Hydrological data (streamflow, evapotranspiration) from MESH and sediment concentration and load from sediment transport model for the Athabasca River Basin

GeoNetwork record: www.gwfnet.net/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/4c5faa0f-4538-422e-93a3-e0ab8f7c29b4

MESH model is used for calibration/ validation of the streamflow. MESH is a physics-based, land-surface hydro- logical modelling system developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada. MESH performs both water and energy balances and is best suited to cold-region, large-scale catchments due to its ability to simulate snow processes, such as snow accumulation, redistribution, and melt. MESH is used to simulate important hydrological processes (like runoff generation, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture).

SED model is a physically based watershed sediment transport model which is developed based on empirical equations and the sediment mass balance equation (for overland and instream flow). It includes different sediment classes and is suitable for large scale cold regions catchments. The model simulates hourly sediment load and concentration.

The following input data were used for hydrological modelling:

- Meteorological data: For model calibration and validation, seven forcing data (precipitation, longwave radiation, shortwave radiation, wind speed, air temperature, barometric pressure and specific humidity) is taken from GEM-CaPA. (https://wiki.usask.ca/display/MESH/Forcing+Datasets+for+MESH#ForcingDatasetsforMESH-GEM-CaPA)

- Drainage basin data: Digital Elevation data (Geobase database as Canadian Digital Elevation Data), Landcover data (http://cec.org/tools-and-resources/map-files/land-cover-2010-landsat-30m), soil data (Soil Landscapes of Canada (version 2.2), eco-regions shape files for Canada, and other relevant data was obtained from different sources. The drainage basin was created using GreenKenue.

- Hydrological data: The ECCC hydat stations for Athabasca River Basin is used for the discharge data.

- Sediment concentration data: Surface water quality data website/ Long Term River Data http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/EdwReportViewer/LongTermRiverStation.aspx

For Core Modelling, this data is generated under the water quality theme which aims to perform sediment yield and transport for cold region catchment. A sediment transport model will be integrated with the existing MESH model. The MESH model is a hydrological model and does not incorporate water quality components. The new sediment transport model will use the hydrological output from MESH to simulate sediment load and transport. Further, a nutrient transport component will be added to the model in future.

Athabasca River Basin

Model name: MESH
Model version number: 1.4.1037 Version
Model source/webpage: https://wiki.usask.ca/display/MESH/About+MESH
Model output pre-processing script: CDO, bash, matlab and python command for preprocessing
Model output post-processing script: Python , matlab scripts
Model setup: GRU based in MESH
Time step: 30 mins in MESH
Initial condition: Soil and vegetation state variables, meteorological forcing

Model name: Sediment Transport Model
Model version number: Version 1 (in development)
Model source/webpage: https://github.com/lamhydro/MESH-SED
Model output pre-processing script: python scripts
Model output post-processing script: python scripts
Model setup: Orthogonal grid (MESH grid)
Time step: hourly
Initial condition: Soil and vegetation type characteristics
Additional information: Requires streamflow data from MESH

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Data will be available on the MESH github page (https://github.com/MESH-Model) upon model completion. In the interim, contact Sujata Budhathoki (sujata.budhathoki@usask.ca).