The DREAM model (Distributed Rainfall–Runoff, Evapotranspiration, and Antecedent soil Moisture) is a semi-distributed hydrological model developed for continuous simulation of the rainfall–runoff process. It combines daily and hourly modules to simulate soil moisture dynamics, runoff generation, and evapotranspiration with limited calibration, making it efficient and adaptable to data-scarce environments. DREAM’s structure allows it to account for terrain-driven processes, vegetation influence, and baseflow contribution, providing a comprehensive and physically consistent tool for water balance analysis.
Initially tested in several catchments in Southern Italy, DREAM has shown strong performance in both daily water balance and hourly flood simulations, with high accuracy and low error margins. Its applications span flood risk assessment, ecohydrology, and climate scenario analysis. Designed for transparency and integration with real-world data, DREAM continues to support research and operational hydrology across varying spatial scales.
References
- Perrini, P. , L. Cea, F. Chiaravalloti, S. Gabriele, S. Manfreda, M. Fiorentino, A. Gioia, V. Iacobellis, A Runoff-On-Grid Approach to Embed Hydrological Processes in Shallow Water Models, Water Resources Research, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036421, 2024. [pdf]
- Manfreda, S., T. Lacava, B. Onorati, N. Pergola, M. Di Leo, M. R. Margiotta, and V. Tramutoli, On the use of AMSU-based products for the description of soil water content at basin scale. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15, 2839-2852, (doi:10.5194/hess-15-2839-2011), 2011. [pdf]
- Gigante V., P. Milella, V. Iacobellis, S. Manfreda, and I. Portoghese, Influences of Leaf Area Index estimations on the soil water balance predictions in Mediterranean regions. Natural Hazard and Earth System Sciences, 9, 979-991, (doi:10.5194/nhess-9-979-2009), 2009. [pdf]
- Fiorentino, M., S. Manfreda, V. Iacobellis, Peak Runoff Contributing Area as Hydrological Signature of the Probability Distribution of Floods. Advances in Water Resources, 30(10), 2123-2134, (doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2006.11.017), 2007. [pdf]
- Manfreda, S., M. Fiorentino, V. Iacobellis, DREAM: a Distributed model for Runoff, Evapotranspiration, and Antecedent Soil Moisture Simulation. Advances in Geosciences, 2, 31-39, (SRef-ID: 1680-7359/adgeo/2005-2-31), 2005. [pdf]