A low‐dimensional physically based model of hydrologic control of shallow landsliding on complex hillslopes

Hillslopes have complex three‐dimensional shapes that are characterized by their plan shape, profile curvature of surface and bedrock, and soil depth. To investigate the stability of complex hillslopes (with different slope curvatures and plan shapes), we combine the hillslope‐storage Boussinesq (HSB) model with the infinite slope stability method. The HSB model is based on the continuity and Darcy equations expressed in terms of storage along the hillslope. Solutions of the HSB equation account explicitly for plan shape by introducing the hillslope width function and for profile curvature through the bedrock slope angle and the hillslope soil depth function. The presented model is composed of three parts: a topography model conceptualizing three‐dimensional soil mantled landscapes, a dynamic hydrology model for shallow subsurface flow and water table depth (HSB model) and an infinite slope stability method based on the Mohr–Coulomb failure law. The resulting hillslope‐storage Boussinesq stability model (HSB‐SM) is able to simulate rain‐induced shallow landsliding on hillslopes with non‐constant bedrock slope and non‐parallel plan shape. We apply the model to nine characteristic hillslope types with three different profile curvatures (concave, straight, convex) and three different plan shapes (convergent, parallel, divergent). In the presented model, the unsaturated storage has been calculated based on the unit head gradient assumption. To relax this assumption and to investigate the effect of neglecting the variations of unsaturated storage on the assessment of slope stability in the transient case, we also combine a coupled model of saturated and unsaturated storage and the infinite slope stability method. The results show that the variations of the unsaturated zone storage do not play a critical role in hillslope stability. Therefore, it can be concluded that the presented dynamic slope stability model (HSB‐SM) can be used safely for slope stability analysis on complex hillslopes. Our results show that after a certain period of rainfall the convergent hillslopes with concave and straight profiles become unstable more quickly than others, whilst divergent convex hillslopes remain stable (even after intense rainfall). In addition, the relation between subsurface flow and hillslope stability has been investigated. Our analyses show that the minimum safety factor (FS) occurs when the rate of subsurface flow is a maximum. In fact, by increasing the subsurface flow, stability decreases for all hillslope shapes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physically based modelling of sheet erosion (detachment and deposition processes) in complex hillslopes

A one‐dimensional uncoupled model governed by this research is a physics‐based modelling of the rainfall‐runoff induced erosion process. The presented model is composed of three parts of a three‐dimensional (3D) hillslope geometry, a nonlinear storage (kinematic wave) model for hillslope hydrological response, and an unsteady physically based surface erosion model. The 3D hillslope geometry model allows describing of the hillslope morphology by defining their plan shape and profile curvature. By changing these two topographic parameters, nine basic hillslope types are derived. The modelling of hillslope hydrological response is based on a flow continuity equation as the relation of discharge and flow depth is passed on kinematic wave approximation. The erosion model is based on a mass conservation equation for unsteady flow. The model assumes that suspended sediment does not affect flow dynamics. The model also accounts for the effect of flow depth plus loose soil depth on soil detachment. The presented model was run for two different precipitations, slope content, and length, and results were plotted for sediment detachment/deposition rate. Based on the obtained results, in hillslopes with convex and straight profile curvatures, sediment detachment only occurred in the whole length of the hillslope. However, in concave ones, sediment detachment and deposition only occurred together in hillslope. The hillslopes with straight profiles and convergent plans have the highest rate of detachment. Also, results show that most detachment rates occur in convex profile curvatures, which are about 15 times more than in straight profiles. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring geochemical controls on weathering and erosion of convex hillslopes: beyond the empirical regolith production function

Landscape curvature evolves in response to physical, chemical, and biological influences that cannot yet be quantified in models. Nonetheless, the simplest models predict the existence of equilibrium hillslope profiles. Here, we develop a model describing steady‐state regolith production caused by mineral dissolution on hillslopes which have attained an equilibrium parabolic profile. When the hillslope lowers at a constant rate, the rate of chemical weathering is highest at the ridgetop where curvature is highest and the ridge develops the thickest regolith. This result derives from inclusion of all the terms in the mathematical definition of curvature. Including these terms shows that the curvature of a parabolic hillslope profile varies with distance from the ridge. The hillslope model (meter‐scale) is similar to models of weathering rind formation (centimeter‐scale) where curvature‐driven solute transport causes development of the thickest rinds at highly curved clast corners. At the clast scale, models fit observations. Here, we similarly explore model predictions of the effect of curvature at the hillslope scale. The hillslope model shows that when erosion rates are small and vertical porefluid infiltration is moderate, the hill weathers at both ridge and valley in the erosive transport‐limited regime. For this regime, the reacting mineral is weathered away before it reaches the land surface: in other words, the model predicts completely developed element‐depth profiles at both ridge and valley. In contrast, when the erosion rate increases or porefluid velocity decreases, denudation occurs in the weathering‐limited regime. In this regime, the reacting mineral does not weather away before it reaches the land surface and simulations predict incompletely developed profiles at both ridge and valley. These predictions are broadly consistent with observations of completely developed element‐depth profiles along hillslopes denuding under erosive transport‐limitation but incompletely developed profiles along hillslopes denuding under weathering limitation in some field settings. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parametric study of a physically-based,plot-scale hillslope hydrological model through virtual experiments

Abstract

A physically-based hillslope hydrological model with shallow overland flow and rapid subsurface stormflow components was developed and calibrated using field experiments conducted on a preferential path nested hillslope in northeast India. Virtual experiments were carried out to perform sensitivity analysis of the model using the automated parameter estimation (PEST) algorithm. Different physical parameters of the model were varied to study the resulting effects on overland flow and subsurface stormflow responses from the theoretical hillslopes. It was observed that topographical shapes had significant effects on overland flow hydrographs. The slope profiles, surface storage, relief, rainfall intensity and infiltration rates primarily controlled the overland flow response of the hillslopes. Prompt subsurface stormflow responses were mainly dominated by lateral preferential flow, as soil matrix flow rates were very slow. Rainfall intensity and soil macropore structures were the most influential parameters on subsurface stormflow. The number of connected soil macropores was a more sensitive parameter than the size of macropores. In hillslopes with highly active vertical and lateral preferential pathways, saturation excess overland flow was not evident. However, saturation excess overland flow was generated if the lateral macropores were disconnected. Under such conditions, rainfall intensity, duration and preferential flow rate governed the process of saturation excess overland flow generation from hillslopes.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor C. Perrin     

The concept of effective length in hillslopes: assessing the influence of climate and topography on the contributing areas of catchments

This paper introduces a concept of ‘effective length’ in hillslopes to define the effective area influencing the runoff‐producing saturated zones of a hillslope or catchment. This effective area of a catchment usually is less than that given by its physical boundaries, particularly in regions where the total potential evaporation exceeds total rainfall on an annual basis. In this paper, expressions for effective lengths in hillslopes with different scale, shape and soil properties are derived for given climatic conditions. The influence of these variables on effective length is investigated. It is shown that, for a given rainfall frequency and soil parameters, the effective length changes with the planform geometry and profile shape of a hillslope; it is also a function of the ratio of available travel opportunity time to the hillslope's scale response time. The application of the concept to three natural catchments, subdivided into a number of simple hillslopes, is described. It is shown that, for these three test catchments and over 24 years of record, rarely would the entire catchment areas contribute to flow at the respective outlets. The implications of the concept of effective length for several land‐use practices, such as clearing for forest for greater water yield, and planting trees for salinity control, are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A low‐dimensional hillslope‐based catchment model for layered groundwater flow

