Jun Young

Jun Yang is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil Engineering at North Dakota State University. He received a B.S. degree in Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering from Jilin University, China in 2006, and M.S. degree in Water Resources from China University of Geosciences (Beijing), China in 2009. His current research focuses on surface delineation, hydrologic connectivity analysis, and microtopography-controlled overland flow modeling.

Email: jun.yang.2@ndsu.edu
Phone: 701-205-9808

Toward Understanding the Hydrologic Processes on Topographic Surfaces with Depressions - Development of a Physical-based Distributed Puddle-to-Puddle (P2P) Hydrologic Model

Fellow:Jun Yang

Advisor: Xuefeng Chu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, North Dakota State University

Matching Support:North Dakota State University

Degree Progress:Ph.D. in Civil Engineering expected graduation in fall 2013

Research:

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is located in northern United States and southern Canada. The PPR contains roughly 25 million ponds, wetlands, and lakes. Due to their important roles in water retention, flood-peak reduction, groundwater recharge and discharge, and water-quality regulation, these depressions have received increasing attention. However, hydrologic functions and behaviors of these depressions are poorly understood, which has raised a series of regional hydrologic issues concerning water supply, water pollution, and agriculture and natural resources management. In addition, little work has been conducted to physically quantify the effects of those depressions on overland flow generation and the dynamic surface runoff processes. Depressions are rarely explicitly incorporated into hydrologic modeling due to the complexity of simulating these hydrologic processes.

The above discussions raise some interesting questions: how does the water stored in depressions interact with soil water, atmosphere water and change spatially and temporally? How do the depressions interact with others when they are fully filled? How do the depressions on a topographic surface affect runoff generation? Is it possible to develop a numerical model to simulate the related hydrologic processes and address these issues?

The proposed study aims to address the related issues by developing a physically-based, distributed hydrologic model, which can be used to simulate the spatially and temporally varied hydrologic processes of depressions and their dynamic interactions. The model is expected to improve the understanding of the regional hydrologic processes with focus on microtopography-controlled overland flow, evaluate and manage water resources, and serve as a prediction tool for water-related decisions.

Project objectives:

The goal of this proposed study is to develop a state-of-the-art, physically-based, distributed hydrologic model. Specific objectives of the study are:

  1. to develop the P2P hydrologic model;
  2. to test the P2P hydrologic model by conducting lab and field overland flow experiments;
  3. to apply the P2P hydrologic model to a real site selected in Red River of North basin to simulate the related hydrologic processes; and
  4. to investigate the related hydrologic topics including the effects of rough surfaces on overland flow generation and hydrologic connectivity.

Current Progress:

I have completed extensive literature review on my research topic. A series of lab- and field-scale overland flow experiments have been conducted in the past several years in Dr. Chu's research group. The structure of the P2P hydrologic model has been set up with detailed procedures and flow charts.

Expected Outcomes and Significance:

A physically-based, distributed hydrologic model will be developed. The new modeling methodology will improve the understanding of how the water stored in depressions interacts with soil water, precipitation, and changes spatially and temporally and how the depressions on a topographic surface affect runoff generation.

The results from this study may benefit future research and help address a series of hydrologic issues, such as (1) effects of rough topographic surfaces on overland flow generation and infiltration processes, (2) effects of surface topography, rainfall, and infiltration on hydrologic connectivity analysis, and (3) effects of DEM resolutions on overland flow generation for rough topographic surfaces.

The proposed research may also help address the regional hydrologic issues related to: (1) natural resources management, (2) prairie pothole wetlands, (3) prediction of water levels in depressions and flood protection, (4) chemical and biological characteristics of water bodies, and (5) non-point source pollution.

Presentations:

Yang, Jun, Xuefeng Chu, Yaping Chi, and Leif Sande. 2010. Effects of Rough Surface Slopes on Surface Depression Storage. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress, Providence, RI, May, 16-20, 2010.

Yang, Jun and Xuefeng Chu. 2011. Surface Delineation and Hydrologic Connectivity Analysis. ND-SD 2011 Joint EPSCoR Conference, Fargo, ND, October 4, 2011.

Yang, Jun and Xuefeng Chu. 2011. Surface Microtopography and Hydrologic Connectivity Analysis. AGU 2012 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, December 5-9, 2011.

Publications:

Yang, Jun, Xuefeng Chu, Yaping Chi, and Leif Sande. 2010. Effects of Rough Surface Slopes on Surface Depression Storage, p4427-4436. In: Proceedings of the 2010 ASCE World Environmental and Water Resources Congress.

Xuefeng Chu, Jun Yang, and Yaping Chi. 2011. Quantification of Soil Random Roughness and Surface Depression Storage: Methods, Applicability, and Limitations. Transactions of the ASABE. In review.

Jun Yang Conference Presentation 1

Jun Yang Conference Presentation 2

Jun Yang Conference Presentation 3

Xuefeng Chu

 

Advisor: Xuefeng Chu

Assistant Professor, Department of Civil

Engineering, North Dakota State University

Email: xuefeng.chu@ndsu.edu