Hydrological functioning of western African inland valleys explored with a critical zone model

Inland valleys are seasonally waterlogged headwater wetlands, widespread across western Africa. Their role in the hydrological cycle in the humid, hard-rock-dominated Sudanian savanna is not yet well understood. Thus, while in the region recurrent floods are a major issue, and hydropower has been recognized as an important development pathway, the scientific community lacks precise knowledge of streamflow (Q) generation processes and how they could be affected by the presence of inland valleys. Furthermore, inland valleys carry an important agronomic potential, and with the strong demographic rates of the region, they are highly subject to undergoing land cover changes. We address both the questions of the hydrological functioning of inland valleys in the Sudanian savanna of western Africa and the impact of land cover changes on these systems through deterministic sensitivity experiments using a physically based critical zone model (ParFlow-CLM) applied to a virtual generic catchment which comprises an inland valley. Model forcings are based on 20 years of data from the AMMA-CATCH observation service and parameters are evaluated against multiple field data (Q, evapotranspiration – ET –, soil moisture, water table levels, and water storage) acquired on a pilot elementary catchment. The hydrological model applied to the conceptual lithological/pedological model proposed in this study reproduces the main behaviours observed, which allowed those virtual experiments to be conducted. We found that yearly water budgets were highly sensitive to the vegetation distribution: average yearly ET for a tree-covered catchment (944&thinsp;mm) exceeds that of herbaceous cover (791&thinsp;mm). ET differences between the two covers vary between 12&thinsp;% and 24&thinsp;% of the precipitation of the year for the wettest and driest years, respectively. Consequently, the tree-covered catchment produces a yearly Q amount of 28&thinsp;% lower on average as compared to a herbaceous-covered catchment, ranging from 20&thinsp;% for the wettest year to 47&thinsp;% for a dry year. Trees also buffer interannual variability in ET by 26&thinsp;% (with respect to herbaceous). On the other hand, pedological features (presence – or absence – of the low-permeability layer commonly found below inland valleys, upstream and lateral contributive areas) had limited impact on yearly water budgets but marked consequences for intraseasonal hydrological processes (sustained/non-sustained baseflow in the dry season, catchment water storage redistribution). Therefore, subsurface features and vegetation cover of inland valleys have potentially significant impacts on downstream water-dependent ecosystems and water uses as hydropower generation, and should focus our attention.</p

Path-average rainfall estimation from optical extinction measurements using a large-aperture scintillometer

The potential of a near-infrared large-aperture boundary layer scintillometer as path-average rain gauge is investigated. The instrument was installed over a 2.4-km path in Benin as part of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) Enhanced Observation Period during 2006 and 2007. Measurements of the one-minute-average received signal intensity were collected for 6 rainfall events during the dry season and 16 events during the rainy season. Using estimates of the signal base level just before the onset of the rainfall events, the optical extinction coefficient is estimated from the path-integrated attenuation for each minute. The corresponding path-average rain rates are computed using a power-law relation between the optical extinction coefficient and rain rate obtained from measurements of raindrop size distributions with an optical spectropluviometer and a scaling-law formalism for describing raindrop size distribution variations. Comparisons of five-minute rainfall estimates with measurements from two nearby rain gauges show that the temporal dynamics are generally captured well by the scintillometer. However, the instrument has a tendency to underestimate rain rates and event total rain amounts with respect to the gauges. It is shown that this underestimation can be explained partly by systematic differences between the actual and the employed mean power-law relation between rain rate and specific attenuation, partly by unresolved spatial and temporal rainfall variations along the scintillometer path. Occasionally, the signal may even be lost completely. It is demonstrated that if these effects are properly accounted for by employing appropriate relations between rain rate and specific attenuation and by adapting the pathlength to the local rainfall climatology, scintillometer-based rainfall estimates can be within 20% of those estimated using rain gauges. These results demonstrate the potential of large-aperture scintillometers to estimate path-average rain rates at hydrologically relevant scales

