Uncertainty analysis of elevation data based on groundwater modeling system: A case study of Zhaozhou County, China

Yun-fei Bai; Zhi-jun Li; Qing Ru; Bo-rui Wang; Jia-jun Li

doi:10.26599/JGSE.2026.9280096

Volume 14 Issue 4

Dec. 2026

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Bai YF, Li ZJ, Ru Q, Wang BR, Li JJ. 2026: Uncertainty analysis of elevation data based on groundwater modeling system: A case study of Zhaozhou County, China. Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering, 14(4): 582-600. doi: 10.26599/JGSE.2026.9280096

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Uncertainty analysis of elevation data based on groundwater modeling system: A case study of Zhaozhou County, China

doi: 10.26599/JGSE.2026.9280096

Yun-fei Bai^{1, 2},
Zhi-jun Li^{1, 2
,
,},
Qing Ru^{1, 2},
Bo-rui Wang^{1, 2},
Jia-jun Li^{1, 2}

1.
School of Hydraulic and Electric-Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
2.
Institute of Groundwater in Cold Regions, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China

More Information

Corresponding author: lizhijun78@163.com
Received Date: 2024-09-22
Accepted Date: 2026-03-27

Available Online: 2026-10-10

Publish Date: 2026-12-15

Abstract

Abstract

This study takes Zhaozhou County in the Songnen Plain (a plain area with sparse borehole data) as the study area, and aims to address the issue of elevation data sources' impact on groundwater numerical simulation by comparatively analyzing the application effects of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Digital Elevation Model 90M (SRTM DEM 90M) and interpolated elevation derived from 25 actual boreholes and 14 virtual boreholes (synthetic borehole points derived from DEM data and corrected using nearby measured boreholes). The results show that: The elevation of SRTM DEM 90M can reflect regional microtopographic features; borehole interpolation has single-point errors (−5 m to 10 m) and interpolation uncertainty, and the over-smoothed terrain leads to a relative deviation of 40%–50% in unsaturated zone thickness in specific areas, which further results in a maximum reduction of 93% in evaporation (from 93.92 m³/d to 6.34 m³/d). Regarding simulation accuracy, the traditional water level dynamic fitting of both models meets the required standards, but the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) value of water level fitting for the borehole model is negative, while the statistical indicators of the SRTM model meet the standards. This study confirms that: (1) the "parameter combination effect" plays a dominant role in simulation: Simulation results are essentially the integrated product of multi-parameter interaction; (2) in borehole-sparse areas similar to the Songnen Plain, SRTM DEM 90M can replace borehole interpolation.
- Groundwater,
- Digital Elevation Model,
- Borehole interpolation,
- Simulation accuracy,
- Parameter combination effect

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References(32)

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