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| Base layers and data | Common data formats | Description and use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Elevation Model (DEM) | Grid | A pit-filled DEM is used to compute the sub-catchment boundaries and node-link networks. Source can automatically generate sub-catchment boundaries according to a user-specified minimum drainage area (stream threshold) and glow gauging station positions. Selecting a small minimum sub-catchment area value will generate a large number of sub-catchments. This will increase the size of the project and run-time. | |
| Sub-catchment map | Grid | A sub-catchment map can be used in place of a DEM. This defines the sub-catchment boundaries within Source. You then need to draw the node-link network for the catchment. | |
| Functional Unit (FU) map | Grid | A functional unit (FU) map divides the sub-catchment into areas of similar hydrological behaviour or response (eg. land use). Source uses FU maps to assign functional unit areas. The FU map needs to have the same projection and resolution as the DEM or sub-catchment map (but it can have different extents, provided the FU map at least covers the extent of the sub-catchment defined by the modeller. | |
| Gauging station nodes | Point | Optionally, a shape file or ASCII text file that lists the gauging station coordinates, and an identifier such as gauge name or number that is used to define gauging station nodes. The coordinates of the gauges need to be in the same proejction as the DEM or sub-catchment map.
| |
| Rainfall and PET data | Grid or time series | Rainfall and potential evapotranspiration (PET) time series are used as inputs to teh rainfall-runoff models. The most commonly-used files are SILO daily rainfall-runoff and PET ASCII grids. Using a daily ASCII grid format allows you to update the rainfall data at a later stage and re-run the model. Table 39 shows format of the input data required. If local data is available, you can also attach your own rainfall data files to rainfall runoff models for each FU within a sub-catchment. | |
| Point source data (if storages are to be modelled) | Time series | Outflow and/or constituent data. The time series needs to have the same time-step, an should be run for at least the same duration, as the climate or flow inputs to the model. | |
| Storage details (if storages are to be modelled) | Time series | Includes coordinates, maximum storage volume, depth/surface area volume relationship, observed inflow and outflow data, losses, extractions, release rules, dam specifications, gates, valves, etc. | |
| Stream network layer (optional) | Polyline |
| |
| USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) and/or gully density layers (optional) | Grid | Can be used to spatially vary EMC/DWC values in the constituent generation process (use the Scale EMCs and DWCs with the Hazard Map constituent generation method available through the /wiki/spaces/SD516/pages/54987113 plugin). The layers need to have the same projection and resolution as the DEM or sub-catchmetn map (but can have different extents). |
Data formats
For gridded spatial data files, formats should be in ESRI text format (.ASC) or ESRI binary interchange (.FLT). Vector data should be in shape files. Gridded rainfall data can be ordered from either:
It is recommended that overlaying Digital Elevation Models (DEM), functional units or sub-catchments have the same projection and resolution (but they can have different extents).
Zero-padded data
Certain file formats require data to be zero-padded. In Table 4, the first column represents months, and is not zero-padded. Some applications will sort this data as is shown in the second column. The third column is zero-padded and sorts correctly.
Table 4. Zero-padded data (sorting example)
| Non-zero padded data | Default sorting order | Zero-padding (always sorts correctly) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 001 |
| 2 | 10 | 002 |
| 10 | 100 | 010 |
| 20 | 2 | 020 |
| 100 | 20 | 100 |
| 120 | 200 | 120 |
Time and dates in data files
The TIME framework (used by Source) uses a subset of the ISO-8601 standard. The central part of this subset is the use of the format string:
yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ss| Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Note: Microsoft Excel does not detect dates with the T symbol between the date and time. ISO-8601 permits replacing it with a space for the purposes of interchanging data and Excel will recognise that representation regardless of your regional and language settings. |
Dates should comply with the ISO 8601 standard where possible but more compact formats will be read if unambiguous. For example:
- the dates 24/01/2000 (Australian) and 01/24/2000 (USA) are unambiguous; but
- the date 2/01/2000 is ambiguous and depends on the local culture settings of the host machine.
The TIME framework will always write dates in the following format and it is recommended that you follow the same format and use zero padding within dates. For example, "2000-01-02" is preferred over "2000-1-1" to avoid ambiguity.:
yyyy-MM-ddAnnual data can often be entered by omitting a day number and using month number 01 (eg 01/1995; 01/1996).
Where a date-time specifier only contains a date, the reading is assumed to have occurred at time 00:00:00.0 on that date.
The smallest time-step that Source can currently handle is one second. When reading a data file, Source examines the first few lines to detect the date-time format and time-step of the time series:
- If the format is ISO 8601 compliant, this format will be used to read all subsequent dates;
- Failing that, an attempt is made to detect the dates and time-step with English-Australia ("en-AU") settings, for backward-compatibility reasons; and
- Last, the computer configuration is used for regional and language settings.
| Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Note: Data file format issues are often the result of incorrectly-formatted date and/or time entries. Refer to Data file formats (dates and time) for more details. |
Predicted or calculated data
The predictions produced by an integrated model developed with Source depend on the selected component models. Example outputs include flow and constituent loads as a time series.
Missing entries
Missing entries are usually specified as -9999. Empty strings or white space are usually also read as missing values. Occasionally, other sentinel values are used, such as "-1?" in IQQM files.
Decimal points
Always use a period (".", ASCII 0x2E) as a decimal separator for numerical values, irrespective of the local culture/language/locale settings for Windows.