Articles | Volume 19, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-10503-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-10503-2026
Development and technical paper
 | 
05 Nov 2026
Development and technical paper |  | 05 Nov 2026

An open-source Python framework for the flexible deployment and advanced applications of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model

Xudong Zheng, Dengfeng Liu, Qiuhong Tang, Qiang Li, Haoyu Liao, and Hao Wang

Related authors

Achieving water budget closure through physical hydrological process modelling: insights from a large-sample study
Xudong Zheng, Dengfeng Liu, Shengzhi Huang, Hao Wang, and Xianmeng Meng
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 627–653, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-627-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-627-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Addor, N., Newman, A. J., Mizukami, N., and Clark, M. P.: The CAMELS data set: catchment attributes and meteorology for large-sample studies, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 5293–5313, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5293-2017, 2017. 
Argentin, A.-L., Horton, P., Schaefli, B., Shokory, J., Pitscheider, F., Repnik, L., Gianini, M., Bizzi, S., Lane, S. N., and Comiti, F.: Scale dependency in modeling nivo-glacial hydrological systems: the case of the Arolla basin, Switzerland, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 1725–1748, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1725-2025, 2025. 
Balsamo, G., Beljaars, A., Scipal, K., Viterbo, P., van den Hurk, B., Hirschi, M., and Betts, A. K.: A revised hydrology for the ECMWF model: Verification from field site to terrestrial water storage and impact in the Integrated Forecast System, J. Hydrometeorol., 10, 623–643, https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JHM1068.1, 2009. 
Bao, Z., Zhang, J.-Y., Liu, J., Fu, G., Wang, G., He, R., Yan, X., Jin, J., and Liu, H.: Comparison of regionalization approaches based on regression and similarity for predictions in ungauged catchments under multiple hydro-climatic conditions, J. Hydrol., 466–467, 37–46, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.07.048, 2012. 
Barrios, M. and Frances, F.: Spatial scale effect on the upper soil effective parameters of a distributed hydrological model, Hydrol. Process., 26, 1022–1033, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.8193, 2012. 
Download
Short summary
Hydrological models help scientists understand water movement and predict changes in water resources. However, their increasing complexity makes them difficult to use. This study developed an open-source framework to simplify the setup and application of the Variable Infiltration Capacity model. Tests in multiple basins showed that the framework improves efficiency, provides reliable simulations, and supports wider use of hydrological models.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint