Dissertation
EFFECTS OF GRID CELL SIZE ON ENERGY AND WATER PARTITIONING IN COUPLED SURFACE-SUBSURFACE FLOW AND LAND SURFACE PROCESS MODELS
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004584
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/125073
Abstract
Grid cell size (GCS) is a fundamental property of physically based, distributed models. An issue is how well an arbitrary GCS approximates the dynamics of nonlinear processes. This question is difficult to investigate because (i) heterogeneity or parameter non-uniqueness often masks GCS impacts on the water and energy cycle, and (ii) the complex interactions among surface, subsurface, and atmospheric processes. There has not any study systematically exploring how GCS impacts the water and energy balance in isolating any potential heterogeneity or uncertainty impacts. This dissertation explored the GCS effects on the water and energy cycle in three parts. The first part investigated a synthetic hillslope catchment and a V-shaped catchment using the integrated hydrologic model ParFlow. Simulations of different overland flow mechanisms at a GCS of 2m, 5m, 10m, or 20m were compared to the 1m same overland flow mechanism simulation in terms of outflow and water storages in different water systems. Water shifted from the surface to the subsurface as GCS increased. The second part used single- and multi-variable calibration to investigate, whether or not i) these calibration methods could remedy the GCS effects on the water cycle, and ii) a systematic relationship between effective parameters and GCS existed. The analysis revealed that calibration could compensate for the GCS effects, that single-variable calibration performed well in reproducing outflow and multi-variable calibration performed well in reproducing almost all the variables, but no trend existed between GCS and effective parameters. The third part examined the potential GCS impacts on the water and energy cycle using the coupled model ParFlow-CLM in a V-shaped catchment. Simulations at different GCSs (2m, 5m, 10m, and 20m) were compared to the 1m simulation in terms of different components in water and energy cycles. Same water shift was found as that in Chapter 2, but no consistent behavior existed between GCS and each component in the energy cycle. In sum, as GCS increased, (i) water shifted from the surface to the subsurface; (ii) calibration could compensate for the GCS effects on water shifts; and (iii) no consistent behavior existed between GCS and each energy cycle’s component.
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Details
- Title
- EFFECTS OF GRID CELL SIZE ON ENERGY AND WATER PARTITIONING IN COUPLED SURFACE-SUBSURFACE FLOW AND LAND SURFACE PROCESS MODELS
- Creators
- YAO HUANG
- Contributors
- Nicholas Engdahl (Advisor)Jan Boll (Committee Member)Jennifer Adam (Committee Member)Kent Keller (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 122
- Identifiers
- 99900898740401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation