Simulação hidrológica escalar com o modelo SWAT

Abstract

Hydrological modeling is a useful tool for predicting water dynamic behavior in a given basin and therefore a detailed estimate of the water balance is valuable information for water resources management. However, the phenomena governing the water cycle exhibit heterogeneous distribution, both in space and in time, which complicates their estimation. From this perspective, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model in the runoff estimated in two basins with different spatial scales. The model was applied to Jaguara Creek Watershed (JCW - mesoscale) and Marcela Creek Watershed (MCW - microscale), both with Latosols predominating in the region of Alto Rio Grande. Statistical indices were applied to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative accuracy of the model in the runoff simulation. The SWAT simulated the runoff for JCW satisfactorily presenting a Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient between 0.58 and 0.71 in the calibration phase and 0.46 in the validation phase. In contrast, the performance of the microscale model was inadequate, with statistical index values below the limits recommended in the literature.