Regional analysis using the geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) method

Abstract

The construction of design flood hydrographs for ungauged drainage areas has traditionally been approached by regionalization, i.e. the transfer of information from the gauged to the ungauged catchments in a region. Such approaches invariably depend upon the use of multiple linear regression analysis to relate unit hydrograph parameters to catchment characteristics and generalized rainfall statistics. In the present study, Geomorphologic Instaneous Unit Hydrograph (GIUH) was applied to simulate the rainfall-runoff process and also to determine the shape and dimensions of outlet runoff hydrographs in a 37.1 km2 area in the Ammameh catchment, located at northern Iran. The first twenty-one equivalent rainfall-runoff events were selected, and a hydrograph of outlet runoff was calculated for each event. An intercomparison was made for the three applied approaches in order to propose a suitable model approach that is the overall objective of this study. Hence, the time to peak and peak flow of outlet runoff in the models were then compared, and the model that most efficiently estimated hydrograph of outlet flow for similar regions was determined. Statistical analyses of the models demonstrated that the GIUH model had the smallest main relative and square error. The results obtained from the study confirmed the high efficiency of the GIUH and its ability to increase simulation accuracy for runoff and hydrographs. The modified GIUH approach as described is therefore recommended for further investigation and intercomparison with regression-based regionalization methods.