Computer simulation of water movement and heat transfer in groundwater-soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum at oasis-desert ecotone

A coupling model for studying transport of water and heat in groundwater-soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum (GSVAC)at oasis-desert ecotone was developed based on the energy balance law and mass conservation law. A new simulation method of decompose-coordination for solving the water and heat transfer model in GSVAC was presented. At last, the experimental data, which were obtained at the field station in Sangong River Watershed in the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain, were used to validate the models of GSVAC.Resultsshowed that the maximum relative error of canopy transpiration between simulation values and measured values was 11.3%,and 5.9% for soil water content and 8.3% for soil temperature. The simulation model and methods will offer a guidance for the research of GSVAC.