A hillslope-based hydrological model using catchment area and width functions

Abstract

A flow-interval hillslope discretization scheme is proposed for catchment hydrological modelling. By this scheme, a two-dimensional catchment is simplified into a one-dimensional cascade of flow intervals linked by the main stream. Each flow interval comprises a set of parallel hillslopes. The hillslope is the fundamental computational unit in the hydrological model providing lateral inflow to the main stream. The size of hillslope is determined by the catchment area and width functions. Catchment runoff is the total of hillslope responses through the river routing. Tests in four Japanese catchments showed that the model performed well on simulating the overall water balance, general flow pattern, and daily and hourly hydrographs of a whole catchment, as well as simultaneous simulation in different subcatchments. Characteristics of catchment hydrological responses and model applicability are discussed.