Articles | Volume 17, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-5803-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-5803-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Development and technical paper
| 
02 Aug 2024
Development and technical paper |
| 02 Aug 2024
| 02 Aug 2024
An urban module coupled with the Variable Infiltration Capacity model to improve hydrothermal simulations in urban systems
Yibing Wang
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Xianhong Xie
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Bowen Zhu
College of Water Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Arken Tursun
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Fuxiao Jiang
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Dawei Peng
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Buyun Zheng
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Related authors
Yao Liu, Xianhong Xie, Yibing Wang, Arken Tursun, Dawei Peng, and Xinran Wu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-11, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-11, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Global reservoir construction has improved water supply, but its impact on evaporation losses remains uncertain. Our study examines how reservoir development affects water evaporation in the Loess Plateau of China. We find that total evaporation has increased due to expanding water surfaces, particularly from thousands of small- and medium-sized reservoirs. This new finding underscores the need to consider previously overlooked evaporation in the hydrological cycle and future water management.
Yao Liu, Xianhong Xie, Yibing Wang, Arken Tursun, Dawei Peng, and Xinran Wu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-11, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-11, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Global reservoir construction has improved water supply, but its impact on evaporation losses remains uncertain. Our study examines how reservoir development affects water evaporation in the Loess Plateau of China. We find that total evaporation has increased due to expanding water surfaces, particularly from thousands of small- and medium-sized reservoirs. This new finding underscores the need to consider previously overlooked evaporation in the hydrological cycle and future water management.
Xiaomin Chang, Lei Ji, Bowen Zhu, Guangyu Zuo, Yinke Dou, and Tongliang Yan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1593, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1593, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
The purpose of this study was to use Lagrangian diffusion theory to investigate the effects of wind speed, air temperature (T2m), and sea ice thickness on variations in sea ice deformation in the Western Arctic. This study examines the sequence of changes in sea ice deformation in the western Arctic between March 2022 and March 2023.
Cited articles
Best, M. J. and Grimmond, C. S. B.: Key conclusions of the first international urban land surface model comparison project, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 96, 805–819, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00122.1, 2015.
Beven, K.: A sensitivity analysis of the Penman–Monteith actual evapotranspiration estimates, J. Hydrol., 44, 169–190, 1979.
Bierkens, M. F. P., Bell, V. A., Burek, P., Chaney, N., Condon, L. E., David, C. H., de Roo, A., Döll, P., Drost, N., Famiglietti, J. S., Flörke, M., Gochis, D. J., Houser, P., Hut, R., Keune, J., Kollet, S., Maxwell, R. M., Reager, J. T., Samaniego, L., Sudicky, E., Sutanudjaja, E. H., van de Giesen, N., Winsemius, H., and Wood, E. F.: Hyper-resolution global hydrological modelling: what is next?, Hydrol. Process., 29, 310–320, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10391, 2015.
Bounoua, L., Zhang, P., Mostovoy, G., Thome, K., Masek, J., Imhoff, M., Shepherd, M., Quattrochi, D., Santanello, J., Silva, J., Wolfe, R., and Toure, A. M.: Impact of urbanization on US surface climate, Environ. Res. Lett., 10, 084010, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/8/084010, 2015.
Chen, J., Bu, J., Su, Y., Yuan, M., Cao, K., and Gao, Y.: Urban evapotranspiration estimation based on anthropogenic activities and modified Penman-Monteith model, J. Hydrol., 610, 127879, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.127879, 2022.
Hersbach, H., Bell, B., Berrisford, P., Hirahara, S., Horányi, A., Muñoz-Sabater, J., Nicolas, J., Peubey, C., Radu, R., Schepers, D., Simmons, A., Soci, C., Abdalla, S., Abellan, X., Balsamo, G., Bechtold, P., Biavati, G., Bidlot, J., Bonavita, M., Chiara, G., Dahlgren, P., Dee, D., Diamantakis, M., Dragani, R., Flemming, J., Forbes, R., Fuentes, M., Geer, A., Haimberger, L., Healy, S., Hogan, R. J., Hólm, E., Janisková, M., Keeley, S., Laloyaux, P., Lopez, P., Lupu, C., Radnoti, G., Rosnay, P., Rozum, I., Vamborg, F., Villaume, S., and Thépaut, J. N.: The ERA5 global reanalysis, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 146, 1999–2049, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3803, 2020.
