Sensitivity and Performance Analyses of the Distributed Hydrology–Soil–Vegetation Model Using Geomorphons for Landform Mapping

Landform classification is important for representing soil physical properties varying continuously across the landscape and for understanding many hydrological processes in watersheds. Considering it, this study aims to use a geomorphology map (Geomorphons) as an input to a physically based hydrological model (Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM)) in a mountainous headwater watershed. A sensitivity analysis of five soil parameters was evaluated for streamflow simulation in each Geomorphons feature. As infiltration and saturation excess overland flow are important mechanisms for streamflow generation in complex terrain watersheds, the model’s input soil parameters were most sensitive in the “slope”, “hollow”, and “valley” features. Thus, the simulated streamflow was compared with observed data for calibration and validation. The model performance was satisfactory and equivalent to previous simulations in the same watershed using pedological survey and moisture zone maps. Therefore, the results from this study indicate that a geomorphologically based map is applicable and representative for spatially distributing hydrological parameters in the DHSVM.

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Inverse distributed hydrological modelling of Alpine catchments

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-10-395-2006 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 395-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

H. Kunstmann ◽

J. Krause ◽

S. Mayr

Keyword(s):

Parameter Estimation ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Horizontal Resolution ◽

Nonlinear Parameter ◽

Model Complexity ◽

Distributed Hydrological Model ◽

Nonlinear Parameter Estimation ◽

Estimated Parameters ◽

Physically Based

Abstract. Even in physically based distributed hydrological models, various remaining parameters must be estimated for each sub-catchment. This can involve tremendous effort, especially when the number of sub-catchments is large and the applied hydrological model is computationally expensive. Automatic parameter estimation tools can significantly facilitate the calibration process. Hence, we combined the nonlinear parameter estimation tool PEST with the distributed hydrological model WaSiM. PEST is based on the Gauss-Marquardt-Levenberg method, a gradient-based nonlinear parameter estimation algorithm. WaSiM is a fully distributed hydrological model using physically based algorithms for most of the process descriptions. WaSiM was applied to the alpine/prealpine Ammer River catchment (southern Germany, 710 km2 in a 100×100 m2 horizontal resolution. The catchment is heterogeneous in terms of geology, pedology and land use and shows a complex orography (the difference of elevation is around 1600 m). Using the developed PEST-WaSiM interface, the hydrological model was calibrated by comparing simulated and observed runoff at eight gauges for the hydrologic year 1997 and validated for the hydrologic year 1993. For each sub-catchment four parameters had to be calibrated: the recession constants of direct runoff and interflow, the drainage density, and the hydraulic conductivity of the uppermost aquifer. Additionally, five snowmelt specific parameters were adjusted for the entire catchment. Altogether, 37 parameters had to be calibrated. Additional a priori information (e.g. from flood hydrograph analysis) narrowed the parameter space of the solutions and improved the non-uniqueness of the fitted values. A reasonable quality of fit was achieved. Discrepancies between modelled and observed runoff were also due to the small number of meteorological stations and corresponding interpolation artefacts in the orographically complex terrain. Application of a 2-dimensional numerical groundwater model partly yielded a slight decrease of overall model performance when compared to a simple conceptual groundwater approach. Increased model complexity therefore did not yield in general increased model performance. A detailed covariance analysis was performed allowing to derive confidence bounds for all estimated parameters. The correlation between the estimated parameters was in most cases negligible, showing that parameters were estimated independently from each other.

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Rainfall-runoff modelling in a catchment with a complex groundwater flow system: application of the Representative Elementary Watershed (REW) approach

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/hessd-2-639-2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 639-690 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G. P. Zhang ◽

H. H. G. Savenije

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Overland Flow ◽

Model Performance ◽

Source Area ◽

Subsurface Water ◽

Watershed Hydrology ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

Data Set ◽

Physically Based ◽

Infiltration Excess

Abstract. Based on the Representative Elementary Watershed (REW) approach, the modelling tool REWASH (Representative Elementary WAterShed Hydrology) has been developed and applied to the Geer river basin. REWASH is deterministic, semi-distributed, physically based and can be directly applied to the watershed scale. In applying REWASH, the river basin is divided into a number of sub-watersheds, so called REWs, according to the Strahler order of the river network. REWASH describes the dominant hydrological processes, i.e. subsurface flow in the unsaturated and saturated domains, and overland flow by the saturation-excess and infiltration-excess mechanisms. Through flux exchanges among the different spatial domains of the REW, surface and subsurface water interactions are fully coupled. REWASH is a parsimonious tool for modelling watershed hydrological response. However, it can be modified to include more components to simulate specific processes when applied to a specific river basin where such processes are observed or considered to be dominant. In this study, we have added a new component to simulate interception using a simple parametric approach. Interception plays an important role in the water balance of a watershed although it is often disregarded. In addition, a refinement for the transpiration in the unsaturated zone has been made. Finally, an improved approach for simulating saturation overland flow by relating the variable source area to both the topography and the groundwater level is presented. The model has been calibrated and verified using a 4-year data set, which has been split into two for calibration and validation. The model performance has been assessed by multi-criteria evaluation. This work is the first full application of the REW approach to watershed rainfall-runoff modelling in a real watershed. The results demonstrate that the REW approach provides an alternative blueprint for physically based hydrological modelling.

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Integrating remote sensing-derived evapotranspiration and ground-monitored discharge data for the improvement of hydrological modelling: A case study of the Sekong River Basin

10.22541/au.161294477.77976146/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Raksmey Ang ◽

S. Shrestha ◽

Salvatore Virdis ◽

Saurav KC

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Model Calibration ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Hydrologic Model ◽

Physically Based Model ◽

Physically Based ◽

Streamflow Data ◽

The Impact ◽

Streamflow Simulation ◽

Calibration Approach

This study analyses the efficiency of integrating remotely sensed evapotranspiration into the process of hydrological model calibration. A joint calibration approach, employing both remote sensing-derived evapotranspiration and ground-monitored streamflow data was compared with a conventional ground-monitored streamflow calibration approach through physically-based hydrological, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model setups. The efficacy of the two calibration schemes was investigated in two modelling setups: 1) a physically-based model with only the outlet gauge available for calibration, and 2) a physically-based model with multiple gauges available for calibration. Joint calibration was found to enhance the skill of hydrological models in streamflow simulation compared to ground-monitored streamflow-only calibration at the unsaturated zone in the upstream area, where essential information on evapotranspiration is also required. Additionally, the use of remote sensing-derived evapotranspiration can significantly improve high flow compared to low flow simulation. A more consistent model performance improvement, obtained from using remote sensing-derived evapotranspiration data was found at gauged sites not used in the calibration, due to additional information on spatial evapotranspiration in internal locations being enhanced into a process-based model. Eventually, satellite-based evapotranspiration with fine resolution was found to be competent for calibrating and validating the hydrological model for streamflow simulation in the absence of measured streamflow data for model calibration. Furthermore, the impact of using evapotranspiration for hydrologic model calibration tended to be stronger at the upstream and tributary sub-basins than at downstream sub-basins.

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Testing the Robustness of a Physically-Based Hydrological Model in Two Data Limited Inland Valley Catchments in Dano, Burkina Faso

Hydrology ◽

10.3390/hydrology7030043 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 43

Author(s):

Mouhamed Idrissou ◽

Bernd Diekkrüger ◽

Bernhard Tischbein ◽

Boubacar Ibrahim ◽

Yacouba Yira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Water Balance ◽

Burkina Faso ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Surface Flow ◽

Small Scale ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Inland Valley ◽

Physically Based

This study investigates the robustness of the physically-based hydrological model WaSiM (water balance and flow simulation model) for simulating hydrological processes in two data sparse small-scale inland valley catchments (Bankandi-Loffing and Mebar) in Burkina Faso. An intensive instrumentation with two weather stations, three rain recorders, 43 piezometers, and one soil moisture station was part of the general effort to reduce the scarcity of hydrological data in West Africa. The data allowed us to successfully parameterize, calibrate (2014–2015), and validate (2016) WaSiM for the Bankandi-Loffing catchment. Good model performance concerning discharge in the calibration period (R2 = 0.91, NSE = 0.88, and KGE = 0.82) and validation period (R2 = 0.82, NSE = 0.77, and KGE = 0.57) was obtained. The soil moisture (R2 = 0.7, NSE = 0.7, and KGE = 0.8) and the groundwater table (R2 = 0.3, NSE = 0.2, and KGE = 0.5) were well simulated, although not explicitly calibrated. The spatial transposability of the model parameters from the Bankandi-Loffing model was investigated by applying the best parameter-set to the Mebar catchment without any recalibration. This resulted in good model performance in 2014–2015 (R2 = 0.93, NSE = 0.92, and KGE = 0.84) and in 2016 (R2 = 0.65, NSE = 0.64, and KGE = 0.59). This suggests that the parameter-set achieved in this study can be useful for modeling ungauged inland valley catchments in the region. The water balance shows that evaporation is more important than transpiration (76% and 24%, respectively, of evapotranspiration losses) and the surface flow is very sensitive to the observed high interannual variability of rainfall. Interflow dominates the uplands, but base flow is the major component of stream flow in inland valleys. This study provides useful information for the better management of soil and scarce water resources for smallholder farming in the area.

