cd, and slightly to moderately impacted by the remaining elements. But all samples were examined with significant metal pollution given their pollution level index values higher than 1.0.

Assessing the Key Environmental Factors in the Formation of Phytoplankton Spatial Structure in Large Subarctic Rivers (East Siberia) Abstract Data of 2000–2011 on phytoplankton of 12 large subarctic rivers, their hydrochemical, hydrological, and morphometric parameters and the climatic characteristics of their drainage basins have been analyzed with the use of step-wise discriminant analysis and clusterization of observations to establish that the formation of phytoplankton spatial structure in rivers in the northeastern Siberia is governed by climate rather than water physicochemical properties. Among the characteristics of phytoplankton development, its floristic structure shows the closest correlation with abiotic factors. An important environmental factor is the duration of growing season .

Water Chemistry Formation in Lakes of Specially Protected Natural Areas in the Altay Mountains: Case Study of the Mul’ta River Abstract Mass-spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma was applied to determine the dissolved forms of 26 elements in the water of lakes of the Mul’tinskii Basin. Specific features were identified in the formation of water chemistry in the water bodies of high-mountain Altai territories which suffer little anthropogenic impact. Water quality and the effect of natural factors on it were assessed.