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Methods
 The INCA model has been designed to investigate the fate and distribution of
chemicals in the aquatic and terrestrial environment. The model simulates flow
and water quality and tracks the flow paths operating in both the land phase and
riverine phase. The model is dynamic in that the day-to-day variations in flow
and water quality can be investigated following a change in input conditions
form point or diffuse sources such as atmospheric deposition, sewage discharges
or fertiliser addition. The model can also be used to investigate a change in
land use (e.g. moorland to forest or pasture to arable) or a change in climatic
conditions. Dilution, natural decay and biochemical transformation processes are
included in the model as well as the interactions with plant biomass such as
nutrient uptake by vegetation on the land surface or macrophytes in streams.
INCA has been designed to be easy to use and fast, with excellent output
graphics. The menu system allows the user to specify the semi-distributed nature
of a river basin or catchment, to alter reach lengths, rate coefficients, land
use, velocity-flow relationships and to vary input loads.
INCA provides the following outputs:
- daily time series of flows, water quality concentrations at selected sites
along the river;
- profiles of flow or water quality along the river at selected times;
- cumulative frequency distributions of flow and water quality at selected
sites;
- tables of statistics for all sites;
- daily and annual pollution loads for all land uses and all processes.
The software is available as a windows package and can be obtained from the
University of Reading. Contact (p.g.whitehead@reading.ac.uk or a.j.wade@reading.ac.uk)
Original References for Overall Model Philosophy
- Wade, A.J., Durand, P., Beaujouan, V., Wessel, W.W.,
Raat, K.J., Whitehead, P.G., Butterfield, D., Rankinen, K. and Lepisto, A.
(2002)
A
nitrogen model for European catchments: INCA, new model structure and equations,
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 6, 559-582.
- Whitehead, P.G., Wilson, E.J. and Butterfield, D. (1998) A semi-distributed
Integrated Nitrogen Model for Multiple source assessment in Catchments (INCA):
Part I - Model Structure and Process Equations. Science of the Total
Environment, 210/211: 547-558.
- Whitehead, P.G., Wilson, E.J., Butterfield, D. and Seed, K. (1998) A
Semi-distributed Integrated Nitrogen Model for Multiple source assessment in
Catchments (INCA): Part II Application to large River Basins in South Wales and
Eastern England. Science of the Total Environment, 210/211: 559-583.
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