An investigation of the effects of model structure on model performance to reduce discharge simulation uncertainty in two catchments

Abstract. This paper investigates the variations of model performance caused by different model structures in both flow processes and model complexity level. Two case studies indicate that model efficiency is strongly dependent on model structure. The resulting substantial variation in both the model efficiency and the hydrographs from different model structures is used to estimate the structural uncertainty. The results help to select the most appropriate model adapted to local situations, which reveal great conformity with the actual hydrological patterns in both study basins.