Hydrology and Earth System Sciences www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net 1027-5606 1607-7938 14 8 2010 10.5194/hess-14-1435-2010 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/14/1435/2010/ http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/14/1435/2010/hess-14-1435-2010.html http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/14/1435/2010/hess-14-1435-2010.pdf 1435 1448 2010-08-04 Explicit simulations of stream networks to guide hydrological modelling in ungauged basins S. Stoll stoll@ifu.baug.ethz.ch M. Weiler Institute of Hydrology, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland Rainfall-runoff modelling in ungauged basins is still one of the greatest challenges in hydrological research. The lack of discharge data necessitates the establishment of new innovative approaches to guide hydrological modelling in ungauged basins. Besides the transfer of calibrated parameters from similar gauged catchments, the application of distributed data as a hydrological response in addition to discharge seems to be promising. A new approach to guide hydrological modelling based on explicit simulation of the spatial stream network was tested in four different catchments in Germany. In a first step we used a simplified version of the process-based model Hill-Vi together with regional climate normals to simulate stream networks. The calculation of gravity driven lateral subsurface and groundwater flow is used to identify patterns of stream cells, which were compared to reference stream networks and their degree of spatial agreement was evaluated. Significant differences between good and poor simulations could be distinguished and the corresponding parameter sets relate well with the hydrogeological properties of the catchments. 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