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Simulation of snowmelt runoff in ungauged basins based on MODIS: a case study in the Lhasa River basin

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Abstract

It is theoretically and practically significant to conduct snowmelt runoff simulations and hydrological research for high-elevation regions. The Lhasa River basin, an ungauged basin, is a typical alpine headwater region where snowmelt runoff contributes significantly to its stream flow. In this study, the snowmelt period, defined by the snow cover curves obtained at different altitudinal zones based on Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Digital Elevation Model data, occurred from March 6 to July 12 in the basin. The snowmelt processes were simulated with the Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) in 2002 and 2003 for calibration and validation, respectively. The coefficients of determination (R 2) were 0.86 and 0.87 for calibration and validation, respectively, and the Nash–Sutcliffe coefficients were both 0.80, which indicate reasonable performances in simulating hydrological processes in the Lhasa River basin. The simulated snowmelt at altitudes below 5,000 m accounts for most of the snowmelt. And the simulated snowmelt runoff contributed 3–6 % to the total runoff. The sensitivity of individual parameters was analysed and ranked as follows: α and γ > C S  > C R  > T crit . In short, the SRM based on MODIS remotely sensed data performed well for the ungauged Lhasa River basin.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (50909003) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2009SC-5).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

    Linghua Qiu & Dingzhi Peng

  2. State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China

    Jinjun You

  3. Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China

    Fei Qiao

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  1. Linghua Qiu
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  4. Dingzhi Peng
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Correspondence to Dingzhi Peng.

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Qiu, L., You, J., Qiao, F. et al. Simulation of snowmelt runoff in ungauged basins based on MODIS: a case study in the Lhasa River basin. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 28, 1577–1585 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-013-0837-4

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