A new approach to visualizing time-varying sensitivity indices for environmental model diagnostics across evaluation time-scales

Abstract

Assessing the time-varying sensitivity of environmental models has become a common approach to understand both the value of different data periods for estimating specific parameters, and as part of a diagnostic analysis of the model structure itself (i.e. whether dominant processes are emerging in the model at the right times and over the appropriate time periods). It is not straightforward to visualize these results though, given that the window size over which the time-varying sensitivity is best integrated generally varies for different parameters. In this short communication we present a new approach to visualizing such time-varying sensitivity across time scales of integration. As a case study, we estimate first order sensitivity indices with the FAST (Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test) method for a typical conceptual rainfall–runoff model. The resulting plots can guide data selection for model calibration, support diagnostic model evaluation and help to define the timing and length of spot gauging campaigns in places where long-term calibration data are not yet available.