J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 181 - 182, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0032
Information, English

Ladislav Holko, Hubert Holzmann, M. Isabel P. de Lima, Joao L.M.P. de Lima: Hydrological research in small catchments – an approach to improve knowledge on hydrological processes and global change impacts

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• Data not available
  
  KEY WORDS: Data not available
  
  Address:
  - Ladislav Holko, Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ondrašovská 16, 031 05 Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia.
  - Hubert Holzmann, Institut für Wasserwirtschaft, Hydrologie und konstruktiver Wasserbau (IWHW), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, (Boku), Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
  - M. Isabel P. de Lima, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II – University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and IMAR - Institute of Marine Research, Coimbra, Portugal. Campus II – University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal.
  - Joao L.M.P. de Lima, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II – University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and IMAR - Institute of Marine Research, Coimbra, Portugal.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 183 - 192, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0030
Scientific Paper, English

Andrea Blahušiaková, Milada Matoušková: Rainfall and runoff regime trends in mountain catchments (Case study area: the upper Hron River basin, Slovakia)

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• This paper presents an analysis of trends and causes of changes of selected hydroclimatic variables influencing the runoff regime in the upper Hron River basin (Slovakia). Different methods for identifying trends in data series are evaluated and include: simple mass curve analysis, linear regression, frequency analysis of flood events, use of the Indicators of Hydrological Alteration software, and the Mann-Kendall test. Analyses are performed for data from two periods (1931–2010 and 1961–2010). The changes in runoff are significant, especially in terms of lower QMax and 75 percentile values. This fact is also confirmed by the lower frequency and extremity of flood events. The 1980s are considered a turning point in the development of all hydroclimatic variables. The Mann-Kendall test shows a significant decrease in runoff in the winter period. The main causes of runoff decline are: the considerable increase in air temperature, the decrease in snow cover depth and changes in seasonal distribution of precipitation amounts.
  
  KEY WORDS: Trend analysis; Rainfall-runoff regime; Mann-Kendall test; IHA software; Hron River basin.
  
  Address:
  - Andrea Blahušiaková, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic. (Corresponding author. Tel.: Fax.: Email: ablahusiak@gmail.com)
  - Milada Matoušková, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 193 - 200, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0015
Scientific Paper, English

Anne-K. Boulet, Sergio A. Prats, Maruxa C. Malvar, Oscar González-Pelayo, Celeste O.A. Coelho, Antonio J.D. Ferreira, Jan J. Keizer: Surface and subsurface flow in eucalyptus plantations in north-central Portugal

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• In the Baixo Vouga region of north-central Portugal, forests occupy half of the territory, of which two thirds are Eucalypts plantations. The hydrological implications of this large-scale introduction of eucalypt are unknown and the aim of this exploratory study, realized in the Caramulo Mountains, was to describe overland flow (OLF), subsurface flow (SSF) and stream flow (Q) in a catchment dominated by Eucalyptus plantations. The main conclusions are that annual OLF rate is low, spatially heterogeneous between 0.1% and 6% and concentrated during the wet season as saturation excess, particularly as return flow. Infiltration-excess OLF due to the strong soil water repellence (SWR) is dominant during dry season, but produces residual runoff amount. SSF is the principal mechanism of runoff formation. It originates from matrix flow and pipe flow at the soil-bedrock interface, principally during the wet season. Matrix flow is correlated with soil moisture (SM) content, with a threshold of 25 %. Pipe flow starts with saturation of soil bottom but without saturation of the entire soil profile, due to a large network of macropores. Stream flow response is highly correlated with matrix flow behaviour in timing and intensity. SWR induces a very patchy moistening of the soil, concentrates the fluxes and accelerates them almost 100 times greater than normal percolation of the water in the matrix.
  
  KEY WORDS: Overland flow; Subsurface flow; Streamflow; Soil moisture; Eucalypt.
  
