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J. Hydrol. Hydromech., 58, 2010, 3, 149–162
DOI: 10.2478/v10098-010-0014-0
149
ARE DIURNAL FLUCTUATIONS IN STREAMFLOW REAL?
JAIME G. CUEVAS1*), MATÍAS CALVO2), CHRISTIAN LITTLE3,4),
MARIO PINO2), PAUL DASSORI2)
1)Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Oficina Técnica Valdivia, Campus Isla Teja s/n, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile; *
Mailto: jxcuevas@inia.cl.
2)Instituto de Geociencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja s/n, Valdivia, Chile; Mailto: matiascalvot@gmail.com.
3)Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja s/n,
Valdivia, Chile.
4)Fundación Centro de los Bosques Nativos, FORECOS, Chile.
Diurnal variations in streamflow (DVS) have been studied in detail by underwater pressure loggers.
Some of this equipment requires barometric compensation with a logger or sensor located outside the
water. Studies related to this topic have not offered a critical report of the validity of patterns inferred with
these instruments. While studying a forested watershed in Southern Chile (40° S), we detected a DVS
when the external logger was placed 1.5 m above ground, under a marked diurnal fluctuation in air
temperature (amplitude 12.4 °C) and a dampened fluctuation in stream temperature (amplitude 1.4 °C).
Synchronization was apparent between air and stream temperature in a direct relationship, but the
synchronization between air/stream temperature and streamflow was negative, with some hours of lag time.
In laboratory experiments, when the external logger is considerably warmer than the water-level logger,
depth measurements can be underestimated by up to 1.5 cm. When the opposite occurs, water depths can
be overestimated by up to 0.9 cm and are large instrumental/methodological artifacts compared to the field
water diurnal variation of 1.3 cm. Finally, we relocated the external logger in front of the water-level
logger and inside a weir, but exposed to the air. Results confirmed the pattern previously detected in the
field, but streamflow fluctuations were 19% less accentuated. We conclude that the incorrect placement
of the external logger, along with an instrumental artifact, can intensify a DVS pattern.
KEY WORDS: Instrumental Analysis, Methodological Artifacts, Southern Rainforests, Stream and Air
Temperatures.
Jaime G. Cuevas, Matías Calvo, Christian Little, Mario Pino, Paul Dassori: SÚ DENNÉ FLUKTUÁCIE
PRIETOKOV V TOKOCH REÁLNE? J. Hydrol. Hydromech., 58, 2010, 3; 43 lit., 7 obr., 2 tab.
Počas dňa sme podrobne sledovali zmeny prietokov v tokoch tlakovými snímačmi, umiestnenými pod
vodou. Niektoré z týchto zariadení vyžadujú barometrickú kompenzáciu snímačov, ktoré nie sú umiestnené
vo vode. Štúdie z tejto oblasti obyčajne nehodnotia kriticky správnosť výsledkov meraní týmito
zariadeniami. Počas meraní v zalesnenom povodí na juhu Chile (40° S), sme zistili zmeny prietokov
v tokoch počas dňa, ak bol externý tlakový snímač (logger) uložený 1,5 m nad zemou, počas výrazných
denných zmien teploty vzduchu (amplitúda 12.4 °C) a stlmené fluktuácie teploty vody v toku (amplitúda
1.4 °C). Synchronizácia medzi teplotami vody a vzduchu bola zrejmá, ale synchronizácia medzi teplotami
vody v toku a prietokmi bola negatívna, s hodinovými posunmi voči sebe. V experimentoch v laboratóriu,
keď bol externý snímač podstatne teplejší ako snímač vo vode, meranie hĺbok bolo podhodnotené až o 1,5
cm. V opačnom prípade, hĺbka hladiny vody bola nadhodnotená až o 0,9 cm a boli zistené významné
inštrumentálne/metodologické artefakty v porovnaní s poľnými meraniami až o 1,3 cm. Nakoniec, externý
snímač bol umiestnený pred snímač s údajmi o vodnej hladine a dovnútra prepadu, ale bol vo vzduchu.
Výsledky meraní potvrdili chody prietokov namerané v teréne, ale fluktuácie prietokov boli nižšie o 19 %.
Z toho vyplýva, že nesprávne umiestnenie externého snímača, spolu s prístrojovými artefaktmi, môžu
intenzifikovať zmeny prietokov v tokoch počas dňa.
KĽÚČOVÉ SLOVÁ: inštrumentálna analýza, metodologické artefakty, južné dažďové pralesy, teploty
vzduchu a vody.
J. G. Cuevas, M. Calvo, Ch. Little, M. Pino, P. Dassori
150
1. Introduction
Streamflows are well known to vary seasonally
(Ward, Trimble, 2003; Cuevas et al., 2006; Little et
al., 2008; Lara et al., 2009), between years (Ward,
Trimble, 2003; Lara et al., 2008; Little et al., 2009),
and with the highest and lowest flows occurring in
rainy and dry seasons or years, respectively. These
variations, in addition to between-day fluctuations
(daily), are mainly related to precipitation control
(snow, rain; Graham, 1999; Tesař et al., 2008).
