Use of Remotely-Sensed Snow Covered Area in Watershed Model Calibration for the Sprague River in the Upper Klamath Basin
Abstract
This study presents a multiple-objective, step-wise, automated procedure for hydrologic model calibration in the Sprague River, a mountainous watershed in the Upper Klamath Basin. The procedure includes the sequential calibration of a distributed-hydrologic model's simulation of: (1) solar radiation, (2) potential evapotranspiration, (3) annual water balance; (4) snow-covered area; and (5) components of daily runoff. Measured snow-covered area data for model calibration was processed for the Sprague River basin from the MODIS/Terra Snow Cover 5-Min L2 Swath 500m. This data extends from February 24, 2000 to present. The surface hydrology of the Sprague River basin is dominated by snowmelt runoff, making snow-covered area prediction crucial for accurate streamflow forecasts. The multi-step calibration process ensures that intermediate model states and fluxes, as well as the annual water balance, components of the daily hydrograph, and snow-covered area are being simulated consistent with measured values. In comparison to models calibrated using streamflow data alone, this sequential calibration procedure produces model parameter sets more appropriate for hydrologic data assimilation.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2005
- Bibcode:
- 2005AGUFM.H31H..07H
- Keywords:
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- 1816 Estimation and forecasting;
- 1818 Evapotranspiration;
- 1846 Model calibration (3333);
- 1847 Modeling;
- 1855 Remote sensing (1640)