  Address:
  - Anne-K. Boulet, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. (Corresponding author. Tel.:+351 234370200 Fax.: +351 370309 Email: anne.karine@ua.pt)
  - Sergio A. Prats, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
  - Maruxa C. Malvar, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
  - Oscar González-Pelayo, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
  - Celeste O.A. Coelho, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
  - Antonio J.D. Ferreira, Departamento de Ciencias Exatas e Ambientais, Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra, Bencanta, 3040-316 Coimbra, Portugal.
  - Jan J. Keizer, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 201 - 209, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0016
Scientific Paper, English

Luca Brocca, Christian Massari, Luca Ciabatta, Tommaso Moramarco, Daniele Penna, Giulia Zuecco, Luisa Pianezzola, Marco Borga, Patrick Matgen, José Martínez-Fernández: Rainfall estimation from in situ soil moisture observations at several sites in Europe: an evaluation of the SM2RAIN algorithm

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• Rain gauges, weather radars, satellite sensors and modelled data from weather centres are used operationally for estimating the spatial-temporal variability of rainfall. However, the associated uncertainties can be very high, especially in poorly equipped regions of the world. Very recently, an innovative method, named SM2RAIN, that uses soil moisture observations to infer rainfall, has been proposed by Brocca et al. (2013) with very promising results when applied with in situ and satellite-derived data. However, a thorough analysis of the physical consistency of the SM2RAIN algorithm has not been carried out yet. In this study, synthetic soil moisture data generated from a physically-based soil water balance model are employed to check the reliability of the assumptions made in the SM2RAIN algorithm. Next, high quality and multiyear in situ soil moisture observations, at different depths (5–30 cm), and rainfall for ten sites across Europe are used for testing the performance of the algorithm, its limitations and applicability range. SM2RAIN shows very high accuracy in the synthetic experiments with a correlation coefficient, R, between synthetically generated and simulated data, at daily time step, higher than 0.940 and an average Bias lower than 4%. When real datasets are used, the agreement between observed and simulated daily rainfall is slightly lower with average R-values equal to 0.87 and 0.85 in the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Overall, the performance is found to be better in humid temperate climates and for sensors installed vertically. Interestingly, algorithms of different complexity in the reproduction of the underlying hydrological processes provide similar results. The average contribution of surface runoff and evapotranspiration components amounts to less than 4% of the total rainfall, while the soil moisture variations (63%) and subsurface drainage (30%) terms provide a much higher contribution. Overall, the SM2RAIN algorithm is found to perform well both in the synthetic and real data experiments, thus offering a new and independent source of data for improving rainfall estimation, and consequently enhancing hydrological, meteorological and climatic studies.
  
  KEY WORDS: Rainfall; Soil moisture; In situ observations; Experimental sites; SM2RAIN.
  
  Address:
  - Luca Brocca, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council, Perugia, Via Madonna Alta 126, 06128 Perugia, Italy. (Corresponding author. Tel.:+39 0755014418 Fax.: +39 0755014420 Email: luca.brocca@irpi.cnr.it)
  - Christian Massari, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council, Perugia, Via Madonna Alta 126, 06128 Perugia, Italy.
  - Luca Ciabatta, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council, Perugia, Via Madonna Alta 126, 06128 Perugia, Italy.
  - Tommaso Moramarco, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council, Perugia, Via Madonna Alta 126, 06128 Perugia, Italy.
  - Daniele Penna, Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Piazza dell'Universita 5, Bolzano, Italy.
  - Giulia Zuecco, Department of Land and Agroforest Environments, University of Padova, Via dell'Universita 16, Legnaro, Italy.
  - Luisa Pianezzola, Department of Land and Agroforest Environments, University of Padova, Via dell'Universita 16, Legnaro, Italy.
  - Marco Borga, Department of Land and Agroforest Environments, University of Padova, Via dell'Universita 16, Legnaro, Italy.
  - Patrick Matgen, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), ERIN, Avenue Des Hauts-Fourneaux 5, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
  - José Martínez-Fernández, Centro Hispano Luso de Investigaciones Agrarias, USAL, Calle del Duero 12, Villamayor, Spain.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 210 - 219, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0021
Scientific Paper, English

Dessalegn C. Dagnew, Christian D. Guzman, Assefa D. Zegeye, Tigist Y. Tibebu, Menelik Getaneh, Solomon Abate, Fasikaw A. Zemale, Essayas K. Ayana, Seifu A. Tilahun, Tammo S. Steenhuis: Impact of conservation practices on runoff and soil loss in the sub-humid Ethiopian Highlands: The Debre Mawi watershed

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• In response to the continually increasing sediment concentrations in rivers and lakes, the Ethiopian government is leading an effort where farmers are installing soil and water conservation measures to increase infiltration and reduce erosion. This paper reports on findings from a four year study in the 95 ha Debre Mawi watershed where under the government led conservation works, mainly terraces with infiltration furrows were installed halfway in the period of observation. The results show that runoff volume decreased significantly after installation of the soil and water conservation practices but sediment concentration decreased only marginally. Sediment loads were reduced mainly because of the reduced runoff. Infiltration furrows were effective on the hillsides where rain water could infiltrate, but on the flat bottom lands that become saturated with the progress of the monsoon rain, infiltration was restricted and conservation practices became conduits for carrying excess rainfall. This caused the initiation of gullies in several occasions in the saturated bottomlands. Sediment concentration at the outlet barely decreased due to entrainment of loose soil from unstable banks of gullies in the periodically saturated bottom areas. Since most uphill drainage were already half filled up with sediments after two years, long term benefits of reducing runoff can only be sustained with continuous maintenance of uphill infiltration furrows.
  
