Summary
This study investigates parameter transferability across spatial and temporal resolutions in the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrological model applied to a pre-Alpine basin in Switzerland. The research found that parameters transfer more readily across different spatial resolutions than temporal resolutions, suggesting that current large-domain models inadequately represent spatial variability and hydrologic connectivity despite appearing spatially robust. The findings highlight the need for improved representation of both spatial and temporal variability in operational hydrological modelling frameworks.
UK applicability
The methodological approach and findings on parameter transferability are directly applicable to UK hydrological modelling practice, particularly for catchment management and water resource planning in variable topography regions. The identified deficiencies in spatial variability representation may affect the reliability of hydrological models used in UK flood forecasting and land management planning.
Key measures
Parameter set overlap across spatial resolutions (1 km × 1 km, 5 km × 5 km, 10 km × 10 km, lumped) and temporal resolutions (hourly, daily, monthly); behavioural parameter identification (best 1% of 3150 model runs); model performance under uniform and distributed forcing
Outcomes reported
The study evaluated the transferability of model parameters across four spatial resolutions (1 km to lumped) and three temporal resolutions (hourly to monthly) using the Variable Infiltration Capacity model for the Thur basin. It measured the overlap in behavioural parameter sets as an indicator of how well spatial and temporal variability is represented in large-domain hydrological models.
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