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Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC)
Macroscale Hydrologic Model

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Dept. of Civil and Env. Engineering
University of Washington
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Seattle, WA 98195-2700
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vicadmin@hydro.washington.edu

Output Variables

Using options within the Global Parameter File, any combination of the variables listed below may be output by VIC.


Water Balance Terms (state variables)
Variable Description Units
OUT_ASATSaturated Area Fractionfraction
OUT_LAKE_DEPTHLake depth (distance between surface and deepest point)m
OUT_LAKE_ICEMoisture stored as lake icemm over lake ice area
OUT_LAKE_ICE_FRACTFractional coverage of lake icefraction
OUT_LAKE_ICE_HEIGHTThickness of lake icecm
OUT_LAKE_MOISTLiquid water and ice stored in lakemm over grid cell
OUT_LAKE_SURF_AREALake surface aream2
OUT_LAKE_VOLUMELake volumem3
OUT_ROOTMOISTRoot zone soil moisture mm
OUT_SMFROZFRACFraction of soil moisture (by mass) that is ice, for each soil layerfraction
OUT_SMLIQFRACFraction of soil moisture (by mass) that is liquid, for each soil layerfraction
OUT_SNOW_CANOPYSnow interception storage in canopy mm
OUT_SNOW_COVERFractional area of snow coverfraction
OUT_SNOW_DEPTHDepth of snow packcm
OUT_SOIL_ICESoil ice content for each soil layermm
OUT_SOIL_LIQSoil liquid content for each soil layermm
OUT_SOIL_MOISTTotal soil moisture content for each soil layermm
OUT_SOIL_WETVertical average of (soil moisture - wilting point)/(maximum soil moisture - wilting point)mm/mm
OUT_SURFSTORStorage of liquid water and ice (not snow) on surface (ponding)mm
OUT_SURF_FROST_FRACFraction of soil surface that is frozenfraction
OUT_SWESnow water equivalent in snow pack (including vegetation-intercepted snow)mm
OUT_WDEWTotal moisture interception storage in canopymm
Water Balance Terms (fluxes)
Variable Description Units
OUT_BASEFLOWBaseflow out of the bottom layermm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_DELINTERCEPTChange in canopy interception storagemm
OUT_DELSOILMOISTChange in soil water contentmm
OUT_DELSURFSTORChange in surface liquid water storagemm
OUT_DELSWEChange in snow water equivalentmm
OUT_EVAPTotal net evaporationmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_EVAP_BARENet evaporation from bare soilmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_EVAP_CANOPNet evaporation from canopy interceptionmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_EVAP_LAKENet evaporation from lake surfacemm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_INFLOWMoisture that reaches top of soil columnmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_PET_SATSOILPotential evap from saturated bare soilmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_PET_H2OSURFPotential evap from open watermm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_PET_SHORTPotential evap (transpiration only) from short reference crop (grass)mm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_PET_TALLPotential evap (transpiration only) from tall reference crop (alfalfa)mm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_PET_NATVEGPotential evap (transpiration only) from current vegetation and current canopy resistancemm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_PET_VEGNOCRPotential evap (transpiration only) from current vegetation and 0 canopy resistancemm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_PRECIncoming precipitationmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_RAINFRainfall mm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_REFREEZERefreezing of water in the snow mm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_RUNOFFSurface runoffmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_SNOW_MELTSnow melt mm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_SNOWFSnowfall mm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_SUB_BLOWINGNet sublimation of blowing snowmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_SUB_CANOPNet sublimation from snow stored in canopymm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_SUB_SNOWTotal net sublimation from snow pack (surface and blowing)mm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_SUB_SURFACENet sublimation from snow pack surfacemm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_TRANSP_VEGNet transpiration from vegetationmm (ALMA_OUTPUT: mm/s)
OUT_WATER_ERRORWater budget errormm
Energy Balance Terms (state variables)
Variable Description Units
OUT_ALBEDOAverage surface albedofraction
