SUBWATERSHED SPATIAL ANALYSIS TOOL: DISCRETIZATION OF A DISTRIBUTED HYDROLOGIC MODEL BY STATISTICAL CRITERIA¹

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Complex hydrologic models, designed for simulating larger watersheds, require a huge amount of input data. Most of these models use spatially distributed data as inputs. Spatial data can be aggregated or disaggregated for use as input to a model, which can impact model outputs. Although, it is efficient to minimize data redundancy by aggregating the spatial data, upscaling reduces the detail/resolution of input information and increases model uncertainty. On the other hand, a large number of model inputs with high degrees of disaggregation take more computer time and space to process. Hence, a balance between striving for a maximum level of aggregation and a minimum level of information loss has to be achieved. This study presents a definition of an appropriate level of discretization, derived by establishing a relationship between a model's efficiency and the number of subwater‐sheds modeled. An entropy based statistical approach/tool called Subwatershed Spatial Analysis Tool (SUSAT) was developed to find an objective choice of an appropriate level of discretization. The new approach/tool was applied to three watersheds, each representing different hydrologic conditions, using a hydrologic model. Coefficients of efficiency and entropy estimated at different levels of discretization were used to validate the success of the new approach.