Prediction of runoff and soil moistures at the watershed scale: Effects of model complexity and parameter assignment

The application of physically based hydrologic models implies they properly simulate processes at the computational scale. A chief criticism is that model predictions are compared only to discharge data. The physically based, hydrologic model CASC2D is reformulated such that soil moistures and fluxes can be computed using Richards' equation. The gridded surface subsurface hydrologic analysis (GSSHA) model is calibrated and verified against outlet discharge measurements during the growing season. The verified model is used to simulate an extended period during which measurements of soil moisture are available. Though soil moisture data are not used in the calibration and verification efforts, the model reproduces both the trends and the magnitude of soil moisture during the growing season. With additional formulation enhancements, soil moistures during the nongrowing season are also reproduced within a root‐mean‐square error of 0.1. However, more work is needed to understand the underprediction of runoff during the nongrowing season.

[1]  Fred L. Ogden,et al.  Appropriate vertical discretization of Richards' equation for two‐dimensional watershed‐scale modelling , 2004 .

[2]  C. Downer.  Identification and modeling of important stream flow producing processes in watersheds , 2002 .

[3]  Vijay P. Singh,et al.  CASC2D: a two-dimensional, physically-based, Hortonian hydrologic model. , 2002 .

[4]  Reply [to “Comment on ‘On the calibration and verification of two‐dimensional, distributed, Hortonian, continuous watershed models‘ by Sharika U. S. Senarath et al.”] , 2001 .

[5]  Comment on “On the calibration and verification of two‐dimensional, distributed, Hortonian, continuous watershed models“ by Sharika U. S. Senarath et al. , 2001 .

[6]  Hatim O. Sharif,et al.  On the calibration and verification of two‐dimensional, distributed, Hortonian, continuous watershed models , 2000 .

[7]  Günter Blöschl,et al.  Preferred states in spatial soil moisture patterns: Local and nonlocal controls , 1997 .

[8]  J. Refsgaard.  Parameterisation, calibration and validation of distributed hydrological models , 1997 .

[9]  Fred L. Ogden,et al.  Green and Ampt Infiltration with Redistribution , 1997 .

[10]  Ronald L. Bingner,et al.  Runoff simulated from goodwin creek watershed using SWAT , 1996 .

[11]  S. Sorooshian,et al.  Comparison of simple versus complex distributed runoff models on a midsized semiarid watershed , 1994 .

[12]  Thomas A. McMahon,et al.  Physically based hydrologic modeling: 1. A terrain‐based model for investigative purposes , 1992 .

[13]  R. G. Hills,et al.  Algorithms for solving Richards' equation for variably saturated soils , 1992 .

[14]  S. Sorooshian,et al.  Effective and efficient global optimization for conceptual rainfall‐runoff models , 1992 .

[15]  Keith Loague.  R‐5 revisited: 2. Reevaluation of a quasi‐physically based rainfall‐runoff model with supplemental information , 1990 .

[16]  R. Bras.  Hydrology : an introduction to hydrologic science , 1990 .

[17]  David C. Goodrich,et al.  Geometric simplification of a distributed rainfall-runoff model over a range of basin scales. , 1990 .

[18]  J. Hutson,et al.  A retentivity function for use in soil–water simulation models , 1987 .

[19]  R. Healy,et al.  Documentation of computer program VS2D to solve the equations of fluid flow in variably saturated porous media , 1987 .

[20]  Pz,et al.  Mesoscale meteorological modeling , 1986 .

[21]  V. Klemeš,et al.  Operational Testing of Hydrological Simulation Models , 2022 .

[22]  R. Allan Freeze,et al.  A Comparison of Rainfall-Runoff Modeling Techniques on Small Upland Catchments , 1985 .

[23]  W. Rawls,et al.  Prediction of soil water properties for hydrologic modeling , 1985 .

[24]  Reinder A. Feddes,et al.  Simulation model of the water balance of a cropped soil: SWATRE , 1983 .

[25]  W. J. Rawls,et al.  A procedure to predict green and ampt infiltration parameters , 1983 .

[26]  C. Federer,et al.  Brook: A Hydrologic Simulation Model for Eastern Forests , 1978 .

[27]  J. Deardorff.  A Parameterization of Ground-Surface Moisture Content for Use in Atmospheric Prediction Models , 1977 .

[28]  D. L. Brakensiek,et al.  Estimating the effective capillary pressure in the Green and Ampt Infiltration Equation , 1977 .

[29]  Randel Haverkamp,et al.  A Comparison of Numerical Simulation Models For One-Dimensional Infiltration1 , 1977 .

[30]  John L. Monteith,et al.  Vegetation and the atmosphere , 1975 .

[31]  J. Nash,et al.  River flow forecasting through conceptual models part I — A discussion of principles☆ , 1970 .

[32]  J. Monteith.  Evaporation and environment. , 1965, Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology.

[33]  R. H. Brooks,et al.  Hydraulic properties of porous media , 1963 .

[34]  R. Horton.  The Rôle of infiltration in the hydrologic cycle , 1933 .

[35]  L. A. Richards.  Capillary conduction of liquids through porous mediums , 1931 .

[36]  W. Green,et al.  Studies on Soil Phyics. , 1911, The Journal of Agricultural Science.