Toward Utilizing Similarity in Hydrologic Data Assimilation

Similarity to reality is a necessary property of models in earth sciences. Similarity information can thus possess a large potential in advancing geophysical modeling and data assimilation. We present a formalism for utilizing similarity within the existing theoretical data assimilation framework. Two examples illustrate the usefulness of utilizing similarity in data assimilation. The first, theoretical example shows changes in the accuracy of the amplitude estimate in the presence of a phase error in a sine function, where correcting the phase error prior to the assimilation reduces the degree of ill-posedness of the assimilation problem. This signifies the importance of accounting for the phase error in order to reduce the error in the amplitude estimate of the sine function. The second, real-world example illustrates that timing errors in simulated flow degrade the data assimilation performance, and that the flow gradient-informed shifting of rainfall time series improved the assimilation results with less adjusting model states. This demonstrates the benefit of utilizing streamflow gradients in shifting rainfall time series in a way to improve streamflow timing—vital information for flood early warning and preparedness planning. Finally, we discuss the implications, potential issues, and future challenges associated with utilizing similarity in hydrologic data assimilation.