Search

Debris flows threaten communities in mountain regions worldwide. Combining modern photogrammetric processing with autonomous unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) flights at sub-weekly intervals allows mapping of sediment dynamics in a debris flow catchment. This provides important information for sediment disposition that pre-conditions the catchment for debris flow occurrence. At the Illgraben debris flow catchment in Switzerland, our autonomous UAV launched nearly 50 times in the snow-free periods in 2019–2021 with typical flight intervals of 2–4 d, producing 350–400 images every flight. The observed terrain changes resulting from debris flows exhibit preferred locations of erosion and deposition, including memory effects as previously deposited material is preferentially removed during subsequent debris flows. Such data are critical for the validation of geomorphological process models. Given the remote terrain, the mapped short-term erosion and deposition structures are difficult to obtain with conventional measurements. The proposed method thus fills an observational gap, which ground-based monitoring and satellite-based remote sensing cannot fill as a result of limited access, reaction time, spatial resolution, or involved costs.

We investigate the properties of strong (H β + [O iii ]) emitters before and after the end of the “Epoch of Reionization” from z = 8 to z = 5.5. We make use of ultradeep JWST / NIRCam imaging in the parallel field (P2) of the MIRI Deep Imaging Survey (MIDIS) in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (H-XDF), in order to select prominent (H β + [O iii ]) emitters (with rest-frame equivalent width (EW _0 ) ≳ 100 Å) at z = 5.5–7, based on their flux density enhancement in the F356W band with respect to the spectral energy distribution continuum. We complement our selection with other (H β + [O iii ]) emitters from the literature at similar and higher ( z = 7−8) redshifts. We find (nonindependent) anticorrelations between EW _0 (H β + [O iii ]) and both galaxy stellar mass and age, in agreement with previous studies, and a positive correlation with specific star formation rate (sSFR). On the SFR– M ^⋆ plane, the (H β + [O iii ]) emitters populate both the star formation main sequence and the starburst region, which become indistinguishable at low stellar masses ( ${\mathrm{log}}_{10}({M}^{\star })\lt 7.5$ ). We find tentative evidence for a nonmonotonic relation between EW _0 (H β + [O iii ]) and SFR, such that both parameters correlate with each other at SFR ≳ 1 M _⊙ yr ^−1 , while the correlation flattens out at lower SFRs. This suggests that low metallicities producing high EW _0 (H β + [O iii ]) could be important at low SFR values. Interestingly, the properties of the strong emitters and other galaxies (33% and 67% of our z = 5.5–7 sample, respectively) are similar, including, in many cases, high sSFR. Therefore, it is crucial to consider both emitters and nonemitters to obtain a complete picture of the cosmic star formation activity around the Epoch of Reionization.

By using an ultradeep JWST/MIRI image at 5.6 μ m in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field, we constrain the role of strong H α emitters (HAEs) during “cosmic reionization” at z ≃ 7–8. Our sample of HAEs is comprised of young (

Abstract Background Persons discharged from inpatient psychiatric services are at greatly elevated risk of harming themselves or inflicting violence on others, but no studies have reported gender-specific absolute risks for these two outcomes across the spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses. We aimed to estimate absolute risks for self-harm and interpersonal violence post-discharge according to gender and diagnostic category. Methods Danish national registry data were utilized to investigate 62,922 discharged inpatients, born 1967–2000. An age and gender matched cohort study was conducted to examine risks for self-harm and interpersonal violence at 1 year and at 10 years post-discharge. Absolute risks were estimated as cumulative incidence percentage values. Results Patients diagnosed with substance misuse disorders were at especially elevated risk, with the absolute risks for either self-harm or interpersonal violence being 15.6% (95% CI 14.9, 16.3%) of males and 16.8% (15.6, 18.1%) of females at 1 year post-discharge, rising to 45.7% (44.5, 46.8%) and 39.0% (37.1, 40.8%), respectively, within 10 years. Diagnoses of personality disorders and early onset behavioral and emotional disorders were also associated with particularly high absolute risks, whilst risks linked with schizophrenia and related disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety/somatoform disorders, were considerably lower. Conclusions Patients diagnosed with substance misuse disorders, personality disorders and early onset behavioral and emotional disorders are at especially high risk for internally and externally directed violence. It is crucial, however, that these already marginalized individuals are not further stigmatized. Enhanced care at discharge and during the challenging transition back to life in the community is needed.