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Impact of uncertainties in discharge determination on the parameter estimation and performance of a hydrological model

Hydrology Research ◽

10.2166/nh.2012.147 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 454-466 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sander P. M. van den Tillaart ◽

Martijn J. Booij ◽

Maarten S. Krol

Keyword(s):

Impact Assessment ◽

Water Level ◽

Measurement Errors ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Systematic Errors ◽

Error Sources ◽

Random Measurement ◽

Discharge Water ◽

And Performance

Uncertainties in discharge determination may have serious consequences for hydrological modelling and resulting discharge predictions used for flood forecasting, climate change impact assessment and reservoir operation. The aim of this study is to quantify the effect of discharge errors on parameters and performance of a conceptual hydrological model for discharge prediction applied to two catchments. Six error sources in discharge determination are considered: random measurement errors without autocorrelation; random measurement errors with autocorrelation; systematic relative measurement errors; systematic absolute measurement errors; hysteresis in the discharge–water level relation and effects of an outdated discharge–water level relation. Assuming realistic magnitudes for each error source, results show that systematic errors and an outdated discharge–water level relation have a considerable influence on model performance, while other error sources have a small to negligible effect. The effects of errors on parameters are large if the effects on model performance are large as well and vice versa. Parameters controlling the water balance are influenced by systematic errors and parameters related to the shape of the hydrograph are influenced by random errors. Large effects of discharge errors on model performance and parameters should be taken into account when using discharge predictions for flood forecasting and impact assessment.

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Applicability of Different Hydrological Model Concepts on Small Catchments: Case Study of Bükkös Creek, Hungary

Acta Silvatica et Lignaria Hungarica ◽

10.2478/aslh-2014-0006 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 77-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Péter Torma ◽

Borbála Széles ◽

Géza Hajnal

Keyword(s):

Model Comparison ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Digital Terrain Model ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Lumped Model ◽

Terrain Model ◽

Distributed Approach ◽

Model Setup ◽

And Performance

Abstract This study aims to test and compare the applicability and performance of two different hydrological model concepts on a small Hungarian watershed. The lumped model of HEC-HMS and the semi-distributed TOPMODEL have been implemented to predict streamflow of Bükkös Creek. Models were calibrated against the highest flood event recorded in the basin in May, 2010. Validation was done in an extended interval when smaller floods were observed. Acceptable results can be achieved with the semi-distributed approach. Model comparison is made by means of sensitivity analysis of model parameters. For TOPMODEL the effect of spatial resolution of the digital terrain model while for HMS the complexity of the model setup was further explored. The results were quantified with model performance indices.

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Rainfall-runoff modelling in a catchment with a complex groundwater flow system: application of the Representative Elementary Watershed (REW) approach

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-9-243-2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 243-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

G. P. Zhang ◽

H. H. G. Savenije

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Overland Flow ◽

Subsurface Flow ◽

Model Performance ◽

Source Area ◽

Watershed Hydrology ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

Data Set ◽

Physically Based ◽

Infiltration Excess

Abstract. Based on the Representative Elementary Watershed (REW) approach, the modelling tool REWASH (Representative Elementary WAterShed Hydrology) has been developed and applied to the Geer river basin. REWASH is deterministic, semi-distributed, physically based and can be directly applied to the watershed scale. In applying REWASH, the river basin is divided into a number of sub-watersheds, so called REWs, according to the Strahler order of the river network. REWASH describes the dominant hydrological processes, i.e. subsurface flow in the unsaturated and saturated domains, and overland flow by the saturation-excess and infiltration-excess mechanisms. The coupling of surface and subsurface flow processes in the numerical model is realised by simultaneous computation of flux exchanges between surface and subsurface domains for each REW. REWASH is a parsimonious tool for modelling watershed hydrological response. However, it can be modified to include more components to simulate specific processes when applied to a specific river basin where such processes are observed or considered to be dominant. In this study, we have added a new component to simulate interception using a simple parametric approach. Interception plays an important role in the water balance of a watershed although it is often disregarded. In addition, a refinement for the transpiration in the unsaturated zone has been made. Finally, an improved approach for simulating saturation overland flow by relating the variable source area to both the topography and the groundwater level is presented. The model has been calibrated and verified using a 4-year data set, which has been split into two for calibration and validation. The model performance has been assessed by multi-criteria evaluation. This work represents a complete application of the REW approach to watershed rainfall-runoff modelling in a real watershed. The results demonstrate that the REW approach provides an alternative blueprint for physically based hydrological modelling.

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Implementing contour bank farming practices into the J2000 model to improve hydrological and erosion modelling in semi-arid Western Cape Province of South Africa

Hydrology Research ◽

10.2166/nh.2013.164 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 192-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Thomas Steudel ◽

Richard Bugan ◽

Holm Kipka ◽

Björn Pfennig ◽

Manfred Fink ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Overland Flow ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Management Technique ◽

Western Cape ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Runoff Generation ◽

Impact Surface ◽

Erosion Modelling ◽

J2000 Model

Contour bank farming is a well-known agricultural management technique in areas which are characterised by intensive and erosive rainfalls. Contour banks are designed to reduce the flow velocity of overland flow and to intercept water before it concentrates in rills, thereby reducing the risk of soil erosion and land degradation. By their structure, contour banks noticeably impact surface runoff pattern both temporally and spatially. Also subsurface flow may be affected by contour banks. For example, if contour banks intersect the A- and B-horizon of the soil, it can cause significant infiltration of water into the C-horizon, which if saline, can generate saline interflow to downslope areas. Although these aspects have been highlighted in previous research efforts, the quantitative and qualitative impacts of contours on runoff generation and associated erosion dynamics or salinisation are rarely considered in process-based hydrological modelling approaches. In this study an approach was developed to improve distributed hydrological and erosion modelling by integrating contour banks in the delineation and routing of Hydrological Response Units. Applying the distributed and process-based hydrological model J2000 which was modified with a contour bank and erosion module it could be shown that the implementation of contour banks improved the model performance significantly.

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Physically Based Mountain Hydrological Modeling Using Reanalysis Data in Patagonia

Journal of Hydrometeorology ◽

10.1175/jhm-d-13-0178.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 172-193 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Sebastian A. Krogh ◽

John W. Pomeroy ◽

James McPhee

Keyword(s):

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Hydrologic Model ◽

Total Precipitation ◽

Blowing Snow ◽

Cold Region ◽

Canopy Interception ◽

Physically Based ◽

Weather Stations ◽

The Impact

Abstract A physically based hydrological model for the upper Baker River basin (UBRB) in Patagonia was developed using the modular Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) in order to better understand the processes that drive the hydrological response of one of the largest rivers in this region. The model includes a full suite of blowing snow, intercepted snow, and energy balance snowmelt modules that can be used to describe the hydrology of this cold region. Within this watershed, snowfall, wind speed, and radiation are not measured; there are no high-elevation weather stations; and existing weather stations are sparsely distributed. The impact of atmospheric data from ECMWF interim reanalysis (ERA-Interim) and Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) on improving model performance by enhancing the representation of forcing variables was evaluated. CRHM parameters were assigned for local physiographic and vegetation characteristics based on satellite land cover classification, a digital elevation model, and parameter transfer from cold region environments in western Canada. It was found that observed precipitation has almost no predictive power [Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (NS) < 0.3] when used to force the hydrologic model, whereas model performance using any of the reanalysis products—after bias correction—was acceptable with very little calibration (NS > 0.7). The modeled water balance shows that snowfall amounts to about 28% of the total precipitation and that 26% of total river flow stems from snowmelt. Evapotranspiration losses account for 7.2% of total precipitation, whereas sublimation and canopy interception losses represent about 1%. The soil component is the dominant modulator of runoff, with infiltration contributing as much as 73.7% to total basin outflow.

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Flood-inundation modeling in an operational context: sensitivity to topographic resolution and Manning's n

Journal of Hydroinformatics ◽

10.2166/hydro.2020.005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 1338-1350

Author(s):

Sarah Praskievicz ◽

Shawn Carter ◽

Juzer Dhondia ◽

Michael Follum

Keyword(s):

Overland Flow ◽

Model Performance ◽

Computational Time ◽

Urban Site ◽

Flood Inundation ◽

Flood Events ◽

Physically Based ◽

Manning’S N ◽

Inundation Extent ◽

Manning's N

Abstract Streamflow forecasts from operational hydrologic models can be converted into forecasts of flood-inundation extent using either physically based hydraulic models or simpler terrain-based approaches. Two factors that influence simulated flood-inundation extent are spatial resolution of topographic data and in-channel and overland-flow roughness characterized by the Manning's n parameter. Here, AutoRoute, a raster-based flood-inundation model, was used to simulate two recent flood events in Florida (a forested floodplain) and Texas (an urban floodplain) using two different topographic resolutions and a range of Manning's n values. The AutoRoute-simulated flood-inundation extents were evaluated using observed extents from remotely sensed imagery. For comparison, the same flood events were also simulated using a one-dimensional Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model. Results indicated that model performance was much improved with higher topographic resolution for the forested floodplain site and that the urban site was more sensitive to Manning's n. For the three different rivers analyzed, the fit for HEC-RAS was 5–10% higher than that for AutoRoute. Despite being only slightly less accurate than HEC-RAS in its simulation of flood extent, AutoRoute was much simpler to set up and required less computational time to run.

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