New stream modeling system includes biogeochemical reactions
A new modeling capability will be able to incorporate important biogeochemical processes in river corridors for a clearer understanding of how water quality will be impacted by climate change, land use or population growth.
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory used high-performance computing and the Amanzi-ATS software to include biogeochemical reactions in microbially-active zones near streams in models that track the movement of dissolved chemicals in river networks. These reactions have a major influence on the cycling of carbon, nutrients and contaminants at basin scales. The new multiscale model better tracks water quality indicators such as nitrogen and mercury levels.
“To build a next-generation modeling capability to address water quality issues, we needed a new multiscale framework that allows us to incorporate fundamental understanding of key processes and how those fine-scale processes manifest at much larger scales,” ORNL’s Scott Painter said.
The research team validated and demonstrated the model on several watersheds.
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