Treffer: Topological Relationship‐Based Flow Direction Modeling: Mesh‐Independent River Networks Representation.

River networks are important features in surface hydrology. However, accurately representing river networks in spatially distributed hydrologic and Earth system models is often sensitive to the model's spatial resolution. Specifically, river networks are often misrepresented because of the mismatch between the model's spatial resolution and river network details, resulting in significant uncertainty in the projected flow direction. In this study, we developed a topological relationship‐based river network representation method for spatially distributed hydrologic models. This novel method uses (a) graph theory algorithms to simplify real‐world vector‐based river networks and assist in mesh generation; and (b) a topological relationship‐based method to reconstruct conceptual river networks. The main advantages of our method are that (a) it combines the strengths of vector‐based and DEM raster‐based river network extraction methods; and (b) it is mesh‐independent and can be applied to both structured and unstructured meshes. This method paves a path for advanced terrain analysis and hydrologic modeling across different scales. Plain Language Summary: Representing rivers in hydrologic models is difficult because river networks are often very complex. Existing methods generally rely on elevation differences between land and rivers or image processing to define river networks in computer models. In this study, we combine the strengths of two existing methods and develop a topology‐based method. This follows river channels and defines river networks in a way that works for any grid system. The products of this method can be used to improve hydrologic models. Key Points: We use graph theory algorithms to simplify real‐world river networksTopological relationships are reconstructed from simplified river networks and mesh intersectionsTopological relationships can be used to model flow direction field and flow routing parameters [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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