https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-111

Gharari, S., Clark, M. P., Mizukami, N., Knoben, W. J., Wong, J. S., & Pietroniro, A. (2020). Flexible vector-based spatial configurations in land models. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 1-40. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-111 .

al features that has
23 hydrological significance, such as elevation zone, slope, and aspect. Computational units are
24 defined as GRUs that are forced at a specific forcing resolution; therefore, each computational
25 unit has a unique combination of specific geo-spatial data and forcings. We set up the Variable
26 Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model, based on the GRU concept (VIC-GRU). Utilizing this model
27 setup and its advantages we try to answer the following questions: (1) how well a model
28 configuration simulates an output variable, such as streamflow, for range of computational units,
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-111
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29 (2) how well a model configuration with fewer computational units, coarser forcing resolution
30 and less geo-spatial information, reproduces a model set up with more computational units, finer
31 forcing resolution and more geo-spatial information, and finally (3) how uncertain the model
32 structure and parameters are for the land model. Our results, although case dependent, show that
33 the models may similarly reproduce output with a lower number of computational units in the
34 context of modeling (streamflow for example). Our results also show that a model configuration
35 with a lower number of computational units may reproduce the simulations from a model
36 configuration with more computational units. Similarly, this can assist faster parameter
37 identification and model diagnostic suites, such as sensitivity and uncertainty, on a less
38 computationally expensive model setup. Finally, we encourage the land model community to
39 adopt flexible approaches that will provide a better understanding of accuracy-performance
40 tradeoff in land models

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-111