Effects of uncertainty in soil properties on simulated hydrological states and fluxes at different spatio-temporal scales
- Soil properties show high heterogeneity at different spatial scales and their correct characterization remains a crucial challenge over large areas. The aim of the study is to quantify the impact of different types of uncertainties that arise from the unresolved soil spatial variability on simulated hydrological states and fluxes. Three perturbation methods are presented for the characterization of uncertainties in soil properties. The methods are applied on the soil map of the upper Neckar catchment (Germany), as an example. The uncertainties are propagated through the distributed mesoscale hydrological model (mHM) to assess the impact on the simulated states and fluxes. The model outputs are analysed by aggregating the results at different spatial and temporal scales. These results show that the impact of the different uncertainties introduced in the original soil map is equivalent when the simulated model outputs are analysed at the model grid resolution (i.e. 500 m). However, several differences are identified by aggregatingSoil properties show high heterogeneity at different spatial scales and their correct characterization remains a crucial challenge over large areas. The aim of the study is to quantify the impact of different types of uncertainties that arise from the unresolved soil spatial variability on simulated hydrological states and fluxes. Three perturbation methods are presented for the characterization of uncertainties in soil properties. The methods are applied on the soil map of the upper Neckar catchment (Germany), as an example. The uncertainties are propagated through the distributed mesoscale hydrological model (mHM) to assess the impact on the simulated states and fluxes. The model outputs are analysed by aggregating the results at different spatial and temporal scales. These results show that the impact of the different uncertainties introduced in the original soil map is equivalent when the simulated model outputs are analysed at the model grid resolution (i.e. 500 m). However, several differences are identified by aggregating states and fluxes at different spatial scales (by subcatchments of different sizes or coarsening the grid resolution). Streamflow is only sensitive to the perturbation of long spatial structures while distributed states and fluxes (e.g. soil moisture and groundwater recharge) are only sensitive to the local noise introduced to the original soil properties. A clear identification of the temporal and spatial scale for which finer-resolution soil information is (or is not) relevant is unlikely to be universal. However, the comparison of the impacts on the different hydrological components can be used to prioritize the model improvements in specific applications, either by collecting new measurements or by calibration and data assimilation approaches. In conclusion, the study underlines the importance of a correct characterization of uncertainty in soil properties. With that, soil maps with additional information regarding the unresolved soil spatial variability would provide strong support to hydrological modelling applications.…
Author details: | Gabriele BaroniORCiDGND, Matthias Zink, Rohini Kumar, Luis SamaniegoORCiDGND, Sabine AttingerORCiDGND |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-419174 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-41917 |
ISSN: | 1866-8372 |
Title of parent work (English): | Postprints der Universität Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe |
Publication series (Volume number): | Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe (545) |
Publication type: | Postprint |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2019/01/23 |
Publication year: | 2017 |
Publishing institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Release date: | 2019/01/23 |
Tag: | Evapotranspiration; global sensitivity analysis; hydraulic conductivity; impact; model; parameter uncertainty; pedotransfer functions; physical properties; rainfall; solute transport |
Issue: | 545 |
Number of pages: | 20 |
Source: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 21 (2017) 5, S. 2301–2320 DOI: 10.5194/hess-21-2301-2017 |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 55 Geowissenschaften, Geologie / 550 Geowissenschaften |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access |
Grantor: | Copernicus |
License (German): | CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |