Upgrading Community Land Model (CLM) Hydrology

Incorporation of the VIC Surface Runoff and Baseflow Schemes

Kaiyuan Y. Li and Dennis P. Lettenmaier

University of Washington

Outline

What is CLM? What are the problems with CLM? How is VIC fitted to CLM? How does the upgraded CLM work?

What is CLM? Stands for Community Land Model (used to be Common

Land Model); Community-developed land surface model: lead by NCAR

in collaboration with universities; Intended to be coupled into CAM or CCSM; A framework into which other land surface models can be

feasibly incorporated; Professional software written in FORTRAN90 (similar to C

with pointer and dynamic memory); Optimum performance on both cache-dependent and vector-

based computational platforms (parallel computing).

CLM: data structure

CLM: functionalities Vegetation composition, structure, and phenology. Absorption, reflection, and transmittance of solar radiation. Absorption and emission of longwave radiation. Momentum, sensible heat (ground and canopy), and latent heat (ground

evaporation, canopy evaporation, transpiration) fluxes. Heat transfer in soil and snow including phase change. Canopy hydrology (interception, throughfall, and drip). Snow hydrology (snow accumulation and melt, compaction, water transfer

between snow layers) Soil hydrology (surface runoff, infiltration, subsurface drainage, redistribution

of water within the column). Stomatal physiology and photosysnthesis. Lake temperatures and fluxes. Routing of runoff from rivers to ocean. Volatile organic compounds. Vegetation dynamics and carbon cycle -- coming soon.

CLM Hydrology Canopy hydrology

Interception; Throughfall; Drip.

Soil Hydrology Surface runoff (Based on TOPMODEL); Baseflow; Soil water (based on Richard’s flow equation).

Snow Hydrology Based on Jordan (1991).

CLM EvaluationThe FIFE Prairie Site (39.0ºN 96.5ºW)

• CLM overestimates surface runoff;• CLM underestimates latent heat and soil moisture contents.

CLM EvaluationThe ABRACOS Forest Site (10.1ºS 61.9ºW)

• CLM overestimated surface runoff;• CLM underestimated latent heat and overestimated sensible heat;• CLM poorly simulated soil moisture and evapotranspiration.

CLM EvaluationThe Valdai Grassland Site (57.6ºN 33.1ºE)

• CLM poorly simulated soil moisture content.

CLM Evaluation The HAPEX-MOBILHY Soybean Site (43.7ºN 0.1ºW)

CLM Evaluation The HAPEX-MOBILHY Soybean Site (43.7ºN

0.1ºW) – Cont.

• CLM overestimated runoff;• CLM undersimulated latent heat and overestimated sensible heat;• CLM poorly simulated soil moisture content.

CLM EvaluationTorne-Kalix Basin

• CLM tends to overestimate runoff peak for most basins;• CLM tends to melt snow earlier than observed.

CLM EvaluationArkansas and Red river basin

CLM EvaluationArkansas and Red river basin – Cont.

CLM EvaluationArkansas and Red river basin – Cont.

• CLM tend to overestimate runoff

CLM Evaluation The Colorado river basin

CLM Evaluation The Colorado river basin – Cont.

CLM Evaluation The Colorado river basin – Cont.

• CLM overestimated runoff;

• CLM melt snow one month earlier;

CLM EvaluationConclusions

CLM tends to overestimate runoff; CLM tends to melt snow earlier; CLM poorly simulates soil moisture contents; In general, VIC performs better than CLM in terms

of hydrologic predictions; Improvements of CLM are expected by

incorporating some aspects of VIC hydrologic parameterizations into CLM.

Upgrading CLMIncorporation of the VIC surface runoff and

baseflow schemes

10-Layer CLM 3-Layer VIC

Fixed Depth Dynamic Depth

VIC Upper Layer

VIC Lower Layer

Diagram: Matching CLM layer scheme to VIC Layer scheme

3.43 m

10-Layer CLM 3-Layer VIC

Fixed Depth Dynamic Depth

VIC Upper Layer

VIC Lower Layer

Diagram: Matching CLM layer scheme to VIC Layer scheme

3.43 m

The Upgraded CLM retains: Data structure; Input and output format; Model structure.

The Upgraded CLM requires 5 VIC parameters: Upper layer depth (first plus second layer in VIC-3L); b: Infiltration parameter; Ws: Fraction of maximum soil moisture content when

baseflow occurs; Dsmax: Maximum velocity of baseflow; Ds: Fraction of Dsmax where non-linear baseflow occurs.

Upgrading CLMIncorporation of the VIC surface runoff and baseflow

schemes – Cont.

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

The Arkansas-Red basin

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

The Arkansas-Red basin – Cont.

Performance testing of Upgraded CLMThe Colorado basin

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

The Colorado basin – Cont.

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

The FIFE Prairie Site (39.0ºN 96.5ºW)

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

The FIFE Prairie Site (39.0ºN 96.5ºW) – Cont.

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

The ABRACOS Forest Site (10.1ºS 61.9ºW)

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

The ABRACOS Forest Site (10.1ºS 61.9ºW) – Cont.

Performance testing of Upgraded CLM

Conclusions

• The Upgraded CLM, into which VIC runoff parameterization is incorporated, performs significantly better than original CLM;

• The Upgraded CLM requires only 5 VIC parameters, which are transferable to CLM without massive calibration although some systematical adjustment may be required for some basins;

• The enhancement of the CLM snow model remains to be done.

AcknowledgementTed BohnFengge SuJenny AdamJoanna GaskiChunmei ZhuNiklas ChristensenMariza Costa-CbralNathalie VoisinKostas AndreadisAlan HamletLan Cuo