Spatially distributed snowmelt simulation and GIS application in the Wei River basin

A coupled energy- and mass-balance (CEMB) snowmelt model was developed to simulate the accumulation and melt of snow cover in the Wei River basin. The model is explicitly distributed over a digital representation of topographic structure and represented by a digital elevation model (DEM), and is driven by topographically corrected land cover-related parameters. The snow water equivalent, snow depth, and runoff during accumulation and depletion of the snow cover are estimated. The distributed elevation-dependent CEMB snowmelt module is then linked to a conceptually-based distributed rainfall-runoff model, the CHDF (coupled Horton and Dunne flow) model. Meteorological data obtained at the open sites are transposed to each grid of the region by using the spatial analysis function integrated in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The spatial distribution of snow and the pattern of the spatial distribution for the snowmelt are also represented by using GIS. Results indicate that the basic model assumptions are realistic.