OUT_BARESOILTBare soil surface temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_FDEPTHDepth of freezing fronts for each freezing frontcm (ALMA_OUTPUT: m)
OUT_LAKE_ICE_TEMPTemperature of lake iceK
OUT_LAKE_SURF_TEMPLake surface temperatureK
OUT_RAD_TEMPAverage radiative surface temperatureK
OUT_SALBEDOSnow pack albedofraction
OUT_SNOW_PACK_TEMPSnow pack temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SNOW_SURF_TEMPSnow surface temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SOIL_TEMPSoil temperature for each soil layerC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SOIL_TNODESoil temperature for each soil thermal nodeC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SOIL_TNODE_WLSoil temperature for each soil thermal node in the wetlandC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SOILT_FLAGSoil temperature flag for each soil thermal node
OUT_SURF_TEMPAverage surface temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SURFT_FLAGSurface temperature flag
OUT_TCAN_FLAGTcanopy flag
OUT_TDEPTHDepth of thawing fronts for each thawing frontcm (ALMA_OUTPUT: m)
OUT_TFOL_FLAGTfoliage flag
OUT_VEGTAverage vegetation canopy temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
Energy Balance Terms (fluxes)
Variable Description Units
OUT_ADV_SENSNet sensible flux advected to snow packW/m2
OUT_ADVECTIONAdvected energyW/m2
OUT_DELTACCRate of change in cold content in snow packW/m2 (ALMA_OUTPUT: J/m2)
OUT_DELTAHRate of change in heat storageW/m2 (ALMA_OUTPUT: J/m2)
OUT_ENERGY_ERROREnergy budget errorW/m2
OUT_FUSIONNet energy used to melt/freeze soil moistureW/m2
OUT_GRND_FLUXNet heat flux into groundW/m2
OUT_IN_LONGIncoming longwave at ground surface (under veg)W/m2
OUT_LATENTNet upward latent heat fluxW/m2
OUT_LATENT_SUBNet upward latent heat flux from sublimationW/m2
OUT_MELT_ENERGYEnergy of fusion (melting) in snowpackW/m2
OUT_NET_LONGNet downward longwave fluxW/m2
OUT_NET_SHORTNet downward shortwave fluxW/m2
OUT_R_NETNet downward radiation fluxW/m2
OUT_RFRZ_ENERGYNet energy used to refreeze liquid water in snowpackW/m2
OUT_SENSIBLENet upward sensible heat fluxW/m2
OUT_SNOW_FLUXEnergy flux through snow packW/m2
Miscellaneous Terms
Variable Description Units
OUT_AERO_COND"Scene" aerodynamic conductance (tiles with overstory contribute overstory conductance; others contribute surface conductance)m/s
OUT_AERO_COND1Surface aerodynamic conductancem/s
OUT_AERO_COND2Overstory aerodynamic conductancem/s
OUT_AERO_RESIST"Scene"canopy aerodynamic resistance (tiles with overstory contribute over story resistance; others contribute surface resistance)s/m
OUT_AERO_RESIST1Surface aerodynamic resistances/m
OUT_AERO_RESIST2Overstory aerodynamic resistances/m
OUT_AIR_TEMPAir temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_DENSITYNear-surface atmospheric densitykg/m3
OUT_LONGWAVEIncoming longwaveW/m2
OUT_PRESSURENear surface atmospheric pressurekPa (ALMA_OUTPUT: Pa)
OUT_QAIRSpecific humiditykg/kg
OUT_REL_HUMIDRelative humidityfraction
OUT_SHORTWAVEIncoming shortwaveW/m2
OUT_SURF_CONDSurface conductancem/s
OUT_VPNear surface vapor pressurekPa (ALMA_OUTPUT: Pa)
OUT_VPDNear surface vapor pressure deficitkPa (ALMA_OUTPUT: Pa)
OUT_WINDNear surface wind speedm/s
Band-specific quantities
Variable Description Units
OUT_ADV_SENS_BANDNet sensible heat flux advected to snow packW/m2
OUT_ADVECTION_BANDAdvected energyW/m2
OUT_ALBEDO_BANDAverage surface albedofraction
OUT_DELTACC_BANDChange in cold content in snow packW/m2
OUT_GRND_FLUX_BANDNet heat flux into groundW/m2
OUT_IN_LONG_BANDIncoming longwave at ground surface (under veg)W/m2
OUT_LATENT_BANDNet upward latent heat fluxW/m2
OUT_LATENT_SUB_BANDNet upward latent heat flux due to sublimationW/m2
OUT_MELT_ENERGY_BANDEnergy of fusion (melting) in snowpackW/m2
OUT_NET_LONG_BANDNet downward longwave fluxW/m2
OUT_NET_SHORT_BANDNet downward shortwave fluxW/m2
OUT_RFRZ_ENERGY_BANDNet energy used to refreeze liquid water in snowpackW/m2
OUT_SENSIBLE_BANDNet upward sensible heat fluxW/m2
OUT_SNOW_CANOPY_BANDSnow interception storage in canopymm
OUT_SNOW_COVER_BANDFractional area of snow coverfraction
OUT_SNOW_DEPTH_BANDDepth of snow packcm
OUT_SNOW_FLUX_BANDEnergy flux through snow packW/m2
OUT_MELT_BANDSnow meltmm
OUT_SNOW_PACKT_BANDSnow pack temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SNOW_SURFT_BANDSnow surface temperatureC (ALMA_OUTPUT: K)
OUT_SWE_BANDSnow water equivalent in snow packmm
Dynamic Soil Property Terms (EXCESS_ICE option in user_def.h)
Variable Description Units
OUT_SOIL_DEPTHSoil moisture layer depthsm
OUT_SUBSIDENCESubsidence of soil layermm
OUT_POROSITYPorositymm/mm
OUT_ZSUM_NODEDepths of thermal nodesm


VIC Administrator
Last modified: Mon Aug 31 11:29:07 PDT 2009