Catchment area-based evaluation of the AMC-dependent SCS-CN-based rainfall-runoff models

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (14) ◽  
pp. 2701-2718 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Mishra ◽  
M. K. Jain ◽  
R. P. Pandey ◽  
V. P. Singh
Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz Młyński ◽  
Andrzej Wałęga ◽  
Leszek Książek ◽  
Jacek Florek ◽  
Andrea Petroselli

The aim of the study was to analyze the possibility of using selected rainfall-runoff models to determine the design hydrograph and the related peak flow in a mountainous catchment. The basis for the study was the observed series of hydrometeorological data for the Grajcarek catchment area (Poland) for the years 1981–2014. The analysis was carried out in the following stages: verification of hydrometeorological data; determination of the design rainfall; and determination of runoff hydrographs with the following rainfall-runoff models: Snyder, NRCS-UH, and EBA4SUB. The conducted research allowed the conclusion that the EBA4SUB model may be an alternative to other models in determining the design hydrograph in ungauged mountainous catchments. This is evidenced by the lower values of relative errors in the estimation of peak flows with an assumed frequency for the EBA4SUB model, as compared to Snyder and NRCS-UH.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 1001-1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. X. Soulis ◽  
J. D. Valiantzas

Abstract. The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) approach is widely used as a simple method for predicting direct runoff volume for a given rainfall event. The CN parameter values corresponding to various soil, land cover, and land management conditions can be selected from tables, but it is preferable to estimate the CN value from measured rainfall-runoff data if available. However, previous researchers indicated that the CN values calculated from measured rainfall-runoff data vary systematically with the rainfall depth. Hence, they suggested the determination of a single asymptotic CN value observed for very high rainfall depths to characterize the watersheds' runoff response. In this paper, the hypothesis that the observed correlation between the calculated CN value and the rainfall depth in a watershed reflects the effect of soils and land cover spatial variability on its hydrologic response is being tested. Based on this hypothesis, the simplified concept of a two-CN heterogeneous system is introduced to model the observed CN-rainfall variation by reducing the CN spatial variability into two classes. The behaviour of the CN-rainfall function produced by the simplified two-CN system is approached theoretically, it is analysed systematically, and it is found to be similar to the variation observed in natural watersheds. Synthetic data tests, natural watersheds examples, and detailed study of two natural experimental watersheds with known spatial heterogeneity characteristics were used to evaluate the method. The results indicate that the determination of CN values from rainfall runoff data using the proposed two-CN system approach provides reasonable accuracy and it over performs the previous methods based on the determination of a single asymptotic CN value. Although the suggested method increases the number of unknown parameters to three (instead of one), a clear physical reasoning for them is presented.


2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 49-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Thorndahl ◽  
C. Johansen ◽  
K. Schaarup-Jensen

In numerical modelling of rainfall caused runoff in urban sewer systems an essential parameter is the hydrological reduction factor which defines the percentage of the impervious area contributing to the surface flow towards the sewer. As the hydrological processes during a rainfall are difficult to determine with significant precision the hydrological reduction factor is implemented to account all hydrological losses except the initial loss. This paper presents an inconsistency between calculations of the hydrological reduction factor, based on measurements of rainfall and runoff, and till now recommended literature values for residential areas. It is proven by comparing rainfall-runoff measurements from four different residential catchments that the literature values of the hydrological reduction factor are over-estimated for this type of catchment. In addition, different catchment descriptions are presented in order to investigate how the hydrological reduction factor depends on the level of detail regarding the catchment description. When applying a total survey of the catchment area, including all possible impervious surfaces, a hydrological reduction factor of approximately 0.5 for residential areas with mainly detached houses is recommended–contrary to the literature recommended values of 0.7–0.9.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 6721-6758 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. V. Barron ◽  
D. W. Pollock ◽  
W. R. Dawes

Abstract. Contributing Catchment Area Analysis (CCAA) is a spatial analysis technique that allows estimation of the hydrological connectivity of relatively flat catchments and the effect of relief depressions on the catchment rainfall-runoff relationship for individual rainfall events. CCAA of the Southern River catchment, Western Australia, showed that catchment contributing area varied from less than 20% to more than 60% of total catchment area for various rainfall events. Such variability was attributed to a compensating effect of relief depressions. CCAA was further applied to analyse the impact of urbanisation on the catchment rainfall-runoff relationship. It was demonstrated that the change in land use resulted in much greater catchment volumetric runoff than expected simply as a result of the increase in proportion of impervious urban surfaces. As urbanisation leads to an increase in catchment hydrological connectivity, the catchment contributing area to the river flow also becomes greater. This effect was more evident for the most frequent rainfall events, when an increase in contributing area was responsible for a 30–100% increase in total volumetric runoff. The impact of urbanisation was greatest in sandy catchments, which were largely disconnected in the pre-development conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 6345-6350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred L. Ogden ◽  
Richard “Pete” Hawkins ◽  
M. Todd Walter ◽  
David C. Goodrich

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 547-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. V. Barron ◽  
D. Pollock ◽  
W. Dawes

Abstract. Contributing Catchment Area Analysis (CCAA) is a spatial analysis technique developed and used for estimation of the hydrological connectivity of relatively flat catchments. It allows accounting for the effect of relief depressions on the catchment rainfall-runoff relationship which is not commonly considered in hydrological modelling. Analysis of distributed runoff was based on USDA runoff curves numbers (USDA, 1986), which utilised the spatial information on land cover and soil types, while CCAA was further developed to define catchment area contributing to river discharge under individual rainfall events. The method was applied to the Southern River catchment, Western Australia, showing that contributing catchment area varied from less than 20% to more than 60% of total catchment area under different rainfall and soil moisture conditions. Such variability was attributed to a compensating effect of relief depressions. CCAA was further applied to analyse the impact of urbanisation on the catchment rainfall-runoff relationship. It was demonstrated that in addition to an increase in runoff coefficient, urbanisation leads to expansion in the catchment area contributing to the river flow. This effect was more evident for the most frequent rainfall events, when an increase in contributing area was responsible for a 30–100% rise in predicted catchment runoff.


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