A comparative analysis of continuous and event-based hydrological modeling for streamflow hydrograph prediction

A precise evaluation of streamflow hydrographs and their attributes is one of the key components of hydrological applications. This research investigates a comparative analysis between event-based and continuous hydrological modeling of streamflow using the HBV rainfall-runoff model. The Dez river basin in southwest Iran was selected as a case study. Model performance was examined for a total of nine streamflow events during time period 2012–2019. The results of the model were compared for event-based and continuous simulations of streamflow using goodness-of-fit measures involving Nash-Sutcliff efficiency (NSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Besides, the most sensitive parameters were identified using sensitivity analysis. Results revealed that although HBV model has a reliable performance for both modeling approaches, continuous modeling of streamflow hydrographs slightly outperforms the EB simulation approach. These outcomes provide an efficient information to improve the operation of water systems and hydrological forecasts.