Monthly hydroclimatology of the continental United States

• Published in: Advances in water resources Vol. 114; pp. 180 - 195
• Main Authors: Petersen, Thomas, Devineni, Naresh, Sankarasubramanian, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Approximation; Atmospheric models; Atmospheric moisture; Basins; Calibration; Capacity; Catchment area; Catchments; Climate; Empirical equations; Empirical models; Estimation; Evapotranspiration; Fluxes; Groundwater; Hydroclimatology; Hydrologic models; Hydrology; Mathematical models; Moisture; Moisture uptake; Monthly; Monthly moments; Monthly precipitation; Parameter estimation; Parameter sensitivity; Parameters; Physical water balance model; Potential evapotranspiration; Precipitation; Prediction in ungauged basins; Rainfall; Sensitivity; Sensitivity analysis; Soil; Soil moisture; Spatial variability; Spatial variations; Stream discharge; Stream flow; Taylor series; Uptake; Variability; Variance analysis; Water balance; Water resources; United States > US; Monthly moments; Physical water balance model; Hydroclimatology; Prediction in ungauged basins
• ISSN: 0309-1708; 1872-9657
• DOI: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2018.02.010

•A semi-empirical models for estimating the mean and variance of the monthly streamflow based on Taylor Series approximation of a lumped physically based water  balance model is presented.•The proposed models explain well, the spatial variability in monthly moments for basins in lower elevations.•A regionalization of parameters for each water resources region show good agreement  between observed moments and model estimated moments during January, February,  March and April for mean and all months except May and June for variance.•These relationships could be employed for understanding and estimating the monthly  hydroclimatology of ungauged basins using regional parameters. Physical/semi-empirical models that do not require any calibration are of paramount need for estimating hydrological fluxes for ungauged sites. We develop semi-empirical models for estimating the mean and variance of the monthly streamflow based on Taylor Series approximation of a lumped physically based water balance model. The proposed models require mean and variance of monthly precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, co-variability of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration and regionally calibrated catchment retention sensitivity, atmospheric moisture uptake sensitivity, groundwater-partitioning factor, and the maximum soil moisture holding capacity parameters. Estimates of mean and variance of monthly streamflow using the semi-empirical equations are compared with the observed estimates for 1373 catchments in the continental United States. Analyses show that the proposed models explain the spatial variability in monthly moments for basins in lower elevations. A regionalization of parameters for each water resources region show good agreement between observed moments and model estimated moments during January, February, March and April for mean and all months except May and June for variance. Thus, the proposed relationships could be employed for understanding and estimating the monthly hydroclimatology of ungauged basins using regional parameters.