EFFECTS OF MEASURED SOIL PROPERTIES IN HYDROLOGICAL SIMULATION IN A HUMID TROPICAL RIVER BASIN

Abstract

 Disasters such as floods and fires happen regularly in humid tropical region such as Indonesia. Reliable hydrological models that can be applied in the humid tropics to assess disaster risks are essential. This study presents the results of field campaign in the humid tropics and assesses the applicability of the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) model with its recently developed storage-discharge relationship to reproduce discharge and soil storage distributions in the humid tropics. Results show that the tropical soils have higher water retention capacity with higher saturated soil water content and pore distribution index compared to typical soils in a temperate region. The contrasting simulation of tropical and temperate soil parameters in the RRI model showed clear difference in discharge and soil storage distribution depending on the selections. The advancement in the RRI model which uses soil parameters directly show potential for the future use.