Streamflow variations experienced in time periods
of minutes or hours (diurnal) are not as well under-
stood. The pattern of higher streamflow at dawn
and lower streamflow during the afternoon was
noted several decades ago (Troxell, 1936; Wicht,
1941), but it was only with the advent of automatic
datalogger systems that these variations could be
studied in detail. In this way, diurnal variations
have been linked to a chain of causal factors,
namely, solar radiation increases air temperature
which then increases evapotranspiration (Monteith
1965), while decreasing water recharge towards
groundwater (Hughes, 2010). Thus, the water table
decreases, causing a diminution in streamflows
(Szilágyi et al., 2008; Gribovszki et al., 2008).
Some studies have shown that trees are mainly re-
sponsible for evapotranspiration in a watershed
(Bren, 1997) given that diurnal fluctuations have
been observed in tree sapflows (Bond et al., 2002;
Střelcová et al., 2009). Moreover, diurnal stream-
flow variations can also occur in losing reaches as a
consequence of increased streambed infiltration
rates during the afternoon (Constantz, 1998).
Lastly, snowmelt and freeze-thaw cycles can also
contribute to diurnal variation in streamflows, espe-
cially in alpine environments (Jordon, 1983; Caine,
1992). All cited processes have widely varying lag
times (Constantz, 1998; Bond et al., 2002; Szilágyi
et al., 2008).
In spite of the accepted concept of diurnal fluc-
tuation of streamflows and ongoing research of this
topic, related studies do not offer a critical report of
the validity of patterns measured with different
electronic devices (Constantz, 1998; Wondzell et
al., 2007; Gribovszki et al., 2008). Common water-
level loggers are pressure sensors that measure
hydrostatic pressure in addition to atmospheric
pressure, making it necessary to deduct the latter by
putting another logger outside the water (baromet-
ric compensation). In spite of the availability of
differential water level sensors, which do not need a
second sensor as they have vented cables allowing
compensation for barometric pressure changes
(Acworth, Brain 2008; Cockburn, Lamoureux
2008a, 2008b), their use is not as common as non-
vented water-level loggers. In the latter case, any
error in separated instrumental records can have
consequences on inferred water depths. Moreover,
many electronic devices are sensitive to tempera-
ture (Boylestad, Nashelsky, 1999; Cook, 1999;
Paynter, 1999), which should not cause a problem
if equipment is used to register temperature. How-
ever, problems are likely to arise when other vari-
ables, such as conductivity, pH, pressure, etc., are
measured as a good temperature compensation for
the circuits is required. If the thermal regime of
both sensors is not comparable, their differential
response to temperature may result in misleading
measurements. Thus, we propose that this deduc-
tion with the use of separate sensor records can
generate a measurement error which is greater if the
external logger is not correctly located.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity
of diurnal water level variations in three situations:
i) field measurements with an underwater logger
and another located 10 m from it at 1.5 m above
ground; ii) a detailed laboratory evaluation of log-
ger behaviour under a controlled water level with
known pressure and temperature variations; and iii)
a re-evaluation of field measurements by relocating
the barometric compensation logger in front of the
submerged logger, inside a weir, but exposed to the
air, and taking into account the patterns detected in
ii). Thus, we aim to provide evidence that baromet-
ric compensations that are not carefully carried out
can generate errors in streamflow estimations, es-
pecially when water discharges and fluctuations are
relatively low.
2. Materials and methods
2.1 Study site
We studied a small watershed (42,600 m2) lo-
cated in the Valdivia Rainforest Ecoregion of
Southern Chile (40 °S, 73.5° W) (Fig. 1). This wa-
tershed (RC6) consisted of native riparian vegeta-
tion (26-m wide), surrounded by an exotic forest
plantation of fast-growing Eucalyptus globulus
trees. Common native species in the riparian strip
were the Amomyrtus luma and Drimys winteri trees;
Chusquea quila and Tepualia stipularis shrubs;
Blechnum chilense and Lophosoria quadripinnata
ferns; and the Lapageria rosea vine.
Are diurnal fluctuations in streamflow real?
151
Fig. 1. Watershed studied in Los Ríos Region in Southern Chile.
Obr. 1. Povodie, ktoré bolo predmetom štúdia v oblasti Los Ríos na juhu Čile.
The watershed is 450 m long, 100 m wide, and
has an 80-m elevation difference between the high-
est and lowest points (Fig. 1). The bedrock belongs
to the local basement composed of micaschist. The
upper 2 m of the metamorphic rocks are deeply
weathered and fractured under the soil, whereas it is
compact and impermeable with some unconnected
joints below the basement.
According to our data for the period January-
December 2009, mean air temperature at 1.5 above
J. G. Cuevas, M. Calvo, Ch. Little, M. Pino, P. Dassori
152
ground was 10.5 °C and mean runoff was 8.9 m3 h-1
(range 0.02–161.7). Stations close-by showed an
annual rainfall of 1526 to 2046 mm, thus precipita-
tion for RC6 is probably within these limits.
RC6 is neither inhabited nor used by humans, for
example, there is no diversion of water for irriga-
tion. Patterns reported in this study are representa-
tive of six other watersheds examined in the same
zone.
2.2 Field monitoring 1
We measured three variables: air temperature,
streamflow, and stream temperature. Streamflow
was determined by a V-notch weir (90°) and a pres-
sure/temperature logger (HOBO U20-001-01, On-
set Computer Corporation, Bourne, USA) to record
data every 15 minutes. The logger was placed into a
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tube open at the bottom
and perforated at intermediate levels to allow quick
water flow inside the tube. The equipment was
hung from a steel chain connected to the top cap of
the tube.
The weir bottom was cleaned periodically of
sediments, and the accumulation of leaves and
branches on the V-notch was prevented by placing
a metallic mesh in front of the notch, and arranged
as a semicircle.
Streamflows were calibrated from logger records
to make a linear regression with data from a staff
gauge installed in the weir. Water levels were later
converted to streamflows by calibrating flows di-
rectly measured with a jar and a chronometer, at
varying water depths. The regression model was a
power function between water level and stream-
flow.
According to the manufacturer, logger operation
range is 0 to 207 kPa (approx. 0–9 m water depth at
sea level), and from –20 to 50 °C. The typically
reported error is 0.5 cm for water level and 0.37 °C
(at 20 °C) for temperature, with a resolution of 0.02
kPa (0.21 cm water) and 0.1 °C (at 20 °C). Those
errors should be kept in mind for all measurements
reported in this paper.
We installed another logger of the same model
for barometric compensation at 1.50 m above
ground, 10 m apart and 3.5 m above the weir water
level. The 1.50 m height is within the standard
range for meteorological stations (1.2–2.0 m, WMO
2008). This instrument registered air temperature
and atmospheric pressure and was protected in a
gill-type radiation shield with 8 plates (Vaisala,
Helsinki, Finland) to avoid solar radiation. This
meteorological station was also used to characterize
the thermal environment within the forest, and to
calculate the adiabatic lapse rate of air temperature
comparing its records with another station located
at a higher altitude in the zone (results not re-
ported). The study period was from 8 December
2008 (spring) to 14 April 2009 (autumn).
2.3 Laboratory experiments
We put a logger into a test tube filled with water
up to different depths depending on the experiment
(22–39 cm; the water level range in logger field
measurements was 19.0–22.5 cm). The test tube
was closed, though not airtight, with a piece of
plastic or aluminium film to prevent water evapora-
tion. This seal was placed as an inverted cone to
facilitate water return to the main body of water in
case of evaporation. The test tube was cooled or
warmed by using a freezer or oven, respectively, or,
in some cases, ambient temperature was used when
a difference existed between water and air tempera-
ture. Data capture was every 15 s to 5 min depend-
ing on experiment duration.
Several thermal and pressure regimes were tes-
ted, for example, with nearly constant atmospheric
pressure, enabling the assessment of water logger
behaviour by only taking into account the water
temperature variation.
2.4 Field monitoring 2
In another field monitoring from 17 December
2009 to 25 March 2010, we relocated the external
station by placing the logger inside the weir, in
front of the water-level logger, and both below the
water table. However, the first logger was placed in
a PVC tube that was closed at the bottom and open
at the top to allow air and not water to enter. Thus,
the logger inside responded mainly to atmospheric
pressure variations, given that stream and air tem-
perature variations were very narrow (see Results).
We validated data in both field studies by dis-
carding rainy periods which could mislead possible
associations between streamflow, air, and stream
temperature. The anomalous patterns registered by
logger readings were not considered to be attribut-
able to watershed behaviour (e.g., when sensors
were offloaded or when weirs were cleaned of sedi-
ments).
Are diurnal fluctuations in streamflow real?
153
2.5 Statistical analyses
We used simple statistics, such as parametric lin-
ear regression and Pearson correlation coefficients
(r). Assumptions of regression analyses were
checked by inspecting the normal residual distribu-
tion. When these assumptions were not met, we
used Kendall’s robust line-fit method, a non-
parametric linear regression (Sokal, Rohlf, 1995)
(the same method is also known as Theil-Sen re-
gression; Theil, 1950; Sen, 1968). The non-
parametric Gamma statistic (Г) was used as a
measure of correlation, adequate when data contain
many tied observations (Siegel, Castellan, 1988).
All statistical analyses were carried out by means of
the Statistica 6.0 software (StatSoft, Inc., Tulsa,
Oklahoma, USA), except for the non-parametric
regression performed by the R-software (R Devel-
opment Core Team, 2009) and the ‘mblm’ package
by Komsta (2007).
3. Results
3.1 Field monitoring 1
A representative record is shown in Fig. 2, with
the compensation logger located 1.5 m above
ground. Data exhibited a clear fluctuation in air
temperatures with a mean maxima occurring at
13:35 h (range: 11:30–18:00 h)1) and minima at
08:47 h (range: 00:15–08:00 and 21:30–23:45 h).
Maximum stream temperatures (see below) oc-
curred at 14:34 h (range: 00:00–03:15 and 08:00–
–23:45 h) and minimum temperatures at 06:57 h
(range: 00:00–10:30 and 22:00–23:45 h). On the
other hand, streamflow maxima (see below) oc-
curred at 07:13 h (range: 00:00–08:00 and 20:15–
–23:45 h) and minima at 13:42 h (range: 09:15–
–18:15 h).
Tab. 1 shows stream temperature as never higher
than 15.3 °C, with an absolute minimum of 10.8 °C
(accuracy ± 0.37 °C). This caused diurnal fluctua-
tions to be especially dampened with a mean of
1.4 °C throughout the day (range 0.2–2.2 °C). The
opposite occurred for air temperature reaching val-
ues as low as 3.8 °C and as high as 33.2 °C. How-
1)Hours are expressed according to the official Chilean hour
during winter, which is GMT minus 4 hours. However, it
should be GMT minus 5 hours according to the time zone
where Chile is located. Thus, hours can be corrected
discounting 1 h for a more accurate expression.
ever, daily thermal amplitude was generally 12.4 °C
(range 2.9–23.9 °C).
Streamflow varied diurnally by a 1.9 factor
(maximum streamflow/minimum streamflow,
Qmax/Qmin) (range 1.43–3.22), with a mean
minimum value of 1.73 m3 h
-1 (range 0.84–2.85),
and a mean maximum value of 3.29 m3 h-1 (range
1.87–4.81), equivalent to a 1.3 cm (range 0.7–2.4
cm) diurnal water level variation (measured with
the logger).
Synchronization seems to be apparent between
air and stream temperature cycles in a direct rela-
tionship. Moreover, temperature maxima
(air/stream) correspond to streamflow minima, and
vice versa, with some hours of lag time (Fig. 2).
3.2 Laboratory experiments
Experiment 1. This experiment was carried out
with a fairly constant air temperature (22.3–23.3 °C),
an atmospheric pressure variation of 83 Pa (Coeffi-
cient of variation, CV = 0.02%), and lasted 68 min.
Water was initially colder than air and warmed by
placing the test tube on top of an oven (Fig. 3). The
water level record is nearly constant above 7 °C
with fluctuations attributable to instrumental error.
However, below 7 °C water depth strongly and
artificially decreased because this variable was kept
constant in the experiment, and resulted in a 1.5 cm
variation for the whole experiment. This sharp
diminution occurs when air and water loggers differ
more than 15 °C. If we project the range of stream
temperature variation (10.8 + 2.2 °C, 15.3 – 2.2 °C)
in this figure, we conclude that maximum mea-
surement error is 0.41–0.43 cm and within instru-
mental error (0.5 cm). If the true value is the mid-
point of that range, the error would only be ± 0.2
cm. Thus, we can be confident that the logger is
producing precise results in the above-mentioned
range. Moreover, the deviation between true water
depth and logger records is irrelevant due to the
calibration between both variables when measured
in the field (Materials and Methods).
Experiment 2. This experiment lasted ca. 3 days.
Air and water temperatures fluctuated passively in
the laboratory (amplitude: 4.8 and 5.6 °C, respec-
tively), as with the water depth records (Fig. 4A).
When air and water temperature differences were
higher (i.e., positive), water level records showed
lower values than when such differences were small
or even negative, with one possible exception to-
wards the end of the experiment. The pattern is
seen more clearly in Fig. 4B: as the difference
J. G. Cuevas, M. Calvo, Ch. Little, M. Pino, P. Dassori
154
Time (hours)
00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00
Temperature (oC)
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
Streamflow (m3 h-1)
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
Air temperature
Stream temperature
Streamflow
Fig. 2. Daily records of streamflow and air/stream temperature during a representative week in December 2008 (Field monitoring
1). Logger for barometric compensation was placed 1.5 m above ground.
Obr. 2. Denné záznamy prietokov a teplôt vody a vzduchu počas reprezentatívneho týždňa v decembri 2008 (poľné meranie 1).
Snímač pre barometrickú kompenzáciu bol umiestnený 1,5 m nad povrchom.
T a b l e 1. Diurnal fluctuations in stream and air temperature from December 2008 to April 2009.
T a b u ľ k a 1. Denné fluktuácie teplôt vody a vzduchu od decembra do apríla 2009.
Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Diurnal amplitude
Stream
Mean [°C] 13.5 12.2 1.4
Range [°C] 12.3–15.3 10.8–13.6 0.2–2.2
Air
Mean [°C] 21.5 9.1 12.4
Range [°C] 13.8–33.2 3.8–15.7 2.9–23.9
between air and water temperature increased, the
depth registered by the logger was lower (Gamma
statistic, Г = –0.554, probability P < 0.001), in spite
of the great dispersion of points around the curve.
This dispersion is probably due to instrumental
error for each specific temperature difference (0.4
to 0.6 °C).
Experiment 3. This experiment is a good exam-
ple of a situation where both loggers did not experi-
ence the same thermal and pressure regimes be-
cause one logger was in the test tube inside the
refrigerator, and another was outside the refrigera-
tor. Atmospheric pressure and air temperature were
very stable in the compensation logger (variation of
53 Pa, CV = 0.009%; and 1.8 °C, respectively).
Decreasing water temperature was associated with
a 1.2 cm diminution in water level records (Fig.
5A). As the difference between air and water tem-
perature increased, the depth registered by the log-
ger was lower (Fig. 5B; Pearson correlation coeffi-
cient, r = –0.90, P < 0.001). Dispersion of points
around the curve was close to 0.4 °C.
