Occurrence Characteristics of Inorganic Nitrogen in Groundwater in Silty-Clay Riparian Hyporheic Zones under Tidal Action: A Case Study of the Jingzi River in Shanghai, China

For comprehending the effect of tidal action on nitrogen cycle in silty-clay riparian hyporheic zones, the synchronous monitoring of water level and water quality was carried out along a test transect during a spring tidal period from 21 to 23 October 2021. Moreover, the permeability and chemical composition of soil samples from drilled holes were measured. Subsequently, the spatiotemporal variation of inorganic nitrogen concentrations in the groundwater in the riparian hyporheic zone was investigated during the study period, and the potential reason was discussed. It is shown that the delayed response time of groundwater level in the silty-clay riparian zone to the tide-driven fluctuation of the river stage increased with distance from the shore and reached 3.0 h at the position 3.83 m away from the shore. The continuous infiltration of the river water under tide action contributed to the aerobic and neutral riparian hyporheic zone conductive to nitrification. Within 4 m away from the bank, the dominant inorganic nitrogen form changed from NO3−-N to NH4+-N, upon increasing the distance from the bank. Additionally, the removal of nitrogen could occur in the riparian hyporheic zone with aerobic and neutral environment under the conjoint control of nitrification, microbial assimilation, and aerobic denitrification.