GIS and Remote Sensing in Hydrology, Water Resources and Environment
(Proceedings of ICGRHWE held at the Three Gorges Dam, China, September 2003). IAHS Publ. 289, 2004, 188-196A study of the relationship between rainfall variability and the improvement of using a distributed model
Ziya Zhang, Michael Smith, Victor Koren, Seann Reed, Fekadu Moreda, Vadim Kuzmin & Richard Anderson
Hydrology Laboratory, Office of Hydrologic Development, National Weather Service, NOAA, 1325 East West Highway, SSMC-2, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA
Abstract NEXRAD precipitation estimates have high spatial and temporal resolution. Hydrological researchers have an opportunity to study how these gridded precipitation data can be effectively used in an operational environment to enhance river-forecasting capabilities. A method is suggested that will allow an analysis of observed precipitation forcing and streamflow data for a basin to determine the potential usefulness of applying a distributed model in that basin without actually having to set up and run a distributed model. The method analyses the relationship between a precipitation location index (computed using relationships between basin centroid and rainfall mass centre) and basin response time (difference between rainfall and hydrograph mass centre). The Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting model (SAC-SMA) is used to generate runoff in all simulations. Limited comparisons of flow simulation results from lumped and distributed models suggest the method is valid. Three test basins are selected within the Arkansas-Red River basin in the US. The results show that one basin contains complexities that may warrant the use of a distributed modelling approach for improved basin outlet simulations.
Key words
Arkansas-Red River basin; basin response; distributed modelling; lumped modelling; rainfall locational index; SAC-SMA model