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Hydrograph for small basins following intense storms
Author(s) -
Criss R. E.,
Winston W. E.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2002gl016808
Subject(s) - hydrograph , storm , geology , structural basin , groundwater , karst , head (geology) , hydrology (agriculture) , perturbation (astronomy) , hydraulic head , environmental science , surface runoff , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , oceanography , ecology , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
We show how diffusive fluxes based on Darcy's law define groundwater hydrographs following sharp perturbations on the hydraulic head. The derived normalized hydrograph is based on a single fitting parameter, the time constant “b”, and has great semblance to observed discharge hydrographs for many karst springs and small rivers following rainfall events. Observed time constants increase with basin area but at a given site decrease as peak flows increase. The predicted interval between a pulse in head and the resultant peak flow is equal to 2b/3. Longer delays are observed between actual rainfall events and peak flows because the head perturbation must postdate the rainfall.