Rethinking large scale river routing by leveraging a field-scale resolving land surface model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Chaney ◽  
Noemi Vergopolan ◽  
Colby Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
Routing Scheme ◽  
Earth System Models ◽  
River Routing

<p>Over the past decade there has been important progress towards modeling the water, energy, and carbon cycles at field scales (10-100 meter) over continental extents. One such approach, named HydroBlocks, accomplishes this task while maintaining computational efficiency via sub-grid hydrologic response units (HRUs); these HRUs are defined via cluster analysis of available field-scale environmental datasets (e.g., elevation). However, until now, there has yet to be complementary advances in river routing schemes that are able to fully harness HydroBlocks’ approach to sub-grid heterogeneity, thus limiting the added value of field-scale resolving land surface models (e.g., riparian zone dynamics, irrigation from surface water, and interactive floodplains). In this presentation, we will introduce a novel large scale river routing scheme that leverages the modeled field-scale heterogeneity in HydroBlocks through more realistic sub-grid stream network topologies, reach-based river routing, and the simulation of floodplain dynamics.</p><p>The primary features of the novel river routing scheme include: 1) each macroscale grid cell is assigned its own river network delineated from field-scale DEMs; 2) similar sub-grid reaches (e.g., Shreve order) are grouped/clustered to ensure computational tractability; 3) the fine-scale inlet/outlet reaches of the macroscale grid cells are linked to assemble the continental river networks; 4) river dynamics are solved at the reach-level via an implicit solution of the Kinematic wave with floodplain dynamics; 5) two way connectivity is established between each cell’s sub-grid HRUs and the river network. The resulting routing scheme is able to effectively represent sub-100 meter-delineated stream networks within Earth system models with relatively minor increases in computation with respect to existing approaches. To illustrate the scheme’s novelty when coupled to the HydroBlocks land surface model, we will present simulation results over the Yellowstone river in the United States between 2002 and 2018. We will show the added value of the scheme when compared to existing approaches with regards to floodplain dynamics, water management, and riparian corridors. Furthermore, we will present results regarding the scheme’s computational tractability to ensure the feasibility of its use within Earth system models. Finally, we will discuss the potential of this approach to enhance flood and drought monitoring tools, numerical weather prediction, and climate models.</p>

scholarly journals Two-way coupling between the sub-grid land surface and river networks in Earth system models

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel W. Chaney ◽  
Laura Torres-Rojas ◽  
Noemi Vergopolan ◽  
Colby K. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
System Models ◽  
Routing Scheme ◽  
Earth System Models ◽  
River Routing

Abstract. Over the past decade, there has been appreciable progress towards modeling the water, energy, and carbon cycles at field-scales (10–100 m) over continental to global extents. One such approach, named HydroBlocks, accomplishes this task while maintaining computational efficiency via sub-grid tiles, or Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs), learned via a hierarchical clustering approach from available global high-resolution environmental data. However, until now, there has yet to be a macroscale river routing approach that is able to leverage HydroBlocks' approach to sub-grid heterogeneity, thus limiting the added value of field-scale land surface modeling in Earth System Models (e.g., riparian zone dynamics, irrigation from surface water, and interactive floodplains). This paper introduces a novel dynamic river routing scheme in HydroBlocks that is intertwined with the modeled field-scale land surface heterogeneity. The primary features of the routing scheme include: 1) the fine-scale river network of each macroscale grid cell's is derived from very high resolution (

River parametrisation of the JULES land surface model for improved runoff routing at the global scale.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristeidis Koutroulis ◽  
Manolis Grillakis ◽  
Camilla Mathison ◽  
Eleanor Burke
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Routing Scheme ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
River Flow Simulation ◽  
River Routing

