Residence time of bedform-driven hyporheic exchange

Biogeochemical and ecological transformations in hyporheic zones are dependent on the timing of hyporheic exchange. We show through linked modeling of open channel turbulent flow, groundwater flow, and solute transport that the residence time distributions of solutes advected by hyporheic flow induced by current–bedform interaction follow power-laws. This tailing behavior of solutes exiting the sediments is explained by the presence of multiple path lengths coupled with very large variability in Darcy flow velocity, both occurring without heterogeneity in sediment permeability. Hyporheic exchange through bedforms will result in short-time fractal scaling of stream water chemistry.