Publication Date:
2013-03-05
Description:
Model diagnostic analyses help to improve the understanding of hydrological processes and their representation in hydrological models. A detailed temporal analysis detects periods of poor model performance and model components with potential for model improvements, which cannot be found by analysing the whole discharge time series. In this study, we aim to improve the understanding of hydrological processes by investigating the temporal dynamics of parameter sensitivity and of model performance for the SWAT model applied to the Treene lowland catchment in Northern Germany. The temporal analysis shows that the parameter sensitivity varies temporally with high sensitivities for three groundwater (GW_DELAY, ALPHA_BF, RCHRG_DP) parameters and one evaporation parameter (ESCO). While ESCO dominates in baseflow and resaturation periods, GW_DELAY, ALPHA_BF and RCHRG_DP are dominant in the peak and recession phases. The temporal analysis of model performance identifies three clusters with different model performances which can be related to different phases of the hydrograph. The lowest performance, when comparing six performance measures, is detected for the baseflow cluster. A spatially distributed analysis for six hydrological stations within the Treene catchment show similar results for all stations. The linkage of periods with poor model performance to the dominant model components in these phases and the related hydrological processes show that the groundwater module has the highest potential for improvements. This temporal diagnostic analysis enhances the understanding of the SWAT model and of the dominant hydrological processes in the lowland catchment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Print ISSN:
0885-6087
Electronic ISSN:
1099-1085
Topics:
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying
,
Geography
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