Question/Documentation Request: Locating a Comprehensive Mathematical Description of VIC-5 Processes

[jamesYu365]

Hello VIC developers,

First of all, thank you for developing and maintaining this excellent model. I am a new user trying to gain a deep understanding of the physical processes within VIC-5.

I am looking for a single, consolidated document that provides the detailed mathematical formulations (i.e., the equations) for the key processes like infiltration, runoff generation, evapotranspiration, the snow model, etc., as they are currently implemented in the latest version of the model.

So far, my search has led me to the following resources:

1. The VIC ReadTheDocs Model Overview page: This provides a good conceptual overview but does not contain the specific governing equations.
2. The main GMD paper on VIC-5 Hamman et al, 2018: This paper is excellent for understanding the model's new infrastructure but does not re-iterate the full mathematical description of the core physics.
3. Foundational Papers (e.g., Liang et al., 1994): While I understand these are the original sources, it is difficult for a new user to determine which formulations have been modified over the last ~30 years and which are still current. Piecing together the model logic from a distributed set of historical papers is a significant challenge.

Without a centralized technical reference, the only remaining option is to try and decipher the equations directly from the C source code, which is a difficult and error-prone task for someone learning the model.

My Question:

Could you please let me know if a canonical, consolidated technical reference manual exists for the current VIC-5 physics?

If such a document doesn't exist, I would like to strongly but respectfully suggest that its creation would be a transformative improvement for the VIC user community. A single manual detailing the governing equations would greatly lower the barrier to entry, enhance the model's use in teaching, and provide a clear and invaluable foundation for future research and development.