Mathematical Modeling of Watershed Hydrology

by Vijay P. Singh, (F.ASCE),
David A. Woolhiser, (M.ASCE),



Part of: Perspectives in Civil Engineering: Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the American Society of Civil Engineers

Abstract:

Mathematical modeling of watershed hydrology is employed to address a wide spectrum of environmental and water resources problems. A historical perspective of hydrologic modeling is provided, and new developments and challenges in watershed models are discussed. These include data acquisition by remote sensing and space technology, digital terrain and elevation models, chemical tracers, geographic information and data management systems, topographic representation, upscaling of hydrologic conservation equations, spatial variability of hydraulic roughness, infiltration and precipitation, spatial and temporal scaling, model calibration, and linking with water quality models. Model construction, calibration, and data processing have received a great deal of attention, while model validation, error propagation, and analyses of uncertainty, risk, and reliability have not been treated as thoroughly. Finally, some remarks are made regarding the future outlook for watershed hydrology modeling.

Subject Headings: Hydrologic models | Mathematical models | Watersheds | Spatial data | Information management | Hydraulic models | Terrain models

 

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