Model:Tracer dispersion calculator

Tracer dispersion calculator

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Also known as
Model type	Single
Model part of larger framework

Incorporated models or components:

Spatial dimensions	1D
Spatial extent	Landscape-Scale, Watershed-Scale, Reach-Scale
Model domain	Terrestrial
One-line model description	The model computes the streamwise and vertical dispersal of a patch of tracers in a gravel bed river
Extended model description	The model uses the vertically continuous (not active layer-based), morphodynamic framework proposed by Parker, Paola an Leclair in 2000 to model the streamwise and vertical dispersal of a patch of tracers installed in a equilibrium gravel bed. The model was validated at laboratory and field scales on the mountainous Halfmoon Creek, USA, and on the braided Buech River, France. Different versions of the model are uploaded in the github folder because the formulaiton for the calculation of the formative bed shear stress varied depending on the available data. REFERENCE Parker, G., Paola, C. & Leclair, S. (2000). Probabilistic Exner sediment continuity equation for mixtures with no active layer. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 126 (11), 818-826.

Keywords:	tracers, gravel-bed rivers, bedload transport,

Name	Enrica Viparelli
Type of contact	Model developer
Institute / Organization	University of South Carolina
Postal address 1
Postal address 2
Town / City	Columbia
Postal code	29208
State	South Carolina
Country	United States
Email address	viparell@cec.sc.edu
Phone
Fax

Name	Amanda Balkus
Type of contact	Model developer
Institute / Organization	University of South Carolina
Postal address 1
Postal address 2
Town / City	Columbia
Postal code	29208
State	South Carolina
Country	United States
Email address	ABALKUS@email.sc.edu
Phone
Fax

Supported platforms	Mac OS, Windows
Other platform
Programming language	Python
Other program language
Code optimized	Single Processor
Multiple processors implemented
Nr of distributed processors
Nr of shared processors
Start year development	2021
Does model development still take place?	Yes
If above answer is no, provide end year model development
Code development status	Active
When did you indicate the 'code development status'?	2022
Model availability	As code
Source code availability (Or provide future intension)	Through web repository
Source web address	https://github.com/vipenrica/tracer-stone-modeling
Source csdms web address
Program license type	BSD or MIT X11
Program license type other
Memory requirements	a laptop or desktop computer should be more than enough
Typical run time	few/several minutes

Describe input parameters	equilibrium bed profile, sediment size, probabilities of instantaneous bed elevations and of particle entrainment, area of the patch of tracers installed on the bed, entrainment rate of particles in bedload tranport, particle step lenght
Input format
Other input format	hard coded in the model file
Describe output parameters	volume fraction content of tracers in the deposit
Output format
Other output format	text files
Pre-processing software needed?	No
Describe pre-processing software
Post-processing software needed?	No
Describe post-processing software
Visualization software needed?	Yes
If above answer is yes	Matlab
Other visualization software	excel, python

Describe processes represented by the model	The model represent the streamwise and vertical dispersal of a patch of tracer stones in an equilibrium gravel bed.
Describe key physical parameters and equations	The model solves the elevation-specific equation of tracer mass conservation simplified for the case of an equilibrium bed. This simplification is appropriate in slowly varying non-equilibrium conditions at time scales up to 1-2 decades. Key physical parameters are the entrainment rate of particles in bedload transport, the average particle step length, the standard deviation of bed elevation change, the elevation of the maximum probability of particle entrainment, the probability functions of bed elevations and of particle entrainment in bedload transport.
Describe length scale and resolution constraints	The model domain must be at least 10s of particle step length long.
Describe time scale and resolution constraints	Time scales should be long compared to the time scales of short-term bed elevation changes, i.e. changes in instantaneous bed elevation associated with bedload transport and bedform migration (Blom et al., 2003, Wong et al., 2007). In other words, model results are averages over short-term bed elevation changes. For applications at field scales, the time resolution should be at least of one year because the model runs with formative conditions representative of mean annual values. REFERENCES Blom, A., Ribberink, J. S. & de Vriend, H. (2003). Vertical sorting in bed forms: Flume experiments with a natural and a trimodal sediment mixture. Water Resources Research, 39 (2), 1025. Wong, M., Parker, G., DeVries, P., Brown, T. M. & Burges, S. J. (2007). Experiments on dispersion of tracer stones under lower-regime plane-bed equilibrium bedload transport. Water Resources Research, 45, W03440.
Describe any numerical limitations and issues	The elevation specific equation of mass conservation is integrated with the Euler method. Thus, the user should carefully choose the spatial distance between computational nodes in the vertical and streamwise direction, as well as the temporal increment, to guarantee the numerical stability and mass conservation.

Describe available calibration data sets	The experiments by Wong et al. (2007) were used to determine a relation to express the elevation of the maximum probability of particle entrainment in bedload transport to the characteristics of the flow and of the sediment. The Wong et al. (2007) dataset is available in the github repository with the comparison between model results and experimental data.
Upload calibration data sets if available:
Describe available test data sets	The model has been tested against field data on tracer dispersal collected on Halfmoon Creek, Colorado USA, by Bradley and Tucker (2012) and Bradley (2017), and on the Buech River, France, by Brousse et al. (2019), Michal Tal and Daniel Vazquez-Tarrio. The Halfmoon Creek data are available as supporting information of Bradley (2017). The Buech River data are in teh model github repository. REFERENCES Bradley, D. N. (2017). Direct observation of heavy-tailed storage times of bed load tracer particles causing anomalous superdiffusion. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, 12227-12235. Bradley, D. N & Tucker, G. E. (2012). Measuring gravel transport and dispersion in a mountain river using passive radio tracers. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 37, 1034-1045. Brousse, G., Arnaud-Fassetta, G., Liebault, F., Bertrand, M., Melum, G., Loire, R., Malavoi, J.-R., Fantino, G. & Borgniet, L. (2020). Channel response to sediment replenishment in a large gravel-bed river: The case of the Saint-Sauveur dam in the Buech River (Southern Alps, France). River Research and Application, 36 (6), 880-893.
Upload test data sets if available:
Describe ideal data for testing	Any experimental dataset on tracer dispersal in an bed that is not too far from equilibirum conditions

Do you have current or future plans for collaborating with other researchers?	Amanda Balkus is modeling tracer dispersal from a continuous source. Discussions on how to extend the model to sediment mixtures are in progress

Is there a manual available?	No
Upload manual if available:
Model website if any
Model forum / discussion board

Comments	A manuscript titled "Streamwise and vertical dispersal of tracer stones in an equilibrium bed" will be submitted soon to Water Resources Research.

This part will be filled out by CSDMS staff

OpenMI compliant	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, No but planned, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code openmi compliant or not" property.
BMI compliant	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, No but planned, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code IRF or not" property.
WMT component	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, In progress, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code CMT compliant or not" property.
PyMT component	Not yet"Not yet" is not in the list (Yes, In progress, No but possible, No not possible) of allowed values for the "Code PyMT compliant or not" property.
Is this a data component	No

Can be coupled with:

Model info

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Enrica Viparelli

Balkus

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