Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Initial Conditions
topography, sediment distribution
vegetation pattern, roughness, ...
Forcing Conditions
rainfall (catchment mode)
inflow hydrograph (reach mode)
sediment inflow (reach mode)
current topography
fluvial processes
hilslope processes
erosion / deposition
topography adjustment
Outputs
flow and sediment hydrographs,
topography, inundation, grain size,
erosion and deposition maps
Fig. 5.14
Flow diagram to illustrate operation of the Cellular Automaton Evolutionary Slope and River Model
(CAESAR).
a cellular automaton model of river catchment
evolution was developed and this subsequently
led to the CAESAR model. Detailed descriptions
of the model and its development have previous-
ly been published (Coulthard et al. 2000, 2002,
2005) and are not reproduced here. However,
Figure 5.14 summarizes how the model functions
schematically.
CAESAR is coded in Visual C#, and runs as a
Windows program on Windows NT, 2000 and XP.
No programming experience is required to use it.
Example files can be downloaded and the program
run within minutes. Applying it in practice
requires the capability to manipulate and edit
Digital Elevation Model (DEM) files, and users
will require some basic knowledge about data
manipulation using (e.g.) Microsoft Excel. The
source code for CAESAR is openly available for
download under the terms of a GNU - General
Public License (http://www.gnu.org/), which pre-
vents it from being sold for profit.
Data requirements
CAESAR can be run in two modes: the catchment
mode, with no external fluxes or inputs aside from
rainfall; and the reach mode, with one or more
points where water and sediment are inputted to
the system.
For the catchment mode, CAESAR requires
hourly rainfall data. Ideally, the study catchment
should have such a rainfall record as well as a
gauged point or outlet so that the hydrological
