Title: | SWAT check: A screening tool to assist users in the identification of potential model application problems |
Authors: | White, M.J., R.D. Harmel, J.G. Arnold and J.R. Williams |
Year: | 2014 |
Journal: | Journal of Environmental Quality |
Volume (Issue): | 43(1) |
Pages: | 208-214 |
Article ID: | |
DOI: | 10.2134/jeq2012.0039 |
URL (non-DOI journals): | |
Model: | SWAT |
Broad Application Category: | hydrologic and pollutant |
Primary Application Category: | GIS interface, GIS utility, or other type of interface/utility |
Secondary Application Category: | pollutant cycling/loss and transport |
Watershed Description: | Three example watersheds that are 260, 3,500 and 240,000 km^2 in size |
Calibration Summary: | |
Validation Summary: | |
General Comments: | This paper is part of a JEQ special SWAT issue. |
Abstract: | The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a basin scale hydrologic model developed by the US
Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. SWAT’s broad applicability, user friendly
model interfaces, and automatic calibration software have led to a rapid increase in the number of new
users. These advancements also allow less experienced users to conduct SWAT modeling applications.
In particular, the use of automated calibration software may produce simulated values that appear
appropriate because they adequately mimic measured data used in calibration and validation.
Unfortunately, autocalibrated model applications (and often those of unexperienced modelers) may
contain input data errors and/or inappropriate parameter adjustments not readily identified by users or
the autocalibration software. Therefore, the objective of this research was to develop a program to
assist users in the identification of potential model application problems. The resulting “SWAT Check” is
a stand-alone Microsoft Windows® program that: 1) reads selected SWAT output 24 and alert users of
values outside the typical range, 2) creates process-based figures for visualization of the
appropriateness of output values, including important outputs that are commonly ignored, and 3)
detects and alert users of common model application errors. By alerting users to potential model
application problems, this software should assist the SWAT community in developing more reliable
modeling applications. |
Language: | English |
Keywords: | |