Comparative evaluation of conceptual and physical rainfall–runoff models

AbstractThe design of water resource structures needs long-term runoff data which is always a problem in developing countries due to the involvement of huge cost of operation and maintenance of gauge discharge sites. Hydrological modelling provides a solution to this problem by developing relationship between different hydrological processes. In the past, several models have been propagated to model runoff using simple empirical relationships between rainfall and runoff to complex physical model using spatially distributed information and time series data of climatic variables. In the present study, an attempt has been made to compare two conceptual models including TANK and Australian water balance model (AWBM) and a physically distributed but lumped on HRUs scale SWAT model for Tandula basin of Chhattisgarh (India). The daily data of reservoirs levels, evaporation, seepage and releases were used in a water balance model to compute runoff from the catchment for the period of 24 years from 1991 to 2014. The rainfall runoff library (RRL) tool was used to set up TANK model and AWBM using auto and genetic algorithm, respectively, and SWAT model with SWATCUP application using sequential uncertainty fitting as optimization techniques. Several tests for goodness of fit have been applied to compare the performance of conceptual and semi-distributed physical models. The analysis suggested that TANK model of RRL performed most appropriately among all the models applied in the analysis; however, SWAT model having spatial and climatic data can be used for impact assessment of change due to climate and land use in the basin.

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Simple water balance model and crop water demand at different spatial and temporal scales in Periya Pallam catchment of upper Bhavani basin, Tamilnadu

Environment Conservation Journal ◽

10.36953/ecj.2021.22326 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 217-224

Author(s):

A. Raviraj ◽

Ramachandran J ◽

Nitin Kaushal ◽

Arjit Mishra

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Demand ◽

Water Requirement ◽

Water Balance Model ◽

Balance Model ◽

Effective Rainfall ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

Crop Water ◽

Crop Water Demand

Reduction in agricultural water use and increasing the sustainability of water resources can be achieved by studying the water balance of the area and crop water demand. In this paper, by using a simple water balance model, Evapotranspiration, Rainfall, Runoff, Water Demand and Water Requirement different crops are estimated. The crop water requirement and crop water demand for different crops grown in the Periya Pallam Catchment of Upper Bhavani Basin, Tamilnadu, was estimated. Water balance estimation of the area reveals that out of the annual rainfall, runoff is estimated to be 129 mm, effective rainfall is 252 mm, and deep percolation is about 67 mm. The demand for water for agriculture in the study area is about 61 million cubic meters (MCM), but only 19 MCM of water is available through precipitation in the form of effective rainfall. Hence, the remaining 43 MCM of water is supplied through groundwater and other sources. The results will pave the way for sustainable crop water use planning and would achieve water security in the basin.

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A Simple Water Balance Model of Rubber Tree Plantations under Different Evaporative Demand Regimes

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.844.20 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 844 ◽

pp. 20-23

Author(s):

Jessada Sopharat ◽

Sayan Sdoodee ◽

Charlchai Tanavud ◽

Frederic Gay ◽

Philippe Thaler

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Soil Water ◽

Rubber Tree ◽

Water Balance Model ◽

Water Model ◽

Balance Model ◽

Climatic Data ◽

Evaporative Demand ◽

Flow Measurements ◽

Area Index

Drought constraints and transpiration of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations under different evaporative demand regimes were assessed by the simple water balance model. A lump water model, BILJOU (BILan hydrique JOUrnalier), is the daily water balance model. This model requires daily potential evapotranspiration (ETo) and rainfall as input climatic data, also requires site and stand parameters are maximum extractable soil water and leaf area index (LAI). The study was carried out two sites; namely Songkhla and Chachoengsao province, Thailand, traditional and new plantation area, respectively. The calibration of this model was done with sap flow measurements. Soil water derived by tensiometer for Songkhla and soil sampling for Chachoengsao were used to validate the model. Under non limiting soil water and full canopy, transpiration of rubber was influenced by evaporative demand. Consistently, under limited soil water represented as threshold of relative extractable water (REWc < 0.4), transpiration was influenced by REW. In the new plantation area; Chachoengsao, drought constraints were evident annually from the beginning of senescence until the new accomplished flushing; December to June. However, at Songkhla site, transpiration and soil water was mainly driven by evaporative demand. And the limitation of soil water represented shortly during the plateau stage of LAI.

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Assessment of the internal dynamics of the Australian Water Balance Model under different calibration regimes

Environmental Modelling & Software ◽

10.1016/j.envsoft.2014.12.015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 66 ◽

pp. 57-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Li Li ◽

Martin F. Lambert ◽

Holger R. Maier ◽

Daniel Partington ◽

Craig T. Simmons

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Water Balance Model ◽

Balance Model ◽

Internal Dynamics ◽

Australian Water

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Runoff Estimation by Australian Water Balance Model: A Review

International Journal of Emerging Research in Management and Technology ◽

10.23956/ijermt/sv6n4/123 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 60-63

Author(s):

Ankit Balvanshi ◽

◽

H. L. Tiwari ◽

Sandeep Devaliya ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Water Balance Model ◽

Balance Model ◽

Australian Water

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The Australian water balance model

Environmental Modelling & Software ◽

10.1016/j.envsoft.2003.10.007 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 943-956 ◽

Cited By ~ 108

Author(s):

Walter Boughton

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Water Balance Model ◽

Balance Model ◽

Australian Water

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Questioning of empirically derived and locally calibrated potential evapotranspiration equations for a lumped water balance model

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/wcc.2019.292 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 1141-1156 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Umut Okkan ◽

Huseyin Kiymaz

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Potential Evapotranspiration ◽

Water Balance Model ◽

Balance Model ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

Lumped Model ◽

Water Balance Models ◽

Consistent Performance ◽

Monteith Equation ◽

Gediz Basin

Abstract One of the most essential inputs of water balance models is the part in which potential evapotranspiration (PET) is predicted. Especially in the conceptual-based lumped rainfall–runoff models, the steady runoff simulations can be made with acceptable PET predictions. The presented study is about exploring alternative PET equations that can be adapted to a parametric lumped model termed as the dynamic water balance model (dynwbm). Although the use of the Penman–Monteith equation often appears in the literature, a performance assessment was conducted on the dynwbm by using 21 PET equations. The implementation was performed on different river branches in the Gediz Basin, Turkey. The satisfactory PET equations have been selected by means of statistical techniques. As a result of the evaluation, it was observed that one of the radiation-based equations, McGuinness–Bordne, provided the most consistent performance. Alternatively, the presence of parsimonious equations requiring less meteorological variables has been questioned, thus locally calibrated temperature-based PET equations reflecting the PET estimations of McGuinness–Bordne have been proposed so as to be practically utilized in water balance modeling experiments for the basin.

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