Hydrograph Modeling

Goal: Simulate the shape of a hydrograph

given a known or designed water input
(rain or snowmelt)
time
P
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time
f
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w

Hydrologic
Model
Hydrograph Modeling:
The input signal
Hyetograph can be
A future design event
What happens in response to a rainstorm of a
hypothetical magnitude and duration
See http://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/
A past storm
Simulate what happened in the past
Can serve as a calibration data set

time
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time
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Hydrologic
Model
Hydrograph Modeling: The Model
What do we do with the input signal?
We mathematically manipulate the signal in a
way that represents how the watershed
actually manipulates the water

Q

= f(P
,
landscape properties)
time
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time
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Hydrologic
Model
Hydrograph Modeling
What is a model?
What is the purpose of a model?
Types of Models
Physical
http://uwrl.usu.edu/facilities/hydraulics/projects/projects.html
Analog
Ohms law analogous to Darcys law
Mathematical
Equations to represent hydrologic process
Types of Mathematical Models
Process representation
Physically Based
Derived from equations representing actual physics of process
i.e. energy balance snowmelt models
Conceptual
Short cuts full physics to capture essential processes
Linear reservoir model
Empirical/Regression
i.e temperature index snowmelt model
Stochastic
Evaluates historical time series, based on probability
Spatial representation
Lumped
Distributed
Hydrograph Modeling
Physically Based, distributed
Physics-based equations for each process in
each grid cell
See dhsvm.pdf
Kelleners et al., 2009
Pros and cons?
Hydrologic Modeling
Systems Approach
A transfer function represents the lumped processes operating in a watershed

-Transforms numerical inputs through simplified paramters that lump
processes to numerical outputs
-Modeled is calibrated to obtain proper parameters
-Predictions at outlet only
-Read 9.5.1
P
t
Q
t
Mathematical
Transfer Function

8
Integrated Hydrologic Models Are Used to Understand and Predict (Quantify)
the Movement of Water
How ? Formalization of hydrologic process equations
Lumped Model Distributed Model
e.g: Stanford Watershed Model e.g: ModHMS, PIHM, FIHM, InHM
Semi-Distributed Model
e.g: HSPF, LASCAM
q p
t
=
c
c|
p
q
REW 1
REW 2 REW 3
REW 4
REW 5
REW 6
REW 7
Data Requirement:
Computational Requirement:
Small Large
Process Representation:
Parametric Physics-Based
Predicted States Resolution:
Coarser Fine
ss
Q U
t
+ V I V + V =
c
c
) .( ) .( | |
|
Transfer Functions
2 Basic steps to rainfall-runoff transfer functions
1. Estimate losses.
W minus losses = effective precipitation (W
eff
) (eqns 9-43, 9-44)
Determines the volume of streamflow response

2. Distribute W
eff
in time
Gives shape to the hydrograph

Recall that Q
ef
= W
eff
Q
t
Base Flow
Event flow (W
eff
)
Transfer Functions
General Concept
W
Losses
W
eff
= Q
ef

Task
Draw a line through the
hyetograph separating loss and
W
eff
volumes (Figure 9-40)
t
W
?
Loss Methods
Methods to estimate effective precipitation
You have already done it one wayhow?
However,
Q
t
Loss Methods
Physically-based infiltration equations
Chapter 6
Green-ampt, Richards equation, Darcy
Kinematic approximations of infiltration
and storage
W
Uniform: W
err
(t) = W(t) - constant
Exponential: W
eff
(t) = W
0
e
-ct


c is unique to each site
Examples of Transfer Function
Models
Rational Method (p443)
q
pk
=u
r
C
r
i
eff
A
d
No loss method
Duration of rainfall is the time of concentration
Flood peak only
Used for urban watersheds (see table 9-10)
SCS Curve Number
Estimates losses by surface properties
Routes to stream with empirical equations
SCS Loss Method
SCS curve # (page 445-447)
Calculates the VOLUME of effective precipitation
based on watershed properties (soils)
Assumes that this volume is lost

SCS Concepts
Precipitation (W) is partitioned into 3 fates
V
i
= initial abstraction = storage that must
be satisfied before event flow can begin

V
r
= retention = W that falls after initial
abstraction is satisfied but that does not
contribute to event flow

Q
ef
= W
eff
= event flow


Method is based on an assumption that
there is a relationship between the runoff
ratio and the amount of storage that is
filled:
V
r
/ V
max.
= W
eff
/(W-V
i
)

where V
max
is the maximum storage capacity of the
watershed

If V
r
= W-V
i
-W
eff
,


max
2
) (
V V W
V W
W
i
i
eff


=
SCS Concept
Assuming V
i
= 0.2V
max
(??)


