Impact of precipitation on parameter sensitivity and identifiability in the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model

This study aims to explore the interaction between choices of gridded precipitation products with parameters of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model within the Gharesu Basin in Iran. The evaluation is done in two phases: (1) the exploration of performance of various precipitation products, (i.e. 3 satellite gauges, 2 reanalyses, and 3 gauge-based datasets); comparison to stations measurements, and (2) the interaction of behavioural VIC parameter sets with these precipitation products. Evaluation of best performing and non-dominant solution indicates that for most VIC parameters, no unique value and range can be specified for the precipitation products. This reflects the important fact that precipitation, which is known to carry significant information, is decisive in inferred values of parameters that are perceived to have physical meaning (e.g. soil characteristics). In summary, our research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between precipitation products and parameters of hydrological models.