Ice mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet is the largest single contributor to sea level rise in the 21st century. The mass loss rate has accelerated in recent decades mainly due to thinning and retreat of its outlet glaciers. The diverse calving mechanisms responsible for tidewater glacier retreat are not fully understood yet. Since a tidewater glacier’s sensitivity to external forcings depends on its calving style, detailed insight into calving processes is necessary to improve projections of ice sheet mass loss by calving. As tidewater glaciers are mostly thinning, their calving styles are expected to change. Here, we study calving behaviour changes under a thinning regime at Bowdoin Glacier, north-western Greenland, by combining field and remote-sensing data from 2015 to 2019. Previous studies showed that major calving events in 2015 and 2017 were driven by hydro-fracturing and melt-undercutting. New observations from uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery and a GPS network installed at the calving front in 2019 suggest ungrounding and buoyant calving have recently occurred as they show (1) increasing tidal modulation of vertical motion compared to previous years, (2) absence of a surface crevasse prior to calving, and (3) uplift and horizontal surface compression prior to calving. Furthermore, an inventory of calving events from 2015 to 2019 based on satellite imagery provides additional support for a change towards buoyant calving since it shows an increasing occurrence of calving events outside of the melt season. The observed change in calving style could lead to a possible retreat of the terminus, which has been stable since 2013. We therefore highlight the need for high-resolution monitoring to detect changing calving styles and numerical models that cover the full spectrum of calving mechanisms to improve projections of ice sheet mass loss by calving.

In mountainous areas, rockfalls, rock avalanches, and debris flows constitute a risk to human life and property. Seismology has proven a useful tool to monitor such mass movements, while increasing data volumes and availability of real-time data streams demand new solutions for automatic signal classification. Ideally, seismic monitoring arrays have large apertures and record a significant number of mass movements to train detection algorithms. However, this is rarely the case, as a result of cost and time constraints and the rare occurrence of catastrophic mass movements. Here, we use the supervised random forest algorithm to classify windowed seismic data on a continuous data stream. We investigate algorithm performance for signal classification into noise (NO), slope failure (SF), and earthquake (EQ) classes and explore the influence of non-ideal though commonly encountered conditions: poor network coverage, imbalanced data sets, and low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). To this end we use data from two separate locations in the Swiss Alps: data set (i), recorded at Illgraben, contains signals of several dozen slope failures with low SNR; data set (ii), recorded at Pizzo Cengalo, contains only five slope failure events albeit with higher SNR. The low SNR of slope failure events in data set (i) leads to a classification accuracy of 70 % for SF, with the largest confusion between NO and SF. Although data set (ii) is highly imbalanced, lowering the prediction threshold for slope failures leads to a prediction accuracy of 80 % for SF, with the largest confusion between SF and EQ. Standard techniques to mitigate training data imbalance do not increase prediction accuracy. The classifier of data set (ii) is then used to train a model for the classification of 176 d of continuous seismic recordings containing four slope failure events. The model classifies eight events as slope failures, of which two are snow avalanches, and one is a rock-slope failure. The other events are local or regional earthquakes. By including earthquake detection of a permanent seismic station at 131 km distance to the test site into the decision-making process, all earthquakes falsely classified as slope failures can be excluded. Our study shows that, even for limited training data and non-optimal network geometry, machine learning algorithms applied to high-quality seismic records can be used to monitor mass movements automatically.

In this study, Walter and colleagues deploy a 1 km long fiber optics cable on a glacier surface. Via the use of distributed acoustic sensing, the authors are capable of monitoring glacier dynamics and Alpine mass movements.

