Abstract

This study is focused on the comparison of catchment streamflow composition simulated with three well-known rainfall-runoff (RR) models (ECOMAG, HBV, SWAT) against hydrograph decomposition onto the principal constituents evaluated from End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA). There used the data provided by the short-term in-situ observations at two small mountain-taiga experimental catchments located in the south of Pacific Russia. All used RR models demonstrate that two neighboring small catchments disagree significantly in mutual dynamics of the runoff fractions due to geological and landscape structure differences. The geochemical analysis confirmed the differences in runoff generation processes at both studied catchments. The assessment of proximity of the runoff constituents to the hydrograph decomposition with the EMMA that makes a basis for the RR models benchmark analysis. We applied three data aggregation intervals (season, month and pentad) to find a reasonable data generalization period ensuring results clarity. In terms of runoff composition, the most conformable RR model to EMMA is found to be ECOMAG, HBV gets close to reflect specific runoff events well enough, SWAT gives distinctive behavior against other models. The study shows that along with using the standard efficiency criteria reflected proximity of simulated and modelling values of runoff, compliance with the EMMA results might give useful auxiliary information for hydrological modelling results validation.

Highlights

  • Understanding the runoff composition is a fundamental problem in hydrological science (Heidbüchel et al, 2012)

  • This study is focused on the comparison of catchment streamflow composition simulated with three well-known rainfall-runoff (RR) models (ECOMAG, HBV, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)) against hydrograph decomposition onto the principal constituents 10 evaluated from End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA)

  • This study is focus on comparison the catchment streamflow composition simulated with three well-known RR models against the hydrograph decomposition obtained from End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) to rank hydrological models according to the real processes of runoff generation

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Summary

Introduction

Understanding the runoff composition is a fundamental problem in hydrological science (Heidbüchel et al, 2012). This study is focus on comparison the catchment streamflow composition simulated with three well-known RR models against the hydrograph decomposition obtained from End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) to rank hydrological models according to the real processes of runoff generation. It relates to the problem of harmonizing various approaches. In opposite to the imitation RR models, EMMA can be called an identification model, 110 providing the interpretation and quantification of runoff generation sources (hereafter called fractions for simplicity) It is substantial, the discharges of different runoff sources are determined from direct observations of the water and tracers volumes with using the mass balance equations system and some empirical relations.

EMMA model
ECOMAG model ECOMAG (ECOlogical
SWAT model Soil and Water Assessment
HBV model
End-members mixing analysis results
Findings
Conclusions

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