Distributed models incorporate the effects of topography through direct used of the digital elevation data during computation.
Distributed Hydrology-Soils-Vegetation Model (DHVSM) was developed by Wigmosta et al (1994) in order to provide spatial representation of the distributions of soil moisture, evapotranspiration and runoff production . The model consists of a two-layer canopy model for evapotranspiration, an energy balance model for snow accumulation and melt, a two-layer unsaturated soil model and a saturated subsurface flow model.