The integrated water balance and water temperature model LARSIM-WT

✍ Scribed by I. Haag; A. Luce

• Book ID: 102265208
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 201 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6087
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.6983

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The goal of this article is to describe the integrated water balance and water temperature model LARSIM‐WT (large area runoff simulation model‐water‐temperature). The integrated model is an extension of the water balance model LARSIM, which simulates all major aspects of the terrestrial water cycle. The newly added water temperature module allows simulation and forecasting of river water temperatures (RWTs) throughout the complete river network using a deterministic approach, accounting for heat exchange processes along the flow path as well as local sources such as thermal discharges. In addition, it is also possible to calculate RWTs with regression models for specific locations in the river network. Applying LARSIM‐WT to the 14 000 km^2^ watershed of the Neckar River showed that the model is well‐suited to simulate RWTs along with discharges. Forecast tests proved the adequacy of the model for operational RWT forecasting for up to seven days ahead. The model has been continuously used for automated daily river temperature and discharge forecasting for the Neckar River since 2004. Moreover, it has also been successfully applied to predict the impact of climate change on water temperatures in the Neckar River. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.