Impact of grid resolution on the integrated and distributed response of a coupled surface–subsurface hydrological model for the des Anglais catchment,Quebec

Digital elevation models (DEMs) at different resolutions (180, 360, and 720 m) are used to examine the impact of different levels of landscape representation on the hydrological response of a 690‐km² catchment in southern Quebec. Frequency distributions of local slope, plan curvature, and drainage area are calculated for each grid size resolution. This landscape analysis reveals that DEM grid size significantly affects computed topographic attributes, which in turn explains some of the differences in the hydrological simulations. The simulations that are then carried out, using a coupled, process‐based model of surface and subsurface flow, examine the effects of grid size on both the integrated response of the catchment (discharge at the main outlet and at two internal points) and the distributed response (water table depth, surface saturation, and soil water storage). The results indicate that discharge volumes increase as the DEM is coarsened, and that coarser DEMs are also wetter overall in terms of water table depth and soil water storage. The reasons for these trends include an increase in the total drainage area of the catchment for larger DEM cell sizes, due to aggregation effects at the boundary cells of the catchment, and to a decrease in local slope and plan curvature variations, which in turn limits the capacity of the watershed to transmit water downslope and laterally. The results obtained also show that grid resolution effects are less pronounced during dry periods when soil moisture dynamics are mostly controlled by vertical fluxes of evaporation and percolation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of different spatial land cover data sets on the outputs of a hydrological model - a modelling exercise in the Ucker catchment, North-East Germany

The spatial distribution of forests, meadows, arable land, water bodies and settlements in a catchment influences the spatial and temporal dynamics of evapotranspiration, surface runoff, soil moisture and ground water recharge. Four digital data sets from different sources were available for land cover distribution to be applied in a regional case study in the Ucker catchment with an area of about 2415 km². The first data set was obtained from the German digital topographic data set “Atkis” and the second one from the federal German biotope mapping procedure “Biotoptypenkartierung”. In addition, Corine land cover data and a land cover obtained from a supervised, multitemporal classification of three Landsat-TM5-scenes from the year 2000 were used in our study. These data sets differ in spatial resolution and in information content and this leads to different areal proportions of the main land cover classes forests, meadows, arable land, water bodies and settlements. This has to be considered as an uncertainty in the land cover data. In our case study, we analyzed how and to which extent this uncertainty influences the outputs of a hydrological catchment model such as evapotranspiration and discharge. For the time period 1996-2001, meteorological time series were obtained from four meteorological stations and five additional precipitation stations. Measured daily discharge rates were available from two gauges located in the catchment. In the different land cover data sets, the proportions of arable land ranged from 52.7% to 61.7% of the catchment area and for forests from 19.5% to 24.6%. These different proportions showed only minor impacts with small differences below ±10 mm y⁻¹ on the simulated annual rates of evapotranspiration and ground water recharge. In contrast, the simulated surface runoff rates showed a strong correlation to the amount of the settlement areas in the catchment. The highest proportion of settlements with 4.9% of the catchment area in comparison to the lowest proportion of 2.9% leads to an increase in the simulated surface runoff of 70%.     

The sensitivity of simulated flow and water quality response to spatial heterogeneity on a hillslope in the Tarrawarra catchment,Australia

Models are widely used to simulate hydrological response and the generation and transport of constituents such as salt, phosphorus, and nitrogen from catchments to streams. Several models use a spatial representation with catchments divided into subcatchments. Variations in land use and other characteristics within subcatchments are represented by spatially lumped hydrologic response units (HRUs) or functional units instead of using fully distributed models. This approach disregards any spatial interaction between HRUs, including their connectivity to each other and to the stream and the influence of these interactions on water and constituent export. A spatially explicit hydrological model (Thales) was used to simulate a variety of theoretical catchments with soils dominated by combinations of infiltration excess, saturation excess, and subsurface stormflow processes and different soil constituent concentrations that were spatially interacting (i.e. located along a hillslope sequence). The modelling results show that the response of both runoff and concentration is sensitive to varying spatial arrangements due to interactions of runoff, infiltration, and chemical processes between the different soil types in many but not all situations. Results highlight the importance of considering connectivity of pathways when modelling hydrological response and constituents export. This is achieved by comparing pairs of simulations and the corresponding differences in the exported loads. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating the deep seepage component of the hillslope and catchment water balance within a measurement uncertainty framework

Deep seepage is a term in the hillslope and catchment water balance that is rarely measured and usually relegated to a residual in the water balance equation. While recent studies have begun to quantify this important component, we still lack understanding of how deep seepage varies from hillslope to catchment scales and how much uncertainty surrounds its quantification within the overall water balance. Here, we report on a hillslope water balance study from the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon aimed at quantifying the deep seepage component where we irrigated a 172‐m² section of hillslope for 24·4 days at 3·6 ± 3 mm/h. The objective of this experiment was to close the water balance, identifying the relative partitioning of, and uncertainties around deep seepage and the other measured water balance components of evaporation, transpiration, lateral subsurface flow, bedrock return flow and fluxes into and out of soil profile storage. We then used this information to determine how the quantification of individual water balance components improves our understanding of key hillslope processes and how uncertainties in individual measurements propagate through the functional uses of the measurements into water balance components (i.e. meteorological measurements propagated through potential evapotranspiration estimates). Our results show that hillslope scale deep seepage composed of 27 ± 17% of applied water. During and immediately after the irrigation experiment, a significant amount of the irrigation water could not be accounted for. This amount decreased as the measurement time increased, declining from 28 ± 16% at the end of the irrigation to 20 ± 21% after 10 days drainage. This water is attributed to deep seepage at the catchment scale. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating the hydrological and hydrochemical responses of a High Arctic catchment during an exceptionally warm summer

The Arctic has experienced substantial warming during the past century with models projecting continued warming accompanied by increases in summer precipitation for most regions. A key impact of increasing air surface temperatures is the deepening of the active layer, which is expected to alter hydrological processes and pathways. The aim of this study was to determine how one of the warmest and wettest summers in the past decade at a High Arctic watershed impacted water infiltration and storage in deeply thawed soil and solute concentrations in stream runoff during the thaw period. In June and July 2012 at the Cape Bounty Watershed Observatory, we combined active layer measurements with major ion concentrations and stable isotopes in surface waters to characterize the movement of different runoff sources: snowmelt, rainfall, and soil water. Results indicate that deep ground thaw enhanced the storage of infiltrated water following rainfall. Soil water from infiltrated rainfall flowed through the thawed transient layer and upper permafrost, which likely solubilized ions previously stored at depth. Subsequent rainfall events acted as a hydrological flushing mechanism, mobilizing solutes from the subsurface to the surface. This solute flushing substantially increased ion concentrations in stream runoff throughout mid to late July. Results further suggest the importance of rainfall and soil water as sources of runoff in a High Arctic catchment during mid to late summer as infiltrated snowmelt is drained from soil following baseflow. Although there was some evaporation of surface water, our study indicates that flushing from solute stores in the transient layer was the primary driver of increased ion concentrations in stream runoff and not evaporative concentration of surface water. With warmer and wetter summers projected for the Arctic, ion concentrations in runoff (especially in the late thaw season), will likely increase due to the deep storage and subsurface flow of infiltrated water and subsequent flushing of previously frozen solutes to the surface.     

Diagnostic calibration and cross‐catchment transferability of a simple process‐consistent hydrologic model

The transferability of hydrologic models is of ever increasing importance for making improved hydrologic predictions and testing hypothesized hydrologic drivers. Here, we present an investigation into the variability and transferability of the recently introduced catchment connectivity model (Smith et al., 2013 ). The catchment connectivity model was developed following extensive experimental observations identifying the key drivers of streamflow in the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest (Jencso et al., 2009 ; Jencso et al., 2010 ), with the goal of creating a simple model consistent with internal observations of catchment hydrologic connectivity patterns. The model was applied across seven catchments located within Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest to investigate spatial variability and transferability of model performance and parameterization. The results demonstrated that the model resulted in historically good fits (based on previous studies at the sites) to both the hydrograph and internal water table dynamics (corroborated with experimental observations). The impact of a priori parameter limits was also examined. It was observed that enforcing field‐based limits on model parameters resulted in slight reductions to streamflow hydrograph fits, but significant improvements to model process fidelity (as hydrologic connectivity), as well as moderate improvement in the transferability of model parameterizations from one catchment to the next. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling spatio-temporal patterns of sediment yield and connectivity in a semi-arid catchment with the WASA-SED model

Abstract

Rainfall–runoff induced soil erosion causes important environmental degradation by reducing soil fertility and impacting on water availability as a consequence of sediment deposition in surface reservoirs used for water supply, particularly in semi-arid areas. However, erosion models developed on experimental plots cannot be directly applied to estimate sediment yield at the catchment scale, since sediment redistribution is also controlled by the transport conditions along the landscape. In particular, representation of landscape connectivity relating to sediment transfer from upslope areas to the river network is required. In this study, the WASA-SED model is used to assess the spatial and temporal patterns of water and sediment connectivity for a semi-arid meso-scale catchment (933 km²) in Brazil. It is shown how spatial and temporal patterns of sediment connectivity within the catchment change as a function of landscape and event characteristics. This explains the nonlinear catchment response in terms of sediment yield at the outlet.

Citation Medeiros, P. H. A., Güntner, A., Francke, T., Mamede, G. L. & de Araújo, J. C. (2010) Modelling spatio-temporal patterns of sediment yield and connectivity in a semi-arid catchment with the WASA-SED model. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(4), 636–648.     

On the validation of a coupled water and energy balance model at small catchment scales

Catchment runoff is the most widely used catchment scale measurement in modelling studies, and we have a reasonable degree of confidence in its accuracy. The advent of satellites gives access to a new suite of measurements taken over a defined spatial range. These measurements, principally reflected or emitted radiation, provide hydrologists with new possibilities for quantifying the state of a catchment. Surface temperatures can be readily measured by a satellite on a scale comparable to the size of a small catchment.

In this paper we show that satellite sensed temperatures can provide an important measure of catchment status, which can complement runoff measurements in water balance studies. A one-dimensional model, which couples the land surface energy balance with the soil and surface water balance is tested by comparison with runoff and with remotely sensed surface temperature measurements. Simulations have been run over four years for two small catchments which have a fairly homogeneous vegetation, one being forest and its neighbour pasture. Satellite “surface” temperatures have been interpreted in terms of the energy balance, and used as a test of modelling accuracy. An “effective” surface temperature is calculated as a weighted mean of temperatures of the separate soil and leaf surfaces. This modelled “effective” temperature correlates well with Landsat TM surface temperatures.

When pasture replaces forest, the model predicts a reduction in evapotranspiration of around 30%, a three-fold increase in runoff, and an increase in mean soil moisture status. The change to pasture also results in a rise in mean effective surface temperature of about 4°C, and an increase in summer diurnal temperature range from 10 to 22°C. The winter diurnal temperature range is similar for both vegetation systems.

Inclusion of soil moisture variability in thermal properties results in an increase in mean daily maximum temperature of about 2°C in summer and winter, without much change in daily minima. The daily mean temperature is not significantly affected.     