Abstract Purpose Patients with left-sided breast cancer frequently receive deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) radiotherapy to reduce the risk of cardiac side effects. The aim of the present study was to analyze intra-breath-hold stability and inter-fraction breath-hold reproducibility in clinical practice. Material and methods Overall, we analyzed 103 patients receiving left-sided breast cancer radiotherapy using a surface-guided DIBH technique. During each treatment session the vertical motion of the patient was continuously measured by a surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT) system and automated gating control (beam on/off) was performed using an audio-visual patient feedback system. Dose delivery was automatically triggered when the tracking point was within a predefined gating window. Intra-breath-hold stability and inter-fraction reproducibility across all fractions of the entire treatment course were analyzed per patient. Results In the present series, 6013 breath-holds during beam-on time were analyzed. The mean amplitude of the gating window from the baseline breathing curve (maximum expiration during free breathing) was 15.8 mm (95%-confidence interval: [8.5–30.6] mm) and had a width of 3.5 mm (95%-CI: [2–4.3] mm). As a measure of intra-breath-hold stability, the median standard deviation of the breath-hold level during DIBH was 0.3 mm (95%-CI: [0.1–0.9] mm). Similarly, the median absolute intra-breath-hold linear amplitude deviation was 0.4 mm (95%-CI: [0.01–2.1] mm). Reproducibility testing showed good inter-fractional reliability, as the maximum difference in the breathing amplitudes in all patients and all fractions were 1.3 mm on average (95%-CI: [0.5–2.6] mm). Conclusion The clinical integration of an optical surface scanner enables a stable and reliable DIBH treatment delivery during SGRT for left-sided breast cancer in clinical routine.

Water flowing below glaciers exerts a major control on glacier basal sliding. However, our knowledge of the physics of subglacial hydrology and its link with sliding is limited because of lacking observations. Here we use a 2-year-long dataset made of on-ice-measured seismic and in situ-measured glacier basal sliding speed on Glacier d'Argentière (French Alps) to investigate the physics of subglacial channels and its potential link with glacier basal sliding. Using dedicated theory and concomitant measurements of water discharge, we quantify temporal changes in channels' hydraulic radius and hydraulic pressure gradient. At seasonal timescales we find that hydraulic radius and hydraulic pressure gradient respectively exhibit a 2- and 6-fold increase from spring to summer, followed by comparable decrease towards autumn. At low discharge during the early and late melt season channels respond to changes in discharge mainly through changes in hydraulic radius, a regime that is consistent with predictions of channels' behaviour at equilibrium. In contrast, at high discharge and high short-term water-supply variability (summertime), channels undergo strong changes in hydraulic pressure gradient, a behaviour that is consistent with channels behaving out of equilibrium. This out-of-equilibrium regime is further supported by observations at the diurnal scale, which prove that channels pressurize in the morning and depressurize in the afternoon. During summer we also observe high and sustained basal sliding speed, which supports that the widespread inefficient drainage system (cavities) is likely pressurized concomitantly with the channel system. We propose that pressurized channels help sustain high pressure in cavities (and therefore high glacier sliding speed) through an efficient hydraulic connection between the two systems. The present findings provide an essential basis for testing the physics represented in subglacial hydrology and glacier sliding models.

Ambient noise seismology has revolutionized seismic characterization of the Earth's crust from local to global scales. The estimate of Green's function (GF) between two receivers, representing the impulse response of elastic media, can be reconstructed via cross-correlation of the ambient noise seismograms. A homogenized wave field illuminating the propagation medium in all directions is a prerequisite for obtaining an accurate GF. For seismic data recorded on glaciers, this condition imposes strong limitations on GF convergence because of minimal seismic scattering in homogeneous ice and limitations in network coverage. We address this difficulty by investigating three patterns of seismic wave fields: a favorable distribution of icequakes and noise sources recorded on a dense array of 98 sensors on Glacier d'Argentière (France), a dominant noise source constituted by a moulin within a smaller seismic array on the Greenland Ice Sheet, and crevasse-generated scattering at Gornergletscher (Switzerland). In Glacier d'Argentière, surface melt routing through englacial channels produces turbulent water flow, creating sustained ambient seismic sources and thus favorable conditions for GF estimates. Analysis of the cross-correlation functions reveals non-equally distributed noise sources outside and within the recording network. The dense sampling of sensors allows for spatial averaging and accurate GF estimates when stacked on lines of receivers. The averaged GFs contain high-frequency (>30 Hz) direct and refracted P waves in addition to the fundamental mode of dispersive Rayleigh waves above 1 Hz. From seismic velocity measurements, we invert bed properties and depth profiles and map seismic anisotropy, which is likely introduced by crevassing. In Greenland, we employ an advanced preprocessing scheme which includes match-field processing and eigenspectral equalization of the cross spectra to remove the moulin source signature and reduce the effect of inhomogeneous wave fields on the GFs. At Gornergletscher, cross-correlations of icequake coda waves show evidence for homogenized incident directions of the scattered wave field. Optimization of coda correlation windows via a Bayesian inversion based on the GF cross coherency and symmetry further promotes the GF estimate convergence. This study presents new processing schemes on suitable array geometries for passive seismic imaging and monitoring of glaciers and ice sheets.