Huang, S., Zhang, X., Yang, L., Chen, N., Nam, W.-H., and Niyogi, D.: Urbanization-induced drought modification: Example over the Yangtze River Basin, China, Urban Climate, 44, 101231, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101231, 2022.
Jackson, T. L., Feddema, J. J., Oleson, K. W., Bonan, G. B., and Bauer, J. T.: Parameterization of Urban Characteristics for Global Climate Modeling, Ann. Assoc. Am. Geogr., 100, 848–865, https://doi.org/10.1080/00045608.2010.497328, 2010.
Järvi, L., Grimmond, C. S. B., and Christen, A.: The Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS): Evaluation in Los Angeles and Vancouver, J. Hydrol., 411, 219–237, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.10.001, 2011.
Ji, P., Yuan, X., Liang, X. Z., Jiao, Y., Zhou, Y., and Liu, Z.: High-Resolution Land Surface Modeling of the Effect of Long–Term Urbanization on Hydrothermal Changes Over Beijing Metropolitan Area, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 126, e2021JD034787, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021jd034787, 2021.
Jia, K., Yang, L., Liang, S., Xiao, Z., Zhao, X., Yao, Y., Zhang, X., Jiang, B., and Liu, D.: Long-Term Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) Fractional Vegetation Cover Product Derived From MODIS and AVHRR Data, IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Obs., 12, 508–518, 2019.
Jiang, F., Xie, X., Wang, Y., Liang, S., Zhu, B., Meng, S., Zhang, X., Chen, Y., and Liu, Y.: Vegetation greening intensified transpiration but constrained soil evaporation on the Loess Plateau, J. Hydrol., 614, 128514, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128514, 2022.
Kusaka, H., Kondo, H., and Kikegawa, Y.: A simple single-layer urban canopy model for amtospheric models: Comparison with multi-layer and slab models, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 2001, 101., 101, 329–358, 2001.
Li, D., Malyshev, S., and Shevliakova, E.: Exploring historical and future urban climate in the Earth System Modeling framework: 1. Model development and evaluation, J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 8, 917–935, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015ms000578, 2016a.
Li, D., Malyshev, S., and Shevliakova, E.: Exploring historical and future urban climate in the Earth System Modeling framework: 2. Impact of urban land use over the Continental United States, J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 8, 936–953, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015ms000579, 2016b.
Li, X., Fan, W., Wang, L., Luo, M., Yao, R., Wang, S., and Wang, L.: Effect of urban expansion on atmospheric humidity in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, Sci. Total Environ., 759, 144305, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144305, 2021.
Liang, S., Cheng, C., Jia, K., Jiang, B., Liu, Q., Xiao, Z., Yao, Y., Yuan, W., Zhang, X., Zhao, X., and Zhou, J.: The Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS) products suite, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 102, E323–E337, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0341.1, 2021.
Liang, X. and Xie, Z.: A new surface runoff parameterization with subgrid-scale soil heterogeneity for land surface models, Adv. Water Resour., 24, 1173–1193, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1708(01)00032-X, 2001.
Liang, X., Lettenmaier, D. P., Wood, E. F., and Burges, S. J.: A simple hydrologically based model of land surface water and energy fluxes for general circulation models, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 14415–14428, https://doi.org/10.1029/94JD00483, 1994 (code available at: https://vic.readthedocs.io/en/master/Overview/ModelOverview/, last access: 27 July 2024).
