VIC

VIC (Variable Infiltration Capacity), from the University of Washington, is the classic macroscale hydrological model: a grid-based land-surface scheme simulating water and energy balance — variable infiltration, multi-layer soil moisture, snow, frozen soils — over large basins and continents. Decades of climate-impact, drought and water-availability literature rest on VIC simulations.

It suits regional questions rather than site design: reservoir-inflow scenarios under CMIP projections, drought reconstruction, continental water balance. Setup and forcing preparation are non-trivial, but the model is open, well documented and battle-tested.