Disentangling timing and amplitude errors in streamflow simulations

Seibert, Simon Paul; Ehret, Uwe; Zehe, Erwin

doi:10.5194/hess-20-3745-2016

Articles | Volume 20, issue 9

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3745-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3745-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 9

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

12 Sep 2016

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 12 Sep 2016

Disentangling timing and amplitude errors in streamflow simulations

Simon Paul Seibert, Uwe Ehret, and Erwin Zehe

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Views and downloads (calculated since 30 Mar 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Mar 2016	65	21	0	86
Apr 2016	105	25	0	130
May 2016	54	9	0	63
Jun 2016	16	1	0	17
Jul 2016	6	6	0	12
Aug 2016	9	3	0	12
Sep 2016	214	68	6	288
Oct 2016	97	30	1	128
Nov 2016	33	15	1	49
Dec 2016	27	19	1	47
Jan 2017	52	38	0	90
Feb 2017	49	35	0	84
Mar 2017	76	50	7	133
Apr 2017	89	50	6	145
May 2017	92	26	4	122
Jun 2017	76	11	3	90
Jul 2017	24	9	2	35
Aug 2017	11	6	0	17
Sep 2017	15	10	0	25
Oct 2017	7	4	1	12
Nov 2017	24	12	0	36
Dec 2017	16	11	4	31
Jan 2018	21	10	2	33
Feb 2018	36	11	1	48
Mar 2018	20	9	1	30
Apr 2018	16	5	2	23
May 2018	17	5	1	23
Jun 2018	15	4	1	20
Jul 2018	19	7	1	27
Aug 2018	27	8	3	38
Sep 2018	24	15	2	41
Oct 2018	29	18	2	49
Nov 2018	19	24	4	47
Dec 2018	17	30	2	49
Jan 2019	17	16	4	37
Feb 2019	9	6	0	15
Mar 2019	22	11	0	33
Apr 2019	42	7	0	49
May 2019	43	13	1	57
Jun 2019	35	12	0	47
Jul 2019	42	15	1	58
Aug 2019	40	2	2	44
Sep 2019	34	8	2	44
Oct 2019	48	14	3	65
Nov 2019	36	5	1	42
Dec 2019	38	8	2	48
Jan 2020	38	5	1	44
Feb 2020	37	7	2	46
Mar 2020	38	9	2	49
Apr 2020	33	12	2	47
May 2020	38	8	2	48
Jun 2020	29	15	2	46
Jul 2020	40	17	3	60
Aug 2020	33	14	5	52
Sep 2020	51	9	1	61
Oct 2020	22	8	1	31
Nov 2020	35	11	4	50
Dec 2020	35	12	0	47
Jan 2021	58	9	1	68
Feb 2021	54	6	4	64
Mar 2021	43	12	1	56
Apr 2021	39	7	2	48
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Jun 2021	36	12	0	48
Jul 2021	36	10	0	46
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Nov 2021	45	26	2	73
Dec 2021	45	14	1	60
Jan 2022	46	14	1	61
Feb 2022	36	8	4	48
Mar 2022	42	8	0	50
Apr 2022	34	3	1	38
May 2022	41	7	0	48
Jun 2022	33	10	3	46
Jul 2022	37	5	2	44
Aug 2022	53	5	1	59
Sep 2022	42	4	2	48
Oct 2022	41	8	4	53
Nov 2022	47	11	0	58
Dec 2022	41	3	2	46
Jan 2023	48	15	3	66
Feb 2023	43	7	2	52
Mar 2023	42	6	2	50
Apr 2023	35	9	2	46
May 2023	56	15	0	71
Jun 2023	63	7	1	71
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Aug 2023	41	6	2	49
Sep 2023	35	7	0	42
Oct 2023	44	6	2	52
Nov 2023	20	2	0	22
Dec 2023	20	4	1	25
Jan 2024	16	9	1	26
Feb 2024	13	13	2	28
Mar 2024	24	12	3	39
Apr 2024	18	7	2	27
May 2024	18	10	1	29
Jun 2024	13	4	3	20
Jul 2024	11	6	3	20
Aug 2024	27	3	2	32
Sep 2024	8	5	0	13
Oct 2024	14	7	0	21
Nov 2024	13	4	1	18
Dec 2024	11	13	1	25
Jan 2025	18	8	5	31
Feb 2025	25	9	3	37
Mar 2025	11	10	4	25
Apr 2025	22	12	1	35
May 2025	23	5	1	29
Jun 2025	41	10	0	51
Jul 2025	23	15	1	39
Aug 2025	23	14	1	38
Sep 2025	78	18	2	98
Oct 2025	17	18	5	40
Nov 2025	27	22	3	52

