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Publication Date
28 September 2012

A New Global River Network Database for Macroscale Hydrologic Modeling

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Coarse-resolution (upscaled) river networks are critical inputs for runoff routing in macroscale hydrologic models. Recently, Wu et al. (2011) developed a hierarchical dominant river tracing (DRT) algorithm for automated extraction and spatial upscaling of river networks using fine-scale hydrography inputs. We applied the DRT algorithms using combined HydroSHEDS and HYDRO1k global fine-scale hydrography inputs and produced a new series of upscaled global river network data at multiple (1/16° to 2°) spatial resolutions. The new upscaled results are internally consistent and congruent with the baseline fine-scale inputs and should facilitate improved regional to global scale hydrologic simulations.

“A New Global River Network Database For Macroscale Hydrologic Modeling”. 2012. Water Resources Research 48. doi:10.1029/2012WR012313.
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