CS(AR)-211 : Comparison of monthly rainfall runoff models

Abstract

The present report summarizes about hydrologic models, their classifications and stages involved in hydrologic modelling, covering conceptual modelling in detail. Structures of some of the most commonly used hydrologic conceptual models of monthly time scale are discussed and tested on some of the catchments of Central and Western India lying in arid, semi-arid, humid and sub-humid agroclimatic zones. Study indicates that a water balance type model can reproduce catchment behaviour in a better manner as compared to a statistical model. Also, 2-5 parameters in a model are sufficient to represent the rainfall-runoff relationship of a catchment on a monthly scale. Efficiency of a model is found directly proportional to the runoff actor of the catchment. Report also discusses development and performance of a regional conceptual model developed for these regions.