Articles | Volume 29, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3703-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3703-2025
Research article
 | 
13 Aug 2025
Research article |  | 13 Aug 2025

Predicting snow cover and frozen ground impacts on large basin runoff: developing appropriate model complexity

Nan Wu, Ke Zhang, Amir Naghibi, Hossein Hashemi, Zhongrui Ning, Qinuo Zhang, Xuejun Yi, Haijun Wang, Wei Liu, Wei Gao, and Jerker Jarsjö

Related authors

Altitudinal variation in impacts of snow cover, reservoirs and precipitation seasonality on monthly runoff in Tibetan Plateau catchments
Nan Wu, Ke Zhang, Amir Naghibi, Hossein Hashemi, Zhongrui Ning, and Jerker Jarsjö
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-401,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-401, 2025
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
Short summary

Cited articles

Ahmed, N., Wang, G., Booij, M. J., Marhaento, H., Pordhan, F. A., Ali, S., Munir, S., and Hashmi, M. Z.-R.: Variations in hydrological variables using distributed hydrological model in permafrost environment, Ecol. Indic., 145, 109609, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109609, 2022. 
Ala-Aho, P., Autio, A., Bhattacharjee, J., Isokangas, E., Kujala, K., Marttila, H., Menberu, M., Merio, L.-J., Postila, H., Rauhala, A., Ronkanen, A.-K., Rossi, P. M., Saari, M., Haghighi, A. T., and Klove, B.: What conditions favor the influence of seasonally frozen ground on hydrological partitioning? A systematic review, Environ. Res. Lett., 16, 043008, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe82c, 2021. 
Allen, R. G., Pereira, L. S., Raes, D., and Smith, M.: Crop evapotranspiration – Guidelines for computing crop water requirements – FAO Irrigation and drainage paper 56, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, ISBN 92-5-104219-5, 1998. 
Anderson, E.: Calibration of conceptual hydrologic models for use in river forecasting, US National Weather Service, Silver Spring, https://www.weather.gov/media/owp/oh/hrl/docs/1_Anderson_CalbManual.pdf (last access: 29 July 2025), 2002. 
Anderson, E. A.: National Weather Service river forecast system: Snow accumulation and ablation model, US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/13507/noaa_13507_DS1.pdf (last access: 29 July 2025), 1973. 
Download
Short summary
This study enhanced a popular water flow model by adding two components: one for snow melting and another for frozen ground cycles. Tested with satellite data and streamflow, the updated model improved accuracy, especially in winter. Frozen ground delays soil drainage, boosting spring runoff by 39 %–77 % and cutting evaporation by 85 %. These findings reveal that frozen ground drives seasonal water patterns. 
Share