Generating continuous simulation data for Broad Scale Modelling (BSM)
This project created three software models to generate rainfall and runoff data for BSM to assess flood risk and climate change impact.
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Details
Broad Scale Modelling (BSM) has been identified as a priority area for investigation. It’s needed to support the process of making decisions when assessing and managing flood risk. This includes when assessing the impacts of climate change and altering how land is used. To achieve BSM, hydrology models using continuous simulation are needed.
Continuous simulation rainfall-runoff models of rainfall and runoff have some important advantages over conventional methods based on single events. However, they need long sequences of data about rainfall and evaporation data to be entered. This research provided the core rainfall modelling elements required to make it possible to apply continuous simulation and BSM nationally.
This project provided and validated methods to generate rainfall and evaporation data for continuous simulation modelling that can be used at a regional level. It developed three software models for these methods that are considered ready for use in the UK.
The user community (researchers and practitioners) is encouraged to explore how to use these methods in practice and to provide feedback on their use and performance. The recommendations from this project will be relevant for developing the ‘Modelling and Risk Strategy for the EA Research’ programme. It’ll also be relevant for future use in catchment flood management plans, alongside the Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH) and in studies of design and feasibility.
This project ran from 2002 to 2005 at a cost of £683,250.