Effect of geomorphologic resolution on modeling of runoff hydrograph and sedimentograph over small watersheds

In hydrologic models, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) interfaces are commonly used for extracting the channel network, and delineating the watershed. By overlaying soil and land use maps onto the extracted channel network, input files required by the model are prepared. However, the nature of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of hydrology (Amsterdam) Vol. 276; no. 1; pp. 89 - 111
Main Authors Kalin, Latif, Govindaraju, Rao S., Hantush, Mohamed M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.05.2003
Elsevier Science
Subjects
Areal geology. Maps
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Geographic information systems
Geologic maps, cartography
Hydrology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
Soil erosion
Surface water
United States
Iowa
Models
Soil erosion
Surface water
Geographic information systems
models
rainfall
topography
runoff
geographic information systems
drainage patterns
drainage divide
North America
land use map
surface water
drainage basins
hydrological modeling
soil erosion
soils
calibration
hydrographs
landform evolution
storms
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Summary:In hydrologic models, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) interfaces are commonly used for extracting the channel network, and delineating the watershed. By overlaying soil and land use maps onto the extracted channel network, input files required by the model are prepared. However, the nature of the extracted channel network strongly depends on some pre-selected threshold values within the GIS framework, which in turn, determine the geomorphologic resolution. There are no accepted guidelines for selecting these threshold parameters making the extraction of channel networks a subjective process. In this study, we investigate the effect of geomorphologic resolution on runoff hydrographs and sedimentographs over two small USDA experimental watersheds. The KINEROS model with ArcView interface has been used for this purpose. An empirical relationship between optimal resolution, watershed characteristics and nature of the storm has been developed. Results reveal that geometric simplification of the watershed for rainfall-runoff-erosion studies may be acceptable under right combinations of rainfall events and watershed properties. Our results also indicate that the optimal geomorphologic resolution may not be the same for hydrographs and sedimentographs.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0022-1694
1879-2707
DOI:10.1016/S0022-1694(03)00072-6