Water Overlay

A water overlay is an implementation of a number of hydrological formulas which together can simulate the flow of water across large areas with a high level of detail. These formulas combined form the model that is part of the Water Module in the Tygron Platform. Its calculations form a simulation of an arbitrary amount of time, during which water is allowed to move.

Water flow is affected by properties of the surface across which it flows, including the terrain height and the properties of the underlying terrain.

To perform the calculations, the project area is divided into a grid of cells. Each cell has a specific quantity of water, and specific hydrological parameters based on the data in the project. The total time which should be simulated is divided into discrete timesteps. Per timestep, every cell communicates with all adjacent cells to exchange water. By dividing the project area and simulation time into sufficiently small cells and steps the behavior becomes effective continuous.

The final results of the calculation can be inspected, as well as snapshots of the hydrological situation in the simulation, known as timeframes.

Water overlay variants

The water module can be called upon by adding one of the following overlays to a project. Each variant has a number of parameters tuned to best fit specific use-cases.

Rainfall Overlay	provides insight into the water stress and impact caused by (excessive) rainfall
Flooding Overlay	provides insight into water stress and impact caused by breaches in levees or other sources causing excessive water inflow
Groundwater Overlay	provides insight into long-term processes of water flow both on the surface and underground