Effect of Temporal Resolution of NDVI on Potential Evapotranspiration Estimation and Hydrological Model Performance

Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, obtained from remote sensing information, are essential in the Shuttleworth-Wallace (S-W) model for estimation of evapotranspiration. In order to study the effect of temporal resolution of NDVI on potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimation and hydrological model performance, monthly and 10-day NDVI data set were used to estimate potential evapotranspiration from January 1985 to December 1987 in Huangnizhuang catchment, Anhui Province, China. The differences of the two calculation results were analyzed and used to drive the block-wise use of the TOPMODEL with the Muskingum-Cunge routing (BTOPMC) model to test the effect on model performance. The results show that both annual and monthly PETs estimated by 10-day NDVI are lower than those estimated by monthly NDVI. Annual PET from the vegetation root zone (PETr) lowers 9.77%-13.64% and monthly PETr lowers 3.28%-17.44% in the whole basin. PET from the vegetation interception (PETi) shows the same trend as PETr. In addition, temporal resolution of NDVI has more effect on PETr in summer and on PETi in winter. The correlation between PETr as estimated by 10-day NDVI and pan measurement (R2= 0.835) is better than that between monthly NDVI and pan measurement (R2 = 0.775). The two potential evapotranspiration estimates were used to drive the BTOPMC model and calibrate parameters, and model performance was found to be similar. In summary, the effect of temporal resolution of NDVI on potential evapotranspiration estimation is significant, but trivial on hydrological model performance.     

改进的BTOPMC模型及其在水文模拟中的应用

In this paper, a grid-based distributed hydrological model BTOPMC （Block-wise use of TOPMODEL） is introduced, which was developed from the original TOPMODEL. In order to broaden the model＇s application to arid regions, improvement methodology is also implemented. The canopy interception and soil infiltration processes were incorporated into the original BTOPMC to model event-based runoff simulation in large arid regions. One designed infiltration model with application of time compression approximation method is emphasized and validated for improving model＇s performance for event hydrological simulations with a case study of Lushi River basin.     

Challenges of hydrological analysis for water resource development in semi-arid mountainous regions: case study in Iran

Abstract

This study modified the BTOPMC (Block-wise TOPMODEL with the Muskingum-Cunge routing method) distributed hydrological model to make it applicable to semi-arid regions by introducing an adjustment coefficient for infiltration capacity of the soil surface, and then applied it to two catchments above the dams in the Karun River basin, located in semi-arid mountain ranges in Iran. The application results indicated that the introduced modification improved the model performance for simulating flood peaks generated by infiltration excess overland runoff at a daily time scale. The modified BTOPMC was found to fulfil the need to reproduce important signatures of basin hydrology for water resource development, such as annual runoff, seasonal runoff, low flows and flood flows. However, it was also very clear that effective model use was significantly constrained by the scarcity of ground-gauged precipitation data. Considerable efforts to improve the precipitation data acquisition should precede water resource development planning.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis     

基于BTOPMC模型的土地覆被变化径流响应模拟

为分析土地覆被变化的水文效应.构建4种土地覆被情景,采用BTOPMC模型对淮河流域黄泥庄集水区1982-1986年的日径流过程进行模拟.结果表明,土地覆被变化对蒸散发量和径流量计算影响显著,与现状覆被情景的模拟结果相比,森林覆被情景蒸散发量增加,径流量减少,而林地草原和耕地覆被情景下情况相反,且各土地覆被变化情景下枯季径流深的变化幅度明显小于雨季的变化幅度.该模型能较好地分析和评价土地覆被变化下的径流响应.     

Perturbation study of climate change impacts in a snow‐fed river basin

A physically based distributed hydrological model developed at the University of Yamanashi based on block‐wise use of TOPMODEL and the Muskingum–Cunge method (YHyM/BTOPMC), integrated with a simple degree‐day–based snow accumulation/melt sub‐model, was applied to evaluate hydrological responses under changing climatic conditions in the snow‐fed Kali Gandaki River Basin (KGRB) in Western Nepal. Rainy season precipitation (June to September) in the basin takes up about 80% of the annual precipitation, and dry season runoff is largely contributed by snowmelt. Climate change is likely to increase the probability of extreme events and problems related to water availability. Therefore, the study aimed to simulate runoff pattern under changing climatic conditions, which will be helpful in the management of water resources in the basin. Public domain global data were widely used in this study. The model was calibrated and validated with an acceptable degree of accuracy. The results predicted that the annual average discharge will increase by 2.4%, 3.7%, and 5.7% when temperature increases by 1, 2, and 3 °C compared with the reference scenario. Similarly, maximum, minimum, and seasonal discharges in the monsoon and pre‐monsoon seasons will also increase with rising temperature. Snowmelt runoff is found sensitive to temperature changes in the KGRB. Increasing temperature will cause a faster snowmelt, but precipitation will increase the snowpack and also shed a positive effect on the total annual and monsoonal discharge. For the combined scenarios of increasing temperature and precipitation, the annual average discharge will increase. In contrast, discharge during the increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation will tend to decrease. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved version of BTOPMC model and its application in event-based hydrologic simulations

In this paper, a grid-based distributed hydrological model BTOPMC (Block-wise use of TOPMODEL) is introduced, which was developed from the original TOPMODEL. In order to broaden the model’s application to arid regions, improvement methodology is also implemented. The canopy interception and soil infiltration processes were incorporated into the original BTOPMC to model event-based runoff simulation in large arid regions. One de-signed infiltration model with application of time compression approximation method is emphasized and validated for improving model’s performance for event hydrological simulations with a case study of Lushi River basin.