Revisiting a Simple Degree-Day Model for Integrating Satellite Data: Implementation of Swe-Sca Hystereses

Riboust, Philippe; Thirel, Guillaume; Moine, Nicolás Le; Ribstein, Pierre

doi:10.2478/johh-2018-0004

Cited by 55 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…When evaluating the performance of hydrological models to simulate snow dynamics, this evaluation is sometimes done solely looking at the simulated runoff by the model, as this variable is the main output of hydrological models (Riboust et al, 2019;Watson and Putz, 2014). Nevertheless, this analysis alone is incomplete as the performance of the model to reproduce runoff is the result of the interaction between the different components of the model, also those that are not directly related to snow processes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complexity and performance of temperature-based snow routines for runoff modelling in mountainous areas in Central Europe

Lopez

Vis

Jeníček

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract. Snow processes are a key component of the water cycle in mountainous areas as well as in many areas of the mid- and high latitudes of the Earth. The complexity of these processes, coupled with the limited data available on them, has led to the development of different modelling approaches to improve their understanding and support management practices. Physically-based approaches, such as the energy balance method, provide the best representation of these processes but at the expense of high data requirements. Data limitations, in most situations, constrain the use of these methods in favour of more simple approaches. The temperature-index method is the most widely-used modelling approach of the snowpack processes for hydrological modelling, with many variants implemented in different models. However, in many cases, the decisions on the most suitable complexity of these conceptualisations are not adequately assessed for a given model structure, application, or decision-making support tool. In this study, we assessed model structure choices of the HBV model, a popular semi-distributed, bucket-type hydrological model, for its application in mountainous areas in Central Europe. To this end, we reviewed the most widely-used choices to different components of the snow routine in different hydrological models and proposed a series of modifications to the structure of HBV. We constrained the choice of modifications to those that are aligned with HBV’s modelling approach of keeping processes as simple as possible to constrain model complexity. We analysed a total of 64 alternative snow routine structures over 54 catchments using a split-sample test. We found that using (a) an exponential snowmelt function coupled with no refreezing instead of a linear function for both processes and (b) a seasonally-variable degree-day factor instead of a constant one were, overall, the most valuable modifications to the model. Additionally, we found that increasing model complexity does not necessarily lead to improved model performance per se. Instead, we found that a thorough analysis of the different processes included in the model and their optimal degree of realism for a given application is a preferable alternative. While the results may not be transferrable to other modelling purposes or geographical domains, the methodology presented here may be used to assess the suitability of model design choices.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complexity and performance of temperature-based snow routines for runoff modelling in mountainous areas in Central Europe

Lopez

Vis

Jeníček

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…GR 'Distributed') is a conceptual distributed hydrological model (Javelle et al, 2010) (Arnaud et al, 2011) (Javelle et al, 2014). It belongs to the 'GR' (Génie Rural) family, which includes several other bucket style models, lumped or semi-distributed, developed in the last 20 years (Perrin et al, 2003), (Mouelhi et al, 2006), (Lobligeois et al, 2014), (Ficchì et al, 2016), (Santos et al, 2018), (Riboust et al, 2019).…”

Section: Distributed (Continuous) Rainfall-runoff Model Grdmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the potential of variational calibration for a fully distributed hydrological model: application on a Mediterranean catchment

Jay-Allemand¹,

Javelle²,

Gejadze³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Abstract. Flash flood alerts in metropolitan France are provided by SCHAPI (Service Central Hydrométéorologique et d’Appui à la Prévision des Inondations) through the Vigicrues Flash service, which is designed to work in ungauged catchments. The AIGA method implemented in Vigicrues Flash is designed for flood forecasting on small- and medium-scale watersheds. It is based on a distributed hydrological model accounting for spatial variability of the rainfall and the catchment properties, based on the radar rainfall observation inputs. Calibration of distributed parameters describing these properties with high resolution is difficult, both technically (in terms of the estimation method), and because of the identifiability issues. Indeed, the number of parameters to be calibrated is much greater than the number of spatial locations where the discharge observations are usually available. However, the flood propagation is a dynamic process, so observations have also a temporal dimension. This must be larger enough to comprise a representative set of events. In order to fully benefit from using the AIGA method, we consider its hydrological model (GRD) in combination with the variational estimation (data assimilation) method. In this method, the optimal set of parameters is found by minimizing the objective function which includes the misfit between the observed and predicted values and some additional constraints. The minimization process requires the gradient of the cost function with respect to all control parameters, which is efficiently computed using the adjoint model. The variational estimation method is scalable, fast converging, and offers a convenient framework for introducing additional constraints relevant to hydrology. It can be used both for calibrating the parameters and estimating the initial state of the hydrological system for short range forecasting (in a manner used in weather forecasting). The study area is the Gardon d’Anduze watershed where four gauging stations are available. In numerical experiments, the benefits of using the distributed against the uniform calibration are analysed in terms of the model predictive performance. Distributed calibration shows encouraging results with better model prediction at gauged and ungauged locations.

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“…The success of hydrologic modeling of high mountain basins depends in most cases on the correct quantification of snow accumulation and melting processes. According to [1], snow accumulation in winter as well as spring snowmelt gives to mountain catchments a particular hydrological response that should be taken into account when modeling river runoff. Also, mountain catchments are very sensible to temperature changes; therefore climate change can drastically impact the hydrological cycle [2,3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parsimonious Modeling of Snow Accumulation and Snowmelt Processes in High Mountain Basins

Medina

Francés

Mora

2019

Water

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The success of hydrological modeling of a high mountain basin depends in most case on the accurate quantification of the snowmelt. However, mathematically modeling snowmelt is not a simple task due to, on one hand, the high number of variables that can be relevant and can change significantly in space and, in the other hand, the low availability of most of them in practical engineering. Therefore, this research proposes to modify the original equation of the classical degree-day model to introduce the spatial and temporal variability of the degree-day factor. To evaluate the effects of the variability in the hydrological modeling and the snowmelt modeling at the cell and hillslope scale. We propose to introduce the spatial and temporal variability of the degree-day factor using maps of radiation indices. These maps consider the position of the sun according to the time of year, solar radiation, insolation, topography and shaded-relief topography. Our priority has been to keep the parsimony of the snowmelt model that can be implemented in high mountain basins with limited observed input. The snowmelt model was included as a new module in the TETIS distributed hydrological model. The results show significant improvements in hydrological modeling in the spring period when the snowmelt is more important. At cell and hillslope scale errors are diminished in the snowpack, improving the representation of the flows and storages that intervene in high mountain basins.

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Revisiting a Simple Degree-Day Model for Integrating Satellite Data: Implementation of Swe-Sca Hystereses

Cited by 55 publications

References 59 publications

Complexity and performance of temperature-based snow routines for runoff modelling in mountainous areas in Central Europe

Complexity and performance of temperature-based snow routines for runoff modelling in mountainous areas in Central Europe

On the potential of variational calibration for a fully distributed hydrological model: application on a Mediterranean catchment

Parsimonious Modeling of Snow Accumulation and Snowmelt Processes in High Mountain Basins

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