A retrospective on hydrological catchment modelling based on half a century with the HBV model
<p>Hydrological catchment models are important tools that are commonly used as the basis for water resource management planning. In the 1960s and 1970s, the development of several relatively simple models to simulate catchment runoff started, and a number of so-called conceptual (or bucket-typ...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/26/1371/2022/hess-26-1371-2022.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Hydrological catchment models are important tools that
are commonly used as the basis for water resource management planning. In
the 1960s and 1970s, the development of several relatively simple models to
simulate catchment runoff started, and a number of so-called conceptual (or
bucket-type) models were suggested. In these models, the complex and
heterogeneous hydrological processes in a catchment are represented by a
limited number of storage elements and the fluxes between them. While computer limitations were a major
motivation for such relatively simple models in the early days, some of these models are still used frequently despite the vast increase in computational opportunities. The HBV (Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning) model, which was first applied about 50 years ago in Sweden, is a typical
example of a conceptual catchment model and has gained large popularity since its inception. During several model intercomparisons, the HBV model
performed well despite (or because of) its relatively simple model
structure. Here, the history of model development, from thoughtful
considerations of different model structures to modelling studies using
hundreds of catchments and cloud computing facilities, is described.
Furthermore, the wide range of model applications is discussed. The aim is
to provide an understanding of the background of model development and a
basis for addressing the balance between model complexity and data
availability that will also face hydrologists in the coming decades.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |