Added value of integrated satellite precipitation products for event-based flood modeling in semi-arid regions
6 affiliations
- 1International Water Research Institute, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)
- 2Espace-Dev (University Montpellier, IRD)
- 3National Research Council, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection
- 4Hydraulic Basin Agency of Draa Oued Noun
- 5Hydraulic Basin Agency of Souss Massa
- 6Geo-Resources, Geo-Environment and Civil Engineering Laboratory, Cadi Ayyad University
Abstract
Accurate flood simulation and forecasting are often hindered by the limited availability of high-resolution rainfall observations, particularly at sub-daily scales. This challenge is especially pronounced in developing countries such as Morocco, where dense rain gauge networks are lacking. Satellite-based precipitation products offer a valuable alternative for analyzing extreme hydrological events in poorly gauged regions. This study evaluates the applicability of three low-latency satellite precipitation products and, for the first time in Morocco, investigates the integration of two satellite products to improve flood modeling performance. The event-based MISDc hydrological model was applied using hourly streamflow observations from September 2000 to August 2015 across 20 sub-basins in southern Morocco. Flood events were identified using a 95th percentile discharge threshold, resulting in 558 events for model calibration and validation. Results demonstrate that integrated satellite products consistently outperform individual products, particularly during the validation phase. Positive hourly Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE) values were obtained at 14 out of 20 stations (70%), with a median KGE of 0.2. Model performance was influenced by basin physiographic characteristics, with larger basins showing improved simulations, while steeper slopes and higher elevations were associated with reduced accuracy. Overall, this study highlights the added value of integrated satellite products for sub-daily flood modeling in semi-arid and arid basins lacking hourly rainfall observations.
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BibTeX
@article{rachdane2026added,
title = {{Added value of integrated satellite precipitation products for event-based flood modeling in semi-arid regions}},
author = {Mariame Rachdane and El Mahdi El Khalki and Yves Tramblay and Luca Ciabatta and Abdessamad Hadri and Khaoula Ait Naceur and Sara Boughdadi and Abdellatif Ahbari and Mohamed Nehmadou and Mohamed Elmehdi Saidi},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-63262-z},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63262-z},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Added value of integrated satellite precipitation products for event-based flood modeling in semi-arid regions
AU - Mariame Rachdane
AU - El Mahdi El Khalki
AU - Yves Tramblay
AU - Luca Ciabatta
AU - Abdessamad Hadri
AU - Khaoula Ait Naceur
AU - Sara Boughdadi
AU - Abdellatif Ahbari
AU - Mohamed Nehmadou
AU - Mohamed Elmehdi Saidi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-63262-z
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63262-z
AB - Accurate flood simulation and forecasting are often hindered by the limited availability of high-resolution rainfall observations, particularly at sub-daily scales. This challenge is especially pronounced in developing countries such as Morocco, where dense rain gauge networks are lacking. Satellite-based precipitation products offer a valuable alternative for analyzing extreme hydrological events in poorly gauged regions. This study evaluates the applicability of three low-latency satellite precipitation products and, for the first time in Morocco, investigates the integration of two satellite products to improve flood modeling performance. The event-based MISDc hydrological model was applied using hourly streamflow observations from September 2000 to August 2015 across 20 sub-basins in southern Morocco. Flood events were identified using a 95th percentile discharge threshold, resulting in 558 events for model calibration and validation. Results demonstrate that integrated satellite products consistently outperform individual products, particularly during the validation phase. Positive hourly Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE) values were obtained at 14 out of 20 stations (70%), with a median KGE of 0.2. Model performance was influenced by basin physiographic characteristics, with larger basins showing improved simulations, while steeper slopes and higher elevations were associated with reduced accuracy. Overall, this study highlights the added value of integrated satellite products for sub-daily flood modeling in semi-arid and arid basins lacking hourly rainfall observations.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -