Cook, Sarah
(2019)
DUSTING OFF THE ARCHIVES: WHAT ARCHIVES CAN TELL US ABOUT CHANGES IN WATER STORAGE AND STREAMFLOW DUE TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Land-surface alteration that accompanies urbanization influences hydrologic changes within watersheds. The urbanization of a watershed can profoundly impact groundwater and surface water interaction presented as decrease in watershed storage, variability in discharge, fluctuations in low flow magnitude, increased low flow duration, and more. Although urbanization’s effects on watershed hydrology have been explored in recent decades through land-use modeling, hydrological modeling, remote sensing, and empirical approaches, clarification of urbanization’s effects remains a challenge due to limited availability and accessibility of high temporal resolution data. Historical streamflow records for Abers Creek in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, provide a unique opportunity to study the effects of urbanization on watershed functions, such as storage and discharge. The discharge record (1948-1993) spans the complete residential development of the watershed as reconstructed from property records, this providing the timing and intensity of watershed development. Recession analysis was used to evaluate altered hydrologic response, particularly relationships between watershed storage and streamflow that may occur during urbanization. Sub-daily USGS stage data from archival records were converted to hourly or bihourly streamflow in Abers Creek to permit various hydrograph recession analyses on this unique streamflow record. Results relate build out to changes in hydrograph patterns identified through recession methods. Analysis of daily and sub-daily streamflow records suggest groundwater-surface water interactions driven by urbanization, previously only observed through modeled data or smaller datasets. Refined connections between development history and changes in hydrology allow improved mitigation of stream impacts in urban areas.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
26 September 2019 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
7 June 2019 |
| Approval Date: |
26 September 2019 |
| Submission Date: |
9 August 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
2 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 2 years. |
| Number of Pages: |
54 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Geology and Environmental Science |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Earth Science
Hydrology
Urban
Recession Analysis |
| Date Deposited: |
26 Sep 2019 14:49 |
| Last Modified: |
26 Sep 2021 05:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/37017 |
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