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Automatic Calibration of the SHETRAN Hydrological Modelling System Using MSCE

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Abstract

Automatic calibration is preferred because it provides an objective and extensive searching in the feasible parameter space. In this study, the Modified Shuffled Complex Evolution (MSCE) optimization algorithm is applied to automatically calibrate the physically-based spatially-distributed hydrological model SHETRAN in the 705-km2 semi-arid Cobres basin in southern Portugal, with a spatial resolution of 2 km and a temporal resolution of 1 h. Twenty-two parameters are calibrated for the main types of land-use and soil. Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) is 0.86 for calibration and 0.74 for validation for basin outlet; NSE is respectively 0.65 and 0.82 for calibration, 0.69 and 0.63 for validation of internal gauging stations Albernoa and Entradas. As for storm events, NSE is 0.87 and 0.64 respectively for Storms No.1 (during the calibration period) and No.4 (during the validation period) at basin outlet; it is 0.69 and 0.65 for Storm No.4 respectively at Albernoa and Entradas. The results are satisfactory not only for basin outlet but also for internal gauging stations.

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Acknowledgments

This study was made possible by a PhD grant of Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/48820/2008). The authors are grateful for the support from the ERLAND (PTDC/AAC-AMB/100520/2008) and CISA (MCT/CT-Hidro, Brazil) projects. The authors thank SNIRH and SAGRA/COTR for providing the necessary data, and the following for the great assistance and helpful discussion during the preparation of this paper: Prof. Kilsby, Dr. Bathurst, Dr. Birkinshaw, Dr. O’Donnell and Dr. Bovolo at Newcastle University, UK; Prof. Santos, Prof. Sampaio, Prof. Serralheiro, Prof. Shahidian, Dr. Lima, Dr. Toureiro at University of Évora and Dr. Nunes at University of Aveiro, Portugal. Finally, two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their comments, which allowed a significant improvement of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Mediterranean Agrarian and Environmental Sciences (ICAAM), Group Water, Soil and Climate, University of Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Apartado 94, 7002-774, Évora, Portugal

    Rong Zhang, Madalena Moreira & João Corte-Real

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

    Celso A. G. Santos & Paula K. M. M. Freire

  3. Department of Aeronautics and Transports, University Lusófona of Humanities and Technologies, Research Unit in Aeronautical Sciences (UNICA), Lisbon, Portugal

    João Corte-Real

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  1. Rong Zhang
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  2. Celso A. G. Santos
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  3. Madalena Moreira
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  4. Paula K. M. M. Freire
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  5. João Corte-Real
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Correspondence to Rong Zhang.

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Zhang, R., Santos, C.A.G., Moreira, M. et al. Automatic Calibration of the SHETRAN Hydrological Modelling System Using MSCE. Water Resour Manage 27, 4053–4068 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-013-0395-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-013-0395-z

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