Liang, X., Wood, E. F., and Lettenmaier, D. P.: Surface soil moisture parameterization of the VIC-2L model: evaluation and modification, Global Planet. Change, 13, 195–206, https://doi.org/10.1016/0921-8181(95)00046-1, 1996.
Liu, B., Xie, Z., Liu, S., Zeng, Y., Li, R., Wang, L., Wang, Y., Jia, B., Qin, P., Chen, S., Xie, J., and Shi, C.: Optimal water use strategies for mitigating high urban temperatures, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 387–400, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-387-2021, 2021.
Liu, J., Zhang, Z., Xu, X., Kuang, W., Zhou, W., Zhang, S., Li, R., Yan, C., Yu, D., and Wu, S.: Spatial patterns and driving forces of land use change in China during the early 21st century, J. Geogr. Sci., 20, 483–494, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-010-0483-4, 2010.
Liu, Q., Zhang, S., Zhang, H., Bai, Y., and Zhang, J.: Monitoring drought using composite drought indices based on remote sensing, Sci. Total Environ., 711, 134585, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134585, 2020.
Liu, X., Zhou, Y., Yue, W., Li, X., Liu, Y., and Lu, D.: Spatiotemporal patterns of summer urban heat island in Beijing, China using an improved land surface temperature, J. Clean. Prod., 257, 120529, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120529, 2020.
McNorton, J. R., Arduini, G., Bousserez, N., Agustí-Panareda, A., Balsamo, G., Boussetta, S., Choulga, M., Hadade, I., and Hogan, R. J.: An Urban Scheme for the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System: Single-Column and Global Offline Application, J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 13, e2020MS002375, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ms002375, 2021.
Meili, N., Manoli, G., Burlando, P., Bou-Zeid, E., Chow, W. T. L., Coutts, A. M., Daly, E., Nice, K. A., Roth, M., Tapper, N. J., Velasco, E., Vivoni, E. R., and Fatichi, S.: An urban ecohydrological model to quantify the effect of vegetation on urban climate and hydrology (UT&C v1.0), Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 335–362, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-335-2020, 2020.
Meili, N., Paschalis, A., Manoli, G., and Fatichi, S.: Diurnal and seasonal patterns of global urban dry islands, Environ. Res. Lett., 17, 054044, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac68f8, 2022.
Meng, C.: The integrated urban land model, J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 7, 759–773, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015ms000450, 2015.
Meng, F., Su, F., Li, Y., and Tong, K.: Changes in Terrestrial Water Storage During 2003–2014 and Possible Causes in Tibetan Plateau, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 124, 2909–2931, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jd029552, 2019.
Meng, S., Xie, X., Zhu, B., and Wang, Y.: The relative contribution of vegetation greening to the hydrological cycle in the Three-North region of China: A modelling analysis, J. Hydrol., 591, 125689, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.125689, 2020.
Mishra, V., Cherkauer, K. A., Niyogi, D., Lei, M., Pijanowski, B. C., Ray, D. K., Bowling, L. C., and Yang, G.: A regional scale assessment of land use/land cover and climatic changes on water and energy cycle in the upper Midwest United States, Int. J. Climatol., 30, 2025–2044, 2010.
Morabito, M., Crisci, A., Guerri, G., Messeri, A., Congedo, L., and Munafo, M.: Surface urban heat islands in Italian metropolitan cities: Tree cover and impervious surface influences, Sci. Total Environ., 751, 142334, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142334, 2021.
Mu, X., Wang, H., Zhao, Y., Liu, H., He, G., and Li, J.: Streamflow into Beijing and Its Response to Climate Change and Human Activities over the Period 1956–2016, Water, 12, 622, https://doi.org/10.3390/w12030622, 2020.
Nijssen, B., Schnur, R., and Lettenmaier, P. D.: Global retrospective estimation of soil moisture using the variable infiltration capacity land surface model, 1980–93, J. Climate, 14, 1790–1808, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2001)014<1790:GREOSM>2.0.CO;2, 2001.
Oh, S.-G. and Sushama, L.: Urban-climate interactions during summer over eastern North America, Clim. Dynam., 57, 3015–3028, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-021-05852-3, 2021.
Oleson, K. W. and Feddema, J.: Parameterization and Surface Data Improvements and New Capabilities for the Community Land Model Urban (CLMU), J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 12, e2018MS001586, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018MS001586, 2020.
Qu, Y., Liu, Q., Liang, S., Wang, L., Liu, N., and Liu, S.: Direct-Estimation Algorithm for Mapping Daily Land-Surface Broadband Albedo From MODIS Data, IEEE T. Geosci. Remote, 52, 907–919, 2014.
Rodell, M., Houser, P. R., Jambor, U., Gottschalck, J., Mitchell, K., Meng, C.-J., Arsenault, K., Cosgrove, B., Radakovich, J., Bosilovich, M., Entin, J. K., Walker, J. P., Lohmann, D., and Toll, D.: The Global Land Data Assimilation System, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 85, 381–394, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-85-3-381, 2004.
Salvadore, E., Bronders, J., and Batelaan, O.: Hydrological modelling of urbanized catchments: A review and future directions, J. Hydrol., 529, 62–81, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.06.028, 2015.
Shangguan, W., Dai, Y., Liu, B., Zhu, A., Duan, Q., Wu, L., Ji, D., Ye, A., Yuan, H., Zhang, Q., Chen, D., Chen, M., Chu, J., Dou, Y., Guo, J., Li, H., Li, J., Liang, L., Liang, X., Liu, H., Liu, S., Miao, C., and Zhang, Y.: A China data set of soil properties for land surface modeling, J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 5, 212–224, https://doi.org/10.1002/jame.20026, 2013.
Simón-Moral, A., Dipankar, A., Roth, M., Sánchez, C., Velasco, E., and Huang, X. Y.: Application of MORUSES single-layer urban canopy model in a tropical city: Results from Singapore, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 146, 576–597, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3694, 2019.
Sun, T. and Grimmond, S.: A Python-enhanced urban land surface model SuPy (SUEWS in Python, v2019.2): development, deployment and demonstration, Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 2781–2795, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-2781-2019, 2019.
Wan, Z., Hook, S., and Hulley, G.: MOD11A2 MODIS/Terra Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity 8-Day L3 Global 1km SIN Grid V006, NASA EOSDIS Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD11A2.006 (last access: 27 July 2024), 2015.
Wang, C., Wang, Z. H., and Yang, J.: Cooling Effect of Urban Trees on the Built Environment of Contiguous United States, Earths Future, 6, 1066–1081, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ef000891, 2018.
Wang, Y. and Xie, X.: An urban module coupled in VIC for water and energy balance simulations (Version v1), Zenodo [code], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10258321, 2023.
Wang, Y., Xie, X., Liang, S., Zhu, B., Yao, Y., Meng, S., and Lu, C.: Quantifying the response of potential flooding risk to urban growth in Beijing, Sci. Total Environ., 705, 135868, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135868, 2020.
Wang, Y., Xie, X., Shi, J., Zhu, B., Jiang, F., Chen, Y., and Liu, Y.: Accelerated hydrological cycle on the Tibetan Plateau evidenced by ensemble modeling of Long-term water budgets, J. Hydrol., 615, 128710, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128710, 2022.
Xiao, Z., Liang, S., Wang, J., Xiang, Y., Zhao, X., and Song, J.: Long-Time-Series Global Land Surface Satellite Leaf Area Index Product Derived From MODIS and AVHRR Surface Reflectance, IEEE T. Geosci. Remote, 54, 5301–5318, 2016.
Xie, X., Liang, S., Yao, Y., Jia, K., Meng, S., and Li, J.: Detection and attribution of changes in hydrological cycle over the Three-North region of China: Climate change versus afforestation effect, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 203, 74–87, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.01.003, 2015.
