Clerc‐Schwarzenbach et al. (2026) Cheeky Cheating or a Sensible Strategy? ‘Sweep Parameters’ in Bucket‐Type Hydrological Models

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: Franziska Clerc‐Schwarzenbach, Paul C. Astagneau, Eduardo Muñoz Castro, Ilja van Meerveld, Jan Seibert, Vazken Andréassian
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70375

Research Groups

Not specified in the abstract. This is a commentary paper that also presents some results from a modeling study.

Short Summary

This commentary discusses the relevance and justifiability of 'sweep parameters' in bucket-type hydrological models, arguing that while they fix the water balance, they do so transparently, can represent actual processes, and often improve streamflow simulations without necessarily reducing model robustness.

Objective

• To discuss the relevance and justifiability of 'sweep parameters' in bucket-type hydrological models and present results on their effects on model performance and robustness.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Catchment scale (implied by the use of hydrological models).
• Temporal Scale: Not specified in the abstract, but typical for hydrological modeling (e.g., daily, monthly).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Two unspecified bucket-type hydrological models.
• Data sources: Meteorological inputs (for model driving) and streamflow data (for simulation comparison) are implied, but specific sources are not mentioned.

Main Results

• Sweep parameters do not necessarily reduce the robustness of hydrological models towards variations in meteorological inputs.
• Sweep parameters often lead to improved streamflow simulations.
• The use of sweep parameters, while fixing the water balance, is considered a transparent approach.
• In some cases, sweep parameters may represent actual physical processes.

Contributions

• Provides a critical discussion and justification for the transparent use of 'sweep parameters' in hydrological modeling.
• Challenges the common perception that sweep parameters are inherently problematic by demonstrating their positive impact on model performance and robustness.
• Highlights the potential for sweep parameters to represent actual physical processes, adding to their legitimacy.

Funding

Not specified in the abstract.

Citation

@article{ClercSchwarzenbach2026Cheeky,
  author = {Clerc‐Schwarzenbach, Franziska and Astagneau, Paul C. and Castro, Eduardo Muñoz and Meerveld, Ilja van and Seibert, Jan and Andréassian, Vazken},
  title = {Cheeky Cheating or a Sensible Strategy? ‘Sweep Parameters’ in Bucket‐Type Hydrological Models},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70375},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70375}
}