comments to 'Evaluating Hydrological Model Performance using Information Theory-based Metrics'

Abstract. Several empirical investigations have explored whether observers prefer to sort sets of multidimensional stimuli into groups by employing one-dimensional or family-resemblance strategies. Although one-dimensional sorting strategies have been the prevalent finding for these unsupervised classification paradigms, several researchers have provided evidence that the choice of strategy may depend on the particular demands of the task. To account for this disparity, we propose that observers extract relational patterns from stimulus sets that facilitate the development of optimal classification strategies for relegating category membership. We conducted a novel constrained categorization experiment to empirically test this hypothesis by instructing participants to either add or remove objects from presented categorical stimuli. We employed generalized representational information theory (GRIT; Vigo, 2011b , 2013a , 2014 ) and its associated formal models to predict and explain how human beings chose to modify these categorical stimuli. Additionally, we compared model performance to predictions made by a leading prototypicality measure in the literature.

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

Water ◽

10.3390/w13152032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 2032

Author(s):

Pâmela A. Melo ◽

Lívia A. Alvarenga ◽

Javier Tomasella ◽

Carlos R. Mello ◽

Minella A. Martins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Complex Terrain ◽

Overland Flow ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Vegetation Model ◽

Landform Classification ◽

Physically Based ◽

And Performance ◽

Streamflow Simulation

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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SHETRAN and HEC HMS Model Evaluation for Runoff and Soil Moisture Simulation in the Jičinka River Catchment (Czech Republic)

Water ◽

10.3390/w13060872 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 872

Author(s):

Vesna Đukić ◽

Ranka Erić

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Czech Republic ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Flash Flood ◽

Model Performance ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

River Catchment ◽

Hydrological Variable ◽

Model Structures

Due to the improvement of computation power, in recent decades considerable progress has been made in the development of complex hydrological models. On the other hand, simple conceptual models have also been advanced. Previous studies on rainfall–runoff models have shown that model performance depends very much on the model structure. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of a complex hydrological model leads to more accurate results or not and to analyze whether some model structures are more efficient than others. Different configurations of the two models of different complexity, the Système Hydrologique Européen TRANsport (SHETRAN) and Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS), were compared and evaluated in simulating flash flood runoff for the small (75.9 km2) Jičinka River catchment in the Czech Republic. The two models were compared with respect to runoff simulations at the catchment outlet and soil moisture simulations within the catchment. The results indicate that the more complex SHETRAN model outperforms the simpler HEC HMS model in case of runoff, but not for soil moisture. It can be concluded that the models with higher complexity do not necessarily provide better model performance, and that the reliability of hydrological model simulations can vary depending on the hydrological variable under consideration.

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Development of a Stepped Calibration Approach for XAJ Hydrological Model

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.405-408.2222 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 405-408 ◽

pp. 2222-2225

Author(s):

Qian Li ◽

Wei Min Bao ◽

Jing Lin Qian

Keyword(s):

Root Mean Square Error ◽

Objective Function ◽

Traditional Method ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Layer By Layer ◽

Mean Square ◽

Objective Functions ◽

Single Objective ◽

Calibration Approach

This paper discusses the conceptual stepped calibration approach (SCA) which has been developed for the Xinanjiang (XAJ) model. Multi-layer and multi-objective functions which can make optimization work simpler and more effective are introduced in this procedure. In all eight parameters were considered, they were divided into four layers according to the structure of XAJ model, and then calibrated layer by layer. The SCA procedure tends to improve the performance of the traditional method of calibration (thus, using a single objective function, such as root mean square error RMSE). The compared results demonstrate that the SCA yield better model performance than RMSE.

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Parameter transferability between multiple gridded input datasets challenges hydrological model performance under changing climate

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8782 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Moctar Dembélé ◽

Bettina Schaefli ◽

Grégoire Mariéthoz

Keyword(s):

West Africa ◽

Large Scale ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Model Performance ◽

Hydrologic Model ◽

Hydrological Modelling ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Input Dataset

The diversity of remotely sensed or reanalysis-based rainfall data steadily increases, which on one hand opens new perspectives for large scale hydrological modelling in data scarce regions, but on the other hand poses challenging question regarding parameter identification and transferability under multiple input datasets. This study analyzes the variability of hydrological model performance when (1) a set of parameters is transferred from the calibration input dataset to a different meteorological datasets and reversely, when (2) an input dataset is used with a parameter set, originally calibrated for a different input dataset.The research objective is to highlight the uncertainties related to input data and the limitations of hydrological model parameter transferability across input datasets. An ensemble of 17 rainfall datasets and 6 temperature datasets from satellite and reanalysis sources (Demb&#233;l&#233; et al., 2020), corresponding to 102 combinations of meteorological data, is used to force the fully distributed mesoscale Hydrologic Model (mHM). The mHM model is calibrated for each combination of meteorological datasets, thereby resulting in 102 calibrated parameter sets, which almost all give similar model performance. Each of the 102 parameter sets is used to run the mHM model with each of the 102 input datasets, yielding 10404 scenarios to that serve for the transferability tests. The experiment is carried out for a decade from 2003 to 2012 in the large and data-scarce Volta River basin (415600 km2) in West Africa.The results show that there is a high variability in model performance for streamflow (mean CV=105%) when the parameters are transferred from the original input dataset to other input datasets (test 1 above). Moreover, the model performance is in general lower and can drop considerably when parameters obtained under all other input datasets are transferred to a selected input dataset (test 2 above). This underlines the need for model performance evaluation when different input datasets and parameter sets than those used during calibration are used to run a model. Our results represent a first step to tackle the question of parameter transferability to climate change scenarios. An in-depth analysis of the results at a later stage will shed light on which model parameterizations might be the main source of performance variability.Demb&#233;l&#233;, M., Schaefli, B., van de Giesen, N., & Mari&#233;thoz, G. (2020). Suitability of 17 rainfall and temperature gridded datasets for large-scale hydrological modelling in West Africa. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS). https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5379-2020

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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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Robust estimation of hydrological model parameters

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/hessd-5-1641-2008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 1641-1675 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

A. Bárdossy ◽

S. K. Singh

Keyword(s):

Measurement Errors ◽

Input Data ◽

Hydrological Model ◽

Optimal Parameter ◽

Model Performance ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Geometrical Approach ◽

State Variables ◽

Parameter Vector ◽

Robust Parameter

Abstract. The estimation of hydrological model parameters is a challenging task. With increasing capacity of computational power several complex optimization algorithms have emerged, but none of the algorithms gives an unique and very best parameter vector. The parameters of hydrological models depend upon the input data. The quality of input data cannot be assured as there may be measurement errors for both input and state variables. In this study a methodology has been developed to find a set of robust parameter vectors for a hydrological model. To see the effect of observational error on parameters, stochastically generated synthetic measurement errors were applied to observed discharge and temperature data. With this modified data, the model was calibrated and the effect of measurement errors on parameters was analysed. It was found that the measurement errors have a significant effect on the best performing parameter vector. The erroneous data led to very different optimal parameter vectors. To overcome this problem and to find a set of robust parameter vectors, a geometrical approach based on the half space depth was used. The depth of the set of N randomly generated parameters was calculated with respect to the set with the best model performance (Nash-Sutclife efficiency was used for this study) for each parameter vector. Based on the depth of parameter vectors, one can find a set of robust parameter vectors. The results show that the parameters chosen according to the above criteria have low sensitivity and perform well when transfered to a different time period. The method is demonstrated on the upper Neckar catchment in Germany. The conceptual HBV model was used for this study.

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On the selection of precipitation products for the regionalisation of hydrological model parameters

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-25-5805-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (11) ◽

pp. 5805-5837

Author(s):

Oscar M. Baez-Villanueva ◽

Mauricio Zambrano-Bigiarini ◽

Pablo A. Mendoza ◽

Ian McNamara ◽

Hylke E. Beck ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydrological Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Hydrological Regime ◽

Hydrologic Model ◽

Spatial Proximity ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Ungauged Catchments ◽

Water Balance Components ◽

Feature Similarity

Abstract. Over the past decades, novel parameter regionalisation techniques have been developed to predict streamflow in data-scarce regions. In this paper, we examined how the choice of gridded daily precipitation (P) products affects the relative performance of three well-known parameter regionalisation techniques (spatial proximity, feature similarity, and parameter regression) over 100 near-natural catchments with diverse hydrological regimes across Chile. We set up and calibrated a conceptual semi-distributed HBV-like hydrological model (TUWmodel) for each catchment, using four P products (CR2MET, RF-MEP, ERA5, and MSWEPv2.8). We assessed the ability of these regionalisation techniques to transfer the parameters of a rainfall-runoff model, implementing a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure for each P product. Despite differences in the spatio-temporal distribution of P, all products provided good performance during calibration (median Kling–Gupta efficiencies (KGE′s) > 0.77), two independent verification periods (median KGE′s >0.70 and 0.61, for near-normal and dry conditions, respectively), and regionalisation (median KGE′s for the best method ranging from 0.56 to 0.63). We show how model calibration is able to compensate, to some extent, differences between P forcings by adjusting model parameters and thus the water balance components. Overall, feature similarity provided the best results, followed by spatial proximity, while parameter regression resulted in the worst performance, reinforcing the importance of transferring complete model parameter sets to ungauged catchments. Our results suggest that (i) merging P products and ground-based measurements does not necessarily translate into an improved hydrologic model performance; (ii) the spatial resolution of P products does not substantially affect the regionalisation performance; (iii) a P product that provides the best individual model performance during calibration and verification does not necessarily yield the best performance in terms of parameter regionalisation; and (iv) the model parameters and the performance of regionalisation methods are affected by the hydrological regime, with the best results for spatial proximity and feature similarity obtained for rain-dominated catchments with a minor snowmelt component.

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