diff --git a/user_guide/docs/requirements.md b/user_guide/docs/requirements.md index 4957dfb..8bafb9d 100644 --- a/user_guide/docs/requirements.md +++ b/user_guide/docs/requirements.md @@ -1,10 +1,45 @@ # Requirements -## Data requirements - -Data types ## Model limits and recommendation +The limitations of the model lie in its mathematical representation of physical +phenomena. -## Hardware requirements +SMODERP2D is an episodic model; therefore, it does not account for water +redistribution in the soil. The model assumes continuous rainfall, which begins +at the start of the calculation and ends a few minutes (or hours) before the +conclusion. Although rainfall with varying intensity can be input, it must +still be continuous. Gaps in the rainfall data would result in a +misrepresentation of runoff and erosion. + +A reasonable spatial resolution is necessary for the model run properly. Each +cell in the model represents a piece of land where a small brook could form or +a rill could be created. Therefore, cells smaller than the width of a brook or +rill would lead to a misrepresentation of hydraulic in such features. +Conversely, cells that are too large would result in oversized brooks or rills, +as only a single watercourse or rill can be represented in each cell. Thus, a +cell size of 2 to 20 meters is recommended. It's important to note that the +cell size may affect the time step and, consequently, the duration of the +calculations. Therefore, it is recommended not to unnecessarily reduce the cell +size. +The SMODERP2D model is designed for catchment-scale applications and is not +suitable for computing large continental-scale hydrological events. It is +recommended for use in areas with a single outlet point and an area ranging +from tens to tens of thousands of square meters. +At its current state, the model does not allow water in the watercourse to +overflow back to the surrounding land. However, the model can provide users +with an estimation of how deep a watercourse must be to prevent overflow. + +## Data requirements +The model operates with geographical data using common GIS software +(Geographical Information System). Therefore, typical input data for the model +are in the form of rasters and vectors. Rainfall data is provided as a plain +text file. Similarly, the model outputs are stored in open-source raster and +vector formats, as well as plain text files. + +## Hardware requirements +The model can run on standard laptops, PCs, or server hardware. However, +workstations tend to expedite calculations due to their high-end CPUs. RAM and +storage recommendations vary depending on the size of the modeled area and +spatial resolution.