Despite the strong interaction between surface and subsurface waters, groundwater flow representation is often oversimplified in hydrological models. For instance, the interplay between local or shallow aquifers and deeper regional‐scale aquifers is typically neglected. In this work, a novel hillslope‐based catchment model for the simulation of combined shallow and deep groundwater flow is presented. The model consists of the hillslope‐storage Boussinesq (hsB) model representing shallow groundwater flow and an analytic element (AE) model representing deep regional groundwater flow. The component models are iteratively coupled via a leakage term based on Darcy's law, representing delayed recharge to the regional aquifer through a low conductivity layer. Simulations on synthetic single hillslopes and on a two‐hillslope open‐book catchment are presented, and the results are compared against a benchmark three‐dimensional Richards equation model. The impact of hydraulic conductivity, hillslope plan geometry (uniform, convergent, divergent), and hillslope inclination (0.2%, 5%, and 30%) under drainage and recharge conditions are examined. On the single hillslopes, good matches for heads, hydrographs, and exchange fluxes are generally obtained, with the most significant differences in outflows and heads observed for the 30% slope and for hillslopes with convergent geometry. On the open‐book catchment, cumulative outflows are overestimated by 1–4%. Heads in the confined and unconfined aquifers are adequately reproduced throughout the catchment, whereas exchange fluxes are found to be very sensitive to the hillslope drainable porosity. The new model is highly efficient computationally compared to the benchmark model. The coupled hsB/AE model represents an alternative to commonly used groundwater flow representations in hydrological models, of particular appeal when surface–subsurface exchanges, local aquifer–regional aquifer interactions, and low flows play a key role in a watershed's dynamics. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Challenges of hydrological analysis for water resource development in semi-arid mountainous regions: case study in Iran

Abstract

This study modified the BTOPMC (Block-wise TOPMODEL with the Muskingum-Cunge routing method) distributed hydrological model to make it applicable to semi-arid regions by introducing an adjustment coefficient for infiltration capacity of the soil surface, and then applied it to two catchments above the dams in the Karun River basin, located in semi-arid mountain ranges in Iran. The application results indicated that the introduced modification improved the model performance for simulating flood peaks generated by infiltration excess overland runoff at a daily time scale. The modified BTOPMC was found to fulfil the need to reproduce important signatures of basin hydrology for water resource development, such as annual runoff, seasonal runoff, low flows and flood flows. However, it was also very clear that effective model use was significantly constrained by the scarcity of ground-gauged precipitation data. Considerable efforts to improve the precipitation data acquisition should precede water resource development planning.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis     

Does hillslope trenching enhance groundwater recharge and baseflow in the Peruvian Andes?

As Andean glaciers rapidly retreat due to climate change, the balance of groundwater and glacial meltwater contributions to stream discharge in tropical, proglacial watersheds will change, potentially increasing vulnerability of water resources. The Shullcas River Watershed, near Huancayo, Peru, is fed only partly by the rapidly receding Huaytapallana glaciers (<20% of dry season flow). To potentially increase recharge and therefore increase groundwater derived baseflow, the government and not‐for‐profit organizations have installed trenches along large swaths of hillslope in the Shullcas Watershed. Our study focuses on a nonglacierized subcatchment of the Shullcas River Watershed and has 2 objectives: (a) create a model of the Shullcas groundwater system and assess the controls on stream discharge and (b) investigate the impact of the infiltration trenches on recharge and baseflow. We first collected hydrologic data from the field including a year‐long hydrograph (2015–2016), meteorological data (2011–2016), and infiltration measurements. We use a recharge model to evaluate the impact of trenched hillslopes on infiltration and runoff processes. Finally, we use a 3‐dimensional groundwater model, calibrated to the measured dry season baseflow, to determine the impact of trenching on the catchment. Simulations show that trenched hillslopes receive approximately 3.5% more recharge, relative to precipitation, compared with unaltered hillslopes. The groundwater model indicates that because the groundwater flow system is fast and shallow, incorporating trenched hillslopes (~2% of study subcatchment area) only slightly increases baseflow in the dry season. Furthermore, the location of trenching is an important consideration: Trenching higher in the catchment (further from the river) and in flatter terrain provides more baseflow during the dry season. The results of this study may have important implications for Andean landscape management and water resources.     

Effects of gradient,distance, curvature and aspect on steep burned and unburned hillslope soil erosion and deposition

Wildfire denudes vegetation and impacts chemical and physical soil properties, which can alter hillslope erosion rates. Post‐wildfire erosion can also contribute disproportionately to long‐term erosion rates and landscape evolution. Post‐fire hillslope erosion rates remain difficult to predict and document at the hillslope scale. Here we use ²¹⁰Pb_aex (lead‐210 mineral‐adsorbed excess) inventories to describe net sediment erosion on steep, convex hillslopes in three basins (unburned, moderately and severely burned) in mountainous central Idaho. We analyzed nearly 300 soil samples for ²¹⁰Pb_aex content with alpha spectrometry and related net sediment erosion to burn severity, aspect, gradient, curvature and distance from ridgetop. We also tested our data against models for advective, linear and non‐linear diffusive erosion. Statistically lower net soil losses on north‐ versus south‐facing unburned hillslopes suggest that greater vegetative cover and soil cohesion on north‐facing slopes decrease erosion. On burned hillslopes, erosion differences between aspects were less apparent and net erosion was more variable, indicating that vegetation influences erosion magnitude and fire drives erosion variability. We estimated net soil losses throughout the length of unburned hillslopes, including through a footslope transition to concave form. In contrast, on burned hillslopes, the subtle shift from convex to concave form was associated with deposition of a post‐fire erosion pulse. Such overall patterns of erosion and deposition are consistent with predictions from a non‐linear diffusion equation. This finding also suggests that concave sections of overall convex hillslopes affect post‐disturbance soil erosion and deposition. Despite these patterns, no strong relationships were evident between local net soil losses and gradient, curvature, distance from ridgetop, or erosion predicted with advection or diffusion equations. The observed relationship between gradient and erosion is therefore likely more complex or stochastic than often described theoretically, especially over relatively short timescales (60–100 years). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling scale-dependent runoff generation in a small semi-arid watershed accounting for rainfall intensity and water depth

Observed scale effects of runoff on hillslopes and small watersheds derive from complex interactions of time-varying rainfall rates with runoff, infiltration and macro- and microtopographic structures. A little studied aspect of scale effects is the concept of water depth-dependent infiltration. For semi-arid rangeland it has been demonstrated that mounds underneath shrubs have a high infiltrability and lower lying compacted or stony inter-shrub areas have a lower infiltrability. It is hypothesized that runoff accumulation further downslope leads to increased water depth, inundating high infiltrability areas, which increases the area-averaged infiltration rate. A model was developed that combines the concepts of water depth-dependent infiltration, partial contributing area under variable rainfall intensity, and the Green–Ampt theory for point-scale infiltration. The model was applied to rainfall simulation data and natural rainfall–runoff data from a small sub-watershed (0.4 ha) of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed in the semi-arid US Southwest. Its performance to reproduce observed hydrographs was compared to that of a conventional Green–Ampt model assuming complete inundation sheet flow, with runon infiltration, which is infiltration of runoff onto pervious downstream areas. Parameters were derived from rainfall simulations and from watershed-scale calibration directly from the rainfall–runoff events. The performance of the water depth-dependent model was better than that of the conventional model on the scale of a rainfall simulator plot, but on the scale of a small watershed the performance of both model types was similar. We believe that the proposed model contributes to a less scale-dependent way of modeling runoff and erosion on the hillslope-scale.     

Multisource hydrologic modeling uncertainty analysis using the IBUNE framework in a humid catchment

Hydrologic cycle is a complex system associated with both certain and uncertain constituents. The propagation of confidence bounds from different uncertainty sources to model output is of great significance for hydrologic modeling. In this paper, we applied the integrated bayesian uncertainty estimator to quantify the effects of parameter, input and model structure uncertainty on hydrologic modeling progressively. Two hydrologic models (Xinanjiang model and TOPMODEL) were applied to a humid catchment under three scenarios. Case I: the shuffled complex evolution metropolis (SCEM-UA) algorithm was conducted to determine the posterior parameter distribution of hydrologic models and analyze the corresponding forecast uncertainty. Case II: input uncertainty was also considered by assuming rain depth bias follows a normal distribution, and integrated with SCEM-UA. Case III: Simulations from two models were combined by the Bayesian model averaging to fully quantify multisource uncertainty effects. Results suggested that, from Case I to II, the containing ratio (percentage of observed streamflow enveloped by 95% confidence interval) obviously increased by an average magnitude of 10% for the study period 2000–2006. Besides, it also found that the width of 95% confidence interval became wider and narrower for Xinanjiang model and TOPMODEL, respectively, from Case I to II. This may indicate that the uncertainty of TOPMODEL results was more remarkable than Xinanjiang model in Case I. By combining results from two models, model structure uncertainty was also considered in Case III. The accuracy of uncertainty bounds further improved with the containing ratio of 95% confidence interval >95%. In addition, the optimized deterministic results from the uncertainty analysis showed that the average Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient increased continually from Case I to II and III (0.82, 0.84 and 0.90, respectively) for the study period. The analysis demonstrated the improvement of modeling accuracy when extra uncertainty sources were also quantified, and this finding also proved the applicability of IBUNE framework in hydrologic modeling.     

Analytical solutions to runoff on hillslopes with curvature: numerical and laboratory verification

Predicting the behavior of overland flow with analytical solutions to the kinematic wave equation is appealing due to its relative ease of implementation. Such simple solutions, however, have largely been constrained to applications on simple planar hillslopes. This study presents analytical solutions to the kinematic wave equation for hillslopes with modest topographic curvature that causes divergence or convergence of runoff flowpaths. The solution averages flow depths along changing hillslope contours whose lengths vary according hillslope width function, and results in a one-dimensional approximation to the two-dimensional flow field. The solutions are tested against both two-dimensional numerical solutions to the kinematic wave equation (in ParFlow) and against experiments that use rainfall simulation on machined hillslopes with defined curvature properties. Excellent agreement between numerical, experimental and analytical solutions is found for hillslopes with mild to moderate curvature. The solutions show that curvature drives large changes in maximum flow rate q_peak and time of concentration t_c , predictions frequently used in engineering hydrologic design and analysis.     

Generalization of TOPMODEL for a power law transmissivity profile

A generalization of the TOPMODEL equations for a power law vertical profile of hydraulic conductivity is introduced. The exponential profile of TOPMODEL is obtained as a limit case of the new general form. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of hysteretic behaviour of a hillslope-storage kinematic wave model for subsurface flow

The objective of this work is to analyse the storage–flux hysteretic behaviour of a simplified model for subsurface flow processes. The subsurface flow dynamics is analysed by means of a model based on the kinematic wave assumptions and by using a width weighting/depth averaging scheme which allows to map the three-dimensional soil mantle into a one-dimensional profile. Continuity and a kinematic form of Darcy’s law lead to a hillslope-storage kinematic wave equation for subsurface flow, solvable with the method of characteristics. Adopting a second order polynomial function to describe the bedrock slope and an exponential function to describe the variation of the width of the hillslope with hillslope distance, we derive general solutions to the hillslope-storage kinematic wave equations, applicable to a wide range of hillslopes. These solutions provide a physical basis for deriving two geometric parameters α and ψ which define the hydrological similarity between hillslopes with respect to their characteristic response and hysteresis. The hysteresis η, quantified by the area of the hysteretic dimensionless loop, has been therefore computed for a range of values of parameters α and ψ. Slopes exhibit generally clockwise hysteretic loop in the flux-storage plot, with higher groundwater mean volume for given discharge on rising limb than at same discharge on falling limb. It has been found that hysteresis increases with decreasing α and ψ, i.e. with increasing convergence (for the shape) and concavity (for the profile), and vice versa. For relatively large values of α and ψ the hysteresis may take a complex pattern, with combination of clockwise to anticlockwise loop cycles. Application of the theory to three hillslopes in the Eastern Italian Alps provides an opportunity to examine how natural topographies are represented by the two hillslope hydrological similarity parameters.     

