Hydrology and Water Resources Management Group

Transcription

1 Maggia Valley, Switzerland Hydrology and Water Resources Management Group Master Theses Topics SS

2 Hydrology and Water Resources Management Group Prof. Paolo Burlando, hydrology and water resources management Prof. Peter Molnar, hydrology and fluvial systems Research Fields: Hydrological processes in Alpine environments Fluvial systems and riverine processes Ecohydrology Hydrological extremes and natural hazards Climate change impacts Water resources management Sustainable water use Research Methods: Numerical watershed modelling Lab and Field measurement and monitoring Stochastic processes Statistical data analysis and interpretation SS

3 Aims of Master Theses in HWRM What should your MS Thesis aim to achieve? It should address a scientifically and societally relevant problem in hydrology and water resources management in Switzerland or globally. It should formulate research hypotheses and exercise methodologically appropriate investigations from which conclusions are drawn. It should use advanced state-of-the-art analysis methods (models, data) and in-depth interpretation to advance knowledge in the field. It should provide an engineering-relevant synthesis addressing how the results can be used in practice. It should foster skills of independence, innovation, interpretation, and professional presentation. SS

4 Process of Selecting a MS Thesis 1. Each slide here presents one MS Thesis topic. Select a topic and meet the indicated supervisor for a more detailed description. Do this early in the selection process. Variations in the proposed topics are permitted and your own input invited and encouraged. 2. Prepare a 2 page MS Thesis research plan which broadly outlines: (a) the definition of the problem; (b) the methods which will be used to address it; (c) the expected results. Discuss/improve this document with the supervisor. 3. Once you have the agreement of the supervisor sign up in ETH MyStudies for the Thesis with a supervising professor and upload your research plan. 4. Start date: Spring Semester beginning (with flexibility 1 week) Duration: 6 months (excl. holidays), i.e. to beginning of September Presentation: in the last 2 weeks (end of Aug to beginning of Sept) Poster and Report: due at the end of the assigned Thesis window For further information contact the Teaching Assistant. SS

5 Hydro-morphological assessment of Alpine rivers (Maggia, Ticino) and their ecosystem services Since the 1950s, the natural streamflow regime of the Maggia and Ticino rivers has been strongly affected by streamflow regulation due to hydropower operation. This research will aim at quantifying the impacts of regulation on river ecosystem services, changes in aquatic habitat, sediment transport, riparian vegetation, etc. Goals (several Theses possible): Quantification of physical habitat alterations by numerical simulation (BASEMENT 2d) Temporal evolution of alternate bars (Patrissi, 2018) Analysis of morphological change, gravel bar mobility and sediment transport Investigation of conditions for riparian vegetation establishment by modelling Requirements: BASEMENT 2d, GIS, data analysis Supervisors: Peter Molnar Annunziato Siviglia SS

6 Hydromorphological river bed stability from dendrochronology Riparian vegetation is commonly established on gravel bars in braided Alpine. The maximum age of the vegetation is an indicator of stability and can be used to map minimum gravel bar age. This is important information to better understand the return periods of channel forming floods. Date and map gravel bar age from oldest riparian plans (salix) in the Maggia River. Analyze change in vegetation cover from aerial photography over the last 70 years. Determine the return periods of channel forming floods from daily streamflow records. Requirements: basic GIS skills, data analysis skills Supervisor: Peter Molnar SS

7 Attribution of changes in streamflow by hydrological simulation (Thur R.) Shifts in the probability distributions of daily (hourly) streamflow are often visible in hydrological data and attributed to environmental changes (climate, landuse, etc.). Watershed modelling provides us a tool by which we can quantify the uncertainty in such assessments by simulation (example Thur R.). Calibrate and validate Topkapi-ETH on the Thur catchment. Quantify shifts in the pdf of streamflow from station data and simulations along the river. Conduct uncertainty analysis to quantify the sensitivity to climate (precip., temp.). Requirements: basic GIS skills, modelling, data analysis skills Supervisor: Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

