A Cellular Automata Based Model for Simulating Surface Hydrological Processes in Catchments

Qi

1
Shao ,

Thomas

1
Baumgartl ,

Longbin

1
Huang

and Dion

2
Weatherley

Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, 2 Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre,
Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

1. Background and Objectives

2. Model Description

Revealing the rainfall-infiltration-runoff relationship is critical to quantify catchment

hydrology.

Central cell

Partition

Closed boundary cells

Current methods employed in distributed hydrologic modelling show limitations in

accuracy:

Open outlet cells

- Kinematic wave method: one dimensional flow, neglecting backwater effects;

- Diffusion wave method: calculating in a certain sequence;
- Elevation-based method: neglecting water component.

New methods are required, and Cellular Automata (CA) is worth investigating:

Measurement,
DEM

Cell Elevation

CA: Discrete dynamic system composed of a set of cells in a regular lattice;

Global behaviour determined by synchronous evolution of spatial cells in discrete time steps;
Effective in simulating dynamic complex natural phenomena from local to global;
Though widely acknowledged, sparsely applied to hydrology so far.

Single continuous
rainfall events
x Philip model
x Green-Ampt
model
x Horton model
x Holtan model

Intermittent/multiple
rainfall events
x Modified Horton
model
x Modified Holtan
model

Input rainfall
Effective rainfall
Water depth

Objectives:
- Developing a CA-based runoff model (RunCA) by integrating fundamental hydraulic principles;
- Evaluating the performance of RunCA by field data.

Inflows & outflows

Identifying flowing neighbours

(Cardinal-priority principle)

AVE = 14
top cell will be
eliminated

Calculating potential flows

(Minimisation-of-differences)

AVE = 10
left cell will be
eliminated

Rain gauge, Record

Interception

Empirical equation

Infiltration

Infiltration models

h0 > (H0 - AVE)

fp () = 9 7 = 2
fp() = 9 3 = 6

AVE = 9
no cell will be
eliminated

Runoff production

Runoff distribution

Neighbour cells

timestep
fp u
T

fp

Insufficient time

Yess

D
nD
2
1
V h 3s 2
(Mannings equation)

Determining actual flows

(Spatially varied flow velocities)

Flow travel time: T

Calculating total flow

(inflows - outflows)

AVE average height

V flow velocity
f actual flow

for flowing

Equilibrium
condition

timestep  T
No
o

h0 water depth in central cell

n Mannings n
fp potential flow

H0 central cell height

h water depth

D flow travel distance

s water surface slope

Transition rules

3. Model Application
6 years after rehabilitation

Event 1 (year 1)

Rainfall

2.5

Runoff rate (mm/h)

100

80

Measured

60
Simulated (R2=0.906, RMSE=0.068 mm/h)

1.5

40
1
20

0.5

Model settings and inputs

- Settings: 1 m cell size, 1.37 s and 0.33 s time step for year 1 and 6 respectively;

0
0

20

40

60
Time (min)

80

100

120

60.00
9.00
20.00
22.00
13.20

64.50
64.50
64.50
64.50
64.50
64.50
63.50
70.40
62.00
71.00

0.55
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.55
10.00
1.00
4.00
10.00

M (%)
Year 1
43.00
30.00
30.00
30.00
30.00
Year 6
43.00
27.00
30.00
43.00
28.00

T 0 (%)
6.45
4.50
4.50
4.50
4.50
6.45
4.05
4.50
6.45
4.20

FC (%)

21.50
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
21.50
13.50
15.00
21.50
14.00

D (mm)
100.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
100.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
25.00

0.25
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.25
0.05
0.075
0.05
0.25
0.05

i f : final steady infiltration rate; i0 : initial infiltration rate; P : dimensionless coefficient relating decrease rate of infiltration

capacity in Holtan equation; M : total porosity; T 0 : initial soil moisture; FC : field capacity; D : control zone depth.

Event 2 (year 6)

Mannings n

80

+80%

60

40
20
0
-20
-40
-60

iIff

iI00

PP

6
5

Rainfall

50

Measured

40

Simulated (R2=0.991, RMSE=0.195 mm/h)

30
20

2
1

10

0
20

40

T0
WC

130
110

D
D

-80%

90

+80%

70
50
30

10
-10

nn

Time to peak Percent change in

model inputs
-80%

6
4

+80%

2
0
-2

-4
-6
-8

-30

-50
FC
FC

Percent change in
model inputs

10

iIff

iI00

PP

M
TP

T0
WC

FC
FC

D
D

n
N

-10

iIff

iI00

PP

M
TP

T0
WC

FC
FC

60
Time (min)

Novelty in this study:

60

M
TP

Peak discharge

RunCA was proven effective in simulating runoff in a catchment;

80

100

120

Rainfall intensity (mm/h)

1
2
3
4
5
Channels

60.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00

i0 (mm/h)

-80%

150

A novel CA based runoff model (RunCA) has been developed;

Rainfall event 2 in year 6:

Runoff rate (mm/h)

1
2
3
4
5

i f (mm/h)

100

Percent change in
model inputs

4. Conclusions

- Rainfall: two observed complex rainfall events, each in year 1 and 6.

Unit

120

- Topography (cell elevation): DEM;

- Infiltration parameters & Mannings n:

Total discharge

Percent change in time to peak

1 year after rehabilitation

Rainfall event 1 in year 1:

Percent change in peak discharge rate

Land units

Sensitivity analysis
Percent change in total runoff volume

in central Pennsylvania, reported by Ritter, J.B. (1992)

Simulation results

Rainfall intensity (mm/h)

Study site: Pine Glen catchment (rehabilitated surface mines)

Incorporation of modified infiltration models for complex rainfall events;

Improved minimisation-of-difference algorithm;
Cardinal-priority flow direction principle;
Spatially varied flow travelling time.

Potential advantages of RunCA:

-

Capturing both spatial and temporal variations in runoff behaviours;

Computationally efficient;
Integration with RS and GIS;
Applicable to different spatial and temporal scales.

D
D

n
N