Abstract. Predictions of catchment hydrology have been performed generally using either physically based, distributed models or conceptual lumped or semi-distributed models. In recognition of the disadvantages of using either of these modeling approaches, namely, detailed data requirements in the case of distributed modeling, and lack of physical basis of conceptual/lumped model parameters, Reggiani et al. (1998Reggiani et al. ( , 1999 derived, from first principles and in a general manner, the balance equations for mass, momentum and energy at what they called the Representative Elementary Watershed (or REW) scale. However, the mass balance equations of the REW approach include mass exchange flux terms which must be defined externally before their application to real catchments. Developing physically reasonable "closure relations" for these mass exchange flux terms is a crucial pre-requisite for the success of the REW approach. As a guidance to the development of closure relations expressing mass exchange fluxes as functions of relevant state variables in a physically reasonable way, and in the process effectively parameterizing the effects of sub-grid or sub-REW heterogeneity of catchment physiographic properties on these mass exchange fluxes, this paper considers four different approaches, namely the field experimental approach, a theoretical/analytical approach, a numerical approach, and a hybrid approach combining one or more of the above. Based on the concept of the scaleway (Vogel and Roth, 2003) and the disaggregation-aggregation approach (Viney and Sivapalan, 2004), and using the data set from Weiherbach catchment in Germany, closure relations for infiltration, exfiltration and groundwater recharge were derived analytically, or on theoretical grounds, while numerical experiments with a detailed fine-scale, distributedCorrespondence to: H. Lee (haksu.lee@noaa.gov) model, CATFLOW, were used to obtain the closure relationship for seepage outflow. The detailed model, CATFLOW, was also used to derive REW scale pressure-saturation (i.e., water retention curve) and hydraulic conductivity-saturation relationships for the unsaturated zone. Closure relations for concentrated overland flow and saturated overland flow were derived using both theoretical arguments and simpler process models. In addition to these, to complete the specification of the REW scale balance equations, a relationship for the saturated area fraction as a function of saturated zone depth was derived for an assumed topography on the basis of TOPMODEL assumptions. These relationships were used to complete the specification of all of the REW-scale governing equations (mass and momentum balance equations, closure and geometric relations) for the Weiherbach catchment, which are then employed for constructing a numerical watershed model, named the Cooperative Community Catchment model based on the Representative Elementary Watershed approach (CREW). CREW is then used to carry out sensitivity analyses with respect to various combinations of climate,...

Abstract. In this study we propose an uspcaling approach to derive time series of (a) REW scale state variables, and (b) effective REW scale soil hydraulic functions to test and parameterise models based on the REW approach. To this end we employed a physically based hydrological model, that represents the typical patterns and structures in the study catchment, and has previously been shown to reproduce observed runoff response and state dynamics well. This landscapeand process-compatible model is used to simulate numerical drainage and wetting experiments. The effective soil water retention curve and soil hydraulic conductivity curve are derived using the spatially averaged saturation and capillary pressure as well as averaged fluxes. When driven with observed boundary conditions during a one year simulation the model is used to estimate how the spatial pattern of soil moisture evolved during this period in the catchment. The time series of the volume integrated soil moisture is deemed as best estimate for the average catchment scale soil moisture. The approach is applied to the extensively monitored Weiherbach catchment in Germany. A sensitivity analysis showed that catchment scale model structures different from the landscape-and process compatible one yielded different times series of average catchment scale soil moisture and where not able to reproduce the observed rainfall runoff response. Hence, subscale typical heterogeneity leaves a clear fingerprint in the time series of average catchment scale saturation. In case of the Weiherbach catchment local scale heterogeneity of ks could be neglected and a simple representation of the typical hillslope scale patterns of soil types and macroporosity was sufficient for obtaining effective REW scale soil hydraulic functions. Both the effective soil hydraulic functions and time series of catchment scale saturation turned out to be useful to parameterise and test the CREW model, which is based on the REW approach and was Correspondence to: E. Zehe