Evaluating the performance of hydrological models with joint multifractal spectra

ABSTRACT

The investigation of methods to evaluate the performance of hydrological models has never stopped. This study explores an innovative application, called joint multifractal spectra (JMS) analysis. The JMS analysis, which is demonstrated in three typical basins in Zhejiang Province, China, analyses both flood and low-flow periods. JMS is applied to seasonal-decomposed observed and simulated runoff series, thus helping to analyse the rising and the recession processes of discharge, which are unique features of a hydrograph. This is achieved by using q exponents to magnify or shrink the relative magnitudes of different parts. The joint multifractal spectra revealed many details of modelling, like the evaluation of recession process modelling. Given its versatility, the JMS analysis has great potential for its applications in hydrological modelling.

KEYWORDS:

• joint multifractal spectra analysis
• hydrological model
• Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency
• hydrological processes

Editor A. Fiori; Associate Editor A. Efstratiadis

Editor A. Fiori; Associate Editor A. Efstratiadis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the China Meteorological Data Service Centre. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under licence for this study. Data are available from http://data.cma.cn with the permission of the China Meteorological Data Service Centre.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Key Project of Zhejiang Natural Science Foundation [LZ20E090001]; the National Natural Science Foundation of China [51909233]; and the Zhejiang Natural Science Foundation [LZJWY22D010001].