Intensity-duration-frequency relationships: Stochastic modeling and disaggregation of daily rainfall in the Lagoa Mirim Watershed, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate information gain by using rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) relationships, with data gathered within N+M years from seven rain gauge stations located in the Lagoa Mirim Watershed (South Atlantic basin). After N years of daily rainfall, the transition probabilities of a time homogeneous two-state Markov chain were defined to simulate rainfall occurrence, as well as gamma distribution to measure it; for that, daily rainfall series were composed of N+M years, with M being the generated series. The series were adjusted to Gumbel distribution, being used in annual maximum daily rainfall disaggregation for durations of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 120, 360, 720 and 1440 min. Daily rainfall disaggregation was validated through IDF relationships taken from pluviograph records of N years and from N+M years, using the "t" test of relative mean squared error. We can infer that there was information gain using IDF relationships of rainfall occurrence when using N years of observed data and M years of generated data by stochastic modeling compared to those obtained from a composed series of N years.