Exploring hydrological process features of the East River (Dongjiang) basin in South China using VIC and SWAT

Abstract

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model are applied to the East River (Dongjiang) basin in south China for simulating the hydrological processes and for assessing environmental changes. The focuses of the two models are different. The SWAT model is mainly for studying the environmental effects of changes in climate, land use and agricultural management on streamflow generation, and the VIC model, through simulating hydrological processes relevant to the water and energy balance over the land surface, is mainly for studying the effects of climate changes on streamflow generation. This paper presents the comparison of simulated hydrological processes using both of the models, and investigates the hydrological process features over the basin. It is found that soil moisture change is a dynamic factor in the basin's terrestrial hydrological processes, but evapotranspiration and runoff are more important components in regulating the water balance over the East River basin. Copyright © 2008 IAHS Press.