The Active River Area (Corridor)

This is a Fact Sheet created by RiverSmart for the Fluvial Geomorphology Task Force defining methods for delineating a river corridor. The “Active River Area,” is defined as the place where hydrologic connectivity, floodplain hydrology, and sediment movement occur along the river corridor

Use of Distributed Temperature Sensing Technology to Characterize Fire Behavior

We evaluated the potential of a fiber optic cable connected to distributed temperature sensing (DTS) technology to withstand wildland fire conditions and quantify fire behavior parameters. We used a custom-made ‘fire cable’ consisting of three optical fibers coated with three different materials—acrylate, copper and polyimide. The 150-m cable was deployed in grasslands and burned in three prescribed fires. The DTS system recorded fire cable output every three seconds and integrated temperatures every 50.6 cm. Results indicated the fire cable was physically capable of withstanding repeated rugged use. Fiber coating materials withstood temperatures up to 422 °C. Changes in fiber attenuation following fire were near zero (−0.81 to 0.12 dB/km) indicating essentially no change in light gain or loss as a function of distance or fire intensity over the length of the fire cable. Results indicated fire cable and DTS technology have potential to quantify fire environment parameters such as heat duration and rate of spread but additional experimentation and analysis are required to determine efficacy and response times. This study adds understanding of DTS and fire cable technology as a potential new method for characterizing fire behavior parameters at greater temporal and spatial scales

The River Process Corridor: A Modular River Assessment Method Based on Process Units and Widely Available Data in the Northeast US.

We define the river process corridor (RPC) as the area adjacent to a river that is likely to affect and be affected by river and floodplain processes. Here we present a novel approach for delineating the RPC that utilizes widely available geospatial data, can be applied uniformly across broad and multi-scalar spatial extents, requires relatively low levels of expertise and cost, and allows for modular additions and adaptations using additional data that is available in particular areas. Land managers are increasingly using a variety of delineated river and floodplain areas for applied purposes such as hazard avoidance, ecological conservation, and water quality protection. Currently, the most-used delineation methods rely on historic maps, field surveys, and/or calibrated empirical models. These approaches are examples of what is possible, but they may be time-intensive, may rely on jurisdiction or organization-specific data or data information systems, or may require specific local-user input or hand-drawing. Our approach, the River Process Corridor Modular Assessment Method, offers a rapid, uniform and objective river and floodplain process area delineation method that uses transparent, easily accessible data, and may be used across large areas. it is derived from the sum of five functional process units that together capture the RPC: (i) the Flood Processes Unit, derived from hydraulic modeling to determine areas subject to overbank deposition and erosion, in-channel deposition and erosion, bank erosion, and channel avulsions; (ii) the Landslide and Steep Terrain Processes Unit, based on terrain slope to show locations subject to sediment delivery, bank failures, and other mass wasting proximal to the flood-prone area; (iii) Wetland Processes Unit, based on the U.S. National Wetlands Inventory to show areas where wetland processes occur; (iv) Channel Migration Processes Unit, based on channel location and migration rates to show areas susceptible to lateral channel movement; and (v) Riparian Ecologic Processes Unit. This paper details the assessment approach for each of these units, and provides a summary outline and table for users. To illustrate and evaluate its potential, we apply the approach in three river reaches in mountainous and low-relief watersheds in the northeastern U.S. and compare results with recent geomorphic change, observed in the field and in historic imagery. The River Process Corridor Modular Assessment Method performs very well, capturing 92% of observed landslide areas, 87% of observed floodplain deposition areas, and 100% of channel migration areas. We also provide an example of how additional data available from the State of Vermont could be added in a modular approach. These results indicate the RPC method is successful at providing both an accurate assessment of potential active hazard areas and sensitive environmental areas, and that it also includes a margin of safety that many managers desire. Its modular nature allows for flexible weighting of different metrics to suit specific applications, and piecewise updating as new data or approaches become available. We conclude that maps of the RPC can be useful as an advisory layer to natural resource managers, property owners, planners and regulators to identify areas that may be valuable for ecological conservation or at risk of future damage during floods, or where they might consider allowing natural river processes occur, in order to enhance ecological processes and help attenuate future flood damage elsewhere

Mapping cumulative noise from shipping to inform marine spatial planning

Including ocean noise in marine spatial planning requires predictions of noise levels on large spatiotemporal scales. Based on a simple sound transmission model and ship track data (Automatic Identification System, AIS), cumulative underwater acoustic energy from shipping was mapped throughout 2008 in the west Canadian Exclusive Economic Zone, showing high noise levels in critical habitats for endangered resident killer whales, exceeding limits of “good conservation status” under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Error analysis proved that rough calculations of noise occurrence and propagation can form a basis for management processes, because spending resources on unnecessary detail is wasteful and delays remedial action

Environmental temperature sensing using Raman spectra DTS fiber-optic methods

Raman spectra distributed temperature sensing (DTS) by fiber-optic cables has recently shown considerable promise for the measuring and monitoring of surface and near-surface hydrologic processes such as groundwater–surface water interaction, borehole circulation, snow hydrology, soil moisture studies, and land surface energy exchanges. DTS systems uniquely provide the opportunity to monitor water, air, and media temperatures in a variety of systems at much higher spatial and temporal frequencies than any previous measurement method. As these instruments were originally designed for fire and pipeline monitoring, their extension to the typical conditions encountered by hydrologists requires a working knowledge of the theory of operation, limitations, and system accuracies, as well as the practical aspects of designing either short- or long-term experiments in remote or challenging terrain. This work focuses on providing the hydrologic user with sufficient knowledge and specifications to allow sound decisions on the application and deployment of DTS systems.Keywords: Hydrology, Temperature, Fiber opti

The Soil Moisture Active Passive Marena, Oklahoma, In Situ Sensor Testbed (SMAP-MOISST): Testbed Design and Evaluation of In Situ Sensors

n situ soil moisture monitoring networks are critical to the development of soil moisture remote sensing missions as well as agricultural and environmental management, weather forecasting, and many other endeavors. These in situ networks utilize a variety of sensors and installation practices, which confounds the development of a unified reference database for satellite calibration and validation programs. As part of the Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission, the Marena, Oklahoma, In Situ Sensor Testbed (SMAP-MOISST) was initiated to perform inter-comparisons and study sensor limitations. Soil moisture sensors that are deployed in major monitoring networks were included in the study, along with new and emerging technologies, such as the Cosmic Ray Soil Moisture Observing System (COSMOS), passive/active distributed temperature sensing (DTS), and global positioning system reflectometers (GPSR). Four profile stations were installed in May of 2010, and soil moisture was monitored to a depth of 1 m on an hourly basis. The four stations were distributed within a circular domain of approximately 600 m diameter, adequate to encompass the sensing range of COSMOS. The sensors included in the base station configuration included the Stevens Water Hydra Probe, Campbell Scientific 616 and 229, Decagon EC-TM, Delta-T Theta Probe, Acclima, and Sentek EnviroSMART capacitance system. In addition, the Pico TRIME system and additional time-domain reflectometry (TDR) systems were deployed when available. It was necessary to apply site-specific calibration to most sensors to reach an RMSE below 0.04 m³ m⁻³. For most sensor types, a single near surface sensor could be scaled to represent the areal-average of a field domain by simple linear regression, resulting in RMSE values around 0.03 m³ m⁻³.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Soil Science Society of America and can be found at: https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/vz

A field comparison of multiple techniques to quantify groundwater–surface-water interactions

Groundwater–surface-water (GW-SW) interactions in streams are difficult to quantify because of heterogeneity in hydraulic and reactive processes across a range of spatial and temporal scales. The challenge of quantifying these interactions has led to the development of several techniques, from centimeter-scale probes to whole-system tracers, including chemical, thermal, and electrical methods. We co-applied conservative and smart reactive solute-tracer tests, measurement of hydraulic heads, distributed temperature sensing, vertical profiles of solute tracer and temperature in the stream bed, and electrical resistivity imaging in a 450-m reach of a 3rd-order stream. GW-SW interactions were not spatially expansive, but were high in flux through a shallow hyporheic zone surrounding the reach. NaCl and resazurin tracers suggested different surface–subsurface exchange patterns in the upper ⅔ and lower ⅓ of the reach. Subsurface sampling of tracers and vertical thermal profiles quantified relatively high fluxes through a 10- to 20-cm deep hyporheic zone with chemical reactivity of the resazurin tracer indicated at 3-, 6-, and 9-cm sampling depths. Monitoring of hydraulic gradients along transects with MINIPOINT streambed samplers starting ∼40 m from the stream indicated that groundwater discharge prevented development of a larger hyporheic zone, which progressively decreased from the stream thalweg toward the banks. Distributed temperature sensing did not detect extensive inflow of ground water to the stream, and electrical resistivity imaging showed limited large-scale hyporheic exchange. We recommend choosing technique(s) based on: 1) clear definition of the questions to be addressed (physical, biological, or chemical processes), 2) explicit identification of the spatial and temporal scales to be covered and those required to provide an appropriate context for interpretation, and 3) maximizing generation of mechanistic understanding and reducing costs of implementing multiple techniques through collaborative research.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the Society for Freshwater Science and published by the University of Chicago Press. It can be found at: http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublication?journalCode=fresscie

Strategisches Handeln von Startups im Kontext der Mediatisierung

Junge Gründer und Start-ups müssen sich in einer schnell wandelnden und mediatisierten Wettbewerbsumwelt behaupten. Ihr Handeln wird geprägt von sozialen Netzwerkmedien wie Facebook, LinkedIn oder Instagram. Um auf diesen Medien-plattformen erfolgreich zu sein, müssen Markenführung und Markenkommunikation strategisch verankert sein. Der Aufsatz präsentiert daher eine qualitative Analyse empirischer Daten aus dem Kontext des Start-up-Incubator neudeli der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar und verdeutlicht, dass die Mediatisierung grundlegend in die strategische Entwicklung der Marke von jungen Gründern und Start-ups eingreift. Die Studie verdeutlicht das Verständnis strategischer Markenführung in mediatisierten Kontexten und zeigt, dass drei idealtypische Praktiken zur Markenführung und strategischen Entwicklung beitragen: 1) Bürokratische Medienarbeit, 2) Mediale Kreativarbeit, 3) Netzwerkarbeit durch Medien