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-30-5173-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5173-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 30, issue 15
Research article
 | 
14 Aug 2026
Research article |  | 14 Aug 2026

An argument for parsimony in differentiable hydrologic models

Sandeep Poudel and Scott Steinschneider

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Short summary

Hydrological models combining physics with AI are becoming popular for predicting river flow, but are often unnecessarily complex. We tested these models across US river basins and found three key results: simpler designs perform equally well, extensive input data adds little value, and time-varying parameters do not represent actual physical processes. These results challenge assumptions that complexity improves predictions or understanding, arguing instead for simpler hybrid model development.

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