ECOMAG - ECOlogical Model for Applied Geophysics

Presentation contents:

• ECOMAG - Ecological Model for Applied Geophysics

• Structure of ECOMAG

• Application of ECOMAG

Model Concept
The model consists of two main submodels. Hydrological submodel describes the main processes of terrestrial hydrological cycle: infiltration into the soil, evapotranspiration, thermal and water regime of soil, snow cover formation and snowmelting, forming of surface, subsurface, groundwater flow and runoff in the river network.

Geochemical submodel describes the processes of contaminants accumulation on the earth surface, dissolution and penetration of soluble pollutants into the soil, their interactions with soil solution and soil matrix, biochemical degradation, transport of pollutants by surface and underground waters, transformation through the river channels.

ECOMAG is based on the principles of uniform landscape units, named "elements". The watershed is partitioned into grid based on terrain analysis using GIS-technique. The river net and landscape elements structure reflects spatial distribution of topography, soil, vegetation, land-use and anthropogenic load.

Model Application Area
ECOMAG model is intended for decision of a wide circle of applied problems of hydrological and environmental monitoring of river basins. In particularly, it allows to:

• investigate the sensitivity of hydrological systems to the natural variations of meteorological conditions as well as to anthropogenic load on the watershed;
• simulate migration and transformation of polluting substances in river basins from the point and non-point sources of industry and agriculture.

History and Experience
Primarily the model was developed for applied tasks of a regional ecological monitoring in the Russian State Institute for Applied Ecology by Dr Yu.G.Motovilov and A.S.Belokurov. The model was applied in Russia for the systems of environmental monitoring of Kurgan district and in regions of rocket stages fall (Siberia), for Environmental Impact Assessment of proposed reconstruction of Makhachkala sea oil harbor (Caspian Sea) etc.

Since 1997 this version of the model has been improved in co-operation with the group of Prof. L.Gottschalk from the Department of Geophysics of Oslo University (Norway). The model is applied for regional simulation of the terrestrial water cycle in the framework of international projects NOPEX (NOrthem hemisphere climate Processes land-surface Experiment) and GAME-Siberia (GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment), for estimation of influence of agricultural diffusive sources on water resources pollution in basin of Baltic Sea (HELCOM Convention), for estimation of environmental damage in region of new Oslo International Airport (Gardermoen) etc.

On-line publications

• Validation of a distributed model against spatial observations (in pdf format)
  Yuri G. Motovilov, Lars Gottschalk, Kolbjorn Engeland and Allan Rodhe
  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 98-99, 257-277 (1999)

Contact Information
Please contact Dr Yuri G. Motovilov for further information: motol@aha.ru

© 2000  SIAE. Design: Alexander Belokurov  (belokur@aha.ru)

Last modified: 06.04.00

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