the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Exploring the Potential Processes Controls for Changes of Precipitation-Runoff Relationships in Non-stationary Environments
Abstract. The influence of climate change and anthropogenic activities on precipitation-runoff relationships (PRR) has been widely discussed. Traditional models assuming stationary conditions can lead to inaccurate streamflow predictions. To address this issue, we propose a Driving index for changes in Precipitation-Runoff Relationships (DPRR), identified as key PRR influencers, involving climate forcing, groundwater, vegetation dynamics, and anthropogenic influences. According to the quantitative results of inputting the candidate driving factors to a holistic conceptual model, the possible process explanations for changes in the PRR were deduced. This framework is validated across five sub-basins in the Wei River Basin. Moreover, non-stationary hydrological processes were initially detected, and the nonlinear correlations among the factors were assessed. The results show that baseflow emerges as the primary factor positively influencing PRR (enhancing PRR), but with high uncertainty. Potential evapotranspiration plays a dominant role in driving negative PRR changes in the sub-basin which are characterized by a semi-arid climate and minor human interference. Vegetation dynamics negatively influence PRR, with driving levels correlating with the scale of soil and water conservation engineering, displaying lower uncertainty. Anthropogenic influences, represented by Impervious Surface Ratio (ISR), Night-Time Light (NTL), and population density (POP), exhibit varying driving levels, with ISR having the strongest and direct impact, closely linked to urbanization processes and scale. The temporal dynamics of driving factors computed by dynamic DPRR generally correspond with hydrological regime shifts in non-stationary environments. The study's findings offer a comprehensive understanding of hydrological processes, enabling informed decision-making for the development of sustainable hydrological models.
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Status: open (until 18 Jul 2024)
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RC1: 'Comment on hess-2024-118', Anonymous Referee #1, 25 Jun 2024
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The topic “Exploring the Potential Processes Controls for Changes of Precipitation-Runoff Relationships in Non-stationary Environments” is valuable for hydrology. But this paper reads like a case study. The impacts of the study for the general hydrology and its novelty are not clear. The three main objectives of this study are developing an integrated framework, proposing a novel driving index for changes in DPRR, and establishing a holistic conceptual model. But developed the framework, driving index and conceptual model are also not clear and seem not innovative enough.
Detail comments:
1) To the best of my knowledge, the response of runoff to rainfall is non-linear, especially in the semi-arid regions, where infiltration excess runoff is dominant and the amount of runoff is sensitive to rainfall intensity. Rainfall as a major factor influencing the runoff coefficient should be considered, besides potential evapotranspiration.
2) In terms of anthropogenic activities, the constructions of check dams and reservoirs may be the more dominant factor influencing the runoff generation and the precipitation-runoff relationships in the region compared to ISR, NTL and POP.
3) Vegetation dynamics are affected by both climate and afforestation, and how to distinguish them or consider their relationship with other factors?
4) Lines 96-97. What does the driving level and direction refer to?
5) Figure 1-2. These sub-figures for each basin in Fig 1 and Fig 2(b) can be removed.
6) Figure 3. It is inappropriate to put tables and graphs together in a figure.
7) 302-315. The heat map in Fig 4b is hard to understand and more detail is needed to explain. What’s the relationship among these sub-figures. It seems inappropriate to put these in a figure.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-118-RC1
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