Functional relationships reveal differences in the water cycle representation 
of global water models

Gnann, Sebastian; Reinecke, Robert; Stein, Lina; Wada, Yoshihide; Thiery, Wim; Müller Schmied, Hannes; Satoh, Yusuke; Pokhrel, Yadu; Ostberg, Sebastian; Koutroulis, Aristeidis; Hanasaki, Naota; Grillakis, Manolis; Gosling, Simon N.; Burek, Peter; Bierkens, Marc F. P.; Wagener, Thorsten

doi:10.1038/s44221-023-00160-y

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Functional relationships reveal differences in the water cycle representation of global water models

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Gnann, Sebastian
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Reinecke, Robert
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Stein, Lina
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Wada, Yoshihide
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Thiery, Wim
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Müller Schmied, Hannes
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Satoh, Yusuke
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Pokhrel, Yadu
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/persons/resource/sebastian.ostberg

Ostberg, Sebastian
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Koutroulis, Aristeidis
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Hanasaki, Naota
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Grillakis, Manolis
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Gosling, Simon N.
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Burek, Peter
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Bierkens, Marc F. P.
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Wagener, Thorsten
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29082oa.pdf
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Gnann, S., Reinecke, R., Stein, L., Wada, Y., Thiery, W., Müller Schmied, H., Satoh, Y., Pokhrel, Y., Ostberg, S., Koutroulis, A., Hanasaki, N., Grillakis, M., Gosling, S. N., Burek, P., Bierkens, M. F. P., Wagener, T. (2023): Functional relationships reveal differences in the water cycle representation of global water models. - Nature Water, 1, 1079-1090.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00160-y

???ViewItemOverview_lblCiteAs???: https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_29082

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Global water models are increasingly used to understand past, present and future water cycles, but disagreements between simulated variables make model-based inferences uncertain. Although there is empirical evidence of different large-scale relationships in hydrology, these relationships are rarely considered in model evaluation. Here we evaluate global water models using functional relationships that capture the spatial co-variability of forcing variables (precipitation, net radiation) and key response variables (actual evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, total runoff). Results show strong disagreement in both shape and strength of model-based functional relationships, especially for groundwater recharge. Empirical and theory-derived functional relationships show varying agreements with models, indicating that our process understanding is particularly uncertain for energy balance processes, groundwater recharge processes and in dry and/or cold regions. Functional relationships offer great potential for model evaluation and an opportunity for fundamental advances in global hydrology and Earth system research in general.