Regionalization of hydrological model parameters using data depth

Abstract

The parameters of hydrological models with no or short discharge records can only be estimated using regional information. We can assume that catchments with similar characteristics show a similar hydrological behaviour. A regionalization of hydrological model parameters on the basis of catchment characteristics is therefore plausible. However, due to the non-uniqueness of the rainfall/runoff model parameters (equifinality), a procedure of a regional parameter estimation by model calibration and a subsequent fit of a regional function is not appropriate. In this paper, a different procedure based on the depth function and convex combinations of model parameters is introduced. Catchment characteristics to be used for regionalization can be identified by the same procedure. Regionalization is then performed using different approaches: multiple linear regression using the deepest parameter sets and convex combinations. The assessment of the quality of the regionalized models is also discussed. An example of 28 British catchments illustrates the methodology.