As part of the Water Institute's WaterTalks lecture series, Professor Martyn Clark, Associate Director at the Centre for Hydrology at the University of Saskatchewan and Editor-in-Chief of Water Resources Research, will present "The Evolution of Process-Based Hydrologic Models: Historical Challenges and the Collective Quest for Physical Realism."
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The diversity in hydrologic models has historically led to great controversy on the correct approach to process-based hydrologic modeling, with debates centered on the adequacy of process parameterizations, data limitations and uncertainty, and computational constraints on model analysis. Here, we revisit key modeling challenges on requirements to (1) define suitable model equations, (2) define adequate model parameters, and (3) cope with limitations in computing power. We outline the historical modeling challenges, provide examples of modeling advances that address these challenges, and define outstanding research needs. We also illustrate how modeling advances have been made by groups using models of different type and complexity, and we argue for the need to more effectively use our diversity of modeling approaches in order to advance our collective quest for physically realistic hydrologic models.
About the Speaker
Martyn Clark is a Professor at the University of Saskatchewan at Canmore, Editor-in-Chief of Water Resources Research, and Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. His research focuses in three main areas: (i) the development and evaluation of process-based hydrologic models; (ii) understanding the sensitivity of water resources to climate variability and change; and (iii) developing the next generation streamflow forecasting systems. Prof. Clark has authored or co-authored over 150 journal articles since receiving his PhD in 1998.