Matching Items (5)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: evapotranspiration
- All Subjects: Colorado River Basin
- Creators: Wang, Zhihua
Description
The history of outdoor water use in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area has given rise to a general landscape aesthetic and pattern of residential irrigation that seem in discord with the natural desert environment. While xeric landscaping that incorporates native desert ecology has potential for reducing urban irrigation demand, there are societal and environmental factors that make mesic landscaping, including shade trees and grass lawns, a common choice for residential yards. In either case, there is potential for water savings through irrigation schedules based on fluxes affecting soil moisture in the active plant rooting zone. In this thesis, a point-scale model of soil moisture dynamics was applied to two urban sites in the Phoenix area: one with xeric landscaping, and one with mesic. The model was calibrated to observed soil moisture data from irrigated and non-irrigated sensors, with local daily precipitation and potential evapotranspiration records as model forcing. Simulations were then conducted to investigate effects of irrigation scheduling, plant stress parameters, and precipitation variability on soil moisture dynamics, water balance partitioning, and plant water stress. Results indicated a substantial difference in soil water storage capacity at the two sites, which affected sensitivity to irrigation scenarios. Seasonal variation was critical in avoiding unproductive water losses at the xeric site, and allowed for small water savings at the mesic site by maintaining mild levels of plant stress. The model was also used to determine minimum annual irrigation required to achieve specified levels of plant stress at each site using long-term meteorological records. While the xeric site showed greater potential for water savings, a bimodal schedule consisting of low winter and summer irrigation was identified as a means to conserve water at both sites, with moderate levels of plant water stress. For lower stress levels, potential water savings were found by fixing irrigation depth and seasonally varying the irrigation interval, consistent with municipal recommendations in the Phoenix metropolitan area. These results provide a deeper understanding of the ecohydrologic differences between the two types of landscape treatments, and can assist water and landscape managers in identifying opportunities for water savings in desert urban areas.
ContributorsVolo, Thomas J (Author) / Vivoni, Enrique R (Thesis advisor) / Ruddell, Benjamin L (Committee member) / Wang, Zhihua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
This dissertation research studies long-term spatio-temporal patterns of surface urban heat island (SUHI) intensity, urban evapotranspiration (ET), and urban outdoor water use (OWU) using Phoenix metropolitan area (PMA), Arizona as the case study. This dissertation is composed of three chapters. The first chapter evaluates the SUHI intensity for PMA using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature (LST) product and a time-series trend analysis to discover areas that experienced significant changes of SUHI intensity between 2000 and 2017. The heating and cooling effects of different urban land use land cover (LULC) types was also examined using classified Landsat satellite images. The second chapter is focused on urban ET and the impacts of urban LULC change on ET. An empirical model of urban ET for PMA was built using flux tower data and MODIS land products using multivariate regression analysis. A time-series trend analysis was then performed to discover areas in PMA that experienced significant changes of ET between 2001 and 2015. The impact of urban LULC change on ET was examined using classified LULC maps. The third chapter models urban OWU in PMA using a surface energy balance model named METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high spatial Resolution with Internalized Calibration) and time-series Landsat Thematic Mapper 5 imagery for 2010. The relationship between urban LULC types and OWU was examined with the use of very high-resolution land cover classification data generated from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery and regression analysis. Socio-demographic variables were selected from census data at the census track level and analyzed against OWU to study their relationship using correlation analysis. This dissertation makes significant contributions and expands the knowledge of long-term urban climate dynamics for PMA and the influence of urban expansion and LULC change on regional climate. Research findings and results can be used to provide constructive suggestions to urban planners, decision-makers, and city managers to formulate new policies and regulations when planning new constructions for the purpose of sustainable development for a desert city.
ContributorsWang, Chuyuan (Author) / Myint, Soe W. (Thesis advisor) / Brazel, Anthony J. (Committee member) / Wang, Zhihua (Committee member) / Hondula, David M. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Bioretention basins are a common stormwater best management practice (BMP) used to mitigate the hydrologic consequences of urbanization. Dry wells, also known as vadose-zone wells, have been used extensively in bioretention basins in Maricopa County, Arizona to decrease total drain time and recharge groundwater. A mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model has been developed for the minimum cost design of bioretention basins with dry wells.
The model developed simultaneously determines the peak stormwater inflow from watershed parameters and optimizes the size of the basin and the number and depth of dry wells based on infiltration, evapotranspiration (ET), and dry well characteristics and cost inputs. The modified rational method is used for the design storm hydrograph, and the Green-Ampt method is used for infiltration. ET rates are calculated using the Penman Monteith method or the Hargreaves-Samani method. The dry well flow rate is determined using an equation developed for reverse auger-hole flow.
The first phase of development of the model is to expand a nonlinear programming (NLP) for the optimal design of infiltration basins for use with bioretention basins. Next a single dry well is added to the NLP bioretention basin optimization model. Finally the number of dry wells in the basin is modeled as an integer variable creating a MINLP problem. The NLP models and MINLP model are solved using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). Two example applications demonstrate the efficiency and practicality of the model.
The model developed simultaneously determines the peak stormwater inflow from watershed parameters and optimizes the size of the basin and the number and depth of dry wells based on infiltration, evapotranspiration (ET), and dry well characteristics and cost inputs. The modified rational method is used for the design storm hydrograph, and the Green-Ampt method is used for infiltration. ET rates are calculated using the Penman Monteith method or the Hargreaves-Samani method. The dry well flow rate is determined using an equation developed for reverse auger-hole flow.
The first phase of development of the model is to expand a nonlinear programming (NLP) for the optimal design of infiltration basins for use with bioretention basins. Next a single dry well is added to the NLP bioretention basin optimization model. Finally the number of dry wells in the basin is modeled as an integer variable creating a MINLP problem. The NLP models and MINLP model are solved using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). Two example applications demonstrate the efficiency and practicality of the model.
ContributorsLacy, Mason (Author) / Mays, Larry W. (Thesis advisor) / Fox, Peter (Committee member) / Wang, Zhihua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Rapid urbanization and population growth occurring in the cities of South Western
United States have led to significant modifications in its environment at local and
regional scales. Both local and regional climate changes are expected to have massive
impacts on the hydrology of Colorado River Basin (CRB), thereby accentuating the need
of study of hydro-climatic impacts on water resource management in this region. This
thesis is devoted to understanding the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) changes
on the local and regional hydroclimate, with the goal to address urban planning issues
and provide guidance for sustainable development.
In this study, three densely populated urban areas, viz. Phoenix, Las Vegas and
Denver in the CRB are selected to capture the various dimensions of the impacts of land
use changes on the regional hydroclimate in the entire CRB. Weather Research and
Forecast (WRF) model, incorporating the latest urban modeling system, is adopted for
regional climate modeling. Two major types of urban LULC changes are studied in this
Thesis: (1) incorporation of urban trees with their radiative cooling effect, tested in
Phoenix metropolitan, and (2) projected urban expansion in 2100 obtained from
Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios (ICLUS) developed by the US
Environmental Protection Agency for all three cities.
The results demonstrated prominent nocturnal cooling effect of due to radiative
shading effect of the urban trees for Phoenix reducing urban surface and air temperature
by about 2~9 °C and 1~5 °C respectively and increasing relative humidity by 10~20%
during an mean diurnal cycle. The simulations of urban growth in CRB demonstratedii
nocturnal warming of about 0.36 °C, 1.07 °C, and 0.94 °C 2m-air temperature and
comparatively insignificant change in daytime temperature, with the thermal environment
of Denver being the most sensitive the urban growth. The urban hydroclimatic study
carried out in the thesis assists in identifying both context specific and generalizable
relationships, patterns among the cities, and is expected to facilitate urban planning and
management in local (cities) and regional scales.
United States have led to significant modifications in its environment at local and
regional scales. Both local and regional climate changes are expected to have massive
impacts on the hydrology of Colorado River Basin (CRB), thereby accentuating the need
of study of hydro-climatic impacts on water resource management in this region. This
thesis is devoted to understanding the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) changes
on the local and regional hydroclimate, with the goal to address urban planning issues
and provide guidance for sustainable development.
In this study, three densely populated urban areas, viz. Phoenix, Las Vegas and
Denver in the CRB are selected to capture the various dimensions of the impacts of land
use changes on the regional hydroclimate in the entire CRB. Weather Research and
Forecast (WRF) model, incorporating the latest urban modeling system, is adopted for
regional climate modeling. Two major types of urban LULC changes are studied in this
Thesis: (1) incorporation of urban trees with their radiative cooling effect, tested in
Phoenix metropolitan, and (2) projected urban expansion in 2100 obtained from
Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios (ICLUS) developed by the US
Environmental Protection Agency for all three cities.
The results demonstrated prominent nocturnal cooling effect of due to radiative
shading effect of the urban trees for Phoenix reducing urban surface and air temperature
by about 2~9 °C and 1~5 °C respectively and increasing relative humidity by 10~20%
during an mean diurnal cycle. The simulations of urban growth in CRB demonstratedii
nocturnal warming of about 0.36 °C, 1.07 °C, and 0.94 °C 2m-air temperature and
comparatively insignificant change in daytime temperature, with the thermal environment
of Denver being the most sensitive the urban growth. The urban hydroclimatic study
carried out in the thesis assists in identifying both context specific and generalizable
relationships, patterns among the cities, and is expected to facilitate urban planning and
management in local (cities) and regional scales.
ContributorsUpreti, Ruby (Author) / Wang, Zhihua (Thesis advisor) / Vivoni, Enrique R. (Committee member) / Mascaro, Giuseppe (Committee member) / White, Dave (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The Colorado River Basin (CRB) is the primary source of water in the
southwestern United States. A key step to reduce the uncertainty of future streamflow
projections in the CRB is to evaluate the performance of historical simulations of General
Circulation Models (GCMs). In this study, this challenge is addressed by evaluating the
ability of nineteen GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase Five
(CMIP5) and four nested Regional Climate Models (RCMs) in reproducing the statistical
properties of the hydrologic cycle and temperature in the CRB. To capture the transition
from snow-dominated to semiarid regions, analyses are conducted by spatially averaging
the climate variables in four nested sub-basins. Most models overestimate the mean
annual precipitation (P) and underestimate the mean annual temperature (T) at all
locations. While a group of models capture the mean annual runoff at all sub-basins with
different strengths of the hydrological cycle, another set of models overestimate the mean
annual runoff, due to a weak cycle in the evaporation channel. An abrupt increase in the
mean annual T in observed and most of the simulated time series (~0.8 °C) is detected at
all locations despite the lack of any statistically significant monotonic trends for both P
and T. While all models simulate the seasonality of T quite well, the phasing of the
seasonal cycle of P is fairly reproduced in just the upper, snow-dominated sub-basin.
Model performances degrade in the larger sub-basins that include semiarid areas, because
several GCMs are not able to capture the effect of the North American monsoon. Finally,
the relative performances of the climate models in reproducing the climatologies of P and
T are quantified to support future impact studies in the basin.
southwestern United States. A key step to reduce the uncertainty of future streamflow
projections in the CRB is to evaluate the performance of historical simulations of General
Circulation Models (GCMs). In this study, this challenge is addressed by evaluating the
ability of nineteen GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase Five
(CMIP5) and four nested Regional Climate Models (RCMs) in reproducing the statistical
properties of the hydrologic cycle and temperature in the CRB. To capture the transition
from snow-dominated to semiarid regions, analyses are conducted by spatially averaging
the climate variables in four nested sub-basins. Most models overestimate the mean
annual precipitation (P) and underestimate the mean annual temperature (T) at all
locations. While a group of models capture the mean annual runoff at all sub-basins with
different strengths of the hydrological cycle, another set of models overestimate the mean
annual runoff, due to a weak cycle in the evaporation channel. An abrupt increase in the
mean annual T in observed and most of the simulated time series (~0.8 °C) is detected at
all locations despite the lack of any statistically significant monotonic trends for both P
and T. While all models simulate the seasonality of T quite well, the phasing of the
seasonal cycle of P is fairly reproduced in just the upper, snow-dominated sub-basin.
Model performances degrade in the larger sub-basins that include semiarid areas, because
several GCMs are not able to capture the effect of the North American monsoon. Finally,
the relative performances of the climate models in reproducing the climatologies of P and
T are quantified to support future impact studies in the basin.
ContributorsGautam, Jenita (Author) / Mascaro, Giuseppe (Thesis advisor) / Vivoni, Enrique (Committee member) / Wang, Zhihua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018