Partitioning and sourcing of evapotranspiration using coupled MARMITES-MODFLOW model, La Mata catchment (Spain)

The new, two-way coupled, distributed and transient MARMITES-MODFLOW (MM-MF) model, coupling land surface and soil zone domains with groundwater, is presented. It implements model-based partitioning and sourcing of subsurface evapotranspiration (ETss) as part of spatio-temporal water balance (WB). The partitioning of ETss involves its separation into evaporation (E) and transpiration (T), while the sourcing of E and T involves separation of each of the two into soil zone (Esoil and Tsoil) and groundwater (Eg and Tg) components. The objective of that development was to understand the system dynamics of a catchment with shallow water table, through spatio-temporal quantification of water fluxes and evaluation of their importance in water balances, focusing on the Eg and Tg components of ETss. While the Eg is computed using formulation from published study, the Tg is obtained through a novel phenomenological function, based on soil moisture availability and transpiration demand driven by climatic conditions. The MM-MF model was applied in the small La Mata catchment (~4.8 km2, Salamanca Province, Spain), characterized by semi-arid climate, granitic bedrock, shallow water table and sparse oak woodland. The main catchment characteristics were obtained using remote sensing, non-invasive hydrogeophysics and classical field data acquisition. The MM-MF model was calibrated in transient, using daily data of five hydrological years, between 1st October 2008 and 30th September 2013. The WB confirmed dependence of groundwater exfiltration on gross recharge. These two water fluxes, together with infiltration and Esoil, constituted the largest subsurface water fluxes. The Eg was higher than the Tg, which is explained by low tree coverage (~7%). Considering seasonal variability, Eg and Tg were larger in dry seasons than in wet season, when solar radiation was the largest and soil moisture the most depleted. A relevant observation with respect to tree transpiration was that during dry seasons, the decline of Tsoil, associated with the decline of soil moisture, was compensated by increase of Tg, despite continuously declining water table. However, in dry seasons, T was far below the atmospheric evaporative demand, indicating that the groundwater uptake by the tree species of this study constituted a survival strategy and not a mechanism for continued plant growth. The presented MM-MF model allowed to analyze catchment water dynamics and water balance in detail, accounting separately for impacts of evaporation and transpiration processes on groundwater resources. With its unique capability of partitioning and sourcing of ETss, the MM-MF model is particularly suitable for mapping groundwater dependent ecosystems, but also for analyzing impacts of climate and land cover changes on groundwater resources.

[1]  K. Metselaar,et al.  Lysimeter and In Situ Field Experiments to Study Soil Evaporation Through a Dry Soil Layer Under Semi‐Arid Climate , 2023, Water Resources Research.

[2]  Z. Vekerdy,et al.  Application of a novel cascade-routing and reinfiltration concept with a Voronoi unstructured grid in MODFLOW 6, for an assessment of surface-water/groundwater interactions in a hard-rock catchment (Sardon, Spain) , 2022, Hydrogeology Journal.

[3]  S. Stisen,et al.  Hydrological process knowledge in catchment modelling – Lessons and perspectives from 60 years development , 2021, Hydrological Processes.

[4]  G. Miguez-Macho,et al.  Spatiotemporal origin of soil water taken up by vegetation , 2021, Nature.

[5]  E. Balugani.  Partitioning of subsurface evaporation in water limited environments , 2021 .

[6]  M. Wassen,et al.  Phylogenetic Underpinning of Groundwater Use by Trees , 2021 .

[7]  M. Rinderer,et al.  Ecohydrological travel times derived from in situ stable water isotope measurements in trees during a semi-controlled pot experiment , 2021, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.

[8]  K. Metselaar,et al.  Evaporation Through a Dry Soil Layer: Column Experiments , 2021, Water Resources Research.

[9]  A. Salama,et al.  Surface and Groundwater Interactions: A Review of Coupling Strategies in Detailed Domain Models , 2021, Hydrology.

[10]  M. Beyer,et al.  In situ measurements of soil and plant water isotopes: a review of approaches, practical considerations and a vision for the future , 2020, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.

[11]  Friday Uchenna Ochege,et al.  Groundwater system and climate change: Present status and future considerations , 2020 .

[12]  F. Francés,et al.  Explaining the hydrological behaviour of facultative phreatophytes using a multi-variable and multi-objective modelling approach , 2019, Journal of Hydrology.

[13]  Wenke Wang,et al.  Assessing bare-soil evaporation from different water-table depths using lysimeters and a numerical model in the Ordos Basin, China , 2019, Hydrogeology Journal.

[14]  P. Brunner,et al.  Beyond Classical Observations in Hydrogeology: The Advantages of Including Exchange Flux, Temperature, Tracer Concentration, Residence Time, and Soil Moisture Observations in Groundwater Model Calibration , 2019, Reviews of Geophysics.

[15]  C. Tol,et al.  Testing three approaches to estimate soil evaporation through a dry soil layer in a semi-arid area , 2018, Journal of Hydrology.

