Parameterization of subarctic Canadian
Shield hydrological processes
IP3 Annual Workshop
Whitehorse, YK
Christopher Spence
November 13, 2008
Baker Creek
Soil moisture and well
Climate tower
Water level and stream gauging
Snow course
Land Cover
Elevation
266 masl
200 masl
Bedrock_1
Bedrock_2
Bedrock_3
Conifers
Deciduous
Water
Wetland_1
Wetland_2
DRAFT – Page 2 – December 6, 2008
Processes
• Contributing area dynamics were investigated at both
the hydrological element and basin scale.
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Element scale
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Basin scale
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Distribution of storage
Nugget/Sill ratio = 0.63
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Spatial distribution of Sc
0.14
entire basin
above vital
between vital and lower martin
Fraction of total area
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
Weighted distance from outlet (m/m)
DRAFT – Page 7 – December 6, 2008
0.8
1
Influence on runoff response
Kurtosis of storage exceedance distribution
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-1
-1.2
-1.4
0
10
20
30
DRAFT – Page 8 – December 6, 2008
Runoff (mm)
40
Parameterization
Start
no
Note cumulative storage from
t-1 time step
Do any
tiles/HRU’s have a
positive S-St
value?
yes
Input forcing data
Run vertical water budget;
Calculate change in storage for
each tile/HRU
Flag HRU’s/tiles with positive
S-St values
Is HRU/tile at the
outlet above
capacity?
output each HRU/tile’s
distance to stream
outlet, area, S-St flags
to table
no
Grid runoff = 0
Calculate distribution of storage
capacity exceedance vs. distance
from outlet of HRU/tile’s
Calculate cumulative storage
for each tile/HRU
Distribute sub-grid runoff with
storage distribution function
Note storage minus storage
threshold; this is water
available for runoff
Recalculate HRU/tile water
budget
yes
Calculate sub-grid runoff with
storage distribution function
Route runoff from
grid
End
DRAFT – Page 9 – December 6, 2008
The upcoming year
• Develop a methodology to describe the geometry of
•
•
contributing area dynamics.
Attempt to develop scaling relationships to link storage
thresholds and contributing area dynamics to Baker
Creek runoff response.
Test different tile connector schemes within CRHM and
MESH
DRAFT – Page 10 – December 6, 2008
Acknowledgements
• NWRI - Newell Hedstrom, Raoul Granger, Kelly Best
• Students - May Guan, Ross Phillips, Amanda Burke,
•
•
•
Jason Hosler
INAC - Bob Reid, Meg McCluskie
WSC - Dale Ross, Murray Jones, Dave Helfrick,
Jamison Romano
U of S - Tom Brown, John Pomeroy
DRAFT – Page 11 – December 6, 2008