HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Sequential surface and subsurface flow modeling in a tropical aquifer under different rainfall scenarios
This paper demonstrates how HGS is flexible enough to model specific regions/domains of interest (i.e. including discrete fracture networks, but without integrated surface hydrology) and can be used in conjunction with other hydrologic modelling platforms.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Analysis of drought conditions and their impacts in a headwater stream in the Central European lower mountain ranges
A new study by researchers at the University Bayreuth investigates the impact that climate change may have on drought conditions in forested catchment with riparian wetland, specifically the Lehstenbach catchment in the Fichtel Mountains of South-Eastern Germany.
Research Highlight - Rising importance of economic valuation of ecosystem services in protecting Canada's vital resources
As part of Aquanty’s ongoing “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” our newest team member (Dr. Tariq Aziz) had the chance to present his recent research on quantifying the 'hidden' value offered by Southern Ontario's ecosystems. The valuation of ecosystem services is something that Aquanty believes strongly in, and we're excited to welcome Dr. Aziz to the team so he can help us to translate HydroGeoSphere model outputs into economic metrics that are more relevant for water resources professionals and policy makers.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – A hybrid approach for integrated surface and subsurface hydrologic simulation of baseflow with Iterative Ensemble Smoother
This paper introduces the development of an integrated model for the South Québec region where low-flow processes are of primary concern. In this publication, HydroGeoSphere is used with a surface water mass balance module in order to reduce computational cost, enabling the use of mathematically rigorous, ensemble-based methods to support a calibration-constrained predictive uncertainty analysis.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Characterizing the effects of dry antecedent soil moisture conditions, channel transmission losses, and variable precipitation on peak flow scaling
While the historic flooding in British Columbia this month can obviously be attributed to extreme rainfall, it’s also believed that the extreme heat of the summer months made soils less permeable. This means that rain is more likely to run off the land rather than being absorbed, resulting in flash floods and landslides. In this case the diminished permeability can likely be attributed to soil ‘crusting’ (wildfires disperse waxy compounds which coat soil minerals and make the top layer of soil hydrophobic). But extremely dry conditions are also known to reduce the permeability of soils, even without the compounded effects of wildfires. A recent study by researchers at HDR Engineering, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Iowa State University and The University of Iowa investigates this very phenomenon.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Estimating Anthropogenic Effects on a Highly-Controlled Basin with an Integrated Surface-Subsurface Model
Our ongoing research with partners at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources has led to a new publication. This paper seeks to quantify the impacts of water management practices (e.g. groundwater pumping, dam and weir operations, etc.) on the surface and groundwater system of the Geum River Basin, South Korea.
The results indicate that the water budget of the Geum River Basin (GRB) is typically balanced or shows a slight surplus (resulting in GW recharge). However, water deficits were frequently simulated during the dry season, and groundwater seepage along the rivers within the basin was an important water source component that can sustain environ-mental flow under severe water deficit conditions.
"Athabasca River Basin High-Res Modelling of the Impact of Climate Change" - Webinar hosted by COSIA
On September 16th, 2021 Aquanty's senior scientist Hyoun-Tae Hwang delivered a webinar discussing our recent work in modelling the impacts of climate change in the Athabasca River Basin using HydroGeoSphere. We would like to thank Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) for the opportunity to present this most recent research, which follows on several years of partnerships to model the ARB in high-resolution using HydroGeoSphere, Aquanty’s cutting edge integrated hydrologic modeling platform.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Integrated modelling to assess climate change impacts on groundwater and surface water in the Great Lakes Basin using diverse climate forcing
HydroGeoSphere is an excellent tool for evaluating climate change impacts to integrated hydrologic systems, since HGS can be effectively coupled with climate forecasting simulators like the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) and the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM). HydroGeoSphere accounts for water dynamics in the atmosphere, ground surface and subsurface in a seamless manner and thus is the best modeling tool for evaluating the impact and risk associated with climate change on water resources.
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Development of an integrated numerical flow model in the Prairie Environment
A recent publication by researchers at the University of Regina uses HydroGeoSphere to investigate the impact of climate variability and different groundwater withdrawal scenarios on groundwater levels in the Leech Lake aquifer. This paper provides an excellent introduction to the use of HGS in semi-arid prairie regions, making use of the built-in evapotransporation and snowmelt processes to estimate overall recharge rates under various climate scenarios (including extreme drought).
HGS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT – Fully Coupled Surface–Subsurface Hydrological Modeling to Optimize Ancient Water Harvesting Techniques
We’re so proud that an entire chapter in the recently published “Handbook of Water Harvesting and Conservation: Case Studies and Application Examples” is dedicated to the modeling of ancient water harvesting techniques using HydroGeoSphere. In this chapter HGS was used to evaluate and optimize rain harvesting techniques across four case studies. Two of these case studies were from Chile, while the other two were in Ethiopia and Niger. The Chilean case studies evaluated the effectiveness of infiltration trenches (zanjas) in reducing surface runoff losses, promote recovery of natural vegetation and reduce land degradation. “In Ethiopia, the model was used to evaluate and optimize conservation practices with broad and narrow permanent beds, which are modified versions of locally called terwah and derdero systems.” And in Niger HydroGeoSphere models were used to evaluate several water harvesting techniques “includ[ing] scarification, zaï pits, and microcatchments like semi-circular or half-moon bunds (demi lunes)”.