Spatial and temporal analysis of hillslope–channel coupling and implications for the longitudinal profile in a dryland basin

The long‐term evolution of channel longitudinal profiles within drainage basins is partly determined by the relative balance of hillslope sediment supply to channels and the evacuation of channel sediment. However, the lack of theoretical understanding of the physical processes of hillslope–channel coupling makes it challenging to determine whether hillslope sediment supply or channel sediment evacuation dominates over different timescales and how this balance affects bed elevation locally along the longitudinal profile. In this paper, we develop a framework for inferring the relative dominance of hillslope sediment supply to the channel versus channel sediment evacuation, over a range of temporal and spatial scales. The framework combines distinct local flow distributions on hillslopes and in the channel with surface grain‐size distributions. We use these to compute local hydraulic stresses at various hillslope‐channel coupling locations within the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in southeast Arizona, USA. These stresses are then assessed as a local net balance of geomorphic work between hillslopes and channel for a range of flow conditions generalizing decadal historical records. Our analysis reveals that, although the magnitude of hydraulic stress in the channel is consistently higher than that on hillslopes, the product of stress magnitude and frequency results in a close balance between hillslope supply and channel evacuation for the most frequent flows. Only at less frequent, high‐magnitude flows do channel hydraulic stresses exceed those on hillslopes, and channel evacuation dominates the net balance. This result suggests that WGEW exists mostly (~50% of the time) in an equilibrium condition of sediment balance between hillslopes and channels, which helps to explain the observed straight longitudinal profile. We illustrate how this balance can be upset by climate changes that differentially affect relative flow regimes on slopes and in channels. Such changes can push the long profile into a convex or concave condition. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

The effect of storm movement on infiltration,runoff and soil erosion in a semi-arid catchment

Rainfall characteristics are key factors influencing infiltration and runoff generation in catchment hydrology, particularly for arid and semiarid catchments. Although the effect of storm movement on rainfall-runoff processes has been evaluated and emphasized since the 1960s, the effect on the infiltration process has barely been considered. In this study, a physically based distributed hydrological model (InHM) was applied to a typical semi-arid catchment (Shejiagou, 4.26 km²) located in the Loess Plateau, China, to investigate the effect of storm movement on infiltration, runoff and soil erosion at the catchment scale. Simulations of 84 scenarios of storm movement were conducted, including storms moving across the catchment in both the upstream and downstream directions along the main channel, while in each direction considering four storm moving speeds, three rainfall depths and two storm ranges. The simulation results showed that, on both the hillslopes facing downstream (facing south) and in the main channel, the duration of the overland flow process under the upstream-moving storms was longer than that under the downstream-moving storms. Thus, the duration and volume of infiltration under upstream-moving storms were larger in these areas. For the Shejiagou catchment, as there are more hillslopes facing downstream, more infiltration occurred under the upstream-moving storms than the downstream-moving storms. Therefore, downstream-moving storms generated up to 69% larger total runoff and up to 351% more soil loss in the catchment than upstream-moving storms. The difference in infiltration between the storms moving upstream and downstream decreased as the storm moving speed increased. The relative difference in total runoff and sediment yield between the storms moving upstream and downstream decreased with increasing rainfall depth and storm speed. The results of this study revealed that the infiltration differences under moving storms largely influenced the total runoff and sediment yield at the catchment scale, which is of importance in runoff prediction and flood management. The infiltration differences may be a potential factor leading to different groundwater, vegetation cover and ecology conditions for the different sides of the hillslopes.     

Effects of the catchment runoff coefficient on the performance of TOPMODEL in rainfall–runoff modelling

Effects of the catchment runoff coefficient on the performance of TOPMODEL in simulating catchment rainfall–runoff relationships are investigated in this paper, with an aim to improve TOPMODEL's simulation efficiency in catchments with a low runoff coefficient. Application of TOPMODEL in the semi‐arid Yihe catchment, with an area of 2623 km² in the Yellow River basin of China, produced a Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency of about 80%. To investigate how the catchment runoff coefficient affects the performance of TOPMODEL, the whole observed discharge series of the Yihe catchment is multiplied with a larger‐than‐unity scale factor to obtain an amplified discharge series. Then TOPMODEL is used to simulate the amplified discharge series given the original rainfall and evaporation data. For a set of different scale factors, TOPMODEL efficiency is plotted against the corresponding catchment runoff coefficient and it is found that the efficiency of TOPMODEL increases with the increasing catchment runoff coefficient before reaching a peak (e.g. about 90%); after the peak, however, the efficiency of TOPMODEL decreases with the increasing catchment runoff coefficient. Based on this finding, an approach called the discharge amplification method is proposed to enhance the simulation efficiency of TOPMODEL in rainfall–runoff modelling in catchments with a low runoff coefficient. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MODELLING RUNOFF GENERATION ON SMALL AGRICULTURAL CATCHMENTS: CAN REAL WORLD RUNOFF RESPONSES BE CAPTURED?

This paper focuses on the problem of quantifying real world catchment response using a distributed model and discusses the ability of the model to capture that response. The rainfall–runoff responses of seven small agricultural catchments in the eastern wheatbelt region of south-western Australia are examined. The variability in runoff generation and the factors that contribute to that variability (i.e. rainfall intensity, soil properties and topography) are investigated to determine if their influence can be captured in a mathematical model. The spatially distributed rainfall–runoff model used in this study is based on the TOPMODEL concepts of Beven and Kirkby (1979), and simulates runoff generation by both the infiltration excess and saturation excess mechanisms. Simulations with the model revealed the highly complex nature of catchment response to rainfall events. Runoff generation was highly heterogeneous in both space and time, with the runoff response being governed by the spatial variability of soil properties and topography, and by the temporal variation in rainfall intensity. Although the model proved capable of simulating catchment response for many events, the investigation has demonstrated that not all aspects of the variability associated with agricultural catchments (particularly the effects of land management) can be captured using this relatively simple model. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd     

A model for distributed GIUH‐based flow routing on natural and anthropogenic hillslopes

Attempts to reduce the number of parameters in distributed rainfall–runoff models have not yet resulted in a model that is accurate for both natural and anthropogenic hillslopes. We take on the challenge by proposing a distributed model for overland flow and channel flow based on a combination of a linear response time distribution and the hillslope geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH), which can be calculated with only a digital elevation model and a map with field boundaries and channel network as input. The spatial domain is subdivided into representative elementary hillslopes (REHs) for each of which we define geometric and flow velocity parameters and compute the GIUH. The catchment GIUH is given by the sum of all REH responses. While most distributed models only perform well on natural hillslopes, the advantage of our approach is that it can also be applied to modified hillslopes with for example a rectangular drainage network and terrace cultivation. Tests show that the REH‐GIUH approach performs better than classical routing functions (exponential and gamma). Simulations of four virtual hillslopes suggest that peak flow at the catchment outlet is directly related to drainage density. By combining the distributed flow routing model with a lumped‐parameter infiltration model, we were also able to demonstrate that terrace cultivation delays the response time and reduces peak flow in comparison to the same hillslope, but with a natural stream network. The REH‐GIUH approach is a first step in the process of coupling distributed hydrological models to erosion and water quality models at the REH (associated with agricultural management) and at the catchment scale (associated with the evaluation of the environmental impact of human activities). It furthermore provides a basis for the development of models for large catchments and urban or peri‐urban catchments. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Axially equilibrated displacement‐based beam element for simulating the cyclic inelastic behaviour of RC members

Distributed plasticity beam elements are commonly used to evaluate limit state demands for performance‐based analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Strain limits are often preferred to drift limits because they directly relate to damage and are therefore less dependent on member geometry and boundary conditions. However, predicting accurately strain demands still represents a major simulation challenge. Tension shift effects, which induce a linear curvature profile in the plastic hinge region of RC columns and walls, are one of the main causes for the mismatch between experimental and numerical estimates of local level quantities obtained through force‐based formulations. Classical displacement‐based approaches are instead suitable to simulate such linear curvature profile. Unfortunately, they verify equilibrium only on an average sense due to the wrong assumption on the axial displacement field, leading to poor deformation and force predictions. This paper presents a displacement‐based element in which axial equilibrium is strictly verified along the element length. The assumed transversal displacement field ensures a linear curvature profile, connecting accurately global displacement and local strain demands. The proposed finite element is validated against two sets of quasi‐static cyclic tests on RC bridge piers and walls. The results show that curvature and strain profiles for increasing ductility demands are significantly improved when axially equilibrated rather than classical displacement‐based or force‐based elements are used to model the structural members. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.