<p>The JULES land surface model has a wide ranging application in studying different processes of the earth system including hydrological modeling [1]. Our aim is to tune the existing configuration of the global river routing scheme at 0.5<sup>o</sup> spatial resolution [2] and improve river flow simulation performance at finer temporal scales. To do so, we develop a factorial experiment of varying effective river velocity and meander coefficient, components of the Total Runoff Integrating Pathways (TRIP) river routing scheme. We test and adjust best performing configurations at the basin scale based on observations from GRDC 230 stations that exhibiting a variety of hydroclimatic and physiographic conditions. The analysis was focused on watersheds of near-natural conditions [3] to avoid potential influences of human management on river flow. The HydroATLAS database [4] was employed to identify basin scale descriptive hydro-environmental indicators that could be associated with the components of the TRIP. These indicators summarize hydrologic and physiographic characteristics of the drainage area of each flow gauge. For each basin we select the best performing set of TRIP parameters per basin resulting to the optimal efficiency of river flow simulation based on the Nash–Sutcliffe and Kling–Gupta efficiency metrics. We find that better performance is driven predominantly by characteristics related to the stream gradient and terrain slope. These indicators can serve as descriptors for extrapolating the adjustment of TRIP parameters for global land configurations at 0.5<sup>o</sup> spatial resolution using regression models.</p><p> </p><p>[1] Papadimitriou et al 2017, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 4379–4401</p><p>[2] Falloon et al 2007. Hadley Centre Tech. Note 72, 42 pp.</p><p>[3] Fang Zhao et al 2017 Environ. Res. Lett. 12 075003</p><p>[4] Linke et al 2019, Scientific Data 6: 283.</p>

scholarly journals ORCHIDEE-ROUTING: A new river routing scheme using a high resolution hydrological database

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trung Nguyen-Quang ◽  
Jan Polcher ◽  
Agnès Ducharne ◽  
Thomas Arsouze ◽  
Xudong Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Routing Scheme ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
River Routing

Abstract. This study presents a revised river routing scheme (RRS) for the Organising Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems (ORCHIDEE) land surface model. The revision is carried out to benefit from the high resolution topography provided the Hydrological data and maps based on SHuttle Elevation Derivatives at multiple Scales (HydroSHEDS), processed to a resolution of approximately 1 kilometer. The RRS scheme of the ORCHIDEE uses a unit-to-unit routing concept which allows to preserve as much of the hydrological information of the HydroSHEDS as the user requires. The evaluation focuses on 12 rivers of contrasted size and climate which contribute freshwater to the Mediterranean Sea. First, the numerical aspect of the new RRS is investigated, to identify the practical configuration offering the best trade-off between computational cost and simulation quality for ensuing validations. Second, the performance of the revised scheme is evaluated against observations at both monthly and daily timescales. The new RRS captures satisfactorily the seasonal variability of river discharges, although important biases come from the water budget simulated by the ORCHIDEE model. The results highlight that realistic streamflow simulations require accurate precipitation forcing data and a precise river catchment description over a wide range of scales, as permitted by the new RRS. Detailed analyses at the daily timescale show promising performances of this high resolution RRS for replicating river flow variation at various frequencies. Eventually, this RRS is well adapted for further developments in the ORCHIDEE land surface model to assess anthropogenic impacts on river processes (e.g. damming for irrigation operation).

scholarly journals ORCHIDEE-ROUTING: revising the river routing scheme using a high-resolution hydrological database

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 4965-4985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trung Nguyen-Quang ◽  
Jan Polcher ◽  
Agnès Ducharne ◽  
Thomas Arsouze ◽  
Xudong Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Routing Scheme ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
River Routing