Abstract Radiotherapy and radiation oncology play a key role in the clinical management of patients suffering from oncological diseases. In clinical routine, anatomic imaging such as contrast-enhanced CT and MRI are widely available and are usually used to improve the target volume delineation for subsequent radiotherapy. Moreover, these modalities are also used for treatment monitoring after radiotherapy. However, some diagnostic questions cannot be sufficiently addressed by the mere use standard morphological imaging. Therefore, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging gains increasing clinical significance in the management of oncological patients undergoing radiotherapy, as PET allows the visualization and quantification of tumoral features on a molecular level beyond the mere morphological extent shown by conventional imaging, such as tumor metabolism or receptor expression. The tumor metabolism or receptor expression information derived from PET can be used as tool for visualization of tumor extent, for assessing response during and after therapy, for prediction of patterns of failure and for definition of the volume in need of dose-escalation. This review focuses on recent and current advances of PET imaging within the field of clinical radiotherapy / radiation oncology in several oncological entities (neuro-oncology, head & neck cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal tumors and prostate cancer) with particular emphasis on radiotherapy planning, response assessment after radiotherapy and prognostication.

Thorium–lead (Th-Pb) crystallization ages of hydrothermal monazites from the western, central and eastern Tauern Window provide new insights into Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Tauern metamorphic dome. Growth domain crystallization ages range from 21.7 ± 0.4 to 10.0 ± 0.2 Ma. Three major periods of monazite growth are recorded between ∼ 22–20 (peak at 21 Ma), 19–15 (major peak at 17 Ma) and 14–10 Ma (major peak around 12 Ma), respectively, interpreted to be related to prevailing N–S shortening, in association with E–W extension, beginning strike-slip movements and reactivation of strike-slip faulting. Fissure monazite ages largely overlap with zircon and apatite fission track data. Besides tracking the thermal evolution of the Tauern dome, monazite dates reflect episodic tectonic movement along major shear zones that took place during the formation of the dome. Geochronological and structural data from the Pfitschtal area in the western Tauern Window show the existence of two cleft generations separated in time by 4 Ma and related to strike-slip to oblique-slip faulting. Moreover, these two phases overprint earlier phases of fissure formation. Highlights. In situ dating of hydrothermal monazite-(Ce). New constraints on the exhumation of the Tauern metamorphic dome. Distinct tectonic pulses recorded from east to west.

Hydraulic processes impact viscous and brittle ice deformation. Water-driven fracturing as well as turbulent water flow within and beneath glaciers radiate seismic waves which provide insights into otherwise hard-to-access englacial and subglacial environments. In this study, we analyze glaciohydraulic tremors recorded by four seismic arrays installed in different parts of Glacier de la Plaine Morte, Switzerland. Data were recorded during the 2016 melt season including the sudden subglacial drainage of an ice-marginal lake. Together with our seismic data, discharge, lake level, and ice flow measurements provide constraints on glacier hydraulics. We find that the tremors are generated by subglacial water flow, in moulins, and by icequake bursts. The dominating process can vary on sub-kilometer and sub-daily scales. Consistent with field observations, continuous source tracking via matched-field processing suggests a gradual up-glacier progression of an efficient drainage system as the melt season progresses. The ice-marginal lake likely connects to this drainage system via hydrofracturing, which is indicated by sustained icequake signals emitted from the proximity of the lake basin and starting roughly 24 h prior to the lake drainage. To estimate the hydraulics associated with the drainage, we use tremor–discharge scaling relationships. Our analysis suggests a pressurization of the subglacial environment at the drainage onset, followed by an increase in the hydraulic radii of the conduits and a subsequent decrease in the subglacial water pressure as the capacity of the drainage system increases. The pressurization is in phase with the drop in the lake level, and its retrieved maximum coincides with ice uplift measured via GPS. Our results highlight the use of cryo-seismology for monitoring glacier hydraulics.

