Some scientific problems facing research on hydrological processes in an inland river basin

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  • 1.Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences; 2.Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences;Linze Inland River Basin Comprehensive Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Published date: 05 Dec 2008

Abstract

The challenge is put forward to scientific hydrology by the advancement of water sciences; that is, how should we carry out a multidisciplinary, integrated and cooperative research on hydrological processes in the basin, regional and global scales, in order to better understand the role water plays in the changes of the natural resources and environment of the earth, and to understand the hydrosphere and its interactions with the atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. How the changes and transformation of the components of the water cycle and water balance occur in an inland river basin has yet to be understood. We also need to understand what the interactions of water cycle, ecosystems and environment are, and what the responses and feedback of the changes to global change and to human activities are. The water cycle in an inland river basin characterizes the runoff generation region of the mountains upstream, the artificial oases region of water resources exploitation and utilization midstream and the natural desert oases region of runoff dissipating downstream. The mountain hydrological processes are discussed from water cycle, energy balance, water balance and ecological processes. The interactions of water and vegetation are discussed in relation to ecohydrology, and the hydrological processes in the ground water-soil-vegetation layer are discussed from the concept of the critical zone newly put forward abroad. The basic frame is put forward to carry out the field measurement, experiment and studies of hydrological processes in a typical inland river basin.

Cite this article

KANG Ersi, CHEN Rensheng, ZHANG Zhihui, JI Xibin, JIN Bowen . Some scientific problems facing research on hydrological processes in an inland river basin[J]. Frontiers of Earth Science, 0 : 384 -392 . DOI: 10.1007/s11707-008-0050-9

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