1. Modeling of land surface processes in La Plata Basin
Fengge Su1, Dennis P. Lettenmaier1
Vicente R. Barros2, Carlos E. M. Tucci 3
and Ernesto Hugo Berbery4
1University of Washington, Seattle, WA
2University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
3Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
4University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland
2018/11/23

2. Outline Background Model description Data sources
Streamflow simulations
Future research
2018/11/23

3. Background
The La Plata basin is the sixth largest in the world, and spreads over five South American countries.
It plays a critical role in economies and water resources of the region.
Bolivia
Brazil
Paraguay
Argentina
Atlantic Ocean
Uruguay
Lat: -14°~-38°
Lon: -67°~-43°
Area: 3.1×106 km2
Map From PLATIN
2018/11/23

4. Precipitation (mm/year)
Genta et al. (1998)
Parana
Macroscale hydrology models provide a useful approach for understanding the nature and cause of these changes.
Paraguay
Uruguay
Negro
Precipitation (mm/year)
Barros et al. (2000)
How predictable is runoff in La Plata Basin, what are the limiting factors, and what is the spatial variability of the water balance terms?
2018/11/23

5. Model description Model features:
multiple vegetation classes in each cell;
energy and water budget closure at each time step;
subgrid infiltration and runoff variability;
and non-linear baseflow generation.
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6. Daily time series of precipitation, maximum
Data sources
Meteorological forcings
Daily time series of precipitation, maximum
temperature, minimum temperature, and wind speed
Daily precipitation and temperature are from NCAR and GDCN (Global Daily Climatology Network) station data.
wind speed is downscaled from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis
Land surface characteristics
Soil parameters: from Global Soil Data
Products CD-ROM (IGBP-DIS)
Land cover characterization: based on University of Maryland 1-km global vegetation classifications.
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7. Parana Paraguay Uruguay Lower Basin
Precipitation stations for 1986 (2050)
Poor coverage areas: Paraguay basin and Lower basin of the Parana River.
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8. Paraguay Parana Uruguay Lower Basin
Temperature stations for 1986 (125).
Stations are sparse for the whole basin.
Paraguay
Parana
Uruguay
Lower Basin
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9. VASClimO (Variability Analysis of Surface Climate Observations) gridded monthly half-degree precipitation.
Mean monthly precipitation (this study)
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10. Uruguay Uruguay Paraguay Parana Parana Paraguay
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11. Streamflow simulations
Study area: the whole La Plata Basin
Model options: with full energy balance
Model resolution: 1/8 degree
Time step: 3-hour
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12. La Plata Basin River Network at 1/8 degree
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13. Mean Monthly Streamflow (1979-1999)
Parana at Jupia Area:478,000km2
Paraguay
Parana
Paraguay at Bermejo
Area: 1,100,000km2
Paraguay
Parana
Uruguay
Iguazu at Estreito Area:63,236km2
Parana at Posadas Area:975,000km2
Uruguay at Paso de los Area:189,300km2
Simulated
Observed
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14. Monthly time series of streamflow (1979-1999)
Uruguay
Monthly time series of streamflow ( )
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15. Parana
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16. Observed
Simulated
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17. Runoff ratio (R/P) for the three subbasins: Uraguay: 0.44 Parana: 0.32
Simulated mean monthly runoff for the entire La Plata basin ( )
Runoff ratio (R/P) for the three subbasins:
Uraguay: 0.44
Parana: 0.32
Paraguay: 0.14
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18. Next step research
Overall goal is to estimate the effects of local ( e.g., vegetation) vs. remote (e.g., sea surface temperature) forcings on the precipitation and streamflow of La Plata Basin by a set of uncoupled or coupled runs (The Eta model, coupled with VIC and a river routing scheme).
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19. Thank you!
2018/11/23