Comparison of an artificial neural network and a conceptual rainfall–runoff model in the simulation of ephemeral streamflow

The rainfall–runoff process is governed by parameters that can seldom be measured directly for use with distributed models, but are rather inferred by expert judgment and calibrated against historical records. Here, a comparison is made between a conceptual model (CM) and an artificial neural network (ANN) for their ability to efficiently model complex hydrological processes. The Sacramento soil moisture accounting model (SAC-SMA) is calibrated …