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An ET-Based Two-Phase Method for the Calibration and Application of Distributed Hydrological Models

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Abstract

Parameter calibration is a core process for the application of distributed hydrological models, which depends strongly on river runoff records. However, the sparse distribution of hydrological gauging stations has largely limited the application of hydrological modeling. Remote sensing evapotranspiration (ET) data open a new avenue for the calibration of hydrological models. In this study, we used MOD16 ET, a data product from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), to calibrate a hydrological model in a two-phased approach. A simulated runoff time series was created with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model that was automatically calibrated for ET in the first phase. The simulated runoff time series was then used in the second phase as the “observed” variable for a semiautomatic calibration in which runoff composition was further refined based on a comprehensive understanding of the local hydrological cycle. The results indicate that the output of simulated ET to MOD16 ET was acceptable and produced a reasonable runoff time series compared to the actual observed runoff, yet the composition of runoff was unsatisfactory for the different runoff components (e.g., surface runoff and base flow) after only automatic calibration. The runoff components were improved by semimanual calibration of the runoff sensitive parameters and resulted in a well calibrated distributed hydrological model. The increasing availability and improving quality of global ET datasets provide an alternative way to calibrate hydrological models, especially in ungauged meso- and large-scale basins. Even though the runoff gauging series is not a prerequisite for the method, some in situ observations are still valuable for the optimization of water cycle components.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2016YFA0602302, 2019YFA0607100), the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (2019QZKK0202), the Natural Science Foundation of China (41671028), Strategic Priority of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA23000000), Science and Technology Major Project of Inner Mongolia (ZDZX2018054), and the Sino-German Scientific Center (GZ1213). Constructive comments from anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China

    Zhandong Sun, Tom Lotz & Qun Huang

  2. School of Computer Engineering, Jinling Institute of Technology, Nanjing, China

    Tom Lotz

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  1. Zhandong Sun
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  2. Tom Lotz
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  3. Qun Huang
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All authors contributed to the study conception methodology, and original draft preparation. Data collection and analysis by Lotz Tom and Sun Zhandong. First draft manuscript by Sun Zhandong and Lotz Tom. All authors commented on previous versions. All authors read and approved final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Zhandong Sun.

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Sun, Z., Lotz, T. & Huang, Q. An ET-Based Two-Phase Method for the Calibration and Application of Distributed Hydrological Models. Water Resour Manage 35, 1065–1077 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-021-02774-x

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