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A distributed hybrid physics–AI framework for learning corrections of internal hydrological fluxes and enhancing high-resolution regionalized flood modeling
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Abstract
To advance the discovery of scale-relevant hydrological laws while better exploiting massive multisource data, merging artificial intelligence with process-based modeling has emerged as a compelling approach, as demonstrated in recent lumped hydrological modeling studies. This research proposes a general spatially distributed hybrid modeling framework that seamlessly combines differentiable process-based models with neural networks. Specifically, we focus on hybridizing the hydrological module – built atop a differentiable kinematic wave routing over a flow direction grid – using a process-parameterization network that refines internal water fluxes, with all conceptual parameters estimated by a regionalization network trained simultaneously. We evaluate flood modeling performance and analyze the interpretability of learned conceptual parameters and corrections of internal fluxes using two high-resolution datasets (d x =1 km and d t =1 h). The first dataset involves 235 catchments in France, used for local calibration–validation and model structure comparisons between the classical Génie Rural (GR)-like model and the hybrid approach. The second dataset presents a challenging multi-catchment modeling setup in flash-flood-prone areas to demonstrate the framework's regionalization learning capabilities. The results show that the hybrid models achieve superior accuracy and robustness compared to classical approaches in both spatial and temporal validation. Analysis of the spatially distributed parameters and internal fluxes reveals the hybrid models' nuanced behavior, their adaptability to diverse hydrological responses, and their potential to uncover physical processes.
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“While the controlled setting of the Yidong Stream strengthens the internal validity of our proof-of-concept, the transferability of this framework to complex meandering or highly urbanized systems requires systematic multi-site evaluation 24 .”
From AI-driven digital twinning quantifies the trade-off between flood conveyance and riparian stability under climate extremes (2026) · cites this paper as [24]
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Sorted by citations
Shin, J. H., Go, S. H., & Park, J. H. (2026) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-026-63704-8
Metadata
- Authors
- Huynh, N. N. T., Garambois, P.-A., Renard, B., Colleoni, F., Monnier, J., & Roux, H.
- Affiliations
- Aix-Marseille Université (FR)
- Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse (FR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
- Publisher
- Copernicus GmbH
- Published
- 2025-08-07
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 15
- Pages
- 3589-3613
- ISSN
- 1027-5606 (ISSN-L)
- 1607-7938
- OpenAlex
- W4413266363
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 11
- FWCI
- 9.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Hydrology and earth system sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-21-CE04-0021-01)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Hydrological Forecasting Using AI
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Keywords
- distributed hydrological model, kinematic wave routing
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