Simulation of low flows and drought events in WATCH test basins: impact of climate forcing datasets
- Authors
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Source
- Wageningen University and Researchcenter Publications
- Keywords
- Language
- English
- License
- Unknown
- External links
Abstract
The impact of both spatial and temporal resolution on the components of the terrestrial hydrological cycle are investigated using the WATCH forcing dataset (WFD) and the JULES (Joint UK Land Environment Simulator) land surface model. The various spatial resolutions are achieved by degrading the native half degree latitude/longitude resolution WATCH dataset to both one degree and two degrees. The temporal resolutions are created by degrading the native three hourly WATCH forcing dataset to six hourly and using the WATCH interpolator to derive a one hour forcing dataset. There is little difference in the moisture stores of soil water and canopy water in the long term mean from the various resolutions, so the analysis presented is for the changes in evaporation and runoff. The evaporation is further analysed into its various components for the spatial resolution. Results suggest that there is little impact from spatial resolution, but the interpolation method for temporal resolution can have a significant effect on the total mean evaporation/runoff balance.