[16]  M. Lubczynski,et al.  Interactions of artificial lakes with groundwater applying an integrated MODFLOW solution , 2018, Hydrogeology Journal.

[17]  J. Peñuelas,et al.  Relative contribution of groundwater to plant transpiration estimated with stable isotopes , 2017, Scientific Reports.

[18]  C. Tol,et al.  Groundwater and unsaturated zone evaporation and transpiration in a semi-arid open woodland , 2017 .

[19]  Christian D. Langevin,et al.  Documentation for the MODFLOW 6 Groundwater Flow Model , 2017 .

[20]  R. Maxwell,et al.  Connections between groundwater flow and transpiration partitioning , 2016, Science.

[21]  K. Metselaar,et al.  A framework for sourcing of evaporation between saturated and unsaturated zone in bare soil condition , 2016 .

[22]  Tim Schmitz,et al.  Introduction To Environmental Soil Physics , 2016 .

[23]  Mario Putti,et al.  Physically based modeling in catchment hydrology at 50: Survey and outlook , 2015 .

[24]  Rui T. Hugman,et al.  Contributions of hydrogeophysics to the hydrogeological conceptual model of the Albufeira-Ribeira de Quarteira coastal aquifer in Algarve, Portugal , 2015, Hydrogeology Journal.

[25]  A. Francés.  Integration of hydrogeophysics and remote sensing with coupled hydrological models , 2015 .

[26]  J. L. Reyes-Acosta.  Tree-water interactions at varying spatio temporal scales in a water limited environment , 2015 .

[27]  Hideki Kobayashi,et al.  Seasonal trends in photosynthesis and electron transport during the Mediterranean summer drought in leaves of deciduous oaks. , 2015, Tree physiology.

[28]  J. Peñuelas,et al.  The combined effects of a long‐term experimental drought and an extreme drought on the use of plant‐water sources in a Mediterranean forest , 2015, Global change biology.

[29]  Stefan Banzhaf,et al.  Groundwater and Surface Water Interaction at the Regional-scale – A Review with Focus on Regional Integrated Models , 2015, Water Resources Management.

[30]  Yuting Yang.  Evapotranspiration Over Heterogeneous Vegetated Surfaces: Models and Applications , 2015 .

[31]  J. Pereira,et al.  Transpiration in Quercus suber trees under shallow water table conditions: the role of soil and groundwater , 2014 .

[32]  Mohammad Reza Mahmoudzadeh Ardekani,et al.  Hydrogeophysics and remote sensing for the design of hydrogeological conceptual models in hard rocks – Sardón catchment (Spain) , 2014 .

[33]  Z. Su,et al.  Surface–groundwater interactions in hard rocks in Sardon Catchment of western Spain: An integrated modeling approach , 2014 .

[34]  Richard G. Niswonger,et al.  MODFLOW-NWT, A Newton Formulation for MODFLOW-2005 , 2014 .

[35]  G. Miller,et al.  A groundwater–soil–plant–atmosphere continuum approach for modelling water stress, uptake, and hydraulic redistribution in phreatophytic vegetation , 2014 .

[36]  M. Lubczynski,et al.  Optimization of dry‐season sap flow measurements in an oak semi‐arid open woodland in Spain , 2014 .

[37]  J. Roy,et al.  Integrating MRS data with hydrologic model - Carrizal Catchment (Spain) , 2014 .

[38]  Peter Lehmann,et al.  Advances in Soil Evaporation Physics—A Review , 2013 .

[39]  Maria Manuela Chaves,et al.  Root functioning, tree water use and hydraulic redistribution in Quercus suber trees: A modeling approach based on root sap flow , 2013 .

[40]  M. Parlange,et al.  Evaporation from a shallow water table: Diurnal dynamics of water and heat at the surface of drying sand , 2013 .

[41]  M. Lubczynski,et al.  Mapping dry-season tree transpiration of an oak woodland at the catchment scale, using object-attributes derived from satellite imagery and sap flow measurements , 2013 .

[42]  Doug Weatherill,et al.  Australian Groundwater Modelling Guidelines , 2013 .

[43]  Steven P. Loheide,et al.  Monitoring and modeling water‐vegetation interactions in groundwater‐dependent ecosystems , 2012 .

[44]  C. Tol,et al.  Validation of remote sensing of bare soil ground heat flux , 2012 .

[45]  Dani Or,et al.  What determines drying rates at the onset of diffusion controlled stage‐2 evaporation from porous media? , 2011 .

[46]  M. Lubczynski,et al.  Topsoil thickness prediction at the catchment scale by integration of invasive sampling, surface geophysics, remote sensing and statistical modeling , 2011 .

[47]  Peeter Pehme,et al.  Groundwater Geophysics: A Tool for Hydrogeology , 2011 .

[48]  M. Lubczynski.  Groundwater Evapotranspiration – Underestimated Role of Tree Transpiration and Bare Soil Evaporation in Groundwater Balances of Dry Lands , 2011 .

[49]  D. Baldocchi,et al.  Groundwater uptake by woody vegetation in a semiarid oak savanna , 2010 .

