Geomorphometry-based modelling of discharge series in ungauged basins – Robustness regarding DEM sources

Abstract

The sensitivity of a geomorphology-based hydrological modelling is evaluated according to four DEMs from 5 to 50 m resolution in Brittany, France. A set of 8 basins (5–565.7 km2) is used in a pseudo-ungauged context to explore the potential of Prediction in Ungauged Basin (PUB). The results show that despite slight differences on the stream networks extracted from DEMs and associated transfer functions, a coarse-worldwide DEM such as SRTM (25 m) supported similar performances than the finer French DEM (5 m) based on three validation indices. Finer DEMs may be useful only on headwater basins to gain a marginal performance.