Performance of the LandSoil expert-based model to map erosion and sedimentation: application to a cultivated catchment in central Belgium

Intensive agricultural practices on sensitive soils induce high erosion rates in central Belgium. Expert-rules models quantify runoff and erosion at catchment scale, avoiding over-parameterization, and can include some direct or indirect connectivity features. The aim of this article is to test the ability of an expert-based model, LandSoil, to quantify runoff and to locate erosion and sedimentation areas in a small cultivated loamy catchment in Belgium during the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. Spatialized data are important for assessing model outputs and the erosive response. Measurements of runoff and observation of spatial erosion/deposition patterns, especially around major connectivity points, permitted an assessment of the reliability of the model results. Runoff modelling gave contrasting results (good linear adjustment at the outlet of the 83 ha sub-catchment (point 1): r² of 0.96, Nash–Sutcliffe criterion of 0.95; less good at the outlet of the 3.9 ha sub-catchment (point 2): r² of 0.28, Nash–Sutcliffe criterion of –0.47). For point 2 the poor results are explained by the very few runoff events observed, a scaling effect and the small area with a single land use. Graduated rulers demonstrate that the model is able to provide a coherent pattern of erosion/deposition. The study highlights great sensitivity to the effect of land use, land allocation, landscape design and slope gradients. Grass strips induce deposition of eroded particles when slopes are gentle (< 2%). Woodland strips decrease connectivity by being in the stream but deposit thinner sediment layers. Field boundaries have a role in the transport, but not really the quantity, of sediments. This model validation in the Belgian loess context allows us to use LandSoil in other similar environments in order to estimate the effects of landscape management scenarios. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil water content vertical profiles under natural conditions: matching of experiments and simulations by a conceptual model

The prediction of soil moisture content, θ, as a function of depth, z, and time, t, is of fundamental importance for applications in many hydrological processes. The main objective of this paper is to provide an approach to solve this problem at a local scale in soils with vegetation. The matching of soil moisture vertical profiles observed under natural conditions in grassy plots and their simulations by a conceptual model is presented. Experimental measurements were performed in a plot located in Central Italy, complete with hydrometeorological sensors specifically set up and equipped with a time domain reflectometry system providing the water content, θ_e(z, t). A conceptual model framework earlier proposed for two‐layered soil vertical profiles was modified and adopted for simulations. The changes concern the incorporation of evapotranspiration, the reduction of the original model for applications also to homogeneous soil vertical profiles, and a correction for the differences existing between assumed and observed initial moisture contents. In the model calibration, it was found that the effects of vegetation could be represented adequately by a fictitious soil vertical profile with a more permeable upper layer of saturated hydraulic conductivity, K_s, independent of time. Then, for the validation events, the model simulations in the stages of both infiltration and redistribution/evapotranspiration reproduced appropriately θ_e(z, t) with typical values of root mean square error in the range 0.0017–0.0657. Similar results were obtained by applying the modified two‐layered model for simulations of experimental data observed in three other plots located in Northern Italy and Germany. For all four vegetated sites, the two‐layer profile better matched the experimental data than the assumption of a homogeneous profile. Thus, the conceptual approach based on a two‐layered scheme for representing θ(z, t) in soils with vegetation appears to be appropriate for many hydrological applications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Does the incorporation of process conceptualization and tracer data improve the structure and performance of a simple rainfall‐runoff model in a Scottish mesoscale catchment?

A geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) rainfall‐runoff model was applied in a 31 km² montane catchment in Scotland. Modelling was based on flow path length distributions derived from a digital terrain model (DTM). The model was applied in two ways; a single landscape unit response based on the DTM alone, and a two‐landscape unit response, which incorporated the distribution of saturated areas derived from field‐validated geographic information system (GIS) analysis based on a DTM and soil maps. This was to test the hypothesis that incorporation of process‐information would enhance the model performance. The model was applied with limited multiple event calibration to produce parameter sets which could be applied to a spectrum of events with contrasting characteristics and antecedent conditions. Gran alkalinity was used as a tracer to provide an additional objective measure for assessing model performance. The models captured the hydrological response dynamics of the catchment reasonably well. In general, the single landscape unit approach produced the best individual model performance statistics, though the two‐landscape unit approach provided a range of models, which bracketed the storm hydrograph response more realistically. There was a tendency to over‐predict the rising limb of the hydrograph, underestimate large storm event peaks and anticipate the hydrograph recession too rapidly. Most of these limitations could be explained by the simplistic assumptions embedded within the GIUH approach. The modelling also gave feasible predictions of stream water chemistry, though these could not be used as a basis for model rejection. Nevertheless, the study suggested that the approach has potential for prediction of hydrological response in ungauged montane headwater basins. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of hillslope topography on hydrological responses in a weathered granite mountain,Japan: comparison of the runoff response between the valley‐head and the side slope

