Section 6 Outputs

6.1 Context

Previous sections have presented the architecture, available processes, construction and execution of a TUFLOW CATCH model. This section describes the results produced by TUFLOW CATCH under the three core supported configurations described in Section 1.3. Hyperlinks are provided to more detailed descriptions of output fields in Appendix C.

6.2 Core supported configurations

The three core supported configurations of TUFLOW CATCH are:

  • Hydrology
  • Pollutant export
  • Integrated

The outputs of these are described in the following sections. In all cases, the TUFLOW CATCH control file is assumed to be named Model_001.tcc. It is strongly recommended that TUFLOW HPC and TUFLOW FV results that are to be used to create a TUFLOW CATCH *.json file for viewing in QGIS are output at the same timestep, referred to as <common_dt> below.

Units for all constituents, where relevant, have been set as standard (typically mg/L) to accord with commentary provided in Sections 4.5.3.1, 4.5.3.2 and 4.5.3.3.3.

6.2.1 Hydrology

6.2.1.1 Data types

It is recommended that the following data types be set, assuming salinity and temperature are included as constants/timeseries. If not, then catch (TUFLOW HPC) and , sal, temp (TUFLOW FV) can be omitted:

TUFLOW HPC

 Map Output Format == XMDF
 Map Output Data Types == V d h catch
 Map Output Interval == <common_dt>

TUFLOW FV

 Output == NetCDF
   Output Parameters == h,v,d,sal,temp
   Output Interval == <common_dt>
   Suffix == HD
 End Output

6.2.1.2 Files

The following output files are produced in the execution of a hydrology simulation with data types as above. Each is a 2D or 3D (TUFLOW FV) map output that varies in time:

  • TUFLOW HPC
    • Model_001_catchment_hydrology.xmdf
      • Bed Elevation
      • Depth
      • Vector Velocity
      • Velocity
      • Water Level
      • Time of Peak h
  • TUFLOW FV
    • Model_001_receiving_HD.nc
      • Bed Elevation
      • salinity
      • temperature
      • velocity
      • vector Velocity
      • water depth
      • water surface elevation

6.2.1.3 Interrogation

The above output files can be viewed either:

  • Individually via the TUFLOW Viewer (File -> Load Results -> Map Outputs), and interrogated using usual TUFLOW Viewer techniques, or
  • Simultaneously via use of the Create TUFLOW Catch JSON function demonstrated in the eLearning material described in Section 4.3

6.2.2 Pollutant export

In this example, it is assumed that two pollutants are simulated (in addition to temperature and salinity), as:

  • PFAS, Washoff1 pollutant export model
  • Tailings, Shear1 pollutant export model

These models have been chosen because they produce different outputs.

6.2.2.1 Data types

It is recommended that the following data types be set:

TUFLOW HPC

 Map Output Format == XMDF
 Map Output Data Types == V d h catch
 Map Output Interval == <common_dt>

TUFLOW FV is not activated.

6.2.2.2 Files

The following output files are produced in the execution of a pollutant export simulation with data types as above. Each is a 2D map output that varies in time. Hyperlinks are provided to detailed descriptions in the appendices for representative pollutants:

6.2.2.3 Interrogation

The above output file can be viewed via the TUFLOW Viewer (File -> Load Results -> Map Outputs), and interrogated using usual TUFLOW Viewer techniques.

6.2.3 Integrated

In this example, it is assumed that one sediment fraction and inorganic simulation class water quality are simulated (in addition to temperature and salinity), as:

  • oxygen, silicate, adsorbed phosphorus and phytoplankton as constants
  • all other water quality pollutants, Washoff1 pollutant export model
  • fines, Shear1 pollutant export model
  • salinity, constant
  • temperature, timeseries

These models have been chosen because they produce different outputs.

6.2.3.1 Data types

It is recommended that the following data types be set:

TUFLOW HPC

 Map Output Format == XMDF
 Map Output Data Types == V d h catch
 Map Output Interval == <common_dt>

TUFLOW FV

 Output == NetCDF
   Output Parameters == h,v,d,sal,temp,sed_1
   Output Interval == <common_dt>
   Suffix == HD
 End Output

 Output == NetCDF
   Output Parameters == wq_all
   Output Interval == <common_dt>
   Suffix == WQ
 End Output

6.2.3.2 Files

The following output files are produced in the execution of an integrated simulation with data types as above. Each is a 2D or 3D (TUFLOW FV) map output that varies in time. Hyperlinks are provided to detailed descriptions in the appendices for representative pollutants:

  • TUFLOW HPC
    • Model_001_catchment_hydrology.xmdf
      • Bed Elevation
        • Conc SED_FINES
        • Conc WQ_AMMONIUM_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_DOC_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_DON_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_DOP_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_FRP_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_NITRATE_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_POC_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_PON_MG_L
        • Conc WQ_POP_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_AMMONIUM_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_DOC_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_DON_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_DOP_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_FRP_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_NITRATE_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_POC_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_PON_MG_L
        • Dry Mass WQ_POP_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc SED_FINES
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_AMMONIUM_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_DOC_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_DON_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_DOP_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_FRP_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_NITRATE_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_POC_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_PON_MG_L
        • GW Layer 1 Conc WQ_POP_MG_L
        • Net Mass SED_FINES
      • Depth
      • Vector Velocity
      • Velocity
      • Water Level
      • Time of Peak h
  • TUFLOW FV
    • Model_001_receiving_HD.nc
      • Bed Elevation
      • salinity
      • sediment fraction 1 concentration
      • temperature
      • velocity
      • vector Velocity
      • water depth
      • water surface elevation
    • Model_001_receiving_WQ.nc
      • Bed Elevation
        • WQ_AMMONIUM_MG_L
        • WQ_DISS_OXYGEN_MG_L
        • WQ_DOC_MG_L
        • WQ_DON_MG_L
        • WQ_DOP_MG_L
        • WQ_FRP_ADS_MG_L
        • WQ_FRP_MG_L
        • WQ_NITRATE_MG_L
        • WQ_PHYTO_FDIAT_CONC_MICG_L
        • WQ_POC_MG_L
        • WQ_PON_MG_L
        • WQ_POP_MG_L
        • WQ_SILICATE_MG_L

6.2.3.3 Interrogation

The above output files can be viewed either:

  • Individually via the TUFLOW Viewer (File -> Load Results -> Map Outputs), and interrogated using usual TUFLOW Viewer techniques, or
  • Simultaneously via use of the Create TUFLOW Catch JSON function demonstrated in the eLearning material described in Section 4.3

6.3 Check files

TUFLOW CATCH produces a small suite of additional GIS check files, and these are associated with the catchment hydraulic model, so have the corresponding name root ‘_catchment_hydraulic_’. These files are either standalone shape files, or included within the broader catchment hydraulic model geopackage of check files, depending on the user preference set (see Section 4.5.1). They are written to the user specified check file folder location. The TUFLOW CATCH specific check file names and descriptions are as follows.

  1. _catchment_hydraulic_hpc_transfer_R. Always produced. A file that has a single GIS region feature covering each catchment hydraulic model grid cell that has been identified as a transfer cell (either lateral and nodestring) from the catchment hydraulic model to the receiving model (hydrology or integrated configurations) or receiving polygon (pollutant export configuration). In the case of the latter configuration, flow and concentration data from all cells identified in the check file are aggregated to produce a single timeseries (see Section C.5.2). Attributes of each region feature are:
    • HPC_id: Sequential ID given to the catchment hydraulic model cell from which flows and concentrations are transferred. The ID is generated by TUFLOW CATCH and is not a TUFLOW HPC cell ID. The ID starts at 1 and increments upwards and is unrelated to the name of the associated receiving model boundary condition file (which uses the cell ID of the receiving model mesh, and only if hydrology or integrated configurations are deployed). Whilst this ID is generally not needed for subsequent analysis, it is used for cross referencing purposes in other check files (especially _catchment_hydraulic_lateral_transfer_)
    • type:
      • 1: lateral inflow
      • 2: nodestring inflow
    • n: catchment hydraulic model cell column number
    • m: catchment hydraulic model cell row number
  2. _catchment_hydraulic_nodestrings_R. Only produced in hydrology and integrated configurations. A file that has a single GIS region feature covering each catchment hydraulic model grid cell that has been identified as a nodestring transfer cell from the catchment hydraulic model to the receiving model. These polygons should correspond exactly to polygons of type 2 in the _catchment_hydraulic_hpc_transfer_R check file. This nodestrings check file is not produced in the pollutant export configuration where no receiving model is specified (receiving polygons are not associated with nodestrings). Attributes of each region feature are:
    • n: catchment hydraulic model cell column number
    • m: catchment hydraulic model cell row number
    • ns_name: Name of nodestring as set by user in 2d_ns_ GIS file
    • ns_name_1: Cell: 1 of X cells for nodestring number Y
    • ns_name_2: Cell: 2 of X cells for nodestring number Y
    • ns_name_3: Cell: 3 of X cells for nodestring number Y
    • …
    • ns_name_X: Cell: X of X cells for nodestring number Y
  3. _catchment_hydraulic_lateral_transfer_R. Only produced in hydrology and integrated configurations. A file that has a single GIS region feature covering each receiving model mesh cell that has been identified as receiving flows and concentrations from the catchment hydraulic model. These polygons should correspond exactly to the geometry of cells of the receiving model mesh that receiving catchment inflows. This _lateral_transfer check file is not produced in the pollutant export configuration where no receiving model is specified (receiving polygons are not associated with receiving model meshes). Attributes of each region feature are:
    • fv_id: Sequential ID given to the receiving model mesh cell at which flows and concentrations are transferred. The ID is generated by TUFLOW CATCH and is not a TUFLOW FV cell ID. The ID starts at 1 and increments upwards and is unrelated to the name of the associated receiving model boundary condition file (which uses the cell ID of the receiving model mesh, and only if hydrology or integrated configurations are deployed). This ID is generally not needed for subsequent analysis
    • n_HPC: The number of TUFLOW HPC grid cells that transfer flows and concentrations to the receiving model cell
    • cell_list: A comma separated list of the TUFLOW CATCH generated IDs of catchment hydraulic model cells (see field HPC_id in check file _catchment_hydraulic_hpc_transfer_R above). This list has n_HPC elements
  4. _catchment_hydraulic_im_check_L. Only produced if intervention measures are included. A file that has a single GIS line feature covering each intervention measure within the catchment hydraulic model. Attributes of each line feature are:
    • Device_name: Name of intervention as set by user in 2d_im_ GIS file
    • Length: Length of intervention (m)

6.4 Other outputs

In addition to the above, TUFLOW CATCH produces a small suite of supporting outputs that are simple text files. These are listed below, with hyperlinks to the relevant sections of Appendix C that provide more detail and units. If the TUFLOW CATCH BC output folder is set to ..\bc_dase as recommended:

Catch BC Output Folder == ..\bc_dbase

then all files below are written to the TUFLOWCatch\bc_dbase\ folder.

  • A series of mass balance files
    • Surface water. Timeseries of spatially summed cumulative surface water flow and associated pollutant masses leaving the TUFLOW HPC model (either to a polygon (Pollutant Export TUFLOW CATCH configuration) or TUFLOW FV model domain (Hydrology and Integrated TUFLOW CATCH configurations))
    • Groundwater. Timeseries of spatially summed cumulative groundwater flow and associated pollutant masses leaving the TUFLOW HPC model (either to a polygon (Pollutant Export TUFLOW CATCH configuration) or TUFLOW FV model domain (Hydrology and Integrated TUFLOW CATCH configurations))
    • Total. Its content is the summation of the data reported in the respective surface and groundwater mass balance outputs
  • A receiving polygon inflows and concentrations. If TUFLOW CATCH has been executed in the Pollutant Export configuration, then a timeseries output file is produced that reports incoming flow and concentrations to that user defined polygon
  • TUFLOW FV boundaries. A series of TUFLOW FV boundary related files are written as follows:
    • BC blocks. A single file that contains all required TUFLOW FV nodestring (Q) and cell (QC) inflow boundary BC blocks is written by TUFLOW CATCH. This file is called automatically by TUFLOW FV under TUFLOW CATCH when required. It is at the heart of the automated linking offered by TUFLOW CATCH. Users should not edit this file in any way. This file calls underlying nodestring and/or lateral boundary condition data files produced by TUFLOW HPC, and these are described below.
    • Nodestring boundary data. If TUFLOW CATCH has been executed in the Hydrology or Integrated configuration and TUFLOW FV nodestrings have been specified then individual data files are produced for each nodestring TUFLOW FV boundary
    • Lateral boundary data. If TUFLOW CATCH has been executed in the Hydrology or Integrated configuration then individual lateral data files are produced for each transfer cell boundary
  • Intervention summary. If interventions are simulated then a summary file is produced that reports inflow (which is the same as outflow), incoming mass and removed mass as cumulative totals over the simulation duration, for each intervention and each pollutant.