Experiment 4. When both loggers were placed in
the refrigerator, temperature curves followed a con-
vergent trend. Greater differences between air and
water temperatures (i.e., more negative) were asso-
ciated with higher water depth records (Fig. 6A).
When these differences were less negative, water
depth records decreased up to 15:00 h, and then
increased again. No clear relationship is seen be-
tween water level and the difference in air and wa-
ter temperature (Fig. 6B). Overall range of variation
over the entire experiment was 0.69 cm.
Overall underestimation and overestimation. Us-
ing results from all our experiments, both those
shown and not shown, we determined that underes-
timation in water depth in relation to the mean of a
particular experiment can be as high as 1.5 cm
(minimum 0.3). On the other hand, overestimation
ranges between 0.3 and 0.9 cm.
Are diurnal fluctuations in streamflow real?
155
Time (hours)
15:00 15:10 15:20 15:30 15:40 15:50 16:00
Temperature (°C)
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
Water depth (cm)
33.5
34.0
34.5
35.0
35.5
36.0
36.5
37.0
Air temperature
Water temperature
Water depth
Fig. 3. Experiment 1: Water in a test tube was first cooled and then warmed on top of an oven. Water depths correspond to pressure
logger records. The black rectangle indicates the time lapse when water temperature was below 7 °C (see text).
Obr. 3. Experiment 1: Voda v testovacej trubici bola najskôr ochladená a potom zohriata na peci. Hĺbka hladiny vody korešponduje
so záznamom snímača. Čierna hrubá čiara reprezentuje časový úsek, kedy bola teplota vody nižšia, ako 7 °C (pozri text).
Time (hours)
18:00 06:00 12:00 18:0 0 06:00 12:00 18:00 06:00 00:00 00:00 00:00
Temperature (°C)
-5
0
5
10
15
20
Water depth (cm)
38.2
38.4
38.6
38.8
39.0
39.2
Air temperature
Water temperature
Water depth
Air temperature minus water temperature (°C)
-2-1012345678
Water depth (cm)
38.2
38.4
38.6
38.8
39.0
39.2
Y = -0.074X + 38.96
Γ = -0.55
A
B
Fig. 4. Experiment 2: A. Water and air fluctuated freely in temperature during a 3-day monitoring. B. The same experiment shows a
relationship between the difference in air and water temperature in relation to the depth recorded by the water-level logger.
Obr. 4. Experiment 2: A. Teplota vody a vzduchu sa voľne menila počas trojdňového monitoringu. B. Ten istý experiment ukazuje
vzťah medzi rozdielom teplôt vzduchu a vody vo vzťahu k hĺbke meranej snímačom umiestneným na úrovni hladiny vody.
J. G. Cuevas, M. Calvo, Ch. Little, M. Pino, P. Dassori
156
Time (hours)
17:10 17:30 17:50 18:10 18:30 18:50
Temperature (°C)
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
Water depth (cm)
32.0
32.5
33.0
33.5
34.0
34.5
Air temperature
Water temperature
Water depth
Air temperature minus water temperature (°C)
-10-8-6-4-20246810
Water depth (cm)
32.6
32.8
33.0
33.2
33.4
33.6
33.8
34.0
34.2
Y = -0.048X + 33.2
r = -0.90
A
B
Fig. 5. Experiment 3: A. Logger in the water was cooled in a freezer while the external barometer was placed outside the freezer
(missing data points correspond to moments when the freezer was opened to monitor the experiment). B. The same experiment
shows a relationship between the difference in air and water temperature in relation to the depth recorded by the water-level logger.
Obr. 5. Experiment 3: A. Snímač vo vode bol chladený v chladničke (chýbajúce údaje zodpovedajú času, keď bola chladnička
otvorená, aby bolo možné experiment monitorovať). B. Ten istý experiment ukazuje vzťah medzi rozdielom teplôt vzduch/voda v
závislosti od hĺbky vody registrovanej snímačom na hladine vody.
3.3 Field monitoring 2
When we relocated the external logger in front of
the water-level logger, air/stream temperatures had
about the same magnitudes and followed the same
temporal trends. Tab. 2 shows that air/stream tem-
perature ranged between 10.3 and 14.2 °C with
mean maximum and minimum values of 12.8 and
11.8 °C, respectively. Mean difference for every
moment of data capture was only 0.05 °C (range:
0–0.391 °C). Mean diurnal amplitude was close to
1 °C. Maximum temperatures occurred at 15:15–
–15:22 h (range: 00:00–01:15 h and 11:30–23:45
h), and minimum temperatures at 07:06–07:16 h
(range: 00:00–10:45 h and 21:15–23:45 h), for
stream and air, respectively (Fig. 7).
On the other hand, streamflow maxima occurred
at 06:29 h (range: 00:00–11:00 h), and minima at
16:26 h (ranging mostly between 13:45 and 23:15
h). Qmax/Qmin varied diurnally by a 1.6 factor
(range 1.35–1.82) with a mean minimum value of
1.28 m3 h -1 (range 0.65–2.56) and a mean maxi-
mum value of 1.97 m3 h -1 (range 1.16–3.58),
equivalent to a diurnal water level variation (mea-
sured with the logger) of 0.8 cm (range 0.6–1.0
cm).
