MAPPING FLOW CHARACTERISTICS IN THE MOST UPSTREAM BASINS THROUGHOUT JAPAN USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK

Abstract

 We developed and validated artificial neural networks (ANN) to map flow characteristics in the most upstream basins throughout Japan. The ANN output mean annual runoff height (QMEAN) and flow percentiles of daily runoff height including 9 different groups, and input basin characteristics including climate, land use, soils, geology and topography. The generalization performances of ANN showed R² = 0.70 in QMEAN and R² = 0.20~0.74 in the flow percentiles. We succeeded in mapping the flow characteristics in the most upstream basins throughout Japan, which reflected rainfall and snowfall characteristics in Japan. The flow characteristics map revealed that it is suitable to develop run-of-river hydropower stations in heavy snowfall area facing Japan Sea within Tohoku and Hokuriku region.