Hyper-resolution PCR-GLOBWB: opportunities and challenges from refining model spatial resolution to 1 km over the European continent

Abstract

Abstract. The quest for hydrological hyper-resolution modelling has been on-going for more than a decade. While global hydrological models (GHMs) have seen a reduction in grid size, they have thus far never been consistently applied at a hyper-resolution (<=1 km) at the large scale. Here, we present the first application of the GHM PCR-GLOBWB at 1 km over Europe. We thoroughly evaluated simulated discharge, evaporation, soil moisture, and terrestrial water storage anomalies against long-term observations and subsequently compared results with the established 10 and 50 km resolutions of PCR-GLOBWB. Subsequently, we could assess the added value of this first hyper-resolution version of PCR-GLOBWB and assess the scale dependencies of model and forcing resolution. Eventually, these insights can help us in understanding the current challenges and opportunities from hyper-resolution models and in formulating the model and data requirements for future improvements. We found that, for most variables, epistemic uncertainty is still large, and issues with scale commensurability exist with respect to the long-term yet coarse observations used. Merely for simulated discharge, we can confidently state that model output at hyper-resolution improves over coarser resolutions due to better representation of the river network at 1 km. However, currently available observations are not yet widely available at hyper-resolution or lack a sufficiently long time series, which makes it difficult to assess the performance of the model for other variables at hyper-resolution. Here, additional model validation efforts are needed. On the model side, hyper-resolution applications require careful revisiting of model parameterization and possibly the implementation of more physical processes to be able to resemble the dynamics and spatial heterogeneity at 1 km. With this first application of PCR-GLOBWB at 1 km, we contribute to meeting the grand challenge of hyper-resolution modelling. Even though the model was only assessed at the continental scale, valuable insights could be gained which have global validity. As such, it should be seen as a modest milestone on a longer journey towards locally relevant model output. This, however, requires a community effort from domain experts, model developers, research software engineers, and data providers.