User Guide

This guide provides comprehensive documentation for using the HOLMES web interface. Whether you're a student learning about hydrological modeling or an instructor teaching operational hydrology, this guide will help you make the most of HOLMES.

Overview

HOLMES provides three main workflows, each accessible from the navigation menu:

Workflow	Purpose	Prerequisites
Calibration	Find optimal model parameters by fitting to observed data	Catchment data
Simulation	Run the model with calibrated parameters on any time period	Calibrated parameters
Projection	Explore future streamflow under climate change scenarios	Calibrated parameters + Climate data

Interface Structure

The HOLMES interface consists of:

1. Navigation Menu (top left corner) - Switch between Calibration, Simulation, and Projection
2. Settings Menu (top right corner) - Theme toggle, data persistence, version info
3. Configuration Panel (top) - Model and run settings
4. Results Panel (bottom) - Charts and metrics

Typical Workflow

A typical HOLMES session follows this pattern:

1. Calibrate a model against observed streamflow data
2. Export the calibrated parameters to a JSON file
3. Simulate streamflow for validation periods or other catchments
4. Project future conditions using climate model data

Quick Links

By Task

• Run my first calibration
• Use automatic optimization
• Compare multiple models
• Explore climate projections
• Export my results
• Change the theme

By Feature

• Understanding parameter sliders
• Interpreting performance metrics
• Zoom and pan on charts
• Save my settings between sessions

User Guide Sections

• Interface Overview

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  Learn the common UI elements: navigation, charts, forms, and keyboard shortcuts

• Calibration

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  Manual and automatic model calibration against observed data

• Simulation

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  Forward model runs with calibrated parameters

• Projection

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  Climate change impact assessment

• Settings

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  Theme, data persistence, and other preferences