General Information for Complete Profile Output

The general output file is created for every SHAW run. This file contains the title of the run and values for many of the input and hard-coded parameters. A summary of the entire simulated profile may be output at hourly or daily intervals. (Hourly output to this file can create rather large files for lengthy simulations.)



Soil Temperature Profile Output

Each line in the soil temperature files contains temperature (C) for all nodes within the simulated profile at the desired output interval. Values represent average values over the output interval regardless of the time step used.



Soil Water Content Profile Output

Each line in the soil water content file contains total (liquid plus ice) water content (m3/m3) for all nodes within the simulated profile at the desired output interval. Values represent average values over the output interval regardless of the time step used. Ice content for each soil node is output in the snow and frost depth output file.



Soil Matric Potential Profile Output

Each line in the soil matric potential file contains water potential (m) for all nodes within the simulated profile at the desired output interval. Values represent average values over the output interval regardless of the time step used; if hourly output is desired, hourly time steps must be used. Simulated water potential are given in meters of water potential; while this is not a common unit of water potential, it can easily be converted (1 m = 0.0981 bars).



Surface Energy Flux Output

A summary of the surface energy balance may be specified for output hourly or daily intervals. For each output interval, the net solar and long-wave radiation balance for the vegetation canopy, snow surface, residue and soil surface are given, respectively. Sensible and latent heat values are given as well. Positive values reflect energy transfer to the surface, negative values reflect flux away from the surface resulting in a cooling of the surface.



Water Balance Summary

A summary of the water balance for the simulated profile may be output at hourly or daily intervals. Values in mm for each output interval include: cumulative precipitation over the output interval; intercepted precipitation present on the canopy at the end of the interval; total evapotranspiration; total canopy transpiration; change in storage over the output interval within the canopy (not including intercepted precipitation), snow, residue, and soil layers; water lost to deep percolation by moving between the deepest two soil nodes within the soil profile; water lost to runoff; water ponded on the surface at the end of the output interval; cumulative evapotranspiration from the beginning of the simulation; and an error in the water balance for the time period.



Soil Water Movement Output

Water transfer between soil nodes can be output to the soil water flux file. Cumulative water transfer (liquid plus vapor) over the specified output interval is given in mm; positive values denote downward flux between nodes. Water flux between the bottom two nodes will coincide to the deep percolation output in the Water Balance Summary output file.



Frost and Snow Depth Output

Frost, thaw and snow depths and snow water equivalent may be output at hourly or daily intervals. Also contained in this file is ice content (m3/m3) for each soil layer. Output to this file represents conditions at the end of the output interval, not the average over the interval. Under conditions where there are several alternating layers of frozen and thawed soil, the thaw depth represents the deepest soil containing no ice that is underlain by frozen soil; output frost depth is the deepest soil depth containing ice.