An object-oriented hydrologic model for humid, shallow water-table environments

Humid, shallow water-table environments such as the flatwoods of the southeastern United States are characterized by flat topography and moderately to poorly drained soils where significant interaction between surface water and groundwater occurs. A Java-based, object-oriented hydrologic model has been created specifically for shallow water-table environments within the framework of the ACRU2000 model. Using the object-oriented design concept of inheritance allows for new modeling approaches to be incorporated into a model by extension, without modifying existing functionality. The object-oriented programming properties of inheritance, aggregation, and association provide a flexible, modular, and readily extensible platform for model development. The physically based, conceptual model represents the effect of the water-table on evapotranspiration, local groundwater flow, and runoff generation. The model is physically based in that it uses physically measurable parameters and is conceptual to the extent that the model domain is idealized. Model validation to two experimental sites in the southeastern US indicated the model’s ability to predict water-table depths, soil moisture distributions, evapotranspiration, and saturation-excess runoff.