Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
HESS
Articles | Volume 30, issue 15
Articles | Volume 30, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-4867-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-4867-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 30, issue 15
Research article
 | 
04 Aug 2026
Research article |  | 04 Aug 2026

Metrics that matter: objective functions and their impact on signature representation in conceptual hydrological models

Peter Wagener, Wouter J. M. Knoben, Niels Schütze, and Diana Spieler

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Short summary

Hydrologic models help predict floods and droughts, but how we calibrate them changes what they get right. Across 47 model structures and 10 diverse catchments, we tested how 8 metrics shape the reproduction of 15 streamflow features, from runoff ratios to high and low flows. Metric choice often mattered more than model structure, yet no single metric is best for all flow conditions. We provide guidance on metric strengths and weaknesses to help match the calibration metric to the study purpose.

 

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