Virtual experiments: a new approach for improving process conceptualization in hillslope hydrology

Weiler, Markus; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.

doi:10.1016/s0022-1694(03)00271-3

Cited by 298 publications

(274 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The physically based Hydrus model (Simunek et al, 2006) was used as a coherent framework to represent and quantify the soil-water transfers in both lateral (water distribution at the hillslope scale) and vertical (transpiration) directions. A virtual experiment (Weiler and McDonnell, 2004) was set up in order to understand of the interactions between the riparian forest located at the bottom of the hillslope and the underlying water …”

Section: A Richard Et Al: Interplay Of Riparian Forest and Groundwamentioning

confidence: 99%

Interplay of riparian forest and groundwater in the hillslope hydrology of Sudanian West Africa (northern Benin)

Richard

Galle

Descloîtres

et al. 2013

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Forests are thought to play an important role in the regional dynamics of the West African monsoon, through their capacity to extract water from a permanent and deep groundwater table to the atmosphere even during the dry season. It should be the case for riparian forests too, as these streambank forests are key landscape elements in Sudanian West Africa. The interplay of riparian forest and groundwater in the local hydrodynamics was investigated, by quantifying their contribution to the water balance. Field observations from a comprehensively instrumented hillslope in northern Benin were used. Particular attention was paid to measurements of actual evapotranspiration, soil water and deep groundwater levels. A vertical 2-D hydrological modelling approach using the Hydrus software was used as a testing tool to understand the interactions between the riparian area and the groundwater. The model was calibrated and evaluated using a multi-criteria approach (reference simulation). A virtual experiment, including three other simulations, was designed (no forest, no groundwater, neither forest nor groundwater).The model correctly simulated the hydrodynamics of the hillslope regarding vadose zone dynamics, deep groundwater fluctuation and actual evapotranspiration dynamics. The virtual experiment showed that the riparian forest transpiration depleted the deep groundwater table level and disconnected it from the river, which is consistent with the observations. The riparian forest and the deep groundwater table actually form an interacting transpiration system: the high transpiration rate in the riparian area was shown to be due to the existence of the water table, supplied by downslope lateral water flows within the hillslope soil layer. The simulated riparian transpiration rate was practically steady all year long, around 7.6 mm d −1 . This rate lies within high-end values of similar study results. The riparian forest as simulated here contributes to 37 % of the annual hillslope transpiration, and reaches 57 % in the dry season, whereas it only covers 5 % of the hillslope area.

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Section: A Richard Et Al: Interplay Of Riparian Forest and Groundwamentioning

confidence: 99%

Interplay of riparian forest and groundwater in the hillslope hydrology of Sudanian West Africa (northern Benin)

Richard

Galle

Descloîtres

et al. 2013

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…A few recent approaches have presented possible avenues in that direction (e.g., Vogel and Roth, 2003;Vogel et al, 2006). Weiler and McDonnell (2004) proposed virtual (numerical) experiments to explore first-order controls on complex hillslope hydrology. They applied their quasi-3D, distributed hillslope model HillVi.…”

Section: Summary For Scale II (Plot Field)mentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of model applications for structured soils: a) Water flow and tracer transport

Köhne

Šimůnek

2009

Journal of Contaminant Hydrology

292

224

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“…This occurs in other regions with sand dunes and high water tables as well as very high precipitation rates. A new approach for improving the process conceptualisation in hillslope hydrology is presented in the article of Weiler and McDonnel (2004). According to the articles cited above, the runoff formation will be analysed from the point of four processes: (1) partition of rainwater into infiltration and surface runoffs, (2) hydrodynamics of the soil water movement and water regime, (3) pathways transporting water from the catchment area into the stream, (4) hydrograph formation in the closing profile of a catchment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme runoff formation in the Krkonoše Mts. in August 2002

Tesař¹,

M.²,

Lichner³

et al. 2008

Soil & Water Res.

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The role of the water movement and retention during extreme runoff formation was demonstrated in the Modrý Důl catchment (Krkonoše Mts., Czech Republic). A cyclone, which moved from Hungary to Poland, caused an extreme rainfall (120 mm) and subsequent extreme runoff in August, 2002. The precipitation, discharge, air and soil temperatures, tensiometric pressure, and soil moisture were recorded. The maximum retention capacity of the catchment was evaluated (70 mm). Depending on the actual retention capacity and the precipitation amount, two situations were recorded: (1) the precipitation amount lower than the actual retention capacity where the precipitation was fully absorbed in the catchment and the discharge in to the stream was not influenced by rain, (2) the precipitation amount higher than the actual retention capacity where the precipitation caused a saturation excess of the soil profile, generating extreme outflow into the stream. Neither the soil cover in the catchment or fluvial deposits along the Modrý potok stream were able to retain the extreme rain and inhibit the catastrophic flood.

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Virtual experiments: a new approach for improving process conceptualization in hillslope hydrology

Cited by 298 publications

References 59 publications

Interplay of riparian forest and groundwater in the hillslope hydrology of Sudanian West Africa (northern Benin)

Interplay of riparian forest and groundwater in the hillslope hydrology of Sudanian West Africa (northern Benin)

A review of model applications for structured soils: a) Water flow and tracer transport

Extreme runoff formation in the Krkonoše Mts. in August 2002

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