To evaluate the effects of hillslope topography on storm runoff in a weathered granite mountain, discharge rate, soil pore water pressures, and water chemistry were observed on two types of hillslope: a valley‐head (a concave hillslope) and a side slope (a planar hillslope). Hydrological responses on the valley‐head and side slope reflected their respective topographic characteristics and varied with the rainfall magnitude. During small rainfall events (<35 mm), runoff from the side slope occurred rapidly relative to the valley‐head. The valley‐head showed little response in storm runoff. As rainfall amounts increased (35–60 mm), the valley‐head yielded a higher flow relative to the side slope. For large rainfall events (>60 mm), runoff from both hillslopes increased with rainfall, although that from the valley‐head was larger than that from the side slope. The differences in the runoff responses were caused by differences in the roles of lower‐slope soils and the convergence of the hillslope. During small rainfall events, the side slope could store little water; in contrast, all rainwater could be stored in the soils at the valley‐head hollow. As the amount of rainfall increased, the subsurface saturated area of the valley‐head extended from the bottom to the upper portion of the slope, with the contributions of transient groundwater via lateral preferential flowpaths due to the high concentration of subsurface water. Conversely, saturated subsurface flow did not contribute to runoff responses, and the subsurface saturated area at the side slope did not extend to the upper slope for the same storm size. During large rainfall events, expansion of the subsurface saturated area was observed in both hillslopes. Thus, differences in the concentration of subsurface water, reflecting hillslope topography, may create differences in the extension of the subsurface saturated area, as well as variability in runoff responses. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracking hydrological responses of a thermokarst lake in the Old Crow Flats (Yukon Territory,Canada) to recent climate variability using aerial photographs and paleolimnological methods

Recent studies using remote sensing analysis of lake‐rich thermokarst landscapes have documented evidence of declining lake surface area in response to recent warming. However, images alone cannot identify whether these declines are due to increasing frequency of lake drainage events associated with accelerated thermokarst activity or to increasing evaporation in response to longer ice‐free season duration. Here, we explore the potential of combining aerial photograph time series with paleolimnological analyses to track changes in hydrological conditions of a thermokarst lake in the Old Crow Flats (OCF), Canada, and to identify their causes. Images show that the water level in lake OCF 48 declined markedly sometime between 1972 and 2001. In a sediment core from OCF 48, complacent stratigraphic profiles of several physical, geochemical, and biological parameters from ～1874–1967 indicate hydro‐limnological conditions were relatively stable. From ～1967–1989, declines in organic matter content, organic carbon isotope values, and pigment concentrations are interpreted to reflect an increase in supply of minerogenic sediment, and subsequent decline in aquatic productivity, caused by increased thermo‐erosion of shoreline soils. Lake expansion was likely caused by increased summer rainfall, as recorded by increased cellulose‐inferred lake‐water oxygen isotope compositions. Stratigraphic trends defining the lake expansion phase terminated at ～1989, which likely marks the year when the lake drained. Above‐average precipitation during the previous year probably raised the lake level and promoted further thermo‐erosion of the shoreline soils that caused the lake to drain. These are meteorological conditions that have led to other recent lake‐drainage events in the OCF. Thus, the decline in lake level, evident in the aerial photograph from 2001, is unlikely to have been caused by evaporation, but rather is a remnant of a drainage event that took place more than a decade earlier. After drainage, the lake began to refill, and most paleolimnological parameters approach levels that are similar to those during the stable phase. These findings indicate that combined use of aerial images and paleolimnological methods offers much promise for identifying the hydrological consequences of recent climatic variations on thermokarst lakes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field investigation and modelling of coupled stream discharge and shallow water‐table dynamics in a small Mediterranean catchment (Sardinia)

In the semi‐arid Mediterranean environment, the rainfall–runoff relationships are complex because of the markedly irregular patterns in rainfall, the seasonal mismatch between evaporation and rainfall, and the spatial heterogeneity in landscape properties. Watersheds often display considerable non‐linear threshold behavior, which still make runoff generation an open research question. Our objectives in this context were: to identify the primary processes of runoff generation in a small natural catchment; to test whether a physically based model, which takes into consideration only the primary processes, is able to predict spatially distributed water‐table and stream discharge dynamics; and to use the hydrological model to increase our understanding of runoff generation mechanisms. The observed seasonal dynamics of soil moisture, water‐table depth, and stream discharge indicated that Hortonian overland‐flow was negligible and the main mechanism of runoff generation was saturated subsurface‐flow. This gives rise to base‐flow, controls the formation of the saturated areas, and contributes to storm‐flow together with saturation overland‐flow. The distributed model, with a 1D scheme for the kinematic surface‐flow, a 2D sub‐horizontal scheme for the saturated subsurface‐flow, and ignoring the unsaturated flow, performed efficiently in years when runoff volume was high and medium, although there was a smoothing effect on the observed water‐table. In dry years, small errors greatly reduced the efficiency of the model. The hydrological model has allowed to relate the runoff generation mechanisms with the land‐use. The forested hillslopes, where the calibrated soil conductivity was high, were never saturated, except at the foot of the slopes, where exfiltration of saturated subsurface‐flow contributed to storm‐flow. Saturation overland‐flow was only found near the streams, except when there were storm‐flow peaks, when it also occurred on hillslopes used for pasture, where soil conductivity was low. The bedrock–soil percolation, simulated by a threshold mechanism, further increased the non‐linearity of the rainfall–runoff processes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How to improve the representation of hydrological processes in SWAT for a lowland catchment – temporal analysis of parameter sensitivity and model performance

Model diagnostic analyses help to improve the understanding of hydrological processes and their representation in hydrological models. A detailed temporal analysis detects periods of poor model performance and model components with potential for model improvements, which cannot be found by analysing the whole discharge time series. In this study, we aim to improve the understanding of hydrological processes by investigating the temporal dynamics of parameter sensitivity and of model performance for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model applied to the Treene lowland catchment in Northern Germany. The temporal analysis shows that the parameter sensitivity varies temporally with high sensitivity for three groundwater parameters (groundwater time delay, baseflow recession constant and aquifer fraction coefficient) and one evaporation parameter (soil evaporation compensation factor). Whereas the soil evaporation compensation factor dominates in baseflow and resaturation periods, groundwater time delay, baseflow recession constant and aquifer fraction coefficient are dominant in the peak and recession phases. The temporal analysis of model performance identifies three clusters with different model performances, which can be related to different phases of the hydrograph. The lowest performance, when comparing six performance measures, is detected for the baseflow cluster. A spatially distributed analysis for six hydrological stations within the Treene catchment shows similar results for all stations. The linkage of periods with poor model performance to the dominant model components in these phases and with the related hydrological processes shows that the groundwater module has the highest potential for improvement. This temporal diagnostic analysis enhances the understanding of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model and of the dominant hydrological processes in the lowland catchment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Saharan dust and phosphatic fidelity: A three-dimensional biogeochemical model of Trichodesmium as a nutrient source for red tides on the West Florida Shelf

The availability of iron within the surface waters of the broad, oligotrophic West Florida Shelf (WFS) controls periodic blooms of the pelagic marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. Summer delivery of Saharan dust provided adequate iron (Fe) to shift limitation of growth to the availability of phosphorus (P). Florida's rivers drain Miocene phosphorus deposits to provide the WFS with freshwater nutrient supplies at molar dissolved inorganic nitrogen/phosphate (DIN/PO₄) ratios of <6. These diazotrophs draw upon ubiquitous stocks of dissolved nitrogen gas, once stimulated by Fe-deposition within P-replete waters of the WFS.