Abstract. The river routing scheme (RRS) in the Organising Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems (ORCHIDEE) land surface model is a valuable tool for closing the water cycle in a coupled environment and for validating the model performance. This study presents a revision of the RRS of the ORCHIDEE model that aims to benefit from the high-resolution topography provided by the Hydrological data and maps based on SHuttle Elevation Derivatives at multiple Scales (HydroSHEDS), which is processed to a resolution of approximately 1 km. Adapting a new algorithm to construct river networks, the new RRS in ORCHIDEE allows for the preservation of as much of the hydrological information from HydroSHEDS as the user requires. The evaluation focuses on 12 rivers of contrasting size and climate which contribute freshwater to the Mediterranean Sea. First, the numerical aspect of the new RRS is investigated, in order to identify the practical configuration offering the best trade-off between computational cost and simulation quality for ensuing validations. Second, the performance of the new scheme is evaluated against observations at both monthly and daily timescales. The new RRS satisfactorily captures the seasonal variability of river discharge, although important biases stem from the water budget simulated by the ORCHIDEE model. The results highlight that realistic streamflow simulations require accurate precipitation forcing data and a precise river catchment description over a wide range of scales, as permitted by the new RRS. Detailed analyses at the daily timescale show the promising performance of this high-resolution RRS with respect to replicating river flow variation at various frequencies. Furthermore, this RRS may also eventually be well adapted for further developments in the ORCHIDEE land surface model to assess anthropogenic impacts on river processes (e.g. damming for irrigation operation).

scholarly journals Evaluating LSM-Based Water Budgets over a West African Basin Assisted with a River Routing Scheme

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 2331-2346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Augusto C. V. Getirana ◽  
Aaron Boone ◽  
Christophe Peugeot
Keyword(s):  
Deep Water ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Daily Streamflow ◽  
Routing Scheme ◽  
Multidisciplinary Analysis ◽  
River Routing

Abstract Within the framework of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) Land Surface Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (ALMIP-2), this study evaluates the water balance simulated by the Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (ISBA) over the upper Ouémé River basin, in Benin, using a mesoscale river routing scheme (RRS). The RRS is based on the nonlinear Muskingum–Cunge method coupled with two linear reservoirs that simulate the time delay of both surface runoff and base flow that are produced by land surface models. On the basis of the evidence of a deep water-table recharge in that region, a reservoir representing the deep-water infiltration (DWI) is introduced. The hydrological processes of the basin are simulated for the 2005–08 AMMA field campaign period during which rainfall and streamflow data were intensively collected over the study area. Optimal RRS parameter sets were determined for three optimization experiments that were performed using daily streamflow at five gauges within the basin. Results demonstrate that the RRS simulates streamflow at all gauges with relative errors varying from −20% to 3% and Nash–Sutcliffe coefficients varying from 0.62 to 0.90. DWI varies from 24% to 67% of the base flow as a function of the subbasin. The relatively simple reservoir DWI approach is quite robust, and further improvements would likely necessitate more complex solutions (e.g., considering seasonality and soil type in ISBA); thus, such modifications are recommended for future studies. Although the evaluation shows that the simulated streamflows are generally satisfactory, further field investigations are necessary to confirm some of the model assumptions.

scholarly journals A stand-alone tree demography and landscape structure module for Earth system models: integration with inventory data from temperate and boreal forests

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4039-4055 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Haverd ◽  
B. Smith ◽  
L. P. Nieradzik ◽  
P. R. Briggs
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Inventory Data ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Biomass Turnover ◽  
Earth System Models

Abstract. Poorly constrained rates of biomass turnover are a key limitation of Earth system models (ESMs). In light of this, we recently proposed a new approach encoded in a model called Populations-Order-Physiology (POP), for the simulation of woody ecosystem stand dynamics, demography and disturbance-mediated heterogeneity. POP is suitable for continental to global applications and designed for coupling to the terrestrial ecosystem component of any ESM. POP bridges the gap between first-generation dynamic vegetation models (DVMs) with simple large-area parameterisations of woody biomass (typically used in current ESMs) and complex second-generation DVMs that explicitly simulate demographic processes and landscape heterogeneity of forests. The key simplification in the POP approach, compared with second-generation DVMs, is to compute physiological processes such as assimilation at grid-scale (with CABLE (Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange) or a similar land surface model), but to partition the grid-scale biomass increment among age classes defined at sub-grid-scale, each subject to its own dynamics. POP was successfully demonstrated along a savanna transect in northern Australia, replicating the effects of strong rainfall and fire disturbance gradients on observed stand productivity and structure. Here, we extend the application of POP to wide-ranging temporal and boreal forests, employing paired observations of stem biomass and density from forest inventory data to calibrate model parameters governing stand demography and biomass evolution. The calibrated POP model is then coupled to the CABLE land surface model, and the combined model (CABLE-POP) is evaluated against leaf–stem allometry observations from forest stands ranging in age from 3 to 200 year. Results indicate that simulated biomass pools conform well with observed allometry. We conclude that POP represents an ecologically plausible and efficient alternative to large-area parameterisations of woody biomass turnover, typically used in current ESMs.

Where are the peatlands? Comparing two global peatland maps through L-band brightness temperature simulations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Bechtold ◽  
Sarith P. Mahanama ◽  
Rolf H. Reichle ◽  
Randal D. Koster ◽  
Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Open Loop ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Earth System ◽  
System Models ◽  
L Band ◽  
Earth System Models

<p>Mapping the global peatland distribution is important for embedding peatland processes into Earth System Models. Peatland maps are typically compiled from nation-specific soil or ecosystem maps or based on machine learning tools trained on such data. Here, we evaluate the performance of a land surface model with two different peatland map inputs in providing critical land surface estimates (soil moisture, temperature) to a Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) for L-band brightness temperature (Tb). We hypothesize that an improved performance of the land surface model in Tb space indicates a better spatial peatland distribution input within the footprint of Tb observations (~40 km).</p><p>We employ the NASA Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM) with a recently added module for peatland hydrology (PEATCLSM modules). We run this model at a 9-km EASEv2 resolution over the Northern Hemisphere for two soil maps that differ in their peatland distributions. The applied soil distributions are: (MAP1) a combination of the Harmonized World Soil Database and the State Soil Geographic Database, also used to generate the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Level-4 soil moisture product, and (MAP2) a hybrid of HWSD-STATSGO and the ‘PEATMAP’ product, which is mainly compiled from national peatland maps. MAP2 indicates ~30 % more peatland area over the Northern Hemisphere. For both peat distributions, CLSM is run and parameters of the RTM are calibrated with 10 years of multi-angular L-band Tb observations from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity SMOS mission. Afterwards, CLSM is run together with the calibrated RTM within a data assimilation system, with and without (open-loop) assimilating SMAP Tb observations, for the period 2015-2020. Our results demonstrate that Tb misfits (in both the open-loop and assimilation runs) are reduced in the areas with the largest differences in peat distribution, thus indicating a basic validity of assuming a peatland-like hydrological dynamics for the larger peat extent of MAP2. Results will be discussed in the context of how peatlands are defined in global peatland maps and the question of what is typically modeled as a peatland in Earth System Models. We propose the evaluation of future releases of peatland maps in Tb space as a tool to evaluate their suitability for implementation into Earth System Models.</p>

scholarly journals A stand-alone tree demography and landscape structure module for Earth system models: integration with global forest data

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 2343-2382 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Haverd ◽  
B. Smith ◽  
L. P. Nieradzik ◽  
P. R. Briggs
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Large Area ◽  
System Models ◽  
Biomass Turnover ◽  
Earth System Models

Abstract. Poorly constrained rates of biomass turnover are a key limitation of Earth system models (ESM). In light of this, we recently proposed a new approach encoded in a model called Populations-Order-Physiology (POP), for the simulation of woody ecosystem stand dynamics, demography and disturbance-mediated heterogeneity. POP is suitable for continental to global applications and designed for coupling to the terrestrial ecosystem component of any ESM. POP bridges the gap between first generation Dynamic Vegetation Models (DVMs) with simple large-area parameterisations of woody biomass (typically used in current ESMs) and complex second generation DVMs, that explicitly simulate demographic processes and landscape heterogeneity of forests. The key simplification in the POP approach, compared with second-generation DVMs, is to compute physiological processes such as assimilation at grid-scale (with CABLE or a similar land surface model), but to partition the grid-scale biomass increment among age classes defined at sub grid-scale, each subject to its own dynamics. POP was successfully demonstrated along a savanna transect in northern Australia, replicating the effects of strong rainfall and fire disturbance gradients on observed stand productivity and structure. Here, we extend the application of POP to a range of forest types around the globe, employing paired observations of stem biomass and density from forest inventory data to calibrate model parameters governing stand demography and biomass evolution. The calibrated POP model is then coupled to the CABLE land surface model and the combined model (CABLE-POP) is evaluated against leaf-stem allometry observations from forest stands ranging in age from 3 to 200 yr. Results indicate that simulated biomass pools conform well with observed allometry. We conclude that POP represents a preferable alternative to large-area parameterisations of woody biomass turnover, typically used in current ESMs.

scholarly journals Assimilation of Cosmogenic Neutron Counts for Improved Soil Moisture Prediction in a Distributed Land Surface Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amol Patil ◽  
Benjamin Fersch ◽  
Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen ◽  
Harald Kunstmann
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Validation Period ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
Mean Square Errors

Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) offers a non-invasive method for estimating soil moisture at the field scale, in our case a few tens of hectares. The current study uses the Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter (EAKF) to assimilate neutron counts observed at four locations within a 655 km2 pre-alpine river catchment into the Noah-MP land surface model (LSM) to improve soil moisture simulations and to optimize model parameters. The model runs with 100 m spatial resolution and uses the EU-SoilHydroGrids soil map along with the Mualem–van Genuchten soil water retention functions. Using the state estimation (ST) and joint state–parameter estimation (STP) technique, soil moisture states and model parameters controlling infiltration and evaporation rates were optimized, respectively. The added value of assimilation was evaluated for local and regional impacts using independent root zone soil moisture observations. The results show that during the assimilation period both ST and STP significantly improved the simulated soil moisture around the neutron sensors locations with improvements of the root mean square errors between 60 and 62% for ST and 55–66% for STP. STP could further enhance the model performance for the validation period at assimilation locations, mainly by reducing the Bias. Nevertheless, due to a lack of convergence of calculated parameters and a shorter evaluation period, performance during the validation phase degraded at a site further away from the assimilation locations. The comparison of modeled soil moisture with field-scale spatial patterns of a dense network of CRNS observations showed that STP helped to improve the average wetness conditions (reduction of spatial Bias from –0.038 cm3 cm−3 to –0.012 cm3 cm−3) for the validation period. However, the assimilation of neutron counts from only four stations showed limited success in enhancing the field-scale soil moisture patterns.

scholarly journals Weak sensitivity of the terrestrial water budget to global soil texture maps in the ORCHIDEE land surface model

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salma Tafasca ◽  
Agnès Ducharne ◽  
Christian Valentin
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Total Runoff ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Soil physical properties play an important role for estimating soil water and energy fluxes. Many hydrological and land surface models (LSMs) use soil texture maps to infer these properties. Here, we investigate the impact of soil texture on soil water fluxes and storage at global scale using the ORCHIDEE LSM, forced by several complex or globally-uniform soil texture maps. The model shows a realistic sensitivity of runoff processes and soil moisture to soil texture, and reveals that medium textures give the highest evapotranspiration and lowest total runoff rates. The three tested complex soil texture maps being rather similar by construction, especially when upscaled at the 0.5° resolution used here, they result in similar water budgets at all scales, compared to the uncertainties of observation-based products and meteorological forcing datasets. A useful outcome is that the choice of the input soil texture map is not crucial for large-scale modelling. The added-value of more detailed soil information (horizontal and vertical resolution, soil composition) deserves further studies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document