Application of NEXRAD Radar-Based Quantitative Precipitation Estimations for Hydrologic Simulation Using ArcPy and HEC Software

Abstract

Recent availability of various spatial data, especially for gridded rainfall amounts, provide a great opportunity in hydrological modeling of spatially distributed rainfall–runoff analysis. In order to support this advantage using gridded precipitation in hydrological application, (1) two main Python script programs for the following three steps of radar-based rainfall data processing were developed for Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) Stage III products: conversion of the XMRG format (binary to ASCII) files, geo-referencing (re-projection) with ASCII file in ArcGIS, and DSS file generation using HEC-GridUtil (existing program); (2) eight Hydrologic Engineering Center’s Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) models of ModClark and SCS Unit Hydrograph transform methods for rainfall–runoff flow simulations using both spatially distributed radar-based and basin-averaged lumped gauged rainfall were respectively developed; and (3) three storm event simulations including a model performance test, calibration, and validation were conducted. For the results, both models have relatively high statistical evaluation values (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency—ENS 0.55–0.98 for ModClark and 0.65–0.93 for SCS UH), but it was found that the spatially distributed rainfall data-based model (ModClark) gives a better fit regarding observed streamflow for the two study basins (Cedar Creek and South Fork) in the USA, showing less requirements to calibrate the model with initial parameter values. Thus, the programs and methods developed in this research possibly reduce the difficulties of radar-based rainfall data processing (not only NEXRAD but also other gridded precipitation datasets—i.e., satellite-based data, etc.) and provide efficiency for HEC-HMS hydrologic process application in spatially distributed rainfall–runoff simulations.