Water Quality Response to Hydro-Meteorological Variation in Alberta Rivers

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atmire.migration.oldid6207
dc.contributor.advisorHe, Jianxun (Jennifer)
dc.contributor.advisorHassan, Quazi Khalid
dc.contributor.authorRostami, Sajjad
dc.contributor.committeememberRangelova, Elena Veselinova
dc.contributor.committeememberDu, Ke (Duke)
dc.date.accessioned2017-12-05T21:51:26Z
dc.date.available2017-12-05T21:51:26Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.date.submitted2017en
dc.description.abstractSurface water in rivers as a major component of water resources is susceptible to influences posed by natural factors besides anthropogenic activities. However, different from anthropogenic activities, the effects of natural factors are often beyond human control. This thesis aimed to understand how riverine water quality responds to hydro-meteorological conditions, especially flow and precipitation. The investigation of the hydro-meteorological response of riverine water quality was conducted through statistically analyzing hydro-meteorological variables and eleven water quality data collected from three rivers in Alberta, Canada, and their river basins during the time period of 1988 - 2014. Both flow and water quality parameters, in general, showed significant seasonal variation in the rivers. The dependence of water quality on flow was investigated in three flow regimes, which were formulated based on flow magnitude. The water quality parameters were categorized into eight groups using cluster analysis based on their response pattern to flow. The results suggest that water quality parameters respond to flow differently under different flow regimes due to their different physical nature and their different contribution sources. To investigate the meteorological response of riverine water quality, the linkages between river flow and precipitation and between river water quality and precipitation were focused. The results showed the significant dependency of river flow as well as most of the water quality parameters on cumulative antecedent average areal precipitation (AAP). Furthermore, the qualitative response of water quality to the three categories of cumulative antecedent AAP, which were classified according to its magnitude, was observed. In general, a higher amount of precipitation, which is associated with a higher flow, would results in the decrease of some water quality parameters by diluting or the increase of some water quality parameters by mobilizing and transporting pollutant into rivers. Overall, similar water quality responses to flow and precipitation were confirmed. Therefore, all the results obtained in this thesis suggest that riverine water quality management, especially for the rivers whose variation in flow is primarily driven by precipitation, should take hydro-meteorological condition into the consideration.en_US
dc.identifier.citationRostami, S. (2017). Water Quality Response to Hydro-Meteorological Variation in Alberta Rivers (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28674en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/28674
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/4263
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEngineering--Environmental
dc.subject.otherWater quality
dc.subject.otherHydrology
dc.subject.otherMeteorology
dc.titleWater Quality Response to Hydro-Meteorological Variation in Alberta Rivers
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineCivil Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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