Wflow-sbm v0.7.3, a spatially distributed hydrological model: From global data to local applications

Abstract

The wflow-sbm hydrological model, recently released by Deltares, as part of the Wflow.jl (v0.7.3) modelling framework, is being used to better understand and potentially address multiple operational and water resource planning challenges from a catchment scale to national scale to continental and global scale. Wflow.jl is a free and open-source distributed hydrological modelling framework written in the Julia programming language. The development of wflow_sbm, the model structure, equations and functionalities are described in detail, including example applications of wflow_sbm. The wflow-sbm model aims to strike a balance between low-resolution, low-complexity and high-resolution, high-complexity hydrological models. Most wflow-sbm parameters are based on physical characteristics or processes, and at the same time wflow-sbm has a runtime performance well suited for large-scale high-resolution model applications. Wflow-sbm models can be set a priori for any catchment with the Python tool HydroMT-Wflow based on globally available datasets and through the use of point-scale (pedo)transfer functions and suitable upscaling rules and generally result in a satisfactory (0.4g≥Kling-Gupta efficiency (KGE)g