Using an Isotope Enabled Mass Balance to Evaluate Existing Land Surface Models

Haagsma, Marja; Finkenbiner, Catherine E.; Noone, David C.; Bowen, Gabriel J.; Still, Christopher; Fiorella, Richard P.; Good, Stephen P.

doi:10.1029/2024WR037530

Title: Using an Isotope Enabled Mass Balance to Evaluate Existing Land Surface Models

Journal Article · 06 December 2024 · Water Resources Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037530 · OSTI ID:2480373

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Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
Department of Physics University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
Department of Geology and Geophysics University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA, Global Change and Sustainability Center University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
Department of Forest Ecosystems &, Society Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
Earth and Environmental Sciences Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos NM USA, New Mexico Consortium Los Alamos NM USA
Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA, Water Resources Graduate Program Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA

Abstract Land surface models (LSMs) play a crucial role in elucidating water and carbon cycles by simulating processes such as plant transpiration and evaporation from bare soil, yet calibration often relies on comparing LSM outputs of landscape total evapotranspiration ( ET ) and discharge with measured bulk fluxes. Discrepancies in partitioning into component fluxes predicted by various LSMs have been noted, prompting the need for improved evaluation methods. Stable water isotopes serve as effective tracers of component hydrologic fluxes, but data and model integration challenges have hindered their widespread application. Leveraging National Ecological Observation Network measurements of water isotope ratios at 16 US sites over 3 years combined with LSM‐modeled fluxes, we employed an isotope‐enabled mass balance framework to simulate ET isotope values ( δET ) within three operational LSMs (Mosaic, Noah, and VIC) to evaluate their partitioning. Models simulating δET values consistent with observations were deemed more reflective of water cycling in these ecosystems. Mosaic exhibited the best overall performance (Kling‐Gupta Efficiency of 0.28). For both Mosaic and Noah there were robust correlations between bare soil evaporation fraction and error (negative) as well as transpiration fraction and error (positive). We found the point at which errors are smallest ( x ‐intercept of the multi‐site regression) is at a higher transpiration fraction than is currently specified in the models. Which means that transpiration fraction is underestimated on average. Stable isotope tracers offer an additional tool for model evaluation and identifying areas for improvement, potentially enhancing LSM simulations and our understanding of land‐surface hydrologic processes.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 2480373

Journal Information:: Water Resources Research, Journal Name: Water Resources Research Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 60; ISSN 0043-1397

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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