| Title: | Comparing calibrated parameter sets of the SWAT model for the Scandinavian and Iberian Peninsulas |
| Authors: | Malagò, A., L. Pagliero, F. Bouraoui and M. Franchini |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Journal: | Hydrological Sciences Journal |
| Volume (Issue): | 60(5) |
| Pages: | 949-967 |
| Article ID: | |
| DOI: | 10.1080/02626667.2014.978332 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic only |
| Primary Application Category: | regionalization of input parameters |
| Secondary Application Category: | calibration, sensitivity, and/or uncertainty analysis |
| Watershed Description: | The Scandinavian Peninsula (10^6 km^2) in northern Europe, which was divided into 5447 sub-basins, with 61 gauged head basins and another 346 gauged sub-basins, and the Iberian Peninsula (556·10^3 km^2) in southwest Europe, which was divided in 3019 sub-basins, with 81 gauged head basins and another 215 gauged sub-basins. |
| Calibration Summary: | A step-wise calibration approach was developed in order to calibrate the streamflow. This methodology involves sensitivity analysis, multi-variables calibration and regionalization of the calibrated parameters. In particular, the headwaters were calibrated using SUFI-2 method (Abbaspour, 2008) through 4 sequential steps that focused on different hydrological processes. After that, calibrated parameter sets were transposed in ungauged sub-basins using a technique of regionalization. |
| Validation Summary: | The accuracy of regionalized model performance was analyzed comparing the calibrated monthly discharge and observed data in 346 gauged subbasins in Scandinavia and 215 gauged sub-basins in the Iberian Peninsula using different statistic criteria. |
| General Comments: | The step-wise calibration allows gaining a good knowledge of each hydrological process through the analysis of temporal and spatial variations of calibrated flow in different regions. As a consequence, in our opinion, this procedure of calibration should be adopted as a robust procedure in the calibration of SWAT streamflow outputs.
It has to be stressed that streamflow well simulated in time and in space is a pre-condition for a good calibration of sediment and nutrients loads. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | large-scale model; multi-variables calibration; sensitivity analysis; spatial
variability; SWAT model; parameter regionalization; Scandinavia; Iberian Peninsula |