Dependence of the quality of runoff-simulation by a rainfall-runoff model on the differences in hydroclimatic conditions of calibration and validation period

Year, pages: 2017, 23 - 30

The present study deals with the parametrization of the rainfall-runoff (r-r) model (TUW model) in a changing climate conditions. TUW model was calibrated in period 1981 – 1990 and validated in period 2001 – 2010 for two different groups of Austrian catchments (catchments with dominant snow and rainfall-runoff regime). Model parametrization was carried out by combination of the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NSE) and the logarithmic Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (logNSE). The model efficiency was evaluated in terms of volume error (VE). We have identified two clusters of catchments in which the values of volume error was the most significant (lower or higher values). This is demonstrated on the simulations of the mean monthly flows for the selected catchment from each cluster, which also represents different runoff regime. In the case of the catchment with dominant snow-runoff regime, with a change in air temperature 1.5 – 2 °C the model significantly underestimated mean monthly flows (19 %). To the contrary, in the catchment with dominant rainfall-runoff regime, with a change in precipitation (20 – 30 %), the model significantly overestimated mean monthly flows (25 %). For the practical applicability of R-R models it would be suitable to consider various calibration periods and to change the model parameters depending on the hydroclimatic regime.

Sleziak, P., Hlavčová, K., Szolgay, J., Parajka, J. 2017. Dependence of the quality of runoff-simulation by a rainfall-runoff model on the differences in hydroclimatic conditions of calibration and validation period. In Acta Hydrologica Slovaca, vol. 18, no.1, pp. 23-30. 2644-4690.

Sleziak, P., Hlavčová, K., Szolgay, J., Parajka, J. (2017). Dependence of the quality of runoff-simulation by a rainfall-runoff model on the differences in hydroclimatic conditions of calibration and validation period. Acta Hydrologica Slovaca, 18(1), 23-30. 2644-4690.