What control the spatial patterns and predictions of runoff response over the contiguous USA?

Understanding the nonlinear relationship between hydrological response and key factors and the cause behind this relationship is vital for water resource management and earth system model.In this study,we undertook several steps to explore the relationship.Initially,we partitioned runoff response change(RRC)into multiple components associated with climate and catchment properties,and examined the spatial patterns and smoothness indicated by the Moran's Index of RRC across the contiguous United States(CONUS).Subsequently,we employed a machine learning model to predict RRC using catchment attribute predictors encompassing climate,topography,hydrology,soil,land use/cover,and geology.Additionally,we identified the primary factors influencing RRC and quantified how these key factors control RRC by employing the accumulated local effect,which allows for the representation of not only dominant but also secondary effects.Finally,we explored the relationship between ecoregion patterns,climate gradients,and the distribution of RRC across CONUS.Our findings indicate that:(1)RRC demonstrating significant connections between catchments tends to be well predicted by catchment attributes in space;(2)climate,hydrology,and topography emerge as the top three key attributes nonlinearly influencing the RRC patterns,with their second-order effects determining the heterogeneous patterns of RRC;and(3)local Moran's I signifies a collaborative relationship between the patterns of RRC and their spatial smoothness,climate space,and ecoregions.

Probabilistic Flood Prediction in the Upper Huaihe Catchment Using TIGGE Data

Based on the precipitation and temperature data obtained from THORPEX （The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment） Interactive Grand Global Ensemble （TIGGE）-China Meteorological Administration （CMA） archiving center and the raingauge data, the three-layer variable infiltration capacity （VIC-3L） land surface model was employed to carry out probabilistic hydrological forecast experiments over the upper Huaihe River catchment from 20 July to 3 August 2008. The results show that the performance of the ensemble probabilistic prediction from each ensemble prediction system （EPS） is better than that of the deterministic prediction. Especially, the 72-h prediction has been improved obviously. The ensemble spread goes widely with increasing lead time and more observed discharge is bracketed in the 5th-99th quantile. The accuracy of river discharge prediction driven by the European Centre （EC）-EPS is higher than that driven by the CMA-EPS and the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction （NCEP）-EPS, and the grand-ensemble prediction is the best for hydrological prediction using the VIC model. With regard to Wangjiaba station, all predictions made with a single EPS are close to the observation between the 25th and 75th quantile. The onset of the flood ascending and the river discharge thresholds are predicted well, and so is the second rising limb. Nevertheless, the flood recession is not well predicted.