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COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF TWO DISTRIBUTED WATERSHED MODELS WITH APPLICATION TO A SMALL WATERSHED
Citation:
Latif, K. AND M M. Hantush*. COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF TWO DISTRIBUTED WATERSHED MODELS WITH APPLICATION TO A SMALL WATERSHED. M.G. Anderson (ed.), Hydrological Processes. John Wiley & Sons Incorporated, New York, NY, 20(11):2285-2307, (2006).
Description:
Distributed watershed models are beneficial tools for assessment of management practices on runoff and water-induced erosion. This paper evaluates, by application to an experimental watershed, two promising distributed watershed-scale sediment models in detail: The Kinematic Runoff and Erosion Model (KINEROS-2) and Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis Model (GSSHA). The physics behind each model is to some extent similar though they have different watershed conceptualizations. KINEROS-2 was calibrated using three rainfall events and validated over four separate rainfall events. Parameters estimated by this calibration process were adapted to GSSHA. With these parameters, GSSHA generated larger and retarded flow hydrographs. A 30% reduction in both plane and channel roughness in GSSHA along with the assumption of Green-Ampt Conductivity, KG-A = Ks, where Ks is the saturated conductivity, resulted in almost identical hydrographs. Major sediment parameters of GSSHA were calibrated independently of KINEROS-1. A comparative discussion of simulation results is presented. Even though GSSHA's flow component slightly over performed KINEROS-2, the latter outperformed GSSHA in simulations for sediment transport. In spite of the fact that KINEROS-2 is not geared toward continuous time simulations, simulations performed with both models over a one month period generated comparable results.