title: Estimating daily time series of streamflow using hydrological model calibrated based on satellite observations of river water surface width: Toward real world applications.
abstract: Lacking observation data for calibration constrains applications of hydrological models to estimate daily time series of streamflow. Recent improvements in remote sensing enable detection of river water-surface width from satellite observations, making possible the tracking of streamflow from space. In this study, a method calibrating hydrological models using river width derived from remote sensing is demonstrated through application to the ungauged Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar. Generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) is selected as a tool for automatic calibration and uncertainty analysis. Of 50,000 randomly generated parameter sets, 997 are identified as behavioral, based on comparing model simulation with satellite observations. The uncertainty band of streamflow simulation can span most of 10-year average monthly observed streamflow for moderate and high flow conditions. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency is 95.7% for the simulated streamflow at the 50% quantile. These results indicate that application to the target basin is generally successful. Beyond evaluating the method in a basin lacking streamflow data, difficulties and possible solutions for applications in the real world are addressed to promote future use of the proposed method in more ungauged basins.
authors: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies (JCGCS), Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: sunny@bnu.edu.cn.
authors: Wenchao
authors: W
authors: Sun
authors: Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11, Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Ishidaira
authors: Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
authors: Satish
authors: S
authors: Bastola
authors: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China.
authors: Jingshan
authors: J
authors: Yu
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D062070:Hydrology / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D002052:Myanmar; D045483:Rivers; D017215:Satellite Communications; D013997:Time Factors; D035501:Uncertainty; D014872:Water Movements
keywords: GLUE; Hydrological model; Model calibration; Remote sensing; River water-surface width