A Novel Hybrid Decompose-Ensemble Strategy with a VMD-BPNN Approach for Daily Streamflow Estimating

Streamflow estimation is highly significant for water resource management. In this work, we improve the accuracy and stability of streamflow estimation through a novel hybrid decompose-ensemble model that employs variational mode decomposition (VMD) and back-propagation neural networks (BPNN). First, the latest decomposition algorithm, namely, VMD, was used to extract multiscale features that were subsequently learned and ensembled by the BPNN model to obtain the final estimate streamflow results. The historical daily streamflow series of Laoyukou and Wushan hydrological stations in China were analysed by VMD-BPNN, by a single GBRT and BPNN model, ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) models. The results confirmed that the VMD outperformed a single-estimation model without any decomposition and EEMD-based models; moreover, ensemble estimations using the BPNN model development technique were consistently better than a general summation method. The VMD-BPNN model’s estimation performance was superior to that of five other models at the Wushan station (GBRT, BPNN, EEMD-BPNN-SUM, VMD-BPNN-SUM, and EEMD-BPNN) using evaluation criteria of the root-mean-square error (RMSE = 2.62 m3/s), the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE = 0. 9792) and the mean absolute error (MAE = 1.38 m3/s). The proposed model also had a better performance in estimating higher-magnitude flows with a low criterion for MAE. Therefore, the hybrid VMD-BPNN model could be applied as a promising approach for short-term streamflow estimating.