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A northern snowmelt‐flood frequency model
Author(s) -
Carlson Robert F.,
Fox Patricia
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr012i004p00786
Subject(s) - snowmelt , subarctic climate , flood myth , environmental science , water year , drainage basin , hydrology (agriculture) , climatology , physical geography , geology , meteorology , geography , snow , cartography , oceanography , archaeology , geotechnical engineering
A rainfall‐flood frequency model is examined and converted to a snowmelt‐flood frequency model for use in northern subarctic regions. The model is applied to the Chena River at Fairbanks, an interior Alaskan basin, with emphasis on evaluation of the model for use on watersheds with few or no previous discharge records. The evaluation includes examination of the theoretical development and assumptions of the original model, adaptation of the original model to a snowmelt‐flood frequency model, sensitivity analysis, and comparison with results from other techniques and the observed frequency series. While the model suffers from certain inconsistencies, it does seem to be a useful tool for flood frequency design for subarctic watersheds with sparse data records.