Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model

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Documentation

As a research model, documentation for DHSVM is limited and subject to change. However, the goal is to make the documentation complete enough to enable users to implement their model without direct assistance from us. If you find any mismatch between the document and what the model actually does, if certain features are undocumented, or if you would like to add documentation based on your own experience, we would like to hear from you, and please feel free to contact us.

• Model Overview
• Tutorials
• Frequently Asked Questions!
• Model Input Files
• Processing of Input Files
• Model Output
• Processing of Output Files (examples)

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DHSVM Overview

A brief summary of the main features of DHSVM is presented in this document DHSVM Overview.

For a detailed introduction to principle concepts and components that lie under the framework of DHSVM, please refer to the document 'The distributed hydrology soil vegetation model' (download) This document can also be viewed through this Google Book page. Note that this document applies to DHSVM version 2.0 and was last updated in 2002.

Published works related to DHSVM-based applications and case studies can be found in the publications section.

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Tutorials

Tutorials for different DHSVM versions are now available.  The links below contain all input files required to run DHSVM, as well as detailed, step-by-step instructions.  Because our goal is to make implementation of the model possible for users on their own, we welcome comments on this tutorial.  If you have specific suggestions on how to improve the model instructions, feel free to contact the administrator. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide any further instructions on running the model.

(NEW) Tutorial for DHSVM 3.1

DHSVM 3.1 for urban hydrologic processes is developed based on DHSVM 3.0. The adaptions to DHSVM 3.0 expand the model capabilities to applications in urbanized or partially urbanized areas.

The main changes in the configuation file:

 For each defined land cover category (or VEGETAION type):

• a fraction of impervious area (which can be extracted from land cover maps)
• impervious areas that is controlled by stormwater detention
• a linear reservoir coefficient to described drainage from detention storage.

How to run DHSVM 3.1:

• Set up the input configuration files (see example INPUT.3.1.SpringBrook)
• Set up the input files (dem, veg, soil, stream, shadow, skyview). Download tutorials for detailed instructions.
• Run the program find_nearest_channel.c (download) to generate the the surface routing file. Click here for brief instructions.
• If the sediment module or mass wasting option is going to be implemented, follow the instructions in the Tutorial for DHSVM 3.0 section.

Issues regarding DEM SINK REMOVAL:

ArcGIS tools calculate flow direction and distribute flow using an eight direction< approach (often referred to as D8) while DHSVM uses four flow directions (D4). Accordingly, in small-scale model applications, you may find surface water in some cells do not drain properly to the downstream cells.
In this 3.1 version, the elevation of identified sink cells is internally increased to the elevation of the lowest neighboring cell in order to form a downslope path.

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Tutorial for DHSVM 3.0

In order to run the mass wasting option in the sediment model, the first step is to run the hydrological model with SEDIMENT option set FALSE. The hydrological run will output the file "saturation_extent.txt" (saturation extention) which is needed to run the sediment model and to define the specific events to be specified in the sediment control file. Then run DHSVM with SEDIMENT TRUE and Overland Routing KINEMATIC ( instead of CONVENTIONAL) over the specified time periods. If you do not need the mass wasting option, you do not need to run DHSVM in 2 steps, just set SEDIMENT to TRUE from the start in the main control file.

Please check the input file processing section below for now.

1) The GIS file processing (.bin files) is identical to 2.0.1 (same aml scripts, .c, etc).

2) Use DHSVM 3.0 templates for the files that you had to edit manually before ( stream.class.dat, road.class.dat, configuration files). Those are available in the input files processing section below.

3) If you use the sediment option, you might need an additionnal DEM ( higher resolution DEM). Just process it the same way you did for the other one. Rainy Creek 10 meter DEM to be used by the sediment option is available here.

As a test, you can find all the input files and output files as run in our lab: download from here.

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Tutorial for DHSVM 2.0

Instructions

Download the tutorial  (3.1 mb)

Access the processed input files here for checking your input files processing.

