Hydrological hysteresis in catchments and its value for assessing process consistency in conceptual models

While most hydrological models reproduce the general flow dynamics, they frequently fail to adequately mimic system-internal processes. In particular, the relationship between storage and discharge, which often follows annual hysteretic patterns in shallow hard-rock aquifers, is rarely considered in modelling studies. One main reason is that...

Why bother to calibrate? Model consistency and the value of prior information

Catchment low pass filter characteristics, legacy contamination and their link to variability in biogeochemical 1/fa scaling

Hydrological hysteresis in catchments and its value for assessing process consistency in conceptual models (discussions)

While most hydrological models reproduce the general flow dynamics, they frequently fail to adequately mimic system internal processes. In particular, the relationship between storage and discharge, which often follows annual hysteretic patterns in shallow hard-rock aquifers, is rarely considered in modelling studies. One main reason is that...

Process consistency in models: The importance of system signatures, expert knowledge, and process complexity

Hydrological models frequently suffer from limited predictive power despite adequate calibration performances. This can indicate insufficient representations of the underlying processes. Thus, ways are sought to increase model consistency while satisfying the contrasting priorities of increased model complexity and limited equifinality. In this...

Is a simple model based on two mixing reservoirs able to reproduce the intra-annual dynamics of DOC and NO₃ stream concentrations in an agricultural headwater catchment?

Agriculture disturbs the biogeochemical cycles of major elements, which alters the elemental stoichiometry of surface stream waters, with potential impacts on their ecosystems. However, models of catchment hydrology and water quality remain relatively disconnected, even though the observation that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrate ...

Transit times: The link between hydrology and water quality at the catchment scale

In spite of trying to understand processes in the same spatial domain, the catchment<br/>hydrology and water quality scientific communities are relatively disconnected<br/>and so are their respective models. This is emphasized by an inadequate<br/>representation of transport processes, in both catchment-scale hydrological and<br/>water quality...