Water resources management is increasingly challenging due to the complexity of the water cycle, especially in areas facing intensive groundwater pumping, land use changes, and climate variability. Traditional modular hydrological models often fail to capture the full interaction between surface and subsurface processes, leading to oversimplified predictions. Integrated hydrological models, on the other hand, offer a more accurate and dynamic representation of water movement in both space and time. ParFlow is one such integrated model that simulates variably saturated subsurface and overland flow under atmospheric forcing. It leverages high-performance computing and advanced numerical solvers to capture hydrological responses in complex, heterogeneous terrains at fine spatial and temporal resolutions. ParFlow's structure is well suited to simulate the coupling of saturation dynamics and groundwater flow, making it particularly effective in complex hydrogeological settings. This study employed ParFlow to model an irrigated agricultural area in the semi-arid region of Karnataka, India. The simulation aimed to assess spatial and temporal variations in saturation and groundwater velocity, key indicators of infiltration, recharge, and flow direction. Results revealed significant differences in saturation across land units and highlighted terrain-driven preferential flow paths. These findings underscore the value of integrated hydrological modelling in understanding groundwater behaviour and support more informed water resource planning and management, particularly in data-scarce and hydrologically complex regions.

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Integrated Hydrological Modelling in a Semi-Arid Irrigated Region of Karnataka

  • Kelli Rajani,
  • Mohansing Rajaput,
  • B. M. Dodamani

摘要

Water resources management is increasingly challenging due to the complexity of the water cycle, especially in areas facing intensive groundwater pumping, land use changes, and climate variability. Traditional modular hydrological models often fail to capture the full interaction between surface and subsurface processes, leading to oversimplified predictions. Integrated hydrological models, on the other hand, offer a more accurate and dynamic representation of water movement in both space and time. ParFlow is one such integrated model that simulates variably saturated subsurface and overland flow under atmospheric forcing. It leverages high-performance computing and advanced numerical solvers to capture hydrological responses in complex, heterogeneous terrains at fine spatial and temporal resolutions. ParFlow's structure is well suited to simulate the coupling of saturation dynamics and groundwater flow, making it particularly effective in complex hydrogeological settings. This study employed ParFlow to model an irrigated agricultural area in the semi-arid region of Karnataka, India. The simulation aimed to assess spatial and temporal variations in saturation and groundwater velocity, key indicators of infiltration, recharge, and flow direction. Results revealed significant differences in saturation across land units and highlighted terrain-driven preferential flow paths. These findings underscore the value of integrated hydrological modelling in understanding groundwater behaviour and support more informed water resource planning and management, particularly in data-scarce and hydrologically complex regions.