Version 3.2.0

BASEMENT Version 3.2 contains novel features for modelling of turbulence, suspended sediment transport and vegetation dynamics and interations between vegetation and sediment transport. The version for Ubuntu Xenial (16.04) has been replaced by a new version for Ubuntu Focal (20.04). Further, some bug fixes were made and the documentation was revised.

General

•  External libraries used by BASEMENT were updated.
• The new version for Ubuntu Focal replaces the version for Ubuntu Xenial.
• Implementation of the riparian vegetation model. The model is intended to reproduce the main feedback between vegetation and sediment transport in mobile bed simulations. Vegetation modifies the flow resistance and the bed shear stresses based on plant characteristics. In turn, vegetation can be uprooted and/or buried in case of bed level changes.
• A block VEGETATION, with the sub-blocks INITIAL and PARAMETER, was added to the model.json file. It allows including the feedback between vegetation, flow, and bedload sediment transport for mobile bed simulations. It, therefore, requires the blocks MORPHOLOGY and BEDLOAD to be activated.
• Three additional output variables were added for the vegetation model: the aboveground biomass density, the belowground biomass density, and the rooting depth.
• A manual and a tutorial for the vegetation model were added to the BASEMENT documentation.
• Implementation of turbulence models of differing complexity (experimental feature). Turbulent and viscous stresses are considered under the eddy viscosity model, following the Boussinesq hypothesis. Different closure models are available for computing the eddy viscosity, namely the mixing length model, the k-epsilon model, or a constant eddy viscosity model. Turbulence computation is expected to noticeably increase simulation times, especially for more complex closure models (k-epsilon).
• Implementation of suspended load sediment transport for uniform sediment (experimental feature). Different closure models are available for the settling velocity of suspended sediment particles and for erosion and deposition rates. Further, shear stress partitioning can be accounted for by providing a value for skin friction, an additional parameter to support model calibration.

Bug Fixes

• Input validation issues (that also affected the GUI) have been fixed.

Known Issues

• Model setup fails if there is a dot ‘.’ in the working directory path. For example: “MySimulations/Sim1.1/" does not work, while “MySimulations/Sim1_1/” works.

Note: Existing installations of BASEMENT version 3.0.1 (or earlier) are not automatically detected by the updated installer. Therefore uninstall any previous version of BASEMENT e.g. using the link in the Start Menu before installing the newest version.