Simulation of Heat Flow in a Synthetic Watershed: The Role of the Unsaturated Zone

Future climate forecasts suggest atmospheric warming, with expected effects on aquatic systems (e.g., cold-water fisheries). Here we apply a recently published and computationally efficient approach for simulating unsaturated/saturated heat transport with coupled flow (MODFLOW) and transport (MT3D-USGS) models via a synthetic three-dimensional (3D) representation of a temperate watershed. Key aspects needed for realistic representation at the watershed-scale include climate drivers, a layering scheme, consideration of surface-water groundwater interactions, and evaluation of transport parameters influencing heat flux. The unsaturated zone (UZ), which is typically neglected in heat transport simulations, is a primary focus of the analysis. Results from three model versions are compared-one that neglects UZ heat-transport processes and two that simulate heat transport through a (1) moderately-thick UZ and (2) a UZ of approximately double thickness. The watershed heat transport is evaluated in terms of temperature patterns and trends in the UZ, at the water table, below the water table (in the groundwater system), and along a stream network. Major findings are: (1) Climate forcing is the product of infiltration temperatures and infiltration rates; they combine into a single heat inflow forcing function. (2) The UZ acts as a low-pass filter on heat pulses migrating downward, markedly dampening the warming recharge signal. (3) The effect of warming on the watershed is also buffered by the mixing of temperatures at discharge points where shallow and deep flow converge. (4) The lateral extent of the riparian zone, defined as where the water table is near land surface (<1 m), plays an important role in determining the short-term dynamics of the stream baseflow response to heat forcing. Runoff generated from riparian areas is particularly important in periods when rejected infiltration during warm and wet periods generates extra runoff from low-lying areas to surface water.

Automated summary

This study applied a new method to simulate heat transport in a watershed, finding that the unsaturated zone has a filtering effect on heat pulses, temperature mixing buffers the effect of warming on the watershed, and the lateral extent of the riparian zone plays an important role in the short-term dynamics of the stream's response to heat forcing.