Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)

Study region: The study focuses on the Dittaino River Basin, located in eastern Sicily, Italy. This Mediterranean watershed is characterized by water scarcity issues that challenge hydrological modeling and water resource management. Study focus: This study evaluates the use of ERA5-Land reanalysis...

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Main Authors: Liviana Sciuto, Daniela Vanella, Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli, Simona Consoli, Feliciana Licciardello, Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825003945
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author Liviana Sciuto
Daniela Vanella
Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli
Simona Consoli
Feliciana Licciardello
Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo
author_facet Liviana Sciuto
Daniela Vanella
Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli
Simona Consoli
Feliciana Licciardello
Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo
author_sort Liviana Sciuto
collection DOAJ
description Study region: The study focuses on the Dittaino River Basin, located in eastern Sicily, Italy. This Mediterranean watershed is characterized by water scarcity issues that challenge hydrological modeling and water resource management. Study focus: This study evaluates the use of ERA5-Land reanalysis precipitation data and Sentinel-2/Landsat-8 satellite-derived land cover information to improve runoff simulations using the HEC-HMS model. The methodology was tested on 14 rainfall events (2015–2018) using different input configurations: standard data (SI), reanalysis precipitation data (CR), satellite-derived land cover data (SD), and a combination of both (CR&SD). Model performance was assessed through calibration and validation against observed streamflow data. New hydrological insights for the region: Results demonstrate that ERA5-Land precipitation considerably improves runoff simulations, with a Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.63 and a Percent Bias (PBIAS) of −16.02 %, confirming its validity as an alternative to ground-based rainfall observations. The CR dataset exhibited a stronger influence on model performance than SD, while the combined CR&SD dataset provided the most balanced results, reinforcing the value of data fusion. The study highlights the complementary impact of precipitation and land cover datasets in runoff modeling and underscores the importance of using multi-source data for improving hydrological simulations. These findings provide practical implications for flood risk mitigation, water resource planning, and irrigation management in Mediterranean semi-arid regions.
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spelling doaj-art-18166c2e2cca4d7ea91776a2e58627352025-08-20T03:08:21ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-08-016010256910.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102569Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)Liviana Sciuto0Daniela Vanella1Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli2Simona Consoli3Feliciana Licciardello4Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo5Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania 95123, ItalyCorresponding author.; Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania 95123, ItalyDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania 95123, ItalyDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania 95123, ItalyDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania 95123, ItalyDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania 95123, ItalyStudy region: The study focuses on the Dittaino River Basin, located in eastern Sicily, Italy. This Mediterranean watershed is characterized by water scarcity issues that challenge hydrological modeling and water resource management. Study focus: This study evaluates the use of ERA5-Land reanalysis precipitation data and Sentinel-2/Landsat-8 satellite-derived land cover information to improve runoff simulations using the HEC-HMS model. The methodology was tested on 14 rainfall events (2015–2018) using different input configurations: standard data (SI), reanalysis precipitation data (CR), satellite-derived land cover data (SD), and a combination of both (CR&SD). Model performance was assessed through calibration and validation against observed streamflow data. New hydrological insights for the region: Results demonstrate that ERA5-Land precipitation considerably improves runoff simulations, with a Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.63 and a Percent Bias (PBIAS) of −16.02 %, confirming its validity as an alternative to ground-based rainfall observations. The CR dataset exhibited a stronger influence on model performance than SD, while the combined CR&SD dataset provided the most balanced results, reinforcing the value of data fusion. The study highlights the complementary impact of precipitation and land cover datasets in runoff modeling and underscores the importance of using multi-source data for improving hydrological simulations. These findings provide practical implications for flood risk mitigation, water resource planning, and irrigation management in Mediterranean semi-arid regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825003945Watershed modelingERA5-LandSentinel-2Landsat 8HEC-HMSStreamflow prediction
spellingShingle Liviana Sciuto
Daniela Vanella
Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli
Simona Consoli
Feliciana Licciardello
Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo
Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)
Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Watershed modeling
ERA5-Land
Sentinel-2
Landsat 8
HEC-HMS
Streamflow prediction
title Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)
title_full Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)
title_fullStr Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)
title_full_unstemmed Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)
title_short Improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the Dittaino River Basin (Eastern Sicily, Italy)
title_sort improving runoff estimation in hydrological models using remote sensing and climate data reanalysis in the dittaino river basin eastern sicily italy
topic Watershed modeling
ERA5-Land
Sentinel-2
Landsat 8
HEC-HMS
Streamflow prediction
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825003945
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