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www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/14/325/2010/
doi:10.5194/hess-14-325-2010
© Author(s) 2010. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Global spatial optimization with hydrological systems simulation: application to land-use allocation and peak runoff minimization
1Department of Geography, The University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
2Department of City and Regional Planning, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Abstract. A general methodology is presented to integrate complex simulation models of hydrological systems into optimization models, as an alternative to scenario-based approaches. A gradient-based hill climbing algorithm is proposed to reach locally optimal solutions from distinct starting points. The gradient of the objective function is estimated numerically with the simulation model. A statistical procedure based on the Weibull distribution is used to build a confidence interval for the global optimum. The methodology is illustrated by an application to a small watershed in Ohio, where the decision variables are related to land-use allocations and the objective is to minimize peak runoff. The results suggest that this specific runoff function is convex in terms of the land-use variables, and that the global optimum has been reached. Modeling extensions and areas for further research are discussed.
Final Revised Paper (PDF, 1673 KB) Discussion Paper (HESSD)
Citation: Yeo, I.-Y. and Guldmann, J.-M.: Global spatial optimization with hydrological systems simulation: application to land-use allocation and peak runoff minimization, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 325-338, doi:10.5194/hess-14-325-2010, 2010. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
