Summary
This paper presents an implementation of hillslope-scale lateral subsurface flow routing within the Community Land Model version 5, enabling simulation of water redistribution across topographic gradients within individual grid cells. Model validation against a headwater catchment demonstrates improved representation of spatial evapotranspiration patterns, with the largest upland–lowland evapotranspiration differences occurring in arid and semiarid regions, whilst humid and high-latitude regions show limited response to hillslope-scale processes.
UK applicability
Given the UK's temperate maritime climate with high rainfall and relatively low-relief topography, the modest evapotranspiration redistribution effects documented for humid regions suggest this model refinement may have limited direct impact on UK-scale hydrological predictions, though improved subsurface flow representation could benefit hydrological process understanding in upland catchments.
Key measures
Runoff flux, evapotranspiration flux, lateral saturated subsurface flow, evapotranspiration differences between upland and lowland hillslope columns
Outcomes reported
The study assessed a modified Community Land Model configuration's ability to simulate lateral subsurface flow across hillslopes and reproduce observed differences in evapotranspiration between upland and lowland areas. Global sensitivity analyses demonstrated how hillslope geometry influences evapotranspiration patterns across climatic zones.
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