V
max
is determined by a Curve Number

Curve Number
The SCS classified 8500 soils into four hydrologic groups according to
their infiltration characteristics
Curve Number
Related to Land Use
Transfer Function
1. Estimate effective precipitation
SCS method gives us W
eff

2. Estimate temporal distribution
Base flow
Q
t
Volume of effective
Precipitation or event
flow
-What actually gives shape to the hydrograph?
Transfer Function
2. Estimate temporal distribution of effective precipitation
Various methods route water to stream channel
Many are based on a time of concentration and many other rules

SCS method
Assumes that the runoff hydrograph is a triangle
T
b
=2.67T
r

Q
t
On top of base flow
T
w
= duration of effective P
T
c
= time concentration
How were these
equations developed?
Transfer Functions
Time of concentration equations attempt to relate residence time of water to
watershed properties
The time it takes water to travel from the hydraulically most distant part of the watershed to
the outlet
Empically derived, based on watershed properties
Once again, consider the assumptions
Transfer Functions
2. Temporal distribution of effective
precipitation
Unit Hydrograph
An X (1,2,3,) hour unit hydrograph is the
characteristic response (hydrograph) of a
watershed to a unit volume of effective water
input applied at a constant rate for x hours.
1 inch of effective rain in 6 hours produces a 6
hour unit hydrograph
Unit Hydrograph
The event hydrograph that would result from 1
unit (cm, in,) of effective precipitation (W
eff
=1)
A watershed has a characteristic response
This characteristic response is the model
Many methods to construct the shape
Q
ef
t
1
1
Unit Hydrograph
1. How do we Develop the characteristic
response for the duration of interest the
transfer function ?
Empirical page 451
Synthetic page 453

2. How do we Apply the UH?:
For a storm of an appropriate duration, simply
multiply the y-axis of the unit hydrograph by the
depth of the actual storm (this is based convolution
integral theory)


Unit Hydrograph
Apply: For a storm of an appropriate duration,
simply multiply the y-axis of the unit hydrograph
by the depth of the actual storm.
See spreadsheet example
Assumes one burst of precipitation during the
duration of the storm
In this picture, what duration
is 2.5 hours Referring to?

Where does 2.4 come from?
What if storm comes in multiple bursts?
Application of the Convolution Integral
Convolves an input time series with a transfer
function to produce an output time series
( ) ( ) t t t d t U W t Q
t
eff
=
}
0
) (
U(t-t) = time distributed Unit Hydrograph

W
eff
(t)= effective precipitation

t =time lag between beginning time series of
rainfall excess and the UH

Convolution integral in discrete form
) 1 ( ) ( ) (
1
+ =

=
i t U i W t Q
t
i
j t t t
U W U W U W U W t Q
1 3 2 2 1 1
... ) ( + + + + =

J=n-i+1
Unit Hydrograph
Many ways to manipulate UH for storms of
different durations and intensities
S curve, instantaneous
Thats for an engineering hydrology class
YOU need to know assumptions of the
application
Unit Hydrograph
How do we derive the characteristic
response (unit hydrograph)?
Empirical

Unit Hydrograph
How do we derive the characteristic
response (unit hydrograph)?
Empirical page 451
Note: 1. approximately equal duration
What duration are they talking about?
Note: 8. adjust the curve until this area is
satisfactorily close to 1unit
See spreadsheet example

Unit Hydrograph
Assumptions
Linear response
Constant time base
Unit Hydrograph
Construction of characteristic response by
synthetic methods
Scores of approaches similar to the SCS
hydrograph method where points on the unit
hydrograph are estimated from empirical
relations to watershed properties.
Snyder
SCS
Clark

Snyder Synthetic Unit Hydrograph
Since peak flow and time of peak flow are two of the most important parameters
characterizing a unit hydrograph, the Snyder method employs factors defining these
parameters, which are then used in the synthesis of the unit graph (Snyder, 1938).

The parameters are C
p
, the peak flow factor, and C
t
, the lag factor.

The basic assumption in this method is that basins which have similar physiographic
characteristics are located in the same area will have similar values of C
t
and C
p
.

