Title: On the optimal level of complexity for the representation of groundwater-dependent wetland systems in land surface models
Citation: Elrashidy, M. T., Ireson, A. M., & Razavi, S. (2023). On the optimal level of complexity for the representation of groundwater-dependent wetland systems in land surface models. In Hydrology and Earth System Sciences [Computer software]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8277901
Study Site: White Gull Creek Watershed, Saskatchewan
Purpose: Wetland systems are among the largest stores of carbon on the planet, the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, and dominant controls of the hydrologic cycle. However, their representation in Land Surface Models (LSMs), which are the terrestrial lower boundary of Earth System Models (ESMs) that inform climate actions, is limited. Here, we explore different possible parametrizations to represent wetland-groundwater-upland interactions with varying levels of system and computational complexity. We perform a series of numerical experiments informed by field observations from a particular type of wetlands, called fens, at the well-instrumented White Gull Creek in Saskatchewan, in the boreal region of North America. In this study, we focus on how modifying the modelling connection between the upland and the wetland affects the system’s outcome. We demonstrate that the typical representation of groundwater-dependent wetlands in LSMs, which ignores interactions with groundwater and uplands, can be inadequate. We show that the optimal level of model complexity depends on the land cover, soil type, and the ultimate modelling purpose, being nowcasting and prediction, scenario analysis, or diagnostic learning.
Abstract: This repository contains the groundwater-upland-fen model for the Old Jack Pine (OJP) and Fen areas within the White Gull Creek Watershed. This repository is part of the following paper "On the optimal level of complexity for the representation of groundwater-dependent wetland systems in land surface models", which is available here.
The groundwater-upland-fen model simulates the changes in the groundwater table underneath the upland and the associated changes in the flow into the river network.
The following folders/files are included:
Libraries: This folder contains the main scripts required to run the different model configurations.
MESH_runs: This folder contains the input data required by the model, which are generated by the MESH model, for the OJP and Fen areas.
RunModelConfig.ipynb: This Jupyter notebook runs the different model configurations and produces the simulated fluxes.
Supplemental Information Summary:
Research:
Further Info:
Status: Complete
Keywords:
hydrology,
mapping,
modeling,
Geographical coordinates: North: 53.92, South: 53.92 East: -104.69 West: -104.69
Bounding Temporal Extent: Start Date: , End
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