A 2D finite volume simulation tool to enable the assessment of combined hydrological and morphodynamical processes in mountain catchments

Abstract

Nowadays, the great power of modern computers allows to develop computational models able to deal with simulations of several coupled phenomena over detailed complex topography. An efficient and properly calibrated computational model represents a useful tool to provide insight into the catchment dynamics at hydrological and geomorphological levels. In addition, it allows to develop detailed risk management and conservation plans. In this work, we present a coupled surface-groundwater distributed flow model with hydrological (rainfall and infiltration) and geomorphological (suspended and bed load sediment transport) components. The coupled model is applied to well characterized experimental catchments that are used as realistic test cases. The calibration of the water flow model response to rainfall is performed by means of the fitting to experimental outlet hydrographs of the results supplied by a coupled formulation of 2D Shallow Water Equations and 2D Darcy’s law for saturated porous media connected via suitable infiltration laws. The calibration of a suspended and bed load model is also addressed by means of the fitting to experimental outlet sedigraphs. The numerical results show a good agreement between numerical and observed hydrographs and sedigraphs, significantly improving previous published simulations. Additionally, the need to repeat the simulations in the calibration processes is no longer an unapproachable problem.