[50]  J. Yáñez,et al.  Evaporation from shallow groundwater in closed basins in the Chilean Altiplano , 2010 .

[51]  Andrea Salinas,et al.  A study case on the upscaling of tree transpiration in Water Limited Environments , 2010 .

[52]  Huade Guan,et al.  A hybrid dual-source model for potential evaporation and transpiration partitioning , 2009 .

[53]  J. Pereira,et al.  Evapotranspiration from a Mediterranean evergreen oak savannah: The role of trees and pasture , 2009 .

[54]  P. Cook,et al.  Convergence of tree water use within an arid-zone woodland , 2009, Oecologia.

[55]  M. Lubczynski.  The hydrogeological role of trees in water-limited environments , 2009 .

[56]  Jirka Šimůnek,et al.  Evaluating Interactions between Groundwater and Vadose Zone Using the HYDRUS‐Based Flow Package for MODFLOW , 2008 .

[57]  Mario Schmidt,et al.  The Sankey Diagram in Energy and Material Flow Management , 2008 .

[58]  D. E. Prudic,et al.  GSFLOW - Coupled Ground-Water and Surface-Water Flow Model Based on the Integration of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and the Modular Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW-2005) , 2008 .

[59]  M. Vaz,et al.  Water-use strategies in two co-occurring Mediterranean evergreen oaks: surviving the summer drought. , 2007, Tree physiology.

[60]  Mark Ross,et al.  Extinction Depth and Evapotranspiration from Ground Water under Selected Land Covers , 2007, Ground water.

[61]  Okke Batelaan,et al.  GIS-based recharge estimation by coupling surface–subsurface water balances , 2007 .

[62]  Jeffrey G. Arnold,et al.  Model Evaluation Guidelines for Systematic Quantification of Accuracy in Watershed Simulations , 2007 .

[63]  J. Doherty,et al.  The cost of uniqueness in groundwater model calibration , 2006 .

[64]  D. E. Prudic,et al.  Documentation of the Unsaturated-Zone Flow (UZF1) Package for modeling Unsaturated Flow Between the Land Surface and the Water Table with MODFLOW-2005 , 2006 .

[65]  Bridget R. Scanlon,et al.  Numerical Analysis of Coupled Water, Vapor, and Heat Transport in the Vadose Zone , 2005 .

[66]  Thomas Maddock,et al.  Simulating riparian evapotranspiration: A new methodology and application for groundwater models , 2005 .

[67]  R. Mata-González,et al.  Phreatophytic Vegetation and Groundwater Fluctuations: A Review of Current Research and Application of Ecosystem Response Modeling with an Emphasis on Great Basin Vegetation , 2005, Environmental management.

[68]  M. Lubczynski,et al.  Integration of various data sources for transient groundwater modeling with spatio-temporally variable fluxes—Sardon study case, Spain , 2005 .

[69]  A. W. Harbaugh.  MODFLOW-2005 : the U.S. Geological Survey modular ground-water model--the ground-water flow process , 2005 .

[70]  J. Pereira,et al.  Constraints on transpiration from an evergreen oak tree in southern Portugal , 2004 .

[71]  H. A. Mooney,et al.  Maximum rooting depth of vegetation types at the global scale , 1996, Oecologia.

[72]  U. Benz,et al.  Multi-resolution, object-oriented fuzzy analysis of remote sensing data for GIS-ready information , 2004 .

[73]  O. Batelaan,et al.  Regional groundwater discharge: phreatophyte mapping, groundwater modelling and impact analysis of land-use change , 2003 .

[74]  A. Gieske.  Operational solutions of actual evapotranspiration , 2003 .

[75]  F. Phillips,et al.  Water flow processes in arid and semi-arid vadose zones , 2003 .

[76]  Yongxin Xu,et al.  Groundwater recharge estimation in Southern Africa , 2003 .

[77]  J. Sykes,et al.  Recharge Estimation for Transient Ground Water Modeling , 2002, Ground water.

[78]  M. Lubczynski.  Groundwater evapotranspiration, underestimated component of the groundwater balance in a semi - arid environment, Serowe case, Botswana , 2000 .

[79]  Edward R. Banta,et al.  MODFLOW-2000, the U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Model; documentation of packages for simulating evapotranspiration with a segmented function (ETS1) and drains with return flow (DRT1) , 2000 .

[80]  Arlen W. Harbaugh,et al.  MODFLOW-2000, The U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Model - User Guide to Modularization Concepts and the Ground-Water Flow Process , 2000 .

[81]  C. R. Lloyd,et al.  Estimating sparse forest rainfall interception with an analytical model , 1995 .

[82]  Adriaan A. Van de Griend,et al.  Bare soil surface resistance to evaporation by vapor diffusion under semiarid conditions , 1994 .

[83]  Smith Martin,et al.  Cropwat : a computer program for irrigation planning and management , 1992 .

[84]  J. Gash.  An analytical model of rainfall interception by forests , 1979 .

[85]  J. Monteith.  Evaporation and environment. , 1965, Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology.