Using synthetic flow duration curves for rainfall-runoff model calibration at ungauged sites

Yu, Pao Shan; Yang, Ting

doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-1085(200001)14:1<117::aid-hyp914>3.0.co;2-q

Cited by 67 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…FDCs have been used previously in model calibration and evaluation (Blazkova and Beven, 2009;Son and Sivapalan, 2007;Sugawara, 1979;Yu and Yang, 2000). The novel aspect of our use of the FDC is that it takes account of uncertainty in the discharge data and at the same time shows that the FDC can work surprisingly well as a single criterion in some cases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Calibration approaches that do not rely on direct time-series versus time-series comparison are useful in such situations. Prior approaches to model calibration without direct time series comparison include calibration to spectral properties (Montanari and Toth, 2007), recession curves (Winsemius et al, 2009), slope of the flow-duration curve (Yadav et al, 2007;Yilmaz et al, 2008), base-flow index (Bulygina et al, 2009) and the use of a performance measure based on specified exceedance percentages of a synthetic regional flow-duration curve (FDC) for calibration at un-gauged sites (Yu and Yang, 2000). However, in these studies uncertainties in observed discharge are not considered explicitly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in order to establish the extent to which this approach is robust to such errors, a more extensive analysis than that presented here is needed. Flow-duration curves have previously been used in model calibration by Sugawara (1979), Yu and Yang (2000), as one of the criteria considered by Refsgaard and Knudsen (1996) and by Blazkova and Beven (2009), and as a qualitative measure of model performance, e.g. by Houghton-Carr (1999), Kavetski et al (2011), and Son and Sivapalan (2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Calibration of hydrological models using flow-duration curves

Westerberg

Guerrero

Younger

et al. 2011

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

239

243

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Abstract. The degree of belief we have in predictions from hydrologic models will normally depend on how well they can reproduce observations. Calibrations with traditional performance measures, such as the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency, are challenged by problems including: (1) uncertain discharge data, (2) variable sensitivity of different performance measures to different flow magnitudes, (3) influence of unknown input/output errors and (4) inability to evaluate model performance when observation time periods for discharge and model input data do not overlap. This paper explores a calibration method using flow-duration curves (FDCs) to address these problems. The method focuses on reproducing the observed discharge frequency distribution rather than the exact hydrograph. It consists of applying limits of acceptability for selected evaluation points (EPs) on the observed uncertain FDC in the extended GLUE approach. Two ways of selecting the EPs were tested -based on equal intervals of discharge and of volume of water. The method was tested and compared to a calibration using the traditional model efficiency for the daily four-parameter WAS-MOD model in the Paso La Ceiba catchment in Honduras and for Dynamic TOPMODEL evaluated at an hourly time scale for the Brue catchment in Great Britain. The volume method of selecting EPs gave the best results in both catchments with better calibrated slow flow, recession and evaporation than the other criteria. Observed and simulated time Correspondence to: I. K. Westerberg (ida.westerberg@hyd.uu.se) series of uncertain discharges agreed better for this method both in calibration and prediction in both catchments. An advantage with the method is that the rejection criterion is based on an estimation of the uncertainty in discharge data and that the EPs of the FDC can be chosen to reflect the aims of the modelling application, e.g. using more/less EPs at high/low flows. While the method appears less sensitive to epistemic input/output errors than previous use of limits of acceptability applied directly to the time series of discharge, it still requires a reasonable representation of the distribution of inputs. Additional constraints might therefore be required in catchments subject to snow and where peak-flow timing at sub-daily time scales is of high importance. The results suggest that the calibration method can be useful when observation time periods for discharge and model input data do not overlap. The method could also be suitable for calibration to regional FDCs while taking uncertainties in the hydrological model and data into account.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Calibration of hydrological models using flow-duration curves

Westerberg

Guerrero

Younger

et al. 2011

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

239

243

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The drawbacks of this methodology are: the great number of parameters to be regionalized, the correlation between parameters, the difficulty of associating parameters with catchment characteristics and the existence of multiple sets of parameters providing reasonably satisfactory results (Vogel 2006). Yu and Yang (2000) suggested a methodology for hydrological models calibration using synthetic FDCs. The main idea is to find a set of parameters able to synthetize the ranked flows, with no obligation to reproduce their serial structure (Pinheiro and Naghettini 2010).…”

Section: Indirect Calibration Using Synthetic Fdcsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional models of flow-duration curves of perennial and intermittent streams and their use for calibrating the parameters of a rainfall–runoff model

Costa

Fernandes

Naghettini

2014

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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Editor D. KoutsoyiannisCitation Costa, V., Fernandes, W., and Naghettini, M., 2013. Regional models of flow-duration curves of perennial and intermittent streams and their use for calibrating the parameters of a rainfall-runoff model. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (2), 262-277.Abstract One of the main challenges faced by hydrologists and water engineers is the estimation of variables needed for water resources planning and management in ungauged river basins. To this end, techniques for transposing information, such as hydrological regional analyses, are widely employed. A method is presented for regionalizing flow-duration curves (FDCs) in perennial, intermittent and ephemeral rivers, based on the extended Burr XII probability distribution. This distribution shows great flexibility to fit data, with accurate reproduction of flow extremes. The performance analysis showed that, in general, the regional models are able to synthesize FDCs in ungauged basins, with a few possible drawbacks in the application of the method to intermittent and ephemeral rivers. In addition to the regional models, we summarize the experience of using synthetic FDCs for the indirect calibration of the Rio Grande rainfall-runoff model parameters in ungauged basins.

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“…Smakhtin's recent review (2001) documents the use of FDCs in low-flow hydrology. Recent applications include: studies of the impact of land-use/cover change on streamflow from paired catchment studies Croker et al, 2003;Lane et al, 2003), regionalisation studies (Fennessey & Vogel, 1990;Meunier, 2001); and in prediction for ungauged basins (Yu & Yang, 2000;Holmes et al, 2002;Yu et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%