A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models
Abstract Water quality and freshwater ecosystems are affected by river discharge and temperature. Models are frequently used to estimate river temperature on large spatial and temporal scales due to limited observations of discharge and temperature. In this study, we use physically based river routi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Water Resources Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036217 |
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| author | Dylan Blaskey Michael N. Gooseff Yifan Cheng Andrew J. Newman Joshua C. Koch Keith N. Musselman |
| author_facet | Dylan Blaskey Michael N. Gooseff Yifan Cheng Andrew J. Newman Joshua C. Koch Keith N. Musselman |
| author_sort | Dylan Blaskey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Water quality and freshwater ecosystems are affected by river discharge and temperature. Models are frequently used to estimate river temperature on large spatial and temporal scales due to limited observations of discharge and temperature. In this study, we use physically based river routing and temperature models to simulate daily discharge and river temperature for rivers in 138 basins in Alaska, including the entire Yukon River basin, from 1990–2021. The river temperature model was optimized for ice free months using a surrogate‐based model optimization method, improving model performance at uncalibrated river gages. A common statistical model relating local air and water temperature was used as a benchmark. The physically based river temperature model exhibited superior performance compared to the benchmark statistical model after optimization, suggesting river temperature model optimization could become more routine. The river temperature model demonstrated high sensitivity to air temperature and model parameterization, and lower sensitivity to discharge. Validation of the models showed a Kling‐Gupta Efficiency of 0.46 for daily river discharge and a root mean square error of 2.04°C for daily river temperature, improving on the non‐optimized physical model and the benchmark statistical model, which had root mean square errors of 3.24 and 2.97°C, respectively. The simulation shows that rivers in northern Alaska have higher maximum summer temperatures and more variability than rivers in the Central and Southern regions. Furthermore, this framework can be readily adapted for use across models and regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8decef89f090474b83c7e26565702003 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0043-1397 1944-7973 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Resources Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-8decef89f090474b83c7e265657020032025-08-20T02:36:39ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-04-01604n/an/a10.1029/2023WR036217A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical ModelsDylan Blaskey0Michael N. Gooseff1Yifan Cheng2Andrew J. Newman3Joshua C. Koch4Keith N. Musselman5Insitute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder CO USAInsitute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder CO USANational Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USANational Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAU.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center Anchorage AK USAInsitute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder CO USAAbstract Water quality and freshwater ecosystems are affected by river discharge and temperature. Models are frequently used to estimate river temperature on large spatial and temporal scales due to limited observations of discharge and temperature. In this study, we use physically based river routing and temperature models to simulate daily discharge and river temperature for rivers in 138 basins in Alaska, including the entire Yukon River basin, from 1990–2021. The river temperature model was optimized for ice free months using a surrogate‐based model optimization method, improving model performance at uncalibrated river gages. A common statistical model relating local air and water temperature was used as a benchmark. The physically based river temperature model exhibited superior performance compared to the benchmark statistical model after optimization, suggesting river temperature model optimization could become more routine. The river temperature model demonstrated high sensitivity to air temperature and model parameterization, and lower sensitivity to discharge. Validation of the models showed a Kling‐Gupta Efficiency of 0.46 for daily river discharge and a root mean square error of 2.04°C for daily river temperature, improving on the non‐optimized physical model and the benchmark statistical model, which had root mean square errors of 3.24 and 2.97°C, respectively. The simulation shows that rivers in northern Alaska have higher maximum summer temperatures and more variability than rivers in the Central and Southern regions. Furthermore, this framework can be readily adapted for use across models and regions.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036217river temperatureriver dischargeArcticAlaskahydrologic model |
| spellingShingle | Dylan Blaskey Michael N. Gooseff Yifan Cheng Andrew J. Newman Joshua C. Koch Keith N. Musselman A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models Water Resources Research river temperature river discharge Arctic Alaska hydrologic model |
| title | A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models |
| title_full | A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models |
| title_fullStr | A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models |
| title_full_unstemmed | A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models |
| title_short | A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models |
| title_sort | high resolution daily hindcast 1990 2021 of alaskan river discharge and temperature from coupled and optimized physical models |
| topic | river temperature river discharge Arctic Alaska hydrologic model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036217 |
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