Yang, G., Bowling, L. C., Cherkauer, K. A., Pijanowski, B. C., and Niyogi, D.: Hydroclimatic Response of Watersheds to Urban Intensity: An Observational and Modeling-Based Analysis for the White River Basin, Indiana, J. Hydrometeorol., 11, 122–138, https://doi.org/10.1175/2009jhm1143.1, 2010.
Yang, L., Ni, G., Tian, F., and Niyogi, D.: Urbanization Exacerbated Rainfall Over European Suburbs Under a Warming Climate, Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, e2021GL095987, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl095987, 2021.
Yao, R., Wang, L., Huang, X., Liu, Y., Niu, Z., Wang, S., and Wang, L.: Long-term trends of surface and canopy layer urban heat island intensity in 272 cities in the mainland of China, Sci. Total Environ., 772, 145607, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145607, 2021.
Yousefi Sohi, H., Zahraie, B., Dolatabadi, N., and Zebarjadian, F.: Application of VIC-WUR model for assessing the spatiotemporal distribution of water availability in anthropogenically-impacted basins, J. Hydrol., 637, 131365, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131365, 2024.
Zhang, X., Zhao, X., Li, W., Liang, S., Wang, D., Liu, Q., Yao, Y., Jia, K., He, T., Jiang, B., Wei, Y., and Ma, H.: An Operational Approach for Generating the Global Land Surface Downward Shortwave Radiation Product From MODIS Data, IEEE T. Geosci. Remote, 57, 4636–4650, https://doi.org/10.1109/tgrs.2019.2891945, 2019.
Zhao, Q., Ding, Y., Wang, J., Gao, H., Zhang, S., Zhao, C., Xu, J., Han, H., and Shangguan, D.: Projecting climate change impacts on hydrological processes on the Tibetan Plateau with model calibration against the glacier inventory data and observed streamflow, J. Hydrol., 573, 60–81, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.03.043, 2019.
Zhong, X., Wang, L., Zhou, J., Li, X., Qi, J., Song, L., and Wang, Y.: Precipitation Dominates Long-Term Water Storage Changes in Nam Co Lake (Tibetan Plateau) Accompanied by Intensified Cryosphere Melts Revealed by a Basin-Wide Hydrological Modelling, Remote Sens.-Basel, 12, 1926, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12121926, 2020.
Zhou, D., Xiao, J., Bonafoni, S., Berger, C., Deilami, K., Zhou, Y., Frolking, S., Yao, R., Qiao, Z., and Sobrino, J.: Satellite Remote Sensing of Surface Urban Heat Islands: Progress, Challenges, and Perspectives, Remote Sens.-Basel, 11, 48, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11010048, 2018.
Zhou, J., Li, J., and Yue, J.: Analysis of urban heat island (UHI) in the Beijing metropolitan area by time-series MODIS data, 2010 IEEE IGARSS, 25–30 July 2010, Honolulu, HI, USA, 3327–3330, 2010.
Zhu, B., Xie, X., Meng, S., Lu, C., and Yao, Y.: Sensitivity of soil moisture to precipitation and temperature over China: Present state and future projection, Sci. Total Environ., 705, 135774, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135774, 2020.
Zhu, B., Xie, X., Lu, C., Lei, T., Wang, Y., Jia, K., and Yao, Y.: Extensive Evaluation of a Continental-Scale High-Resolution Hydrological Model Using Remote Sensing and Ground-Based Observations, Remote Sens.-Basel, 13, 1247, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13071247, 2021.
Short summary
Urban expansion intensifies challenges like urban heat and urban dry islands. To address this, we developed an urban module, VIC-urban, in the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model. Tested in Beijing, VIC-urban accurately simulated turbulent heat fluxes, runoff, and land surface temperature. We provide a reliable tool for large-scale simulations considering urban environment and a systematic urban modelling framework within VIC, offering crucial insights for urban planners and designers.
Urban expansion intensifies challenges like urban heat and urban dry islands. To address this,...
