Welcome to the RVIC User Guide

The RVIC Streamflow Routing model is a simple source to sink routing model. The model represents each grid cell by a node in the channel network. Unit hydrographs are developed that described the time distribution of flow from each source grid cell to a corresponding sink grid cell. The development of the unit hydrographs is done as a pre-processing step (i.e. parameters or convert). The final step is the convolution of the unit hydrographs with fluxes from a land surface model, typically VIC.

Using RVIC from the command line

From the command line, the rvic executable can be used giving one of the {parameters, convert, convolution} subcommands and a configuration file:

rvic {parameters, convert, convolution} configuration_file.cfg

Other command line options can be found using rvic -h

Using RVIC inside a Python interpreter

from rvic.parameters import parameters
from rvic.convolution import convolution

# Run the parameter generation routine
parameters.parameters(config_file, np=1)

# Or run the convolution routine
convolution.convolution(config_file)

For more information on the RVIC api, see this page.

The RVIC Model Workflow

There are three main utilities in the RVIC Model:

  1. Parameter Development: Development of impulse response functions using input datasets such as a flow direction grid, outlet locations, etc.
  2. Flux Convolution: This utility generates streamflows by convolving the impulse response function developed in the previous setp with runoff fluxes from a land model (e.g. VIC).
  3. Conversion from Older VIC Routing Model Versions: A simple conversion utility to provide users with the ability to convert old routing model setups into RVIC parameters.