GIS Modeling to Climate Change Adaptation by Reducing Evaporation in Water Reservoirs: Smart Location Technique of Minimal Evaporation Reservoirs (GIS-MER)
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
GIS modeling to climate change adaptation by reducing evaporation in water reservoirs: Smart location technique of minimal evaporation reservoirs (GIS-MER)
A study is presented on GIS modeling to climate change adaptation by reducing evaporation in water reservoirs: Smart location technique of minimal evaporation reservoirs (GIS-MER). This study does not clearly show any scientific improvements in methods or science. It looks like a report.
Abstract
This section is not properly addressed in a scientific way. It is suggested to add your key results and significance to your research properly in this section.
Introduction
LINE 31-36 Please provide proper reference
In the introduction, the section needs revision to add the significance and novelty of the paper. This section is not written up according to a professional, scientific way. The current writing is very generic. It is suggested to add some latest study.
Materials and Methods
This section is very generic; please cite some late test references inside.
Conclusions
It should be short in length and clearly represents your key finding. Please avoid quoting software again and again.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer
thank you for your observations, we tried to answer to each one of them, please see the attached file.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Authors have investigated the most suitable site location of reservoir using GIS-MER model to minimize the evaporation losses in the province of Cadiz (SW Spain). The manuscript has been written well and the concept is good. Some queries are listed below.
# 1. Authors have suggested the sound location of reservoir using DEM data in GIS platform. Have they investigated the existing soil type present in the proposed locations? A small description may be included in the manuscript.
#2. A geology map may be included in the manuscript for the current study area for a better understanding of the sub-surface lithology.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer
thank you for your observations, we tried to answer to each one of them, please see the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Under the consideration of reducing reservoir evaporation, the paper constructs a minimum evaporation reservoir location model and validates the application. However, this paper will need substantial improvements to make it a truly outstanding contribution to the literature. I have the following comments.
1. In the introduction section, the research problem and the deficiency of the existing methods should be explained in detail, and the research ideas of the paper should be put forward.
2. The material and method section must be rewrited to facilitate the understanding of the method idea. The authors should draw a diagram for the model, detail the model calculation process and sub-processes, input parameters and output results. It is suggested to add the the model calculation code or pseudo-codes and code comments for reading.
3. In the discussion section, the discussion should focus on the selection of model parameters and their effects, the optimization of model computational efficiency testing and the value and advantages of model application, and the description of relevant literature should be put into the introduction subsection.
4. The potential influencing factors of reservoir evaporation should be further discussed and compared and analyzed with the actual evaporation by combining the meteorological data to argue the advantages of the method.
5. Additional information should be provided on the relevance and value of the proposed methodology for sustainable development.
6. In Table2, why the location with 927 meters long and 60 meters high is the most suitable dam?
Author Response
Dear Reviewer
thank you for your observations, we tried to answer to each one of them, please see the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
Interesting paper for optimization of reservoirs considering volume & surface area. Only point can be improved is to unwrap sub-models and explain functions leveraged in GIS to achieve this.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer
thank you for your observations, we tried to answer to each one of them, please see the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
I agree with the revised version.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your work and efforts.
Reviewer 3 Report
The authors have only partially revised the paper. Although the diagram of the model calculation process has been added, only the tools used are listed, and the specific calculation process is still not clear enough; the contents of the introduction and discussion sections are still not revised, and careful revision is still needed with reference to the requirements for writing academic papers.
Author Response
- The authors have only partially revised the paper. Although the diagram of the model calculation process has been added, only the tools used are listed, and the specific calculation process is still not clear enough.
Response: To ensure a better understanding of the diagram, a few lines have been added in the text to explain its key points (lines 195-211). ArcGIS Pro diagrams of some of the most relevant submodels have been included too (line 192, appendix B, lines 5-15).
- The contents of the introduction and discussion sections are still not revised, and careful revision is still needed with reference to the requirements for writing academic papers.
Response: Introduction (lines 109-137) and Discussion (lines 342-349) sessions have been revised and remodelled, this way providing the reader with a full context since the beginning of the paper and achieve a more agile discussion.
Round 3
Reviewer 3 Report
It is suggested to add the performance testing for model calculation.
Author Response
Regarding the software, ArcGIS Pro performance strongly depends on the hardware requirements but no further requirements are needed to run the model on a local system. The time spent for the model execution is dependent on the extent of the analysis and the hardware used.
ESRI may provide performance analysis tools for developers of complex systems within organizations. A testing process only measures the speed, scalability, reliability, robustness and stability of any application when the system, at the same time, is used by numerous users or carries out uncountable operations.
Our model is not likely to be used on-line, but in a local system, because it can´t be executed as a Python script. It has plenty of iterators to ensure every option is taken into account, and that is the reason because it needs ArcGIS Pro to run.
Regarding the data performance, the model has been thoroughly tested using different scales for the DEM. Every calculation involved is deterministic, giving always the same result when using the same model parameters. The only performance issue is related to the pertinence of the DEM resolution to be used. Some lines have been added in the manuscript to underline this circumstance (lines 428-432).
