Etude du Comportement Hydrologique par l'Utilisation de la Modélisation et du Traçage Environnemental

Swiss National Foundation Project

Objectives: Define the hydrological mechanisms which explain the isotopic and hydrochemical composition of storm flow, in particular the high proportion of soil water.

Partners: Prof. P.F. Germann University of Bern; Prof. K.J. Beven, University of Lancaster; Dr. Rob Vertessy, Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology, CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra.

Project leader: Prof. André Musy

Scientific team: Christophe Joerin, Ion Iorgulescu, François Pointet

Validating Hydrological Models using Process studies and Internal Data from Research Basins (Tools for assessing hydrological impacts and Environmental Change)

European project with OFES support

• Assess hydrological consequences of enviromental change.
• Define land and watershed management strategies necessary to preserve water quantity and quality, as well as to protect agains hydrological hazards.

The physically-based models SHETRAN and TOPMODEL will be subject to validation tests in a range of experimental catchments, with special reference to mountain areas undergoing land-use change. A new generation of field techniques including Time-Domain Reflectometry, Ground Positioning System and Ground Penetrating Radar have been tested and used to obtain data for validation of subsurface hydrology within the research basin. Joint field campaigns have been performed in the Vallcebre catchments (Southeast Pyrenees), an area with strong spatial and temporal heterogeneities.

Partners: Prof. E. Todini, University of Bologna; Dr. A. Casas, University of Barcelona, Prof. P.E. O'Connell and Dr. Paul Queen, University of Newcastle, Prof. A. Herman, University of Brauschweig; Dr. S. White, University of Durham, Prof. F. Gallart, Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera , Barcelona.

Project leader: Prof. André Musy

Scientific team: Ion Iorgulescu, Christophe Joerin, Christophe Higy

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Etude des Systèmes Pluriannuels d'Analyse du Comportment Hydrologique avec transfert d'Echelle

Swiss National Foundation Project (2001-2004);

Objectives: The main objectives of this project have been:

• development of a new approach of parameterisation of hydrological models;
• integration, by the intermediate of a bayesian approach, of additional information (environmental tracing, point measurements of ground levels and soil humidity, knowledge of the hydrological processes) as well as of the scale aspect into the hydrological modeling.
• validation of this methodology with conceptual and physically based hydrological models such as TOPMODEL.

Main results:

- Construction of a conceptual model concerning the hydrological behavior of the Haute Mentue sub-catchments based on the field monitoring and interpretation of field data (rainfall, runoff, groundwater levels, soil moisture, environmental tracing ) and of available specific maps (topography, geology, pedology).
- Development of a general Bayesian methodology of calibration of hydrological models for one single catchment using a single response (ex. discharge) in estimating model parameters;
- Development of a general Bayesian methodology of calibration of hydrological models for one single catchment using a multiple responses (ex. discharge and environmental tracing information) in estimating model parameters
- Application of the mentioned methodology with different versions of TOPMODEL, a simple physically based hydrological model.

Project leader: Prof. André Musy

Collaboration: Prof. Eric Parent, ENGREF, Paris, France; Prof. Andras Bardossy, Stuttgart University, Germany; Prof. Keith Beven, Lancaster University,Great Britain;

Scientific participation: Daniela Balin Talamba