A new parameterisation scheme of ground heat flux for land surface flux retrieval from remote sensing information

The objective of the study was to assess the performance of a new parameterisation scheme of ground heat flux (G) for retrieving surface fluxes from remote sensing data (MODIS-Terra). Formulae that are based on empirical relationships relating G to net radiation, Rn (G = αRn, α being a function of a vegetation index, VI) are currently used, but presented drawbacks, especially in bare or sparse vegetation areas because of the poor adequacy of VI-based relationships to account for changes in soil moisture. In this study, we proposed to link α to the evaporative fraction, EF. In a first step, using a non-dimensional form of the surface energy balance, we demonstrated that α is functionally related to EF and to the ratio γ = G/H (H = sensible heat flux). In a second step, we proposed an EF-based parameterisation of α, using ground fluxes data sets collected throughout the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 at four flux-tower sites in West African countries (Mali, Benin, Niger) that differ in surface conditions and Monsoon influence. The analysis indicated that the average site-specific values of α and EF were well described by a linear relationship of the type α = a EF + b, with a = −0.22 and b = 0.23. In a third stage, we investigated whether ET-retrieval from remote sensing information (MODIS-Terra) using the new parameterisation of α perform better than the classical formulation through VI-based relationships. We found that the retrieved values of H using the new parameterisation supplied the best agreement with the observed ground data and significant improvement with respect to estimates from α–VI relationships. Advantages and limitations of the proposed parameterisation scheme were discussed

Comparison of three sensible heat flux measurement techniques over homogeneous asphalt in simulated rain

International audienc

Factors affecting entrepreneurial intention levels: a role for education

A considerable agreement exists about the importance of promoting entrepreneurship to stimulate economic development and employment generation. In particular, entrepreneurship education has been considered one of the key instruments to increase the entrepreneurial attitudes of both potential and nascent entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, the factors that determine the individual’s decision to start a venture are still not completely clear. Cognitive approaches have attracted considerable interest recently. But the explaining capacity of personality traits or demographic characteristics is still considered. Therefore, there is a need to clarify which elements play the most influential role in shaping the personal decision to start a firm. This paper tries to contribute to filling this gap by providing empiricallybased suggestions for the design of improved entrepreneurship education initiatives. The empirical analysis is based on two essential elements: firstly, an already validated instrument (EIQ); secondly, a statistical method (factor-regression procedure) which is not dependent on any theoretical approach. It uses all the information collected through the questionnaire items, selecting them solely based on their capacity to explain the dependent variable. Results will allow the design of more effective education initiatives. They suggest that personal attitude and perceived behavioural control are the most relevant factors explaining entrepreneurial intentions. Thus, based on these results, a number of considerations about the most effective role of education in promoting and developing attitudes and intentions towards entrepreneurship are considered. Besides, the EIQ could be used as an evaluation instrument for entrepreneurial education programmes.JRC.J.6-Sustainable production and consumptio

The contribution of MRS and resistivity methods to the interpretation of actual evapo-transpiration measurements: a case study in metamorphic context in north Benin

International audienceA quantitative budget estimate of actual evapo-transpiration is a key issue for enhanced hydrological modelling in northern Bénin. Actual evapo-transpiration is estimated using large aperture scintillometer equipment, devoted to sensible heat flux measurements. However, a previous study reported that the actual evapo-transpiration cycle is not fully understood. Indeed, the actual evapo-transpiration depends strongly on several factors such as climate, vegetation pattern, soil water storage and human activities. The respective contributions of the aquifer and vadose zone to the actual evapo-transpiration budget are not known. When using piezometric variations of the water table, the aquifer contribution is not easy to quantify since the specific yield may vary in the investigated area, located in a metamorphic rock environment. In the present study, we investigate whether significant differences in the aquifer's specific yield could exist within the large aperture scintillometer measurement area, leading to different actual evapo-transpiration water losses. We use joint frequency electromagnetic resistivity mapping, geological surveys and magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) to delineate the effective porosity of the regolith around the scintillometre measurement area. Thirteen MRS soundings implemented in key areas reveal a clear classification of the main geological units on the basis of their water content. The MRS water content varies between 1.5-3% for amphibolite and micaschists formations to more than 12% for quartzitic fractured formations, whereas the MRS relaxation time T1 is less discriminating (150-250 ms), indicating a small variation in pore size. Then, as a first modelling exercise, we assumed that the MRS water content (the effective porosity) maximizes the specific yield. The actual evapo-transpiration budget given by a previous study (Guyot et al. 2009) is then re-interpreted using geophysical data: we found that a) the measured water table depletion can explain the actual evapo-transpiration value providing enough water for the transpiration process and b) the significant discrepancies in actual evapo-transpiration signals observed between the eastern and western parts of the watershed can be explained by the respective effective porosity of the geological units. Even if further research is needed to link MRS water content to the specific yield and to evaluate a possible role of the deep vadose zone, the hydrogeophysical mapping presented in this study highlights the role of the MRS method for providing relevant information to understand hydrological processes in this complicated geological context of north Bénin

Surface response to rain events throughout the West African monsoon

This study analyses the response of the continental surface to rain events, taking advantage of the long-term near-surface measurements over different vegetation types at different latitudes, acquired during the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) by the AMMA-CATCH observing system. The simulated surface response by nine land surface models involved in AMMA Land Model Intercomparison Project (ALMIP), is compared to the observations. The surface response, described via the evaporative fraction (EF), evolves in two steps: the immediate surface response (corresponding to an increase of EF occurring immediately after the rain) and the surface recovery (characterized by a decrease of EF over several days after the rain). It is shown that, for all the experimental sites, the immediate surface response is mainly dependent on the soil moisture content and the recovery period follows an exponential relationship whose rate is strongly dependent on the vegetation type (from 1 day over bare soil to 70 days over forest) and plant functional type (below and above 10 days for annual and perennial plants, respectively). The ALMIP model ensemble depicts a broad range of relationships between EF and soil moisture, with the worst results for the drier sites (high latitudes). The land surface models tend to simulate a realistic surface recovery for vegetated sites, but a slower and more variable EF decrease is simulated over bare soil than observed

Stratégie pour documenter l'hétérogénéité des propriétés des sols et impact sur les transferts d'eau de l'échelle du versant à celle du bassin versant

International audienceHeterogeneity in soil properties has been identified to impact water transfers at different scales from vertical column, hillslopes to watershed. Thus Distributed physically based hydrological models require distributed hydraulic characteristics to quantify these impacts. To characterize soil properties and their heterogeneity, a multi-scale sampling strategy was proposed based on distributed information including electromagnetic survey maps, topography and land use coverage. Each identified units are characterized by there hydraulic properties including in situ infiltration tests. This strategy was applied over the Ara Catchment (12km2) in northern Benin. It has been instrumented in the framework of the AMMA-Catch experimental network in West Africa, to better determine water resources and to investigate possible hydrological retro-action on monsoon cycle. From hydrological point of view, distributed soil hydraulic properties are supposed to impact water transfers and watershed dynamics all along the monsoon cycle. To document this heterogeneity, an electrical conductivity map and geological survey was used as starting points to identify the ground structures which align with the north-south direction with a dip angle of 20° east. A total of 20 pits have been opened to document the 0-2m horizons, and 2 more for the 0-5m horizons. 3 pits were digged within each geological structure areas at the surface. In each pit, the retention and hydraulic conductivity curves of each pedological horizon were characterized with three replicates. This database is used to document the variability of these properties and to produce soil hydraulic property maps. Using the variability information, we tested their impact with the Parflow-CLM 3D distributed model. It was run in an homogeneous configuration and compared with a data controlled heterogeneous configuration. The latest is prepared using a turning band algorithm to distribute soil hydraulic properties