We make use of JWST medium-band and broadband NIRCam imaging, along with ultradeep MIRI 5.6 μ m imaging, in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field to identify prominent line emitters at z ≃ 7–8. Out of a total of 58 galaxies at z ≃ 7–8, we find 18 robust candidates (≃31%) for (H β + [O iii ]) emitters, based on their enhanced fluxes in the F430M and F444W filters, with EW _0 (H β +[O iii ]) ≃87–2100 Å. Among these emitters, 16 lie in the MIRI coverage area and 12 exhibit a clear flux excess at 5.6 μ m, indicating the simultaneous presence of a prominent H α emission line with EW _0 (H α ) ≃200–3000 Å. This is the first time that H α emission can be detected in individual galaxies at z > 7. The H α line, when present, allows us to separate the contributions of H β and [O iii ] to the (H β +[O iii ]) complex and derive H α -based star formation rates (SFRs). We find that in most cases [O iii ]/H β > 1. Instead, two galaxies have [O iii ]/H β < 1, indicating that the NIRCam flux excess is mainly driven by H β . Most prominent line emitters are very young starbursts or galaxies on their way to/from the starburst cloud. They make for a cosmic SFR density ${\mathrm{log}}_{10}({\rho }_{{\mathrm{SFR}}_{{\rm{H}}\alpha }}/({M}_{\odot }\,{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}\,{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{-3}))\simeq -2.35$ , which is about a quarter of the total value ( ${\mathrm{log}}_{10}({\rho }_{{\mathrm{SFR}}_{\mathrm{tot}}}/({M}_{\odot }\,{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}\,{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{-3}))\simeq -1.76$ ) at z ≃ 7–8. Therefore, the strong H α emitters likely had a significant role in reionization.

Attempts to trace star formation with rest-frame UV/optical observations at redshifts z > 2 are affected by the presence of potentially substantial, yet uncertain, dust attenuation. Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of a population of galaxies that are virtually invisible in the observed optical/near-infrared (NIR) due to dust obscuration, but which could contribute substantially to the star formation history at 2 < z < 6. Here, we make use of ultradeep 3 GHz Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations from the COSMOS-XS survey to investigate the contribution 20of radio-selected “optically dark” galaxies (undetected to a depth of K _S ∼ 25.9 mag) to the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD). We identify 19 such “optically dark” sources and utilize recent deblended far-infrared photometry to determine photometric redshifts based on IR and radio information for 11 of them. Through stacking, we infer that the remaining eight sources reside predominantly at high redshift ( z > 4). Therefore, we conservatively assume these sources lie between z = 2 and z = 5. We derive the radio luminosity function (LF) for the sample with and without “optically dark” sources by fixing the faint and bright end shape of the radio LF to the local values and allowing for luminosity evolution. By integrating both LFs, we estimate the contribution of the “optically dark” galaxies to the radio SFRD to be $\sim {15}_{-7}^{+7} \% $ at z ∼ 5. This is consistent with constraints from NIR-dark and UV-dark sources, while being in disagreement with some estimates using H -dropouts. This result implies that “optically dark” sources play a nonnegligible role at high redshift.

The ExoClock project has been created to increase the efficiency of the Ariel mission. It will achieve this by continuously monitoring and updating the ephemerides of Ariel candidates, in order to produce a consistent catalog of reliable and precise ephemerides. This work presents a homogenous catalog of updated ephemerides for 450 planets, generated by the integration of ∼18,000 data points from multiple sources. These sources include observations from ground-based telescopes (the ExoClock network and the Exoplanet Transit Database), midtime values from the literature, and light curves from space telescopes (Kepler, K2, and TESS). With all the above, we manage to collect observations for half of the postdiscovery years (median), with data that have a median uncertainty less than 1 minute. In comparison with the literature, the ephemerides generated by the project are more precise and less biased. More than 40% of the initial literature ephemerides had to be updated to reach the goals of the project, as they were either of low precision or drifting. Moreover, the integrated approach of the project enables both the monitoring of the majority of the Ariel candidates (95%), and also the identification of missing data. These results highlight the need for continuous monitoring to increase the observing coverage of the candidate planets. Finally, the extended observing coverage of planets allows us to detect trends (transit-timing variations) for a sample of 19 planets. All the products, data, and codes used in this work are open and accessible to the wider scientific community.