8 Rainfall triggering of shallow landslides in Switzerland Shallow landslides in Alpine catchments are often generated by rainfall which saturates the soil and leads to slope failure. The triggering conditions may be described by rainfall intensity-duration (ID) curves. In this research we will estimate the rainfall ID curves for a landslide inventory of WSL. Analyze the WSL landslide inventory database and select rainfall triggered events with timing. Develop hourly rainfall products using a combination of gauge-radar-grid data. Fit rainfall ID threshold curves and conduct a regionalization of the thresholds. Requirements: basic GIS skills, data analysis skills Supervisor: Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

9 Water balances of large African lakes and their temporal variability The Rift Valley Lakes in Africa are unique ecosystems, containing one of the highest biodiversity worldwide. The levels in these lakes fluctuate significantly, in response to longer term climatic cycles as well as dry-wet seasons. It is important to know the contribution of all factors to this variability. Analyze statistics of African lake level fluctuations from hydroweb (Theia). Collect hydrological remote sensing data for the lake watersheds. Build a water balance model and quantify the contributions of timescales of variability. Requirements: basic GIS skills, data analysis skills Supervisor: Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

10 Identify contributions to discharge by end-member mixing analysis We will use hydrogeochemical programs (e.g. PHREECQC) to evaluate the contribution from different groundwater sources (variable geology / lithology) to surface discharge. End-member mixing analysis will allow quantify the contribution of each source, as well as to perform hydrograph separation by water chemistry. calculate saturation for different mineral species in water samples from a database for Alpine catchments perform water mixing calculations to separate contributions from different sources and reduce uncertainty in endmember concentration ( - sampling campaign in an high Alpine catchment) Requirements: interest in: geochemistry, transport processes, hydrological processes Supervisors: Marius Floriancic (floriancic@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez (jjimenez@ethz.ch) Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

11 Quantitative evaluation of relations in low flow statistics and geodata Prediction of low flows is critical as the controlling mechanisms and landscape settings of catchments are not well understood. Using a Swiss scale dataset of discharge timeseries and various available geodata we will evaluate the connection of statistical parameters characterizing low flows and the differences / similarities in relevant physical catchment properties. calculate statistic variables characterizing low flows evaluate quantities of various geodata features for multiple catchments in CH apply statistical tools to relate low flow statistics and physical catchment settings Requirements: data analysis skills with Matlab R or Python, understanding of hydrological processes, ArcGIS Supervisors: Marius Floriancic (floriancic@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

12 Water balance modelling for low flow / recession prediction We will evaluate the influence of precipitation and evapotranspiration on low flow magnitude and timing by using simple water balance models. Large scale datasets all over CH will be used to learn about the relevant variables, in a second step we will formulate and test different extreme scenarios for various Swiss regions. evaluating the influence of precipitation on low flows calculate evaporation rates and adopt water balances formulate extreme scenarios and evaluate their impact for various Swiss regions Requirements: data analysis skills with Matlab R or Python, understanding of hydrological processes Supervisors: Marius Floriancic (floriancic@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

13 Analysis of lysimeter data (ART Reckenholz) with different soils and agricultural crops The Lysimeter station at Agroscope Reckenholz offers, with its 72 Lysimeter whereas 12 are weighable, a huge database for different questions in the field of hydrology and environmental science. Different main Topics can be analysed. The assignment of tasks will be done individually. Possible topics are: Analysis of soil temperature behaviour in different depth, dependent on agricultural crop, soil tilling etc. Soil water balance. Analyse Tensiometer- and FDR Data. Dew formation and its relevance in the water balance. Correlation of evapotranspiration and dendrometer measurements. Requirements: Some basic MATLAB knowledge is helpful. Supervisors: Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch), Luzia von Känel (vonkaenel@ifu.baug.ethz.ch), Volker Prasuhn (ART Reckenholz) SS

14 Modelling flash floods in ungauged mountain basins of China: parameter identification based on data mining Summer flash floods are a common and serious threat in many mountainous regions of China. Hydrosolutions Ltd. has set up a rainfall-runoff model to simulate these events in 35 basins. In this project the student is exploring the possibility to use data mining techniques and a dataset containing more than 600 calibrated parameter sets to identify hydrological model parameters. Use data mining and machine learning techniques to relate dominant processes and initial conditions to optimal hydrological model parameters. Evaluate model performance for assumed ungauged mountain catchments in China Requirements: data analysis and programing skills Supervisors: Silvan Ragettli (ragettli@hydrosolutions.ch), Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

15 Remotely-Sensed Mapping of Irrigation Area in Central Asia with Google Earth Engine Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a powerful tool to swiftly process petabytes of high resolution remote sensing data. Hydrosolutions Ltd. has implemented a method in GEE to automatically map irrigation area based on Landsat 7 and MODIS satellite data and to track changes over time. Our results for the Chu-Talas basins in Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan reflect the gradual rehabilitation of the existing irrigation systems that were partly abandoned after the demise of the Soviet Union. In this project the student is upscaling the method to national level for several countries in Central Asia. Generate a validation data set for land cover classification (irrigated/non-irrigated). Systematically map irrigation activities and changes over time on the national scale. Requirements: data analysis and programing skills Supervisors: Silvan Ragettli (ragettli@hydrosolutions.ch), Peter Molnar (molnar@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

16 Landscape response to small-scale spatio-temporal variability of rainfall in an Alpine catchment Rainfall has a well-recognised effect on shaping the landform. However, not much is known about the role of a small-scale rainfall variability on long-term landform processes on a catchment scale. This gap in knowledge can be addressed by simulating rainfall-landform processes using computer models. Calibrate CAESAR landscape evolution model for an Alpine catchment. Assess the sensitivity of the landscape response to different rainfall characteristics. Quantify the footprint of extreme rainfall events on the landscape in a long climatological sequence. Requirements: Matlab, GIS, previous experience working with computer model is an advantage Supervisor: Nadav Peleg (nadav.peleg@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

17 Estimating groundwater recharge in Mediterranean environments: the role of vegetation Groundwater recharge is a critical issue for water management in Mediterranean regions. An estimate of recharge can be computed using eco-hydrological models that simulate the hydrological budget including evapotranspiration and vadose zone dynamics allowing to compute recharge at sub-daily temporal resolution. Test the Tethys-Chloris eco-hydrological model for a specific location in the Mediterranean climate of Israel. Estimate rainfall-groundwater recharge curves from sub-daily to annual scales. Estimate historical trends of groundwater recharge. Requirements: Matlab, previous experience with computer models is an advantage Supervisors: Nadav Peleg (nadav.peleg@ifu.baug.ethz.ch), Simone Fatichi (fatichi@ifu.baug.ethz.ch), Theodoros Mastrotheodoros (mastrotheodoros@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) Tethys-Chloris model (Fatichi et al., 2012, JAMES). SS

18 Eco-hydrological impacts of tropical savanna conversion to oil palm plantations Oil palm plantations are one of the principal drivers of tropical land-use change and deforestation. Oil palm provides economic benefits for countries, corporations and smallholders, but also environmental and social impacts. This project aims at assessing the effects of oil palm on changes in water/carbon fluxes in the tropics. analyses and pre-processing of eco-hydrological data for tropical savannas, grasslands, pastures and oil palm plantations; Application of an eco-hydrological model to evaluate water/carbon fluxes under different climate and land cover change scenarios Requirements: data analysis skills, Matlab Supervisors: Simone Fatichi Gabriele Manoli CO 2 H 2 O Yield SS

19 Review of methodologies to calculate ground evaporation and soil resistance in hydrological models Evaporation from soil is an important component of the hydrological cycle. A correct evaluation of soil evaporation is also fundamental for not introducing compensatory effects in the calculation of transpiration and therefore wrong estimates of both fluxes. review parameterizations of ground evaporation (soil resistance) in state-of-the-art hydrological, ecohydrological and land surface models. Compare different methods with laboratory experiments and field measurements of soil evaporation and identify the best method (if any). Requirements: Matlab, data analysis skills Supervisor: Simone Fatichi (fatichi@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) Or et al. 2013, VZJ SS

20 Comparing observed and simulated ET trends at the Rietholzbach catchment Rietholzbach is a small experimental catchment located in northeastern Switzerland. Hourly observations of meteorological variables and runoff in the catchment started in 1975, and they were successively complemented with a weighing lysimeter, soil moisture probes and flux-tower observations of energy fluxes, representing a unique dataset for model testing. Seneviratne et al. 2012, WRR Evaluating the ecohydrological model T&C in reproducing energy and water fluxes against lysimeter and flux-tower observations. Analyzing simulated and observed trends in evapotranspiration (ET) in response to increasing CO 2 and temperature and to decadal changes in solar radiation. Requirements: Matlab, data analysis skills Supervisor: Simone Fatichi (fatichi@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) Fatichi et al. 2012, JAMES SS

21 Modeling the effect of vegetation on urban microclimate Vegetation can provide a beneficial cooling effect in cities and green infrastructures are promoted worldwide to improve local thermal comfort and mitigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. However, to understand the impact of vegetation on urban microclimate, a detailed modeling of vegetation properties and mass and energy fluxes at the neighborhood scale is required. Allegrini et al. (2016) Set up and run CFD simulations for a specific urban case study Investigate the impact of different vegetation characteristics and/or patterns on local micro-climate Requirements: numerical modelling and coding skills (e.g. OpenFOAM) Supervisors: Gabriele Manoli (manoli@ifu.baug.ethz.ch), Simone Fatichi (fatichi@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) SS

22 Understanding the impacts of cities on local precipitation Despite the rapid urbanization of our planet, our understanding of anthropogenic effects in the urban microclimate are still limited. In particular, it is difficult to quantify how city size, properties and functioning modifies the spatio-temporal patterns of temperature, rainfall, and surface energy fluxes Collect and process data from weather radar and remote sensing for a number of selected cities Investigate how the urban environment modifies the dependence between rainfall intensity and temperature and identify spatial differences across cities Requirements: data analysis skills, Matlab Supervisors: Gabriele Manoli (manoli@ifu.baug.ethz.ch), Nadav Peleg (nadav.peleg@ifu.baug.ethz.ch), Simone Fatichi (fatichi@ifu.baug.ethz.ch) Ashley et al. (2012) SS

23 Modeling hydropower-induced flow alterations in an Alpine catchment Alpine hydropower operations is threatened by increasingly uncertain and variable boundary conditions due to undergoing climate change and increased energy production from renewables. More flexible operations of hydropower reservoirs may expose downstream riverine ecosystems to increased threats, thus exacerbating the everlasting conflict between hydropower generation and environment conservation. Investigate the effects of the operations of a complex Alpine hydropower system, the Maggia river system (Tessin, CH), on natural streamflow regime by simulating the catchment hydrology pre and post dam construction. Luzzone reservoir (photo: Claudio Bader) Methods: time series analysis, hydrological modeling (Topkapi-ETH), simulation of Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA). Requirements: skills in data analysis, Matlab programming, GIS, hydrological modelling. Supervisors: Daniela Anghileri (adaniela@ethz.ch). Seasonality of monthly streamflow in the Maggia catchment in pre-dam conditions (natural) and in post-dam conditions (from Molnar et al., 2008) SS

24 Improving hydropower operations by using different streamflow forecasts products Hydropower reservoir operation can be improved by considering streamflow forecasts when deciding how to operate the system, i.e., reservoir and power plant. The quality of the forecasts, i.e., the accuracy in predicting the real streamflow, significantly affects the decisions that can be taken thus determining the success or failure of the hydropower reservoir management. Analyze 4 different streamflow forecasts products and quantify their accuracy in reproducing actual streamflow conditions Use them to improve the operation on a Swiss hydropower system located in the Southern Alps (the Verzasca reservoir, Tessin). Verzasca reservoir (Tessin, CH) Methods: time series analysis, water resources management via optimization. Requirements: skills in data analysis, Matlab programming, basic knowledge in optimization techniques for water management. Supervisors: Daniela Anghileri (adaniela@ethz.ch). Example of reservoir inflow forecast ensemble SS

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