Toward more mechanistic representations of biogeochemical processes in river networks: Implementation and demonstration of a multiscale model

A recently introduced multiscale model for representing the effects of small-scale hyporheic-zone biogeochemical processes is extended from the reach scale to river network scales. The model uses advection-dispersion-reaction equations for the channel network and one-dimensional advection-reaction subgrid models for the hyporheic zone. We summarize implementation in the integrated surface/subsurface hydrology modeling system AmanziATS. The extension uses topologically defined meshes to represent stream/river networks and associates a hyporheic subgrid model with each channel grid cell. Biogeochemical reaction modeling capability residing in community software is accessed through an application programming interface. The implementation is verified against independent numerical solutions on a single reach. Mesh convergence studies show that commonly used semi-distributed representations can introduce significant spatial discretization error. Denitrification of farm runoff in a subbasin of the Portage River Basin in Ohio, USA is used to demonstrate the general-purpose reactive transport capability.

Automated summary

The study extends a multiscale model from reach scale to river network scales for representing the effects of small-scale hyporheic-zone biogeochemical processes. It uses advection-dispersion-reaction equations for the channel network and advection-reaction subgrid models for the hyporheic zone. The implementation is verified against numerical solutions on a single reach and shows the capability to model denitrification of farm runoff in a subbasin as a demonstration of general-purpose reactive transport.