Flood modeling for complex terrain using GIS and remote sensed information

A spatially distributed hydrological model WetSpa (Water and Energy Transfer between Soil, Plants and Atmosphere) working on an hourly time scale is presented in this paper. The model combines elevation, soil and land use data, and predicts flood hydrograph and the spatial distribution of hydrological characteristics in a watershed. The model is tested on a small catchment in Belgium for which topography and soil data are available in GIS form, while the land use and soil cover is obtained from remote sensed images. The resulting calculated discharges compare favorably with the field measurements. Next a 102-year series of measured hourly precipitation data is processed with the model and the resulting hydrographs are analyzed statistically to determine the characteristics of extreme floods. Finally, the simulated extreme peak discharges are compared to the results calculated with design storms. Comparison of the two methods shows that the model is capable to predict both normal and extreme floods. Since the model accounts for spatially distributed hydrological and geophysical characteristics of the catchment, it is suitable for simulating hydrological processes in a complex terrain and for predicting the influence of changes in land use on the hydrological behavior of a river basin.