SuperflexPy 1.3.0: an open-source Python framework for building, testing, and improving conceptual hydrological models

Dal Molin, Marco; Kavetski, Dmitri; Fenicia, Fabrizio

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7047-2021

Articles | Volume 14, issue 11

https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7047-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7047-2021

© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 14, issue 11

Model description paper

|

19 Nov 2021

Model description paper |

| 19 Nov 2021

SuperflexPy 1.3.0: an open-source Python framework for building, testing, and improving conceptual hydrological models

Marco Dal Molin, Dmitri Kavetski, and Fabrizio Fenicia

Download

Final revised paper (published on 19 Nov 2021)
Supplement to the final revised paper
Preprint (discussion started on 16 Dec 2020)
Supplement to the preprint

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

- Printer-friendly version

- Supplement

RC1: 'General and specific comments', Philipp Kraft, 18 Jan 2021
- AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Marco Dal Molin, 19 Mar 2021
RC2: 'Referee Comment', Anonymous Referee #2, 18 Jan 2021
- AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Marco Dal Molin, 19 Mar 2021
RC3: 'Referee comment', Anonymous Referee #3, 20 Jan 2021
- AC4: 'Reply on RC3', Marco Dal Molin, 19 Mar 2021
RC4: 'My notes on the manuscript', Riccardo Rigon, 24 Jan 2021
- AC5: 'Reply on RC4', Marco Dal Molin, 19 Mar 2021
EC1: 'Comments from the editor', Andrew Wickert, 06 Mar 2021
- AC1: 'Reply on EC1', Marco Dal Molin, 19 Mar 2021
  - EC2: 'Invitation to submit a revised manuscript', Andrew Wickert, 19 Mar 2021

Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision

AR by Marco Dal Molin on behalf of the Authors (06 May 2021) Author's response Author's tracked changes Manuscript

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (10 May 2021) by Andy Wickert

RR by Philipp Kraft (24 May 2021)

RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (02 Jun 2021)

Suggestions for revision or reasons for rejection

The authors have done a commendable job addressing the detailed comments of the reviews. While there was quite a bit of "pushback" with respect to reviewer suggestions for including more rigorous comparisons with existing frameworks and inclusion of more implementation details, I found their arguments for resisting these recommendations for the most part convincing, and they have done an effective job addressing the spirit of these comments without (for instance) over-duplicating the contents of the software documentation or getting pulled into the details of an exhaustive model intercomparison. As such, I recommend acceptance subject to (very) minor revision.

Major comment:

I still have a bit of concern with the undue apparent stress on transport simulation capabilities which are *not present in the existing model*. This is highlighted as a key "realm" in the application scope (line 193 of marked up revision), at line 203, and elsewhere. This concern could be mitigated by revising line 193 to "Extendibility for future applications, e.g., isotope or pesticide transport modelling". Any hydrological model can technically be extended to support transport, and it is by no means clear that SuperFlexPy is more extendible than others (without explicitly demonstrating it).

Minor comments: (line numbers refers to marked up manuscript)

line 200- "modifications and extensions"-->"modification and extension"
line 217- remove "or even impossible"
line 244- "highlighted implementation choices" - such as? This is very vague. If you are going to note that SuperFlexPy will address these limitations, you have to state what they are.
line 383- The value of the stand alone statement "All SuperFlexPy componets are..." is unclear (as is the connection to the previous paragraph). What does it mean to be "characterized by" a state or parameter?
line 409- "More specifically" ->"Specifically"
references- some cleanup of the references is needed w.r.t. inconsistent capitalization, etc.

Hide

ED: Reconsider after major revisions (28 Jun 2021) by Andy Wickert

AR by Marco Dal Molin on behalf of the Authors (24 Aug 2021) Author's response Author's tracked changes Manuscript

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (25 Aug 2021) by Andy Wickert

RR by Philipp Kraft (12 Sep 2021)

ED: Publish as is (13 Sep 2021) by Andy Wickert

AR by Marco Dal Molin on behalf of the Authors (20 Sep 2021) Manuscript

Short summary

This paper introduces SuperflexPy, an open-source Python framework for building flexible conceptual hydrological models. SuperflexPy is available as open-source code and can be used by the hydrological community to investigate improved process representations, for model comparison, and for operational work.