Unsaturated zone model complexity for the assimilation of evapotranspiration rates in groundwater modeling

Abstract. The bio-physical processes occurring in the unsaturated zone have a direct impact on the water table dynamics. Conceptual models, with a simplified representation of the unsaturated zone dynamics, are often selected for coupling to groundwater models, while physically-based models are widely used, particularly at the field scale, for an accurate representation of the water transport. The recharge rates estimated by these Unsaturated Zone Models (UZMs) can then be used as input for groundwater models. Because recharge estimates are always affected by uncertainty, model-data fusion methods, such as data assimilation, can be used to reduce the uncertainty in the model results. In this study, the required complexity (i.e. conceptual versus physically-based) of the unsaturated zone model to update groundwater models through the assimilation of evapotranspiration (ET) rates is assessed for a water-limited site in South Australia. ET rates are assimilated because they have been shown to be related to the groundwater table dynamics, and thus form the link between remote sensing data and the deeper parts of the soil profile. It has been found that, under the test site conditions, a conceptual UZM can be used to improve groundwater model results through the assimilation of ET rates.