Abstract
Hourly rainfall data collected in the Maw-Ki-Syiem experimental catchment (area: 0.22 km2) during the period 1999–2009 and the application of hydrological models (SCS-CN and GIUH – previously calibrated and verified) allowed for the analysis of the hydrological response of the catchment, located in an extremely humid monsoonal climate. Due to a lack of detailed hydrological data, this area has rarely been investigated. Its hydrological response was investigated in relation to different types of rainfall, recorded in pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in 2002 and 2005. Hydrographs revealed rapid response of the catchment to rainfall. The rising limb and recession limb were very steep and coincided with hourly rainfall patterns. The observed hydrological response consisted of maximum flow of less than 2.5 m3 s−1 and a maximum specific flow of less than 11 m3 s−1 km−2 for rainfall of less than 20 mm h−1. Precipitation higher than 80 mm h−1 resulted with a maximum flow peak higher than 20 m3 s−1 and maximum specific flow exceeding 90 m3 s−1 km−2. These high flow peaks occurred in pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons but not in the post-monsoon season. Maximum specific flow in the Maw-Ki-Syiem experimental catchment is one of the highest recorded values in the world. Relationships such as rainfall intensity versus maximum flow and rainfall intensity versus maximum specific flow were evaluated in order to support the estimation of maximum flow and maximum specific flow on the basis of rainfall data (easily accessible for this region) for small catchments near the town of Cherrapunjee.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Bhadra A, Pnigrahi N, Singh R, Raghuwanshi NS, Mal BC, Tripathi MP (2008) Development of geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph model for scantly gauged watersheds. E Model Softw 23:1013–1025. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2007.08.008
Bhaskar N, Parida B, Nayak A (1997) Flood estimation for ungauged catchments using the GIUH. J Water Resour Plann Manag 123(4):228–238
Bryndal T, Soja R, Kroczak R (2015) Hydrological response of a small catchment located in extremely humid monsoonal climate – the Maw-Ki-Syiem case study (Cherrapunji, Meghalaya Plateau, India). Episodes 38(1):1–8
Cerveny RS, Lawrimore J, Edwards R, Landsea C (2007) Extreme weather records compilation, adjudication and publication. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 88:853–860. doi:10.1175/BAMS-88-6-853
Costa JE (1987) A comparison of the largest rainfall–runoff floods in the United States with those of the people’s republic of China and the world. J Hydrol 96:101–115
Das JC (1951) On certain aspects of rainfall at Cherrapunji. Indian J Meteorol Geophys 2:197–202
Dhar ON, Farooqui SMT (1973) A study of rainfalls recorded at the Cherrapunji observatory. Hydrol Sci Bull 18(4):441–450
Françou J, Rodier JA (1969) Essai de classification des crues maximales: floods and their computation. In: Proceedings of the Leningrad symposium, August 1967. IAHS-UNESCO-WMO, Louvain, pp 518–527
Froehlich W (2004) Runoff generation in experimental catchment. In: Starkel L, Singh S (eds) Rainfall, runoff and soil erosion in the globally extreme humid area, Cherrapunji region India, vol 191, Prace Geograficzne., pp 73–75
Froehlich W, Prokop P, Singh S, Soja R, Starkel L, Syiemlieh H (2003) Hydrological aspects in the extremely humid area around Cherrapunji (India) – an integrated approach. In: Rahmakrishnan PS, Saxena KG, Patnaik S, Singh S (eds) Methodological issues in mountain research. A socio-ecological system approach. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, pp 219–230
