Variations in Bedrock and Vegetation Cover Modulate Subsurface Water Flow Dynamics of a Mountainous Hillslope

Uhlemann, S.; Peruzzo, L.; Chou, C.; Williams, K. H.; Wielandt, S.; Wang, C.; Falco, N.; Wu, Y.; Carr, B.; Meldrum, P.; Chambers, J.; Dafflon, B.

doi:10.1029/2023wr036137

Title: Variations in Bedrock and Vegetation Cover Modulate Subsurface Water Flow Dynamics of a Mountainous Hillslope

Journal Article · 11 February 2024 · Water Resources Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2023wr036137 · OSTI ID:2301722

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); University of Padua (Italy)
University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)
British Geological Survey, Nottingham (United Kingdom)

Predicting the hydrological response of watersheds to climate disturbances requires a detailed understanding of the processes connecting hillslopes and streams. Using a network of soil moisture and temperature sensors, electrical resistivity tomography monitoring, and a weather station we assess the above and below-ground processes driving the hydrological response of a hillslope during snowmelt and summer monsoon. The transect covers bedrock and vegetation gradients, with a steep upper part characterized by shallow bedrock, and gentle lower part underlain by colluvium. The main vegetation cover is conifers on the upper, and grass and veratrum on the lower part. Combined with a simplified hydrological model, we show that the thin soil layer of the steep slope acts as a preferential flow path, leading to mostly shallow lateral flow, interrupted by vertical flow, mostly at tree locations, and likely facilitated by flow along fractures and roots. Vertical flow and upstream-driven groundwater dynamics are prevailing at the colluvium, presenting a very different hydrological behavior compared to the upper part. These results show that subsurface structure and features have a strong control on the hydrological response of a hillslope and that those can create considerably varying hydrological dynamics across small spatial scales.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231; DE‐AC02‐05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 2301722

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2301723; OSTI ID: 2335320

Journal Information:: Water Resources Research, Vol. 60, Issue 2; ISSN 0043-1397

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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