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Overview Research Site Status and Provenance Access and Downloads
Section 1: Overview
Name of Research Project
Related Project
Part
IMPC: Integrated Modelling Program for Canada
Program Affiliations
GWF: Global Water Futures
Related Research Project(s)
Related ProjectPart
GWF-IMPC: Integrated Modelling Program for Canada
Dataset Title
Learning from hydrological models’ challenges: A case study from the Nelson basin model intercomparison project
Additional Information
Creators and Contributors
NameRoleEmailInstitution
Ahmed, M. I.
Principal Investigator
mohamedismaiel.ahmed@ucalgary.ca
University of Calgary
Stadnyk, T.
Co-Creator
University of Calgary
Pietroniro, A.
Co-Creator
University of Calgary
Awoye, H.
Co-Creator
University of Calgary
Bajracharya, A.
Co-Creator
University of Calgary
Mai, J.
Co-Creator
University of Waterloo
Tolson, B. A.
Co-Creator
University of Waterloo
Shen, H.
Co-Creator
University of Waterloo
Craig, J. R.
Co-Creator
University of Waterloo
Gervais, M.
Co-Creator
Manitoba Hydro
Sagan, K.
Co-Creator
Manitoba Hydro
Wruth, S.
Co-Creator
Manitoba Hydro
Koenig, K.
Co-Creator
Manitoba Hydro
Lilhare, R.
Co-Creator
University of Northern British Columbia
Déry, S. J.
Co-Creator
University of Northern British Columbia
Pokorny, S.
Co-Creator
Strategic Systems Engineering
Venema, H.
Co-Creator
Strategic Systems Engineering
Muhammad, A.
Co-Creator
Associated Engineering (Sask.) Ltd
Taheri, M.
Co-Creator
University of Waterloo
Abstract
Intercomparison studies play an important, but limited role in understanding the usefulness and limitations of currently available hydrological models. Comparison studies are often limited to well-behaved hydrological regimes, where rainfall-runoff processes dominate the hydrological response. These efforts have not covered western Canada due to the difficulty in simulating that region’s complex cold region hydrology with varying spatiotemporal contributing areas. This intercomparison study is the first of a series of studies under the intercomparison project of the international and interprovincial transboundary Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB) in North America (Nelson-MIP), which encompasses different ecozones with major areas of the non-contributing Prairie potholes, forests, glaciers, mountains, and permafrost. The performance of eight hydrological and land surface models is compared at different unregulated watersheds within the NCRB. This is done to assess the models’ streamflow performance and overall fidelity without and with calibration, to capture the underlying physics of the region and to better understand why models struggle to accurately simulate its hydrology. Results show that some of the participating models have difficulties in simulating streamflow and/or internal hydrological variables (e.g., evapotranspiration) over Prairie watersheds but most models performed well elsewhere. This stems from model structural deficiencies, despite the various models being well calibrated to observed streamflow. Some model structural changes are identified for the participating models for future improvement. The outcomes of this study offer guidance for practitioners for the accurate prediction of NCRB streamflow, and for increasing confidence in future projections of water resources supply and management.
Purpose
Plain Language Summary
Keywords
Keyword
hydrological model intercomparison
Prairie pothole
streamflow
snow water equivalent
actual evapotranspiration
Citations
T-2024-02-27-L1v0yZ1nzrkKL2KFyGzblpyQ Dataset 1.2