A retrospective on hydrological catchment modelling based on half a century with the HBV model

Hydrological catchment models are important tools that are commonly used as the basis for water resource management planning. In the 1960s and 1970s, the development of several relatively simple models to simulate catchment runoff started, and a number of so-called conceptual (or bucket-type) models...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrology and earth system sciences 2022-03, Vol.26 (5), p.1371-1388
Main Authors: Seibert, Jan, Bergström, Sten
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Catchment area
Catchment models
Catchments
Cloud computing
Complexity
Computer applications
Computers
Hepatitis B
Hydrologic models
Hydrologic processes
Hydrologists
Hydrology
Management
Management planning
Modelling
Motivation
Oceanografi, hydrologi, vattenresurser
Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources
Resource management
Runoff
Storage
Students
Water
Water management
Water resources
Water resources management
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Summary:Hydrological catchment models are important tools that are commonly used as the basis for water resource management planning. In the 1960s and 1970s, the development of several relatively simple models to simulate catchment runoff started, and a number of so-called conceptual (or bucket-type) models were suggested. In these models, the complex and heterogeneous hydrological processes in a catchment are represented by a limited number of storage elements and the fluxes between them. While computer limitations were a major motivation for such relatively simple models in the early days, some of these models are still used frequently despite the vast increase in computational opportunities. The HBV (Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning) model, which was first applied about 50 years ago in Sweden, is a typical example of a conceptual catchment model and has gained large popularity since its inception. During several model intercomparisons, the HBV model performed well despite (or because of) its relatively simple model structure. Here, the history of model development, from thoughtful considerations of different model structures to modelling studies using hundreds of catchments and cloud computing facilities, is described. Furthermore, the wide range of model applications is discussed. The aim is to provide an understanding of the background of model development and a basis for addressing the balance between model complexity and data availability that will also face hydrologists in the coming decades.
ISSN:1607-7938
1027-5606
1607-7938
DOI:10.5194/hess-26-1371-2022