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 30 Mar 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Mar 2016	65	21	0	86
Apr 2016	105	25	0	130
May 2016	54	9	0	63
Jun 2016	16	1	0	17
Jul 2016	6	6	0	12
Aug 2016	9	3	0	12
Sep 2016	214	68	6	288
Oct 2016	97	30	1	128
Nov 2016	33	15	1	49
Dec 2016	27	19	1	47
Jan 2017	52	38	0	90
Feb 2017	49	35	0	84
Mar 2017	76	50	7	133
Apr 2017	89	50	6	145
May 2017	92	26	4	122
Jun 2017	76	11	3	90
Jul 2017	24	9	2	35
Aug 2017	11	6	0	17
Sep 2017	15	10	0	25
Oct 2017	7	4	1	12
Nov 2017	24	12	0	36
Dec 2017	16	11	4	31
Jan 2018	21	10	2	33
Feb 2018	36	11	1	48
Mar 2018	20	9	1	30
Apr 2018	16	5	2	23
May 2018	17	5	1	23
Jun 2018	15	4	1	20
Jul 2018	19	7	1	27
Aug 2018	27	8	3	38
Sep 2018	24	15	2	41
Oct 2018	29	18	2	49
Nov 2018	19	24	4	47
Dec 2018	17	30	2	49
Jan 2019	17	16	4	37
Feb 2019	9	6	0	15
Mar 2019	22	11	0	33
Apr 2019	42	7	0	49
May 2019	43	13	1	57
Jun 2019	35	12	0	47
Jul 2019	42	15	1	58
Aug 2019	40	2	2	44
Sep 2019	34	8	2	44
Oct 2019	48	14	3	65
Nov 2019	36	5	1	42
Dec 2019	38	8	2	48
Jan 2020	38	5	1	44
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Mar 2020	38	9	2	49
Apr 2020	33	12	2	47
May 2020	38	8	2	48
Jun 2020	29	15	2	46
Jul 2020	40	17	3	60
Aug 2020	33	14	5	52
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Oct 2020	22	8	1	31
Nov 2020	35	11	4	50
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Jan 2021	58	9	1	68
Feb 2021	54	6	4	64
Mar 2021	43	12	1	56
Apr 2021	39	7	2	48
May 2021	46	7	3	56
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Jul 2021	36	10	0	46
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Jan 2022	46	14	1	61
Feb 2022	36	8	4	48
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Jun 2022	33	10	3	46
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Sep 2022	42	4	2	48
Oct 2022	41	8	4	53
Nov 2022	47	11	0	58
Dec 2022	41	3	2	46
Jan 2023	48	15	3	66
Feb 2023	43	7	2	52
Mar 2023	42	6	2	50
Apr 2023	35	9	2	46
May 2023	56	15	0	71
Jun 2023	63	7	1	71
Jul 2023	47	17	7	71
Aug 2023	41	6	2	49
Sep 2023	35	7	0	42
Oct 2023	44	6	2	52
Nov 2023	20	2	0	22
Dec 2023	20	4	1	25
Jan 2024	16	9	1	26
Feb 2024	13	13	2	28
Mar 2024	24	12	3	39
Apr 2024	18	7	2	27
May 2024	18	10	1	29
Jun 2024	13	4	3	20
Jul 2024	11	6	3	20
Aug 2024	27	3	2	32
Sep 2024	8	5	0	13
Oct 2024	14	7	0	21
Nov 2024	13	4	1	18
Dec 2024	11	13	1	25
Jan 2025	18	8	5	31
Feb 2025	25	9	3	37
Mar 2025	11	10	4	25
Apr 2025	22	12	1	35
May 2025	23	5	1	29
Jun 2025	41	10	0	51
Jul 2025	23	15	1	39
Aug 2025	23	14	1	38
Sep 2025	78	18	2	98
Oct 2025	17	18	5	40
Nov 2025	27	22	3	52

Latest update: 24 Nov 2025

Short summary

While the assessment of "vertical" (magnitude) errors of streamflow simulations is standard practice, "horizontal" (timing) errors are rarely considered. To assess their role, we propose a method to quantify both errors simultaneously which closely resembles visual hydrograph comparison. Our results reveal differences in time–magnitude error statistics for different flow conditions. The proposed method thus offers novel perspectives for model diagnostics and evaluation.