User-friendly workflows for catchment modelling: Towards reproducible SWAT+ model studies

Celray James Chawanda; Chris George; Wim Thiery; Ann Van Griensven; Raghavan Srinivasan; Jeffrey Arnold; Jaclyn Tech

doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104812

User-friendly workflows for catchment modelling: Towards reproducible SWAT+ model studies

Celray James Chawanda, Chris George, Wim Thiery, Ann Van Griensven, Raghavan Srinivasan, Jeffrey Arnold, Jaclyn Tech

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is regularly used to support model applications in catchment hydrological modelling software. A GUI is generally user-friendly for novice users but opens sources of irreproducible research. We illustrate that none of the 10 Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models over the Upper Blue Nile can easily be reproduced. Scripted workflows provide the ability to reproduce model set-ups, but they may be less user-friendly especially to novice users. We present a software (SWAT + AW) that promotes reproducible SWAT + model studies while remaining user-friendly for both novice and expert users. SWAT + AW uses a configuration file to create models that are compatible with GUI. We applied the workflow to the Blue Nile catchment and show that it yields the same results the SWAT + GUI. We conclude that such user-friendly scripted workflows enhance reproducibility, transparency and reusability of hydrological models. The software is publicly available at https://github.com/VUB-HYDR/SWATPlus-AW.

Original language	English
Article number	104812
Number of pages	10
Journal	Environmental Modelling & Software
Volume	134
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104812
Publication status	Published - 5 Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the VLIR-UOS (Belgium) joint project for the financial support. Project code: TZ2019JOI022A105 ; Project title: Global Open Water Academic Network .

Funding Information:
We thank the VLIR-UOS (Belgium) joint project for the financial support.Project code: TZ2019JOI022A105; Project title: Global Open Water Academic Network.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104812Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S1364815220307258-mainFinal published version, 6.77 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "User-friendly workflows for catchment modelling: Towards reproducible SWAT+ model studies",

abstract = "A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is regularly used to support model applications in catchment hydrological modelling software. A GUI is generally user-friendly for novice users but opens sources of irreproducible research. We illustrate that none of the 10 Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models over the Upper Blue Nile can easily be reproduced. Scripted workflows provide the ability to reproduce model set-ups, but they may be less user-friendly especially to novice users. We present a software (SWAT + AW) that promotes reproducible SWAT + model studies while remaining user-friendly for both novice and expert users. SWAT + AW uses a configuration file to create models that are compatible with GUI. We applied the workflow to the Blue Nile catchment and show that it yields the same results the SWAT + GUI. We conclude that such user-friendly scripted workflows enhance reproducibility, transparency and reusability of hydrological models. The software is publicly available at https://github.com/VUB-HYDR/SWATPlus-AW.",

author = "Chawanda, {Celray James} and Chris George and Wim Thiery and {Van Griensven}, Ann and Raghavan Srinivasan and Jeffrey Arnold and Jaclyn Tech",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the VLIR-UOS (Belgium) joint project for the financial support. Project code: TZ2019JOI022A105 ; Project title: Global Open Water Academic Network . Funding Information: We thank the VLIR-UOS (Belgium) joint project for the financial support.Project code: TZ2019JOI022A105; Project title: Global Open Water Academic Network. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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AU - George, Chris

AU - Thiery, Wim

AU - Van Griensven, Ann

AU - Srinivasan, Raghavan

AU - Arnold, Jeffrey

AU - Tech, Jaclyn

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the VLIR-UOS (Belgium) joint project for the financial support. Project code: TZ2019JOI022A105 ; Project title: Global Open Water Academic Network . Funding Information: We thank the VLIR-UOS (Belgium) joint project for the financial support.Project code: TZ2019JOI022A105; Project title: Global Open Water Academic Network. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/12/5

Y1 - 2020/12/5

N2 - A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is regularly used to support model applications in catchment hydrological modelling software. A GUI is generally user-friendly for novice users but opens sources of irreproducible research. We illustrate that none of the 10 Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models over the Upper Blue Nile can easily be reproduced. Scripted workflows provide the ability to reproduce model set-ups, but they may be less user-friendly especially to novice users. We present a software (SWAT + AW) that promotes reproducible SWAT + model studies while remaining user-friendly for both novice and expert users. SWAT + AW uses a configuration file to create models that are compatible with GUI. We applied the workflow to the Blue Nile catchment and show that it yields the same results the SWAT + GUI. We conclude that such user-friendly scripted workflows enhance reproducibility, transparency and reusability of hydrological models. The software is publicly available at https://github.com/VUB-HYDR/SWATPlus-AW.

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User-friendly workflows for catchment modelling: Towards reproducible SWAT+ model studies

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