Calibration of HEC-HMS Hydrologic Model Using SMAP Soil Moisture Data in Lam Plai Mat Basin

Abstract

The paper proposes the application of satellite soil moisture (Soil Moisture Active Passive, SMAP) for estimating parameters of hydrological model (HEC-HMS) in a basin with limited runoff observation. The Lam Plai Mat, a tributary of the Mun River, was selected. Most of drainage area of Lam Plai Mat (approximately 4,900 km2) is located in Buriram province. SMAP data was collected since available in 2015 and observed streamflow (M.185) from 2015 to 2017. The Soil Moisture Accounting (SMA) algorithm of HEC-HMS was configured for the continuous simulation. Model parameters were initially estimated using the physical and hydraulic properties corresponding to the basin soil and land use and further adjusted by comparing the simulated soil moisture by HEC-HMS with soil moisture from SMAP data. The selected model parameters included infiltration, surface storage, and soil storage. Model performance comparing with the observed runoff was satisfied. Satellite soil moisture data provide invaluable information for hydrologic modeling in ungauged basin.