A comparison of two models for simulating the water balance of soil covers under semi-arid conditions
Numerical water-balance modeling of store-and-release soil covers for hypothetical mine tailings was conducted using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) and SoilCover models. The objective of the modeling was to compare the utility of both models in a semi-arid environment. Although values for input parameters were chosen to make simulations as identical as possible between models, differences in model solution methods and discretization led to different water-balance predictions. Specifically, SoilCover predicted less percolation than HELP, because HELP uses simplified water-routing algorithms which may over predict infiltration and under predict subsequent evapotranspiration. Since SoilCover explicitly solves physically based governing equations for heat and water flow, its predictions more accurately represent the water balance in semi-arid regions where evapotranspiration dominates, HELP can only conservatively predict percolation in dry environments.
- Research Organization:
- Hydro Geo Chem, Inc., Tucson, AZ (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20026859
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 16th annual national meeting of the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation, Scottsdale, AZ (US), 08/13/1999--08/19/1999; Other Information: PBD: [1999]; Related Information: In: Mining and reclamation for the next millennium. Proceedings of the 16th annual national meeting of the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation, by Bengson, S.A.; Bland, D.M. [eds.], 745 pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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