Modeling hydrologic responses using multi-site and single-site rainfall generators in a semi-arid watershed

Ying Zhao; Mark A. Nearing; David Phillip Guertin

doi:10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.09.003

Modeling hydrologic responses using multi-site and single-site rainfall generators in a semi-arid watershed

Ying Zhao, Mark A. Nearing, David Phillip Guertin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hydrologic response in a watershed is driven by precipitation. Multi-site rainfall generators can be used to model watersheds using spatially varied rainfall inputs to better analyze how the rainfall variability affects runoff generation. This study adopted both a single-site rainfall generator (CLIGEN) and a multi-site rainfall generator to generate two rainfall data sequences, which were then used to drive the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for runoff simulation. The 148-km² Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and its two sub-watersheds were selected to evaluate the hydrologic response. Runoff calibration was done against measured runoff in the watershed. Statistics showed that the single-site and multi-site rainfall generators gave similar results regarding annual precipitation. However, the multi-site generator performed much better than the single-site generator in both mean summer flow and for the different return period flows. The runoff derived from the single-site generator was significantly over-estimated in all three watersheds. As for the multi-site generator, the derived runoff was satisfactorily predicted in the smaller watersheds but only overestimated in the largest watershed. This indicated that in small to medium sized watersheds, the spatial variability of rainfall could play an important role for hydrologic response because of the heterogeneity of convective rainfall in this semi-arid region, which makes the application of multi-site rainfall generator a better option than the single-site generator.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	International Soil and Water Conservation Research
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.09.003
State	Accepted/In press - 2021

Keywords

Hydrologic response
Rainfall generator
Runoff
Semi-arid
Spatial variability
Watershed modeling

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Water Science and Technology
Agronomy and Crop Science
Soil Science
Nature and Landscape Conservation

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10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.09.003

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@article{9e594822a5a44fc38b07919c9e117d3c,

title = "Modeling hydrologic responses using multi-site and single-site rainfall generators in a semi-arid watershed",

abstract = "Hydrologic response in a watershed is driven by precipitation. Multi-site rainfall generators can be used to model watersheds using spatially varied rainfall inputs to better analyze how the rainfall variability affects runoff generation. This study adopted both a single-site rainfall generator (CLIGEN) and a multi-site rainfall generator to generate two rainfall data sequences, which were then used to drive the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for runoff simulation. The 148-km2 Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and its two sub-watersheds were selected to evaluate the hydrologic response. Runoff calibration was done against measured runoff in the watershed. Statistics showed that the single-site and multi-site rainfall generators gave similar results regarding annual precipitation. However, the multi-site generator performed much better than the single-site generator in both mean summer flow and for the different return period flows. The runoff derived from the single-site generator was significantly over-estimated in all three watersheds. As for the multi-site generator, the derived runoff was satisfactorily predicted in the smaller watersheds but only overestimated in the largest watershed. This indicated that in small to medium sized watersheds, the spatial variability of rainfall could play an important role for hydrologic response because of the heterogeneity of convective rainfall in this semi-arid region, which makes the application of multi-site rainfall generator a better option than the single-site generator.",

keywords = "Hydrologic response, Rainfall generator, Runoff, Semi-arid, Spatial variability, Watershed modeling",

author = "Ying Zhao and Nearing, {Mark A.} and Guertin, {David Phillip}",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgment goes to the field staff of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and all the previous scientists and staff of the USDA-ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center for the dedication and effort that made the collection and use of these data possible. Rainfall and runoff data used in this study can be acquired at http://www.tucson.ars.ag.gov/dap/. We also would like to thank Mariano Hernandez for helping with the PEST calibration work. This work was funded by a Specific Cooperative Agreement between the USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agreement number 58-53424-018) and the University of Arizona (Agreement number 2022-13610-012-22S), the Independent research project of State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin (Grant No. SKL2020TS10), and the Research & Development Support Program of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (grant number SC0145B012021). Funding Information: This work was funded by a Specific Cooperative Agreement between the USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agreement number 58-53424-018 ) and the University of Arizona (Agreement number 2022-13610-012-22S ), and the Research & Development Support Program of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (grant number SC0145B012021 ). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation, China Water & Power Press",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.09.003",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "International Soil and Water Conservation Research",

issn = "2095-6339",

publisher = "International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation and China Water and Power Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Modeling hydrologic responses using multi-site and single-site rainfall generators in a semi-arid watershed

AU - Zhao, Ying

AU - Nearing, Mark A.

AU - Guertin, David Phillip

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgment goes to the field staff of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and all the previous scientists and staff of the USDA-ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center for the dedication and effort that made the collection and use of these data possible. Rainfall and runoff data used in this study can be acquired at http://www.tucson.ars.ag.gov/dap/. We also would like to thank Mariano Hernandez for helping with the PEST calibration work. This work was funded by a Specific Cooperative Agreement between the USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agreement number 58-53424-018) and the University of Arizona (Agreement number 2022-13610-012-22S), the Independent research project of State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin (Grant No. SKL2020TS10), and the Research & Development Support Program of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (grant number SC0145B012021). Funding Information: This work was funded by a Specific Cooperative Agreement between the USDA Agricultural Research Service (Agreement number 58-53424-018 ) and the University of Arizona (Agreement number 2022-13610-012-22S ), and the Research & Development Support Program of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (grant number SC0145B012021 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation, China Water & Power Press

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Hydrologic response in a watershed is driven by precipitation. Multi-site rainfall generators can be used to model watersheds using spatially varied rainfall inputs to better analyze how the rainfall variability affects runoff generation. This study adopted both a single-site rainfall generator (CLIGEN) and a multi-site rainfall generator to generate two rainfall data sequences, which were then used to drive the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for runoff simulation. The 148-km2 Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and its two sub-watersheds were selected to evaluate the hydrologic response. Runoff calibration was done against measured runoff in the watershed. Statistics showed that the single-site and multi-site rainfall generators gave similar results regarding annual precipitation. However, the multi-site generator performed much better than the single-site generator in both mean summer flow and for the different return period flows. The runoff derived from the single-site generator was significantly over-estimated in all three watersheds. As for the multi-site generator, the derived runoff was satisfactorily predicted in the smaller watersheds but only overestimated in the largest watershed. This indicated that in small to medium sized watersheds, the spatial variability of rainfall could play an important role for hydrologic response because of the heterogeneity of convective rainfall in this semi-arid region, which makes the application of multi-site rainfall generator a better option than the single-site generator.

AB - Hydrologic response in a watershed is driven by precipitation. Multi-site rainfall generators can be used to model watersheds using spatially varied rainfall inputs to better analyze how the rainfall variability affects runoff generation. This study adopted both a single-site rainfall generator (CLIGEN) and a multi-site rainfall generator to generate two rainfall data sequences, which were then used to drive the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for runoff simulation. The 148-km2 Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed and its two sub-watersheds were selected to evaluate the hydrologic response. Runoff calibration was done against measured runoff in the watershed. Statistics showed that the single-site and multi-site rainfall generators gave similar results regarding annual precipitation. However, the multi-site generator performed much better than the single-site generator in both mean summer flow and for the different return period flows. The runoff derived from the single-site generator was significantly over-estimated in all three watersheds. As for the multi-site generator, the derived runoff was satisfactorily predicted in the smaller watersheds but only overestimated in the largest watershed. This indicated that in small to medium sized watersheds, the spatial variability of rainfall could play an important role for hydrologic response because of the heterogeneity of convective rainfall in this semi-arid region, which makes the application of multi-site rainfall generator a better option than the single-site generator.

KW - Hydrologic response

KW - Rainfall generator

KW - Runoff

KW - Semi-arid

KW - Spatial variability

KW - Watershed modeling

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JO - International Soil and Water Conservation Research

JF - International Soil and Water Conservation Research

ER -

Modeling hydrologic responses using multi-site and single-site rainfall generators in a semi-arid watershed

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