Catchment virtual observatory for sharing flow and transport models outputs: using residence time distribution to compare contrasting catchments
Résumé
The distribution of groundwater residence time in a catchment provides synoptic information about catchment
functioning (e.g. nutrient retention and removal, hydrograph flashiness). In contrast with interpreted model
results, which are often not directly comparable between studies, residence time distribution is a general output
that could be used to compare catchment behaviors and test hypotheses about landscape controls on catchment
functioning. In this goal, we created a virtual observatory platform called Catchment Virtual Observatory for
Sharing Flow and Transport Model Outputs (COnSOrT). The main goal of COnSOrT is to collect outputs from
calibrated groundwater models from a wide range of environments. By comparing a wide variety of catch-
ments from different climatic, topographic and hydrogeological contexts, we expect to enhance understanding
of catchment connectivity, resilience to anthropogenic disturbance, and overall functioning. The web-based
observatory will also provide software tools to analyze model outputs. The observatory will enable modelers
to test their models in a wide range of catchment environments to evaluate the generality of their findings and
robustness of their post-processing methods. Researchers with calibrated numerical models can benefit from
observatory by using the post-processing methods to implement a new approach to analyzing their data. Field
scientists interested in contributing data could invite modelers associated with the observatory to test their models
against observed catchment behavior. COnSOrT will allow meta-analyses with community contributions to gener-
ate new understanding and identify promising pathways forward to moving beyond single catchment ecohydrology.