| Title: | Water quality model output uncertainty as affected by spatial resolution of input data |
| Authors: | Cotter, A.S., I. Chaubey, T.A. Costello, T.S. Soerens and M.A. Nelson |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Journal: | Journal of the American Water Resources Association |
| Volume (Issue): | 39(4) |
| Pages: | 977-986 |
| Article ID: | |
| DOI: | 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2003.tb04420.x |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic and pollutant |
| Primary Application Category: | input data effects |
| Secondary Application Category: | pollutant cycling/loss and transport |
| Watershed Description: | 18.9 km^2 Moores Creek, located in northwest Arkansas, U.S. |
| Calibration Summary: | Monthly (1997-98) E values: flow = .76 sediment = .48 nitrate = .44 total P = .66 |
| Validation Summary: | Average annual relative errors reported, relative to 30x30 m DEM |
| General Comments: | DEM, land use, & soil data resolution were evaluated. The effects of 7 DEM resolutions (30 m up to 1000 m) were evaluated for flow, sediment, nitrate, & total P transport. Flow volumes decreased as DEM resolution became coarser and average slope also decreased from 6% at a 30 m resolution to 1.5% at a 1,000 m resolution (and slope length increased). DEM had the greatest impact of evaluated inputs. Coarser land use data resulted in high uncertainty for all output. Soil data resolution affected only sediment and total P. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | modeling; geographic information system; SWAT model; water quality; output uncertainty |