Heavy precipitation can mobilize tens to hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of sediment in steep Alpine torrents in a short time. The resulting debris flows (mixtures of water, sediment and boulders) move downstream with velocities of several meters per second and have a high destruction potential. Warning protocols for affected communities rely on raising awareness about the debris-flow threat, precipitation monitoring and rapid detection methods. The latter, in particular, is a challenge because debris-flow-prone torrents have their catchments in steep and inaccessible terrain, where instrumentation is difficult to install and maintain. Here we test amplitude source location (ASL) as a processing scheme for seismic network data for early warning purposes. We use debris-flow and noise seismograms from the Illgraben catchment, Switzerland, a torrent system which produces several debris-flow events per year. Automatic in situ detection is currently based on geophones mounted on concrete check dams and radar stage sensors suspended above the channel. The ASL approach has the advantage that it uses seismometers, which can be installed at more accessible locations where a stable connection to mobile phone networks is available for data communication. Our ASL processing uses time-averaged ground vibration amplitudes to estimate the location of the debris-flow front. Applied to continuous data streams, inversion of the seismic amplitude decay throughout the network is robust and efficient, requires no manual identification of seismic phase arrivals and eliminates the need for a local seismic velocity model. We apply the ASL technique to a small debris-flow event on 19 July 2011, which was captured with a temporary seismic monitoring network. The processing rapidly detects the debris-flow event half an hour before arrival at the outlet of the torrent and several minutes before detection by the in situ alarm system. An analysis of continuous seismic records furthermore indicates that detectability of Illgraben debris flows of this size is unaffected by changing environmental and anthropogenic seismic noise and that false detections can be greatly reduced with simple processing steps.

No hay abstract.

No abstract available.

Das Thema des Privateigentums ist für das Verständnis räumlicher Praktiken von grundlegender Bedeutung. Speziell in der Sozialgeographie ist das individualistische Paradigma untrennbar mit jeglichem Theorisationsversuch verbunden. Die Rolle des Privateigentums darf daher nicht bloss unter dem strukturellen Aspekt (z. B. der Verteilung des Grundbesitzes) betrachtet werden, sondern muss auch als eine im Verhalten dem Räume gegenüber verborgene gesellschaftliche Versinnbildlichung angesehen werden. Zur Hervorhebung der Dynamik benutzt der Verfasser einen geo-historischen Ansatz. Er legt zunächst die räumlichen Auswirkungen des individualistischen Paradigmas dar. Danach werden die dem Privateigentum im Rahmen der Verstädterungs- und Raumplanungspolitik auferlegten Beschränkungen abgehandelt. Daraus wird ersichtlich, dass diese für die Grundeigentümer restriktive Politik nichts anderes ist als eine «soziale Technologie», welche die gesamte Gesellschaft prägt. Jegliche (aktive) Raumordnung hat ihren Ursprung in der gesellschaftlichen Versinnbildlichung des Eigentums und setzt ein Gleichgewicht zwischen privaten und allgemeinen Interessen voraus. Die Untersuchung der Besitzverhältnisse und deren raum-zeitliche Konfiguration kann daher zu einem neuartigen Verständnis der Sozialstruktur beitragen.

When tropical forests are felled, subsequent land uses affect surface runoff, soil erosion, and soil compaction. In some cases, they can markedly change the hydrology of a region with disastrous effects on human life. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of rainfall on stream hydrology due to conversion of primary forests to agriculture. Near surface water dynamics were compared for three land uses on the steep hillsides in the Talgua River Watershed in Honduras: degraded grass?covered field; traditional coffee plantation; and primary forest. Infiltration and surface runoff rates were measured using several methods. A clear difference was observed in hydraulic conductivity between the degraded and non?degraded lands. The degraded grass?covered hillslopes developed a surface restrictive layer with a low saturated hydraulic conductivity of 8 to 11?mm/hr, resulting in more frequent overland flow than traditional coffee plantation and primary forest. Soils under the latter two land?use types maintained high infiltration capacities and readily conducted water vertically at rates of 109 and 840?mm/hr, respectively. Dye tests confirmed that the coffee plantation and primary forest both maintained well?connected macropores through which water flowed readily. In contrast, macropores in the degraded soil profile were filled by fine soil particles. Soils in the degraded grass?covered field also showed more compaction than soils in the coffee plantation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very few hydrological models commonly used in watershed management are appropriate for simulating the saturation excess runoff. The Soil Moisture Routing model (SMR) was developed specifically to predict saturation excess runoff from variable source areas, especially for areas where shallow interflow controls saturation. A recent version of SMR was applied to two rural catchments in the Catskill Mountains to evaluate its ability to simulate the hydrology of these systems. Only readily available meteorological, topographical, and landuse information from published literature and governmental agencies was used. Measured and predicted streamflows showed relatively good agreement; the average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency for the two watersheds were R2=72% and R2=63%. Distributed soil moisture contents and the locations of hydrologically sensitive areas were also predicted well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]