Hydrological process simulation and runoff component analysis of Ganhezi River Basin, Xinjiang based on CMADS+SWAT

Abstract

[Objective] The hydrological processes in the river basins of cold regions are complicated due to the combined effects of snowmelt, rainfall infiltration, and other factors. Hydrometeorological stations in the alpine mountains of Northwest China are scarce, and the lack of data limits the simulation and analysis of cold-region runoff. Meteorological data has become the main bottleneck in studying hydrological processes in the alpine mountains of Northwest China. [Methods] To address the lack of meteorological data in studying hydrological processes in the alpine mountains of Northwest China, the Ganhezi River Basin in Xinjiang was selected as the study area. Using the China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT model(CMADS), the applicability of CMADS+SWAT for runoff simulation in alpine mountains was explored, and the water yield of different runoff components in the river basin was analyzed. SWAT-CUP was used to perform sensitivity analysis, calibration, and validation of model parameters, and the coefficient of determination(R²) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient(NSE) were used to evaluate the applicability of SWAT model. [Results] The result showed that:(1) the CMADS+SWAT model could effectively simulate the runoff process of the Ganhezi River Basin at the monthly scale, and R² and NSE were 0.87 and 0.72 during the calibration period, and 0.84 and 0.64 during the validation period, respectively.(2) Among the different runoff components, interflow had the highest multi-year average water yield proportion at 43.7%, followed by surface runoff at 43.3%, and groundwater had the smallest proportion at only 13%. [Conclusion] The CMADS+SWAT model can effectively simulate the runoff process in the Ganhezi River Basin at the monthly scale. The findings can provide a basis for runoff simulation and analysis in the alpine mountains of Northwest China.

Keywords

SWAT model / CMADS / runoff simulation / runoff component / climate change / hydrology / Ganhezi River Basin / influencing factors