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On Hydrologic Similarity: 1. Derivation of the Dimensionless Flood Frequency Curve
Author(s) -
Wood Eric F.,
Hebson Charles S.
Publication year - 1986
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/wr022i011p01549
Subject(s) - dimensionless quantity , hydrograph , flood myth , scaling , hydrology (agriculture) , structural basin , similarity (geometry) , environmental science , statistics , geology , mathematics , geomorphology , geometry , physics , geography , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , computer science , archaeology , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
The problem of flood frequency similarity among river basins is analyzed by deriving a scale‐independent, dimensionless flood frequency curve. The model is formulated using dimensionless rainfall inputs and a dimensionless basin response function. For the rainfall intensity the probability distribution for dimensionless areal rainfall is derived and depends upon a geoclimatic scaling factor which is a function of the basin size and the rainfall areal correlation structure. Rainfall duration is scaled by τ, a characteristic basin time. This same parameter is used to develop a dimensionless geomorphologic unit hydrograph. The derived dimensionless flood frequency curve can be used to further understand the variability of flood statistics within a contiguous area and to group stations for regional flood frequency analysis using statistical techniques.