Regional scale hydrology: I. Formulation of the VIC-2L model coupled to a routing model

TLDR

The VIC‑2L macroscale hydrological model is a grid‑network, two‑layer Variable Infiltration Capacity scheme that represents land surface processes in numerical weather prediction and climate models. The study aims to validate coupled atmospheric‑hydrological models by incorporating streamflow measurements. The VIC‑2L model is linked to an independently derived linear routing scheme optimized with observed precipitation and streamflow, and a baseflow separation routine aligns the two models.

Abstract

Abstract A grid network version of the two-layer Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC-2L) macroscale hydrological model is described. The VIC-2L model is a hydrologically-based SVAT (Soil Vegetation Atmospheric Transfer) scheme designed to represent the land surface in numerical weather prediction and climate models. It is coupled to a linear routing scheme which is optimized with measured precipitation and streamflow data and is derived independently from the VIC-2L model. In this way it is possible to utilize streamflow measurements for the validation of coupled atmospheric-hydrological models. A baseflow separation routine is used to derive an equivalent description between the VIC-2L model and the routing model.