Therefore, for ungaged basins, it is preferred that the basin be near or similar to
gaged basins for which these coefficients can be determined.
3 . 0
) (
ca t LAG
L L C t - =
5 . 5
LAG
duration
t
t =
) ( 25 . 0
. . duration duration alt LAG lag alt
t t t t + =
8
3
LAG
base
t
t + =
LAG
p
peak
t
AC
q
640
=
The final shape of the Snyder unit hydrograph is controlled by the equations
for width at 50% and 75% of the peak of the UHG:
SCS Synthetic Unit Hydrograph
Triangular Representation
p b
T x 2.67 T =
p p b r
T x 1.67 T - T T = =
)
T
+
T
(
2
q
=
2
T
q
+
2
T
q
= Q
r p
p
r
p
p
p
T
+
T
2Q
= q
r p
p
T
+
T
Q x A x 2 x 654.33
= q
r p
p
The 645.33 is the conversion used for delivering 1-inch of runoff
(the area under the unit hydrograph) from 1-square mile in 1-hour
(3600 seconds).
T
Q A 484
= q
p
p
SCS Dimensionless UHG & Triangular Representation
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
T/Tpeak
Q
/
Q
p
e
a
k
Flow ratios
Cum. Mass
Triangular
Excess
Precipitation
D
T
lag
T
c
T
p
T
b
Point of
Inflection
Synthetic Unit Hydrograph
ALL are based on the assumption that
runoff is generated by overland flow
What does this mean with respect to our
discussion about old water new water?
How can Unit Hydrographs, or any model,
possibly work if the underlying concepts
are incorrect?
Other Applications
What to do with storms of different
durations?


Other Applications
Deriving the 1-hr UH with the S curve approach
Physically-Based Distributed
Hydrologic Similarity Models
Motivation: How can we retain the theory
behind the physically based model while
avoiding the computational difficulty?
Identify the most important driving features
and shortcut the rest.
TOPMODEL
Beven, K., R. Lamb, P. Quinn, R. Romanowicz and J. Freer, (1995),
"TOPMODEL," Chapter 18 in Computer Models of Watershed Hydrology,
Edited by V. P. Singh, Water Resources Publications, Highlands Ranch,
Colorado, p.627-668.
TOPMODEL is not a hydrological modeling package. It is rather a set of
conceptual tools that can be used to reproduce the hydrological behaviour
of catchments in a distributed or semi-distributed way, in particular the
dynamics of surface or subsurface contributing areas.

TOPMODEL
Surface saturation and soil moisture
deficits based on topography
Slope
Specific Catchment Area
Topographic Convergence
Partial contributing area concept
Saturation from below (Dunne) runoff
generation mechanism

Saturation in zones of convergent
topography
TOPMODEL
Recognizes that topography is the
dominant control on water flow
Predicts watershed streamflow by
identifying areas that are topographically
similar, computing the average subsurface
and overland flow for those regions, then
adding it all up. It is therefore a quasi-
distributed model.
Key Assumptions
from Beven, Rainfall-Runoff Modeling
There is a saturated zone in equilibrium with a steady
recharge rate over an upslope contributing area a

The water table is almost parallel to the surface such
that the effective hydraulic gradient is equal to the local
surface slope, tan

The Transmissivity profile may be described by and
exponential function of storage deficit, with a value of To
whe the soil is just staurated to the surface (zero deficit
Hillslope Element
P
q
total
= q
sub
+ q
overland

We need equations based on
topography to calculate q
sub
(9.6)
and q
overland
(9.5)

a

a
sat

q
overland

q
subsurface

c
Subsurface Flow in TOPMODEL
q
sub
= Tctan
What is the origin of this equation?
What are the assumptions?
How do we obtain tan
How do we obtain T?
a

a
sat

q
overland

q
subsurface

c
Recall that one goal of TOPMODEL is to simplify the data required to run a
watershed model.
We know that subsurface flow is highly dependent on the vertical distribution of K.
We can not easily measure K at depth, but we can measure or estimate K at the
surface.
We can then incorporate some assumption about how K varies with depth (equation
9.7). From equation 9.7 we can derive an expression for T based on surface K (9.9).
Note that z is now the depth to the water table.

a

a
sat

q
overland

q
subsurface

c
z
Transmissivity of Saturated Zone
K at any depth

Transmissivity of a saturated thickness z-D




D
a

a
sat

q
overland

q
subsurface

c
z
Equations

Subsurface
Surface
Assume Subsurface flow = recharge rate
Topographic Index
Saturation deficit for
similar topography
regions
Saturation Deficit
Element as a function of local TI


Catchment Average


Element as a function of average