Simulating the hydrological regime of the snow fed and glaciarised Gilgit Basin in the Upper Indus using global precipitation products and a data parsimonious precipitation-runoff model

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149872
• Publication Date: 2021-08-25T06:13:07Z
• Authors: Aftab Nazeer; Shreedhar Maskey; Thomas Skaugen; Michael E. McClain
• Keywords: Snowmelt

In many high altitude river basins, the hydro-climatic regimes and spatial temporal distribution of precipitation are little known, complicating efforts to quantify current future water availability. Scarce, or non-existent, gauged observations at altitudes coupled with complex weather systems orographic effects further prevent a realistic comprehensive assessment precipitation. Quantifying contribution from seasonal snow glacier melt runoff for altitude, dependent region is especially difficult. Global scale products, in combination precipitation-runoff modelling may provide insights such data scarce regions. this study two global products; resolution (0.1° × 0.1°), newly developed ERA5-Land, coarser (0.55° 0.55°) JRA-55, used simulate snow/glacier melts Gilgit Basin, sub-basin Indus. A hydrological model, Distance Distribution Dynamics (DDD), requires minimum input was dominated catchments. The mean total annual 1995 2010 estimated 888 mm 951 by ERA5-Land respectively. daily simulation obtained Kling Gupta efficiency (KGE) 0.78 0.72 JRA-55 based simulations, simulated cover area (SCA) validated using MODIS SCA results quite promising on daily, monthly scales. Our result showed an overall flow as about 26% rainfall, 37–38% melt, 31% 5% soil moisture. These simulations good agreement seasonality area. proxy energy balance approach DDD estimate evapotranspiration, robust behaviour potential being employed poor basins.