SFB/TRR 38: Structures and processes of the initial ecosystem development phase in an artificial water catchment

Erosion rills (Picture: M. Hofer, WSL)

Background

The Transregional Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TRR 38 of the German Research Foundation (DFG) aimed at investigating and analysing relevant structures and processes of the initial ecosystem development phase. Within the framework of this interdisciplinary study, an artificial catchment (ca. 6ha) was built near Cottbus (Germany) in 2005. Since then, the development of hydrological flow paths and of the groundwater have been extensively monitored, as well as vegetation, climate and snow cover. The acquired data provide a unique data source for testing numerical hydrological models.

Goals

We investigated the impact of the developing structures (e.g. erosion rills, surface runoff patterns) on hydrological variables, such as catchment runoff or hydrologic connectivity. To model the emergence of these complex structures and to simulate the spatial and temporal water distribution, we developed different numerical models: a new three dimensional cellular automaton model describing the connectivity of the groundwater (Hofer et al., 2011, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth); an SOC-based and a hydraulic model simulating the development of surface rills (Hofer et al., 2012, Water Resources Research); as well as a new three-dimensional high-resolution model for the entire catchment (unpublished).

A second WSL contribution to this project was the measurement of near-surface soil moisture using a tower-based L-band radiometer (ELBARA) developed by WSL and ETH Zürich. These measurements were running for more than one year (2008-2009) and illuminated the effect of surface rills and gullies on such L-band radiometer measurements (as carried out by the SMOS-satellite). Our results will be published in summer 2012 in Vadoze Zone Journal.

Project partners

BTU Cottbus, Chair of Hydrology and Water Resources Management

L-band radiometer at the border of the catchment (Picture: I. Völksch, WSL)

Links

Official homepage of SFB/TRR 38 ("the chicken creek project")

Project team

• Manfred Stähli
• Markus Hofer
• Ingo Völksch
• Peter Lehmann (ETH Zürich)
• Mike Schwank (GFZ Potsdam)
  

Contact

• Markus Hofer