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THE RATIONAL METHOD FOR PEAK FLOW RATE ESTIMATION 1
Author(s) -
Hromadka T. V.,
Whitley R. J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1994.tb03348.x
Subject(s) - estimation , volumetric flow rate , flow (mathematics) , environmental science , mathematics , hydrology (agriculture) , mechanics , physics , geology , economics , geotechnical engineering , management
The Rational Method continues to be the most widely used approach for estimating P‐year return frequency peak flow rates for small catchments of about one square mile or less in area. The Balanced Design Storm unit hydrograph method is perhaps the second most widely used technique for estimating peak flow rates (and is the most widely used method for developing runoff hydrographs) but is generally considered to be more accurate than the Rational Method. In this paper, both of these T‐year return frequency peak flow rate estimators are shown to be mathematically comparable. The close similarity between these two approximators may help explain why the Rational Method continues to be widely used even though other more computationally sophisticated techniques are readily available due to widespread computer software.