Regional scale spatio-dynamic simulation of hydrological pathways and groundwater transit times for diffuse pollution modelling in a lowland catchment

Daniël S.J. Mourad, Marc J.M. Vissers, Marcel Van Der Perk, Rutger Dankers

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Hydrological connectivity is nowadays recognized as a key factor controlling the transfer of nutrients throughout the landscape. At the regional (100 - 10000 km2) scale, current rasterbased nutrient transport models fail to describe hydrological pathways in both space and time, because their resolution is too low. We developed a novel modelling approach, which is based on a cell-by-cell water balance model and a GIS-implementation of existing equations describing groundwater storage and runoff as governed by recharge and landscape metrics and groundwater transit times. The model was applied to an Estonian lowland catchment measuring 901 km2 for the years 1991-2000 and calibrated using 7-days mean discharge at the catchment outlet. The value of the improved dynamic simulation of magnitude and spatial extent of both quick and slow hydrological pathways was successfully tested by exploring the relations between measured Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) concentrations and simulated 'hydrological states' of the catchments during a typical summer baseflow, in which we hypothesized that concentrations are governed by low transit times and agricultural areas, and during a typical spring flood, in which the share of quick runoff from agricultural areas seems dominant.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPaterns of nutrient transfer in lowland catchments
Subtitle of host publicationA case study from northeastern Europe
Pages107-136
Number of pages30
Edition370
Publication statusPublished - 2008

Publication series

NameNederlandse Geografische Studies
Number370
ISSN (Print)0169-4839

Keywords

  • Connectivity
  • Estonia
  • Groundwater
  • Hydrological pathways
  • Regional scale
  • Transit time
  • Water balance

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