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Validating a spatially distributed hydrological model with soil morphology data
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Doppler, Tobias Honti, Márk Zihlmann, Urban Weisskopf, Peter A. Stamm, Christian |
| Copyright Year | 2013 |
| Abstract | Spatially distributed models are popular tools in hydrology claimed to be useful to support management de- cisions. Despite the high spatial resolution of the computed variables, calibration and validation is often carried out only on discharge time series at specific locations due to the lack of spatially distributed reference data. Because of this restric- tion, the predictive power of these models, with regard to pre- dicted spatial patterns, can usually not be judged. An example of spatial predictions in hydrology is the pre- diction of saturated areas in agricultural catchments. These areas can be important source areas for inputs of agrochemi- cals to the stream. We set up a spatially distributed model to predict saturated areas in a 1.2 km 2 catchment in Switzerland with moderate topography and artificial drainage. We trans- lated soil morphological data available from soil maps into an estimate of the duration of soil saturation in the soil hori- zons. This resulted in a data set with high spatial coverage on which the model predictions were validated. In general, these saturation estimates corresponded well to the measured groundwater levels. We worked with a model that would be applicable for man- agement decisions because of its fast calculation speed and rather low data requirements. We simultaneously calibrated the model to observed groundwater levels and discharge. The model was able to reproduce the general hydrological be- havior of the catchment in terms of discharge and absolute groundwater levels. However, the the groundwater level pre- dictions were not accurate enough to be used for the pre- diction of saturated areas. Groundwater level dynamics were not adequately reproduced and the predicted spatial satura- tion patterns did not correspond to those estimated from the soil map. Our results indicate that an accurate prediction of the groundwater level dynamics of the shallow groundwater in our catchment that is subject to artificial drainage would require a model that better represents processes at the bound- ary between the unsaturated and the saturated zone. However, data needed for such a more detailed model are not gener- ally available. This severely hampers the practical use of such models despite their usefulness for scientific purposes. |
| Starting Page | 3481 |
| Ending Page | 3498 |
| Page Count | 18 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.5194/hess-18-3481-2014 |
| Volume Number | 18 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.dora.lib4ri.ch/eawag/islandora/object/eawag:9097/datastream/PDF/view |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/10/12905/2013/hessd-10-12905-2013-supplement.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/3481/2014/hess-18-3481-2014.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/10/12905/2013/hessd-10-12905-2013.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/3481/2014/hess-18-3481-2014-supplement.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3481-2014 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
