Abstract
We studied how rainfall spatial distribution affects the relationship between rainfall spatiotemporal resolution and runoff prediction accuracy under real field conditions. We gathered radar rainfall and discharge data for three rainfall events. These rainfall-runoff events were then reproduced using a kinematic wave model. Modeling accuracy was estimated quantitatively using the Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient and peak discharge ratio. Normalized root-mean-square error ( nRMSE ), skewness ( S k ), and second scaled spatial moment of catchment rainfall ( δ 2 ) were employed to quantify rainfall spatial distribution characteristics. By relating the accuracy of modeling results to the rainfall spatial characteristics using various rainfall spatiotemporal resolutions, we found that the modeling results converged to a value as the nRMSE , | S k | and | 1 − δ 2 | decreased. That is, rainfall spatial distributions affect the relationship between lower limit of rainfall spatiotemporal resolution for runoff models and runoff prediction accuracy.
Highlights
Advances in measurement and computational techniques have enabled us to consider additional physical processes for accurate flood forecasting
Rainfall spatial distributions affect the relationship between lower limit of rainfall spatiotemporal resolution for runoff models and runoff prediction accuracy
In this study, we investigated the effects of rainfall spatial distribution on the relationship between rainfall spatiotemporal resolution and runoff prediction accuracy under real midsize watershed conditions
Summary
Advances in measurement and computational techniques have enabled us to consider additional physical processes for accurate flood forecasting. As knowledge regarding rainfall-runoff processes has developed and the related technologies and models have continued to advance, significant research efforts have focused on the accuracy and uncertainty of model input data because the accuracy of rainfall-runoff modeling relies heavily on input data [1,2,3]. Rainfall radar indirectly measures rainfall intensity and can produce raster-type rainfall data with various spatial and temporal resolutions. Such systems must be calibrated with data measured by point rainfall gauges on the ground, radar can capture rainfall spatial variation much more accurately than point rainfall gauges.
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