Gaume E, Bain V, Bernardara P, Newinger O, Barbuc M, Bateman A, Blaškovičova L, Blöschl G, Borga M, Dumitrescu A, Daliakopoulos I, Garcia J, Irimescu A, Kohnowa S, Koutroulis A, Marchi L, Matreata S, Medina V, Preciso E, Sempre-Tores D, Stancalie G, Szolgay J, Tsanis I, Velasco D, Viglione A (2009) A compilation of data on European flash floods. J Hydrol 367:70–78. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.12.028
Guhathakurta P (2007) Highest recorded point rainfall over India. Weather 62(12):349–349. doi:10.1002/wea.154
Herschy RW (2002) The world’s maximum observed floods. Flow Measure Instrum 13:231–235
Hofer T (1997) Floods in Bangladesh: a highland-lowland interaction? Geogr Bernensia G48:1–178
Hofer T, Messerli B (2006) Floods in Bangladesh history, dynamics and rethinking the role of the Himalayas. United Nations University Press, Tokyo/New York/Paris
Jain SK, Singh RD, Seth SM (2000) Design flood estimation using GIS supported GIUH approach. Water Resour Manag 14:369–376
Kataoka A, Satomura T (2005) Numerical simulation on the diurnal variation of precipitation over northeastern Bangladesh: a case study of an active period 14–21 June 1995. Scient Online Lett Atmos 1:205–208. doi:10.2151/sola.2005-053
Kumar R, Chatterjee C, Singh RD, Lohani AK, Kumar S (2007) Runoff estimation for an ungauged catchment using geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) model. Hydrol Processes 21:1829–1840. doi:10.1002/hyp.6318
Monirul Qader Mirza M (2003) Three recent extreme floods in Bangladesh: a hydro-meteorological analysis. Nat Hazards 28:35–64
Murata F, Hayashi T, Matsumoto J, Asada H (2007) Rainfall on the Meghalaya Plateau in northeastern India-one of the rainiest places in the world. Nat Hazards 42:391–399. doi:10.1007/s11069-006-9084-z
Murata F, Terao T, Hayashi T, Asada H, Matsumoto J (2008) Relationship between atmospheric conditions at Dhaka, Bangladesh, and rainfall at Cherrapunjee, India. Nat Hazards 44:399–410. doi:10.1007/s11069-007-9125-2
Narayan K, Dikshit PKS, Dwivedi SB (2012) GIS supported geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) of Varuna river basin using geomorphological characteristics. Int J Adv Earth Sci 1(2):68–76
Nguyena HQ, Maathuisb BHP, Rientjes THM (2009) Catchment storm runoff modelling using the geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph. Geocarto Intern 25(5):357–375
O’Hare G (1997a) The Indian monsoon. Part 1. The wind system. Geography 82(3):218–230
O’Hare G (1997b) The Indian monsoon part 2. The rains. Geography 82(4):335–352
Prokop P, Starkel L (2004) Environmental characteristics of Cherrapunji spur – relief and geology. In: Starkel L, Singh S (eds) Rainfall, runoff and soil erosion in the globally extreme humid area, Cherrapunji region Indie, vol 191, Prace Geograficzne., pp 37–41
Rakhecha PR, Clark C (1999) Revised estimates of one-day probable maximum precipitation (PMP) for India. Meteorol Appl 6:343–350
Rakhecha PR, Singh VP (1999) Applied hydrometeorology. Springer, Dordrecht
Rodier JA, Roche M (1984) World catalogue of maximum observed floods. IAHS Publications 143, IAHS Press, Wallingford/Oxfordshire
Rodriguez-Iturbe I, Valdes JB (1979) The geomorphologic structure of hydrologic response. Water Resour Res 15:1409–1420
Sato T (2013) Mechanism of orographic precipitation around the Meghalaya Plateau associated with intraseasonal oscillation and the diurnal cycle. Mon Weather Rev 141(7):2451–2466. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-12-00321.1
Soil Conservation Service-USDA (1972) Estimation of direct runoff from storm rainfall: national engineering handbook section 4-hydrology. US Govt. Printing office, Washington, DC, pp 10.1–10.24
Soja R, Singh S (2004) The rainfall characteristic. In: Starkel L, Singh S (eds) Rainfall, runoff and soil erosion in the globally extