Validating the Effect of Topography and Geology on Rainfall–Runoff in Mountainous Catchments Using the Improved HYdrologic CYcle Model

Abstract

Rainfall–runoff characteristics of mountainous catchments are affected by many factors, such as topography and geology. Traditionally, the effects of geology on rainfall–runoff characteristics have been explained using geology, but the differences in runoff characteristics within the same geological settings have not been examined. These differences can be expressed as differences between the hydrological model parameters. However, the effects of geology on the model calculations have not yet been clarified. Thus, this study aims to clarify the effects of topography and geology on model calculations using an improved HYdrologic CYcle (HYCY) model that considers bedrock infiltration. Runoff observations were conducted for approximately 3 years in 19 catchments at 2 sites located in sedimentary rock and granite mountains. Rainfall was recorded at each site. The observed hydrographs were used to optimise the parameters for each catchment using the least-squares method. The relationship between parameter m and the soil layer storage was calculated using the optimised parameters, representing the percentage of the area contributing to runoff. Furthermore, these results were compared with observational analysis results. The improved HYCY model accurately represented all 19 runoffs. When the total precipitation in 1 event exceeded 200 mm, parameter m became ~1 and ~0.3–0.4 in sedimentary rock and granitic catchments, respectively, which shows the effect of geology. The effects of topography on the parameters were exhibited in Kc and Kb, which calculated the storm flow from the channels and baseflow hydrographs, respectively. However, the parameter distributions exhibited geological differences, namely in parameter Kh, Kb and m. The parameter Kh calculates the overland flow hydrograph. This implies that geological differences affect the probability of the overland flow generation rate and the recession hydrographs of the overland flow and baseflow.