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Model Operation

Describes how to compile the source code, input requirements, and miscellaneous issues related to running the model

• Hardware requirements
• Compiling and running the source code
• Input requirements
• Miscellaneous issues

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Model Input

The following input files are part of a DHSVM application. Note that many input files are created using GIS and advanced skills are required. Some files are always required, but additional files may be needed depending on the options specified in the configuration file. This is specified in the description below:

• Sediment Model Configuration file
• Configuration file for DHSVM 2.0 and below
  
• Mask file    Note: 2-D data binary files are stored from NW->SE, incrementing across columns before down rows
• DEM file
• Soil type file
• Soil depth file
• Vegetation type file
• Flow Direction file
• Meteorological station fil
• Meteorological map files
• PRISM files
• Shading parameter files
• Wind model files
• Stream/road class files
• Stream/road network files
• Stream/road map files
• Surface routing file
• Travel time file
• Unit hydrograph file

To initialize the model, a number of model state files are required as well:

• Soil state file
• Snow state file
• Interception state file
• Channel state file
• Hydrograph state file

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Input Files Processing

Get started and do the input file processing in a few steps:

1. Get started
2. Process the map files
3. Create Stream and Soil input files
4. Create Model States

The following input files are required if using the road component, or the sediment and mass wasting model.
5. Create Road input files
6. Mass Wasting Model input files

Configuration files editing
7. Configuration file for DHSVM
8. Configuration file for WMW

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Model Output

There are a number of different types of output that the model can produce. In short, the following possibilities are available:

DHSVM hydrologic output

• Default output (these files are always produced)
• Model state files
• Network flow files
• Travel time based hydrograph file
• Optional output files

Sediment Module output

• Default output(these files are always produced)
• Network flow files
• Optional output files

Unless you change the code, in very brief the ASCII output files will contain ( Check the above link for more details about the variables) :

Aggregated.Values (default output file)
Date HasSnow OverSnow LastSnow Swq Melt PackWater TPack SurfWater TSurf
ColdContent EvapTot EPot0 EPot1 EPot2 EAct0 EAct1 EAct2 EInt0 EInt1
ESoil00 ESoil01 ESoil02 ESoil10 ESoil11 ESoil12 ESoil Precip IntRain0 IntRain1
IntSnow0 IntSnow1 RadBeam RadDiff SoilMoist0 SoilMoist1 SoilMoist2 Perc0 Perc1
Perc2 TableDepth SatFlow Runoff SoilTemp Qnet Qs Qe Qg Qst Ra IExcess (InfiltAcc)

Mass.Balance (default output file)
Date IExcess CanopyWater SoilWater Snow.Swq Soil.SatFlow ChannelInt RoadInt
CulvertReturnFlow Evap.ETot Precip Snow.VaporMassFlux Snow.CanopyVaporMassFlux
OldWaterStorage CulvertToChannel RunoffToChannel MassError

Stream.Flow ( network output file )
Date Discharge_for_station1 Discharge_for_station2 etc (each columns corresponds to the "SAVE" markers in the streams.network.dat.

Road.Flow ( network output file )
Date Discharge_for_segment1 etc ( each columns is the discharge at the culvert with a "SAVE" marker in the road.network.dat file.)

Streamflow.Only and Road.Only ( network output file )
the first column is the date, and then each columns is the discharge at all the station or road segment where you wrote "SAVE" in the stream.network.dat row

AggregatedSediment.Values ( mass wasting model output file )
Date SatThick DeltaDepth Probability TotMassWasting TotMassDeposition TotSedToChannel Erosion
SedFluxOut OverlandInflow RdErosion RdSedToHill OverroadInflow

MassSediment.Balance ( mass wasting model output file )
Date MassWasting SedimentToChannel MassDeposition MWMMassError Sediment.Erosion
Road.Erosion RoadSed DebrisInflow SedimentOverlandInflow SedimentOverroadInflow
SedimentOutflow CulvertReturnSedFlow CulvertSedToChannel LastChannelSedimentStorage
SedMassError

failure_summary.txt ( mass wasting model output file )
Date avgnumfailures avgpixperfailure numlikelyfailedpixels which correspond to
"For each date that the mwm algorithm is run" "ave. no. of failures" "ave. no. of pixels per failure"
"total number of failed pixels with probability of failure greater than failure_threshold"

Sed.Stream.Flow and Sed.Road.Flow ( mass wasting model output file )
Date ChannelID TotalMass TotalOutflowConcentration SegmentID

Sed.Streamflow.Only and Sed.Roadflow.Only ( mass wasting model output file )
Date TotalOutflowConcentration_for_each_segment_with_a_marker_"SAVE"

saturation_extent.txt ( DHSVM output file )
Date Sat
The file is intended to screen for Mass Wasting dates to insert in the MWM configuration file
Saturation extent is the percentage of the number of pixels with a water table that is at least MTHRESH of soil depth

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Model Output Processing

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