Modelling tool user interfaces
The two tables below summarise basic information about the tools in this set: the first gives intended uses and broad structural characteristics and the second gives an overview of modelling capabilities across the tools that are likely to be in demand for many typical use-cases.
| Characteristic | WRSM-Pitman | SPATSIM-Pitman | ACRU | SWAT | MIKE-SHE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developed in South Africa | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Current curator / developer | Bailey & Pitman Water Resources Ltd | Rhodes University, Institute of Water Resources (IWR) | University of KwaZulu Natal,
Centre for Water Resources Research (UKZN-CWRR) |
Texas A&M University &
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
Danish Hydrologic Institute (DHI) |
| Free access | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Version reviewed | WRSM-Pitman version 2.9 | SPATSIM GWv3 Global Options Threaded model | ACRU 4 | SWAT & ArcSWAT 2012 | MIKE-SHE & MIKE Hydro River, version 2017 |
| Reference documents | Theory manual: (Bailey, 2015);
User manual: (Bailey and Pitman, 2016) |
Theory papers: (Hughes, 2004, 2013; Kapangaziwiri, 2007);
User manual: (Hughes, 2019) |
Theory manual: (Schulze, 1995);
User manuals: (Clark et al., 2012; Schulze and Davis, 2018) |
Theory manual: (Neitsch et al., 2011);
User manuals: (Arnold et al., 2012) |
Theory manuals:(DHI, 2017a, 2017b);
User’s manuals:(DHI, 2017d, 2017c) |
| Intended spatial scale
(catchment or model area) |
Local to regional:
no suggested min-max model size |
Local to regional:
10-10,000’s of km2, more typical: 100-1,000’s km2 |
Field to regional:
no suggested min-max model size |
Field to regional:
no suggested min-max model size |
Field to regional:
no suggested min-max model size |
| Spatial discretisation | Modules ('runoff' modules/subcatchments,
special sub-areas, channels, reservoirs) linked by routes |
Subcatchments + limited internal sub-area types | HRUs within subcatchments | HRUs within subcatchments | Fully distributed (gridded)
OR combinations of grids and zones for different process calculations within subcatchments (if all process zones align, would act like HRUs) |
| Intended subcat size < 1,000 km2 | Intended subcat size 5-50 km2;
HRU size < 30km2 |
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| Timestep | Monthly* | Monthly* | Daily | Daily, sub-daily | Daily, sub-daily
(dynamic timestep length, can vary across processes) |
| Intended modelling applications (as documented): | |||||
| Water balance estimation | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Design hydrology (flood peaks) | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Supply planning (general) | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Reservoir yield | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Irrigation planning | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Groundwater recharge | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) interactions & pumping impacts | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Land cover change impacts | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Climate change impacts | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Application limitations (as documented) | Not for peak flow, flood assessment, or design hydrology | Not for peak flow, flood assessment, design hydrology | Not represent deep GW processes - not for GW pumping impact | Not represent deep GW processes | (None listed for the modelling system
as whole, only for certain process representation options.) |
| Specific development focuses particular to tool |
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