1 LISEM

1.1 Overview
The Limburg Soil Erosion Model (LISEM) is a physically based numerical model with the purpose of
event based (but can we used as continuous model as well, as we used in the CWC project) runoff,
flooding and erosion modelling on a catchment scale. LISEM uses a square grid to solve both cell
specific processes, and the differential equations governing flow. continuous development. The
model has been developed in c++ combined with the qt UI libraries and the PCRaster Python
libraries.

The main features of LISEM are:

 Runoff flow
 Channel flow
 Channel flooding
 Erosion (splash and flow detachment)
 Sediment transport

Multiclass sediment the event based nature has two major implications: 1. The model does not
simulate ‘slower’ processes such as evapotranspiration, groundwater flow or changes in vegetation
because of crop growth. This means that initial values for some variables should be chosen carefully.
2. The model can handle any size catchment (tested up to several hundred km2), but the grid cell
size has to be smaller than 1 ha in order for certain process assumptions to be correct.

To simulate flow of runoff water over the digital elevation model, this kinematic wave equation is
used, together with Manning’s equation for flow velocity.

For Overland flow - a full 2D kinematic wave solution was implemented, the two dimensional
version of the kinematic wave is discretized both in space and time, and is solved explicitly. One of
the key problems in routing kinematic wave flow in 2 dimensions is to determine the x and y
components of the discharge.

For channel flow - the 1-dimensional LDD based kinematic wave is used. The calculation for a single
cell is done based on a spatial discretization of the 1D kinematic wave equation with the substitution
of discharge for the cross section of the flow
OpenLISEM uses both kinematic wave and dynamic wave for flow routing. Physics based model
focuses more on the representation of the system and boundary conditions with limited number of
parameters for calibration unlike the conceptual, lumped, or semi-distributed models where
parameter fitting is the primary way of calibration. Moreover, data gap and uncertainty in the data
will be clearly visible in the physics-based model whereas such issues are covered by parameter
fitting in the conceptual, lumped model, which is not correct way of representing the system and
modelling the processes for sediment generation. One major disadvantage of two-dimensional
physics-based model is that simulation time can be more if the modelled area is large. Thus,
conceptual, lumped models are preferred for flood forecasting where model simulation time needs
to be less for decision making. Different flow algorithms are available to the user: kinematic wave
over a predefined flow network (usually based on the steepest slope between gridcells) and dynamic
wave using the DEM directly. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. A combination is
possible where kinematic wave routes the water to the river channels, but these can overflow using
a dynamic wave. River flow is always a 1-D kinematic wave

1.2 Diffusive Flow

In the diffusive flow approximation, inertial terms are assumed very small when compared to other
acceleration terms. When the inertial terms are neglected, velocity is determined predominantly by
hydraulic gradient, friction forces and the gravitational force

1.3 Dynamic Flow

In general, flood water behaves differently than both overland or channel flow. While the terms in
the kinematic wave are sufficient for flow where the mass balance is predominantly important, the
momentum terms must be taken into account.

1.4 Coupling of Flow

The coupling of these types of flow (Overland, channel and flooding) is done with the channel as a
main link. Overland flow runs into the channel, which causes channel flow When the channel
overflows, flooding is initiated. Flood water can afterwards flow back into the channel.

To calculate the inflow of overland into the channel, it is assumed that the direction of overland
flow, in cells containing channels, is perpendicular to the channel direction.

LISEM is a discrete numerical model, which requires the subdivision of both space and time into a
discrete set of locations. LISEM divides the simulation into timesteps of length Δt and square cells
with width 𝐶𝑥𝑦. These values are constant throughout the simulation. Cell locations are indicated by
a subscript 𝑖 and 𝑗, with 𝑖 the row and 𝑗 the column within the modelled raster. Time is notated with
the superscript 𝑡.

1.5 Interception
At the start of any rain-driven event, the majority of the available precipitation is intercepted by
surfaces other than the soil (Linsley et al., 1982). Interception of rainfall can be calculated for
vegetation and buildings. Evaporation, which can take place from these surfaces, is not modelled
within LISEM because of two reasons. First, the event-based nature of the model allows for the
assumption that slow processes, such as evaporation, can be neglected. Evapotranspiration is
furthermore minimal during the rainfall events that are typically modelled in LISEM, since cloud
cover is generally high during these events. Interception is thus modelled as a fixed storage that
takes from the precipitation before that reaches the soil layer. Rainfall that is not intercepted
reaches the soil with the same intensity as the rainfall. While this is not the case in reality, trough fall
intensities are only known for few tree types. Infiltration:

1.6 Green & AMPT:

2 Sediment
2.1 Splash Detachment
Splash detachment is the process where incoming precipitation detaches soil on impact with the soil
surface, due to its kinetic energy. In the case of a large rainfall event, the magnitude of this form of
detachment is insignificant when compared to the flow detachment. For smaller rainfall events, this
form of erosion makes a distinct difference. The rainfall intensity that remains after interception is
used for splash detachment.

2.2 Erosion
For total sediment load in overland flow and simple channel flow within LISEM, the transport
capacity equation by Govers (1990) and Van Rijn simplified equation is used (Equation 44). This
equation was empirically derived from measurements, and is dependent on stream power.

2.3 Sediment Transport

Transport of sediment takes place when water with a sediment concentration is transported. To
model sediment flow in the 1 dimensional kinematic wave, a simple flow advection scheme is used

In order to implement sediment transport in the 2 dimensional kinematic wave and the saint-venaint
equations for flooding, the sediment transport was similarly rewritten to 2 dimensions:

2.4 Total sediment

For total sediment load, bed and suspended transport capacity equations from van Rijn (1984) were
used. He derived empiric relations based on shear stress. He also derived the bed load and
suspended load equation.
2.5 Catchment sediment delivery
Sediment is produced in openLISEM with two mechanisms: splash detachment caused by rainfall
energy, and flow detachment caused by the stream power of overland flow. Rainfall kinetic energy is
based on the rainfall intensity, hence detailed rainfall data is needed (hourly or sub-hourly). The
stream power is calculated from the overland flow velocity calculated by the flow kinematic or
dynamic routing processes.

openLISEM simulates overland flow using the Saint-Venant equations for shallow floods. The flow is
based on a combination of conservation of mass and of momentum. The first principle says that
water all water that goes in a grid cell either comes out or causes a change of water storage water
level in each cell. The second law states that the energy of water, expressed in its momentum,
cannot be lost either. Momentum is calculated as the product of water velocity and height (V*H).
The channel flow is done with a kinematic wave, based on Ven Te Chow. This is set to a standard
value of 0.05 by the DBase generator. However, openLISEM considers every channel to have a
rectangular cross section with a uniform velocity and a simple friction at the bottom.