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Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., 1, 285-314, 2008
www.geosci-model-dev-discuss.net/1/285/2008/
doi:10.5194/gmdd-1-285-2008
© Author(s) 2008. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.


Modelling water availability, sediment export and reservoir sedimentation in drylands with the WASA-SED Model

E. N. Mueller1, A. Güntner2, T. Francke1, and G. Mamede3
1Institute of Geoecology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
2Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum – GFZ, Potsdam, Germany
3Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil

Abstract. The process-based, spatially semi-distributed modelling framework WASA-SED for water and sediment transport in large dryland catchments is presented. The WASA-SED model simulates the runoff and erosion processes at the hillslope scale, the transport processes of suspended and bedload fluxes in the river reaches and the retention and remobilisation processes of sediments in reservoirs. The modelling tool enables the evaluation of management options both for sustainable land-use change scenarios to reduce erosion in the headwater catchments as well as adequate reservoir management options to lessen sedimentation in large reservoirs and reservoir networks. The model concept, its spatial discretisation and the numerical components of the hillslope, river and reservoir processes are summarised and current model applications are reviewed to demonstrate the capabilities, strengths and limits of the model framework.

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Citation: Mueller, E. N., Güntner, A., Francke, T., and Mamede, G.: Modelling water availability, sediment export and reservoir sedimentation in drylands with the WASA-SED Model, Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., 1, 285-314, doi:10.5194/gmdd-1-285-2008, 2008.   Bibtex   EndNote   Reference Manager    XML