Assessment of the Impact of Spatial Variability on Streamflow Predictions Using High-Resolution Modeling and Parameter Estimation: Case Study of Geumho River Catchment, South Korea

Abstract

In this study, we analyzed the impact of model spatial resolution on streamflow predictions, focusing on high-resolution scenarios (<1 km) and flooding conditions at catchment scale. Simulation experiments were implemented for the Geumho River catchment in South Korea using Weather Research and the Forecasting Hydrological Modeling System (WRF-Hydro) with spatial resolutions of 100 m, 250 m, and 500 m. For the estimation of parameters, an automatic calibration tool based on the Model-Independent Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis (PEST) method was utilized. We assessed the hydrological predictions across different spatial resolutions considering calibrated parameters, calibration runtime, and accuracy of streamflow before and after calibration. For both Rainfall Events 1 and 2, significant improvements were observed after event-specific calibration in all resolutions. Particularly for 250 m resolution, NSE values of 0.8 or higher were demonstrated at lower gauging locations. Also, at a 250 m resolution, the changes in the calibrated parameter values (REFKDT) were minimized between Rainfall Events 1 and 2, implicating more effective calibration compared to the other resolutions. At resolutions of 100 m and 500 m, the optimal parameter values for the two events were distinctively different while more computational resources were required for calibration in Event 2 with drier antecedent conditions.