Attention has recently increased on the use of hydrological signatures as a potential tool for assessing the fidelity of model structures and providing insights into the transfer of model parameters. The utility of hydrological signatures as model performance/reliability indicators in a calibration-validation testing scenario (i.e., the temporal transfer of model parameters) is the focus of this study. The Probability Distributed Model, a flexible conceptual hydrological model, is used to test the approach across a number of catchments included in the MOPEX data set. We explore the change in model performance across calibration and validation time periods and contrast it to the corresponding change in several hydrological signatures to assess signature worth. Results are explored in finer detail by utilizing a moving window approach to calibration and validation time periods. The results of this study indicated that the most informative signature can vary, both spatially and temporally, based on physical and climatic characteristics and their interaction to the model parameterization. Thus, one signature could not adequately illustrate complex watershed behaviors nor predict model performance in new analysis periods.

中文翻译：

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通过水文特征分析预测模型参数的时间转移性

最近，人们越来越重视使用水文签名作为评估模型结构保真度和提供模型参数传递见解的潜在工具。水文签名在校准验证测试场景（即模型参数的时间传递）中作为模型性能/可靠性指标的实用性是本研究的重点。概率分布式模型是一种灵活的概念性水文模型，用于在MOPEX数据集中包含的多个集水区内测试该方法。我们探索了在校准和验证时间段内模型性能的变化，并将其与几个水文特征的相应变化进行对比，以评估特征价值。通过使用移动窗口方法来校准和验证时间段，可以更详细地探索结果。这项研究的结果表明，基于物理和气候特征及其与模型参数化的交互作用，信息量最大的标志可能会在空间和时间上发生变化。因此，一个签名无法充分说明复杂的分水岭行为，也无法预测新分析期间的模型性能。