Analysis of water balance components and parameter uncertainties based on swat model with cmads data and sufi-2 algorithm in huangbaihe river Catchment, China

Abstract

The Huangbaihe River is the primary water source for Yichang city. Large-scale phosphate mining activities in the Huangbaihe River Catchment area could change the proportion of streamflow components; therefore, an accurate simulation of streamflow and its components is vital to enable effective water resource management and protection. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model with input data from China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets (CMADS) and the traditional gaging station was applied to simulate hydrological processes in the upper reaches of the Huangbaihe River Catchment area. The constructed model was calibrated and validated using observed streamflow on a monthly scale. Parameter sensitivity and uncertainty analysis were conducted using the Sequential Uncertainty Fitting (SUFI-2) algorithm, and the strengths of calibration and uncertainty analysis were evaluated by applying the p-factor (proportion of measurements covered by the 95PPU) and r-factor (mean thickness of 95PPU band separated using the standard deviation of measurements). The results show that the SWAT model with the two kinds of data source proficiently simulated streamflow records compared with only one data from traditional gauging stations in both the calibration and validation periods at the whole outlet. For the calibration (2009-2012) and validation (2013-2016) periods, the statistical indexes are all good at the Xuanmiaoguan gaging station and the whole outlet. Furthermore, spatiotemporal changes in overland runoff and lateral flow were strongly consistent with precipitation, and significant differences in the contribution from hydrological elements to the water balance were observed between high and low-flow years.