Once again, inverse synchronization seems ap-
parent between air/stream temperature and stream-
flow cycles (Fig. 7).
4. Discussion
4.1 Field measurements
Our first evaluation showed a marked variation
in air temperature and streamflow while the stream
temperature fluctuation was especially dampened.
Temperature results are not surprising because air
Are diurnal fluctuations in streamflow real?
157
Time (hours)
12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
Temperature (°C)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Water depth (cm)
33.0
33.2
33.4
33.6
33.8
34.0
34.2
Air tremperature
Water temperature
Water depth
Air temperature minus water temperature (°C)
-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 0
Water depth (cm)
33.4
33.5
33.6
33.7
33.8
33.9
34.0
34.1
34.2
A
B
Fig. 6. Experiment 4: A. Same setting as in Fig. 5, except that the barometer was placed inside the freezer. B. The same experiment
shows the relationship between the difference in air and water temperature in relation to the depth recorded by the water-level
logger.
Obr. 6. Experiment 4: A. To isté, ako na obr. 5, s výnimkou toho, že barometer bol umiestnený v chladničke. B. Ten istý experi-
ment znázorňuje vzťah medzi teplotami vzduchu a vody v závislosti od hĺbky vody registrovanej snímačom na hladine vody.
T a b l e 2. Diurnal temperature variations for RC6 watershed from December 2009 to March 2010.
T a b u ľ k a 2. Denné fluktuácie teplôt vody a vzduchu pre povodie RC6 od decembra do marca 2009.
Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Diurnal amplitude
Stream
Mean [°C] 12.8 11.8 1.1
Range [°C] 11.2–14.0 10.3–13.1 0.4–1.8
Air
Mean [°C] 12.9 11.7 1.2
Range [°C] 11.2–14.2 10.3–13.1 0.4–2.1
temperature at every height is more variable than
the temperature of a body of water (Geiger, 1957;
pp. 73, 157). When we placed the logger for baro-
metric compensation immediately in front of the
other, results confirmed the streamflow pattern
previously detected in the field, but streamflow
fluctuations were 19% less accentuated. Since air
and stream temperatures were very similar and had
the same temporal trend, streamflow pattern can no
longer be explained by a possible methodologi-
cal/instrumental artifact.
Our results support a tight and inverse coupling
between both air and stream temperature with
streamflow. Other studies have found similar diur-
nal fluctuations in streamflow, expressed as maxi-
mum Q/minimum Q ratios, that do not surpass the
value 2.0 (Constantz, 1998; Bond et al., 2002;
Wondzell et al., 2007; Szilágyi et al., 2008). The
reported association can be mediated by evapotran-
J. G. Cuevas, M. Calvo, Ch. Little, M. Pino, P. Dassori
158
Time (hours)
00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00 12:00 00:00
Temperature (oC)
-4.0
0.0
4.0
8.0
12.0
16.0
Streamflow (m3 h-1)
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
Air temperature
Stream temperatu re
Streamflow
0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
Streamflow (m3 h-1)
Time (hours)
Fig. 7. Diurnal variation in streamflow and air/stream temperature after relocation of the external barometer (inside the weir, but
exposed to the air), for a representative week in January 2010 (Field monitoring 2). Streamflow is shown on the same scale as in
Fig. 2, as well as an expanded scale (insert graph).
Obr. 7. Denné variácie v prúdení vody a teplôt vzduch/voda po zmene umiestnenia externého barometra (vo vnútri priepadu, ale
exponovaného na vzduchu), pre reprezentatívny týždeň v januári 2010. (Monitorovanie 2). Prietok je znázornený v tej istej mierke,
ako je to na obr. 2, ako aj v rozšírenej mierke (vložený obrázok).
spiration which increases with air temperature
(Monteith, 1965), a phenomenon especially intense
in trees (Bren, 1997; Bond et al., 2002; Střelcová et
al., 2009). When evapotranspiration decreases wa-
ter recharge to the soil (Hughes, 2010), the ground-
water level is also expected to decrease. Moreover,
Szilágyi et al. (2008) and Gribovszki et al. (2008)
showed a direct coupling between groundwater
level and streamflow, both phenomena associated
to riparian vegetation in Hungary. We also showed
that air temperature positively influences stream
temperatures, an outcome already discussed in de-
tail by Mohseni and Stefan (1999). Other explica-
tive mechanisms for diurnal fluctuations in stream-
flow are unlikely in our watershed because the
schist under the stream is not permeable, thus mak-
ing our stream a probable gaining stream rather
than a losing reach that could lose water as a func-
tion of stream temperature (Constantz, 1998).
Lastly, snowmelt and freeze-thaw cycles do not
occur in summer, and it does not snow during win-
ter in our study site.
Streamflow maxima generally occurred early in
the morning, as other studies have documented
(Wondzell et al., 2007; Gribovszki et al., 2008),
although Constantz (1998) showed maxima after 10
a.m. Regarding streamflow minima, our mean re-
sults (13:42–16:26 h) are close to the findings of
the abovementioned studies, especially the later
hour. Stream temperature maximum was at 14:34–
–15:15 h and the minimum was at 06:57–07:06 h,
both within the range reported by Constantz (1998).
Maximum and minimum air temperatures oc-
curred at 13:35 and 08:47 h, respectively, times
close to midday and sunrise which were reported as
typical hours by Geiger et al. (2003, p. 73) (if we
consider that Chilean time should be one hour less
than the official hour). It is to be noted that in our
second field monitoring, times for extreme air tem-
peratures diverged from the first field monitoring,
approaching corresponding times for stream tem-
perature. This fact emphasized stream influence on
the air surrounding the water table (Geiger et al.,
2003, p. 157).
4.2 Generation of a methodological/
instrumental artifact
Water level is calculated by deducting atmos-
pheric pressure from the pressure measured below
water with both measurements coming from inde-
pendent instruments; thus, any error in separated
instrumental records can have consequences on
inferred water depths. Experiment 1 showed that
when air and atmospheric pressure are fairly stable,
water level records are reliable in the realistic range
Are diurnal fluctuations in streamflow real?
159
for stream temperatures in our first field study
(10.8–15.3 °C). Error is about 0.4 cm depth (0.5 cm
according to logger manufacturer).
Problems arise when either of the loggers experi-
ence strong differences in temperature with the
other (Experiments 2 and 3), or there is a large
temporal temperature fluctuation (Experiment 4).
Large temperature differences between both in-
struments in Experiment 3 were produced because
one was placed in a freezer and the other left out-
side. Therefore, air pressure in the freezer probably
decreased when the air cooled following Gay Lus-
sac’s second law (Maiztegui, Sábato, 1973) or the
ideal gas equation (Resnick, Halliday, 1970, p.
754), when the systems are closed or semi-closed,
like a freezer in our laboratory. On the contrary, the
variation in both variables was not detected by the
external logger. Thus, barometric compensation
was flawed. Though this is an extreme case, which
is unlikely in a well-designed experiment, it can be
similar to one in the field: since stream temperature
has a narrow variation, large temperature discrep-
ancies between the air and water logger are caused
by the external logger which faces warmer or
colder temperatures than the submerged logger
throughout the day (Fig. 2). The range of tempera-
tures tested in the laboratory is realistic for the log-
ger exposed to air, but, of course, streams are not as
warm as this range suggests. However, this thermal
regime served to stress and thus understand the
sensor responses under extreme situations.
Even when both loggers are placed in the same
conditions, such as in Experiment 4, water depth
records are not stable, suggesting that large tempo-
ral fluctuations in temperature are also associated to
imprecise measurements. The pressure sensor is
temperature compensated over the range 0–40 °C
(Onset Computer Corporation, 2005, 2006), but
rapid fluctuations in the laboratory (more than 5
°C/h) impose a severe challenge to this compensa-
tion (see next section). In the field, on the other
hand, the problem would be slighter because air
temperature varies on the average 12.4 °C in 5
hours from sunrise to midday (2.5 °C/h).
Pressure measured by the external logger is the
most probable explanation for the methodologi-
cal/instrumental artifact caused by large tempera-
ture fluctuations in the air. Onset Computer Corpo-
ration (2010) reports that both water level and pres-
sure accuracy depend directly on temperature, with
maximum accuracy at 16 °C. Over this temperature,
the measurements are overestimated, and vice versa
when temperatures are below 16 °C. Thus, sharp
streamflow patterns (unreal) found in our first field
monitoring compared with the dampened curves of
the second monitoring (real) can be explained as
follows: when air temperatures are high at noon, the
external logger records an overestimated air pres-
sure, phenomenon that does not occur with the
submerged logger. Therefore, barometrically com-
pensated pressure is lower than the real value and
water depth is underestimated. This contributes to
the creation of a low streamflow pattern. When air
temperatures are low at dawn, lower than stream
temperatures, the external logger records an under-
estimated air pressure, phenomenon that does not
occur with the submerged logger. Therefore, com-
pensated pressure is higher than the real value and
water depth is overestimated. This contributes to
the creation of a high streamflow pattern.
Both over- and underestimations can be very
high when compared to the normal diurnal water
level variation. Since they are operating in the same
direction as the reported pattern in streamflow, the
methodological and instrumental artifact makes a
weak phenomenon stronger.
4.3 External logger position
Placement of the external logger 1.5 m above
ground proved incompatible for both barometric
compensation and characterization of the forest
thermal regime, as well as the calculation of the
adiabatic lapse rate of air temperature. In fact, On-
set Computer Corporation (2005, 2006) recom-
mends placing external loggers in an observation
well “several feet below ground level” to minimize
the temperature fluctuation rate. When these fluc-
tuations are high, logger accuracy is degraded since
thermal response time is 10 min to achieve full
temperature compensation of the pressure sensor. A
minimum of 30 min is recommended to reach tem-
perature equilibrium for the highest accuracy level.
Unfortunately, literature consulted about diurnal
fluctuations in streamflow did not give sufficient
details about the external logger position (Con-
stantz, 1998; Bond et al., 2002; Wondzell et al.,
2007; Szilágyi et al., 2008; Gribovszki et al., 2008).
The placement that we used in our second field
measurement is near the location proposed by the
manufacturer although it disagrees with some of its
other recommendations: “barometric readings can
be taken within 15 km of the water logger or more
without significantly degrading the accuracy of the
compensation”. As we have seen, conditions faced
by both loggers must be as similar as possible, a
J. G. Cuevas, M. Calvo, Ch. Little, M. Pino, P. Dassori
160
requirement difficult to meet at 15 km when con-
sidering different continentality, altitude, microcli-
mate, etc.
Relocation of the external logger is the most
convenient and accurate strategy to detect diurnal
patterns in streamflow. Thermal fluctuations of
both loggers are especially dampened and have
virtually the same magnitude and temporal trend.
Thus, they are sensing temperature and atmospheric
pressure in the same way. Another alternative
would be to develop a correction factor for the
measurements already taken. However, different
experiments produce different slopes and intercepts
of the depth-temperature difference curve making it
difficult to choose which correction factor to use.
5. Conclusions
We conclude that diurnal fluctuations in stream-
flow are real but can be intensified by an incorrect
location of the barometric compensation logger.
Our results are relevant depending on the range of
the water level fluctuation and the frequency of
data capture. For instance, Kröger et al. (2008) and
Ostrander et al. (2008), with the same logger model
that we used, measured streamflows and tide ampli-
tudes, and placing the external logger at 1.5 or 4 m
above ground, respectively. Both the purpose of
those research studies and the temporal scale of
measured water fluctuations did not show any of
the possible instrumental and methodological un-
certainties. Thus, no putative artifact is important in
those cases. The reported artifact has great impor-
tance when the objective is either to document
small signals in streamflow, to know the exact
value of streamflow, or for the assessment of statis-
tical relationships between variables.
Finally, our field detection of diurnal streamflow
variation is striking, considering that we used a
water-level logger designed for the 0–9 m range
and with a 0.21 cm resolution. There are other log-
gers (e.g., U20-001-04, Onset Computer Corpora-
tion; BaroDiver 11.11.55.01, Schlumberger) that
have a narrow range (0–4 m; 0–1.5 m, respec-
tively), with a better resolution (0.14–0.10 cm, re-
spectively), and a lower typical error (0.3–0.45 cm,
respectively). However, the dependency of mea-
surements on air/water temperature must be tested
as set forth in this study.
Acknowledgement. We thank the FONDECYT
grant no. 1085024 for founding this research. We
also thank the FORECOS Foundation and Val-
divian Coastal Reserve for providing equipment
and facilities for field work; Dr. Hamil Uribe for
warning us about a possible methodologi-
cal/instrumental artifact in our data; Anton Huber,
José Luis Arumí, Robert Brümmer, Carlos Oyarzún
and Diego Rivera for providing literature and help-
ful advice; Miguel López and Marcel Fuentes who
facilitated our data analyses work. We greatly ap-
preciate the valuable comments that we received
from two anonymous referees. A preliminary ver-
sion of this manuscript was presented as a lecture at
the 2nd International Biohydrology Conference
2009: “A Changing Climate for Biology and Soil
Hydrology Interactions” held in Bratislava, Slova-
kia from 21 September to 24 September 2009. We
thank the organizing committee for inviting us to
submit this paper to the journal.
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Accepted 23 June 2010
SÚ DENNÉ FLUKTUÁCIE PRIETOKOV
V TOKOCH REÁLNE?
Jaime G. Cuevas, Matías Calvo, Christian Little,
Mario Pino, Paul Dassori
Z výsledkov štúdia vyplýva reálnosť denných fluk-
tuácií prietokov v tokoch, tieto však môžu byť zintenzív-
nené nevhodnou lokalizáciou barometricky kompen-
zovaného snímača. Význam týchto výsledkov závisí od
rozsahu fluktuácií vodných hladín a od frekvencie zápisu
údajov. Napríklad Kröger et al. (2008) a Ostrander et al.
(2008) použili ten istý snímač ako my na meranie prieto-
J. G. Cuevas, M. Calvo, Ch. Little, M. Pino, P. Dassori
162
kov v tokoch a amplitúdy prílivu, s umiestnením ex-
terného snímača 1,5 a 4 m nad povrchom terénu. Účel a
mierka času meraných fluktuácií vody v týchto štúdiách
nenaznačovali možné metodické a inštrumentalistické
nejasnosti. V tomto prípade nebol zistený žiadny
všeobecne známy artefakt. Tu opísané artefakty sú
významné, ak je cieľom meraní dokumentovať malé
zmeny hladín v toku, získať presné hodnoty prietokov,
alebo určiť štatistické závislosti medzi premennými.
Nakoniec, detekcia denných zmien prietokov v
(malých) tokoch je prekvapujúca, berúc do úvahy fakt,
že bol použitý snímač na meranie hladín vody s rozsa-
hom 0–9 m a rozlíšením 0,21 cm. Existujú aj iné snímač
(napr., U20-001-04, Onset Computer Corporation;
BaroDiver 11.11.55.01, Schlumberger) s užšími
rozsahmi (0–4 m; 0–1,5 m), s lepším rozlíšením (0,14–
–0,10 cm), a s nižšou chrakteristickou chybou merania
(0,3–0,45 cm). Samozrejme, závislosť medzi meraním
teplôt vzduchu a vody musí byť testovaná tak, ako to
bolo urobené v tejto štúdii.