  KEY WORDS: Runoff; Soil loss; Sediment concentration; Blue Nile Basin; Soil and water conservation.
  
  Address:
  - Dessalegn C. Dagnew, School of Civil and Water Resource Engineering, Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
  - Christian D. Guzman, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
  - Assefa D. Zegeye, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
  - Tigist Y. Tibebu, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
  - Menelik Getaneh, Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), P.O. Box 527, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
  - Solomon Abate, Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO), P.O. Box 27173-1000, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  - Fasikaw A. Zemale, School of Civil and Water Resource Engineering, Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
  - Essayas K. Ayana, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA and the Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA.
  - Seifu A. Tilahun, School of Civil and Water Resource Engineering, Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
  - Tammo S. Steenhuis, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. (Corresponding author. Tel.: Fax.: Email: tss1@cornell.edu)

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 220 - 227, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0025
Scientific Paper, English

Joao L.M.P. de Lima, Valdemir P. Silva Jr., M. Isabel P. de Lima, Joao R.C.B. Abrantes, Abelardo A.A. Montenegro: Revisiting simple methods to estimate drop size distributions: a novel approach based on infrared thermography

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• The infrared thermography has been successfully applied as a tool for high resolution imaging in different hydrological studies. This exploratory experimental study aimed at evaluating the possibility of using infrared thermography to determine the diameter of raindrops. Rain samples are collected on a pre-heated acrylic board, which is exposed to rain during an instant, and thermograms are recorded. The area of the thermal stains (“signatures” of the raindrops) emerging on the board is measured and converted to drop diameters, applying a calibration equation. Diameters of natural raindrops estimated using this technique were compared with laser disdrometer measurements; the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient was used for evaluating the match between the resulting histograms of drop size distribution. Results confirm the usefulness of this simple technique for sizing and counting raindrops, although it is unsatisfactory in light rain or drizzle.
  
  KEY WORDS: Rainfall; Thermography; Drop size distributions; Drop diameters.
  
  Address:
  - Joao L.M.P. de Lima, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC), Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II - University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal. (Corresponding author. Tel.:+351 239797183 Fax.: Email: plima@dec.uc.pt)
  - Valdemir P. Silva Jr., Rural Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, Dois Irmaos, CEP 50910-130 Recife, PE, Brazil.
  - M. Isabel P. de Lima, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC), Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II - University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
  - Joao R.C.B. Abrantes, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC), Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II - University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
  - Abelardo A.A. Montenegro, Rural Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, Dois Irmaos, CEP 50910-130 Recife, PE, Brazil.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 228 - 234, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0024
Scientific Paper, English

Juraj Parajka, Ralf Merz, Jon Olav Skoien, Alberto Viglione: The role of station density for predicting daily runoff by top-kriging interpolation in Austria

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• Direct interpolation of daily runoff observations to ungauged sites is an alternative to hydrological model regionalisation. Such estimation is particularly important in small headwater basins characterized by sparse hydrological and climate observations, but often large spatial variability. The main objective of this study is to evaluate predictive accuracy of top-kriging interpolation driven by different number of stations (i.e. station densities) in an input dataset. The idea is to interpolate daily runoff for different station densities in Austria and to evaluate the minimum number of stations needed for accurate runoff predictions. Top-kriging efficiency is tested for ten different random samples in ten different stations densities. The predictive accuracy is evaluated by ordinary cross-validation and full-sample crossvalidations. The methodology is tested by using 555 gauges with daily observations in the period 1987–1997. The results of the cross-validation indicate that, in Austria, top-kriging interpolation is superior to hydrological model regionalisation if station density exceeds approximately 2 stations per 1000 km2 (175 stations in Austria). The average median of Nash-Sutcliffe cross-validation efficiency is larger than 0.7 for densities above 2.4 stations/1000 km2. For such densities, the variability of runoff efficiency is very small over ten random samples. Lower runoff efficiency is found for low station densities (less than 1 station/1000 km2) and in some smaller headwater basins.
  
  KEY WORDS: Top-kriging; Interpolation; PUB; Daily runoff; Station density.
  
  Address:
  - Juraj Parajka, Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/222, Vienna, Austria. (Corresponding author. Tel.: Fax.: Email: parajka@hydro.tuwien.ac.at)
  - Ralf Merz, Department for Catchment Hydrology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4, Halle, Germany.
  - Jon Olav Skoien, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Via Enrico Fermi 2749, Ispra, Italy.
  - Alberto Viglione, Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/222, Vienna, Austria.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 235 - 245, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0031
Scientific Paper, English

Laurent Pfister, Carlos E. Wetzel, Núria Martínez-Carreras, Jean François Iffly, Julian Klaus, Ladislav Holko, Jeffrey J. McDonnell: Examination of aerial diatom flushing across watersheds in Luxembourg, Oregon and Slovakia for tracing episodic hydrological connectivity

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• Hydrological processes research remains a field that is severely measurement limited. While conventional tracers (geochemicals, isotopes) have brought extremely valuable insights into water source and flowpaths, they nonetheless have limitations that clearly constrain their range of application. Integrating hydrology and ecology in catchment science has been repeatedly advocated as offering potential for interdisciplinary studies that are eventually to provide a holistic view of catchment functioning. In this context, aerial diatoms have been shown to have the potential for detecting of the onset/cessation of rapid water flowpaths within the hillslope-riparian zone-stream continuum. However, many open questions prevail as to aerial diatom reservoir size, depletion and recovery, as well as to their mobilisation and transport processes. Moreover, aerial diatoms remain poorly known compared to freshwater species and new species are still being discovered. Here, we ask whether aerial diatom flushing can be observed in three catchments with contrasting physiographic characteristics in Luxembourg, Oregon (USA) and Slovakia. This is a prerequisite for qualifying aerial diatoms as a robust indicator of the onset/cessation of rapid water flowpaths across a wider range of physiographical contexts. One species in particular, (Hantzschia amphioxys (Ehr.) Grunow), was found to be common to the three investigated catchments. Aerial diatom species were flushed, in different relative proportions, to the river network during rainfall-runoff events in all three catchments. Our take-away message from this preliminary examination is that aerial diatoms appear to have a potential for tracing episodic hydrological connectivity through a wider range of physiographic contexts and therefore serve as a complementary tool to conventional hydrological tracers.
  
  KEY WORDS: Aerial diatoms; Hillslope-riparian zone-stream continuum; Hydrological connectivity.
  
  Address:
  - Laurent Pfister, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Department Environmental Research and Innovation, 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg. (Corresponding author. Tel.: Fax.: Email: laurent.pfister@list.lu)
  - Carlos E. Wetzel, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Department Environmental Research and Innovation, 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg.
  - Núria Martínez-Carreras, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Department Environmental Research and Innovation, 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg.
  - Jean François Iffly, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Department Environmental Research and Innovation, 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg.
  - Julian Klaus, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Department Environmental Research and Innovation, 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg.
  - Ladislav Holko, Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovak Republic.
  - Jeffrey J. McDonnell, University of Saskatchewan, Global Institute for Water Security, 11 Innovation Boulevard, SK S7N 3H5 Saskatoon, Canada. School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Meston Building, Old Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Aberdeen, Scotland.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 246 - 254, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0022
Scientific Paper, English

David Zumr, Tomáš Dostál, Jan Devátý: Identification of prevailing storm runoff generation mechanisms in an intensively cultivated catchment

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• The fact that flash floods initiated in arable catchments are often accompanied by massive sediment and nutrient loads often leads to the assumption that surface runoff is the principle pathway by which runoff reaches watercourses. On the basis of an evaluation of several rainfall-runoff events in a representative agricultural catchment, we show that runoff from cultivated land may be generated in a way similar to that seen on forested slopes, where shallow subsurface runoff is the predominant pathway by which runoff makes its way to watercourses in most runoff events. To identify the predominant runoff pathway, we employed a combination of turbidity measurements and stream discharge data. Suspended sediment flux, a newly introduced index representing the ratio between precipitation duration and total sediment yield, and direction of the discharge-turbidity hysteresis loops were proposed as reflective indicators of the frequency of runoff via different pathways. In our study, most of the events initiated by rainstorms of various intensities and durations resulted in rapid increases in stream discharge. Although we observed temporal variability of topsoil properties attributable to seasonal weather changes and agricultural activities, e.g. bulk density and porosity, runoff generation was mainly driven by precipitation characteristics and the initial catchment saturation.
  
  KEY WORDS: Shallow subsurface runoff; Surface runoff; Rainfall-runoff; Soil erosion; Suspended solids transport; Agriculture watershed.
  
  Address:
  - David Zumr, Department of Irrigation, Drainage and Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 7, 16629, Prague 6, Czech Republic. (Corresponding author. Tel.:+420 224354745 Fax.: Email: david.zumr@fsv.cvut.cz)
  - Tomáš Dostál, Department of Irrigation, Drainage and Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 7, 16629, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
  - Jan Devátý, Department of Irrigation, Drainage and Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 7, 16629, Prague 6, Czech Republic.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 255 - 262, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0028
Scientific Paper, English

Rui L.P. de Lima, Joao R.C.B. Abrantes, Joao L.M.P. de Lima, M. Isabel P. de Lima: Using thermal tracers to estimate flow velocities of shallow flows: laboratory and field experiments

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• Accurate measurement of shallow flows is important for hydraulics, hydrology and water resources management. The objective of this paper is to discuss a technique for shallow flow and overland flow velocity estimation that uses infrared thermography. Laboratory flumes and different bare, vegetated and paved field surfaces were used to test the technique. Results show that shallow flow surface velocities estimated using thermal tracers and infrared technology are similar to estimates obtained using the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter; similar results were also obtained for overland flow velocity estimates using thermography, here comparing with the dye tracer technique. The thermographic approach revealed some potential as a flow visualization technique, and leaves space for future studies and research.
  
  KEY WORDS: Shallow flow velocities; Thermal tracer; Infrared thermography; Flow visualization.
  
  Address:
  - Rui L.P. de Lima, INDYMO, Molengraaffsingel 12-14, 2629 JD Delft, The Netherlands. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
  - Joao R.C.B. Abrantes, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (DEC-FCTUC), Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II - University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
  - Joao L.M.P. de Lima, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (DEC-FCTUC), Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II - University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal. (Corresponding author. Tel.:+351.239797183 Fax.: Email: plima@dec.uc.pt)
  - M. Isabel P. de Lima, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (DEC-FCTUC), Rua Luís Reis Santos, Campus II - University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.

J. Hydrol. Hydromech., Vol. 63, No. 3, 2015, p. 263 - 272, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0027
Scientific Paper, English

Anna Maria De Girolamo, Antonio Lo Porto, Giuseppe Pappagallo, Francesc Gallart: Assessing flow regime alterations in a temporary river – the River Celone case study

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• In this paper, we present an approach to evaluate the hydrological alterations of a temporary river. In these rivers, it is expected that anthropogenic pressures largely modify low-flow components of the flow regime with consequences for aquatic habitat and diversity in invertebrate species. First, by using a simple hydrological index (IARI) river segments of the Celone stream (southern Italy) whose hydrological regime is significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities have been identified. Hydrological alteration has been further classified through the analysis of two metrics: the degree (Mf) and the predictability of dry flow conditions (Sd6). Measured streamflow data were used to calculate the metrics in present conditions (impacted). Given the lack of data from pristine conditions, simulated streamflow time series were used to calculate the metrics in reference conditions. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to estimate daily natural streamflow. Hydrological alterations associated with water abstractions, point discharges and the presence of a reservoir were assessed by comparing the metrics (Mf, Sd6) before and after the impacts. The results show that the hydrological regime of the river segment located in the upper part of the basin is slightly altered, while the regime of the river segment downstream of the reservoir is heavily altered. This approach is intended for use with ecological metrics in defining the water quality status and in planning streamflow management activities.
  
  KEY WORDS: Natural hydrological regime; Temporary stream; Hydrological modelling; Indicators of hydrological alteration.
  
  Address:
  - Anna Maria De Girolamo, Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Francesco De Blasio 5, 70132 Bari, Italy. (Corresponding author. Tel.:+390805820547 Fax.: +390805313365 Email: annamaria.degirolamo@ba.irsa.cnr.it)
  - Antonio Lo Porto, Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Francesco De Blasio 5, 70132 Bari, Italy.
  - Giuseppe Pappagallo, Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Francesco De Blasio 5, 70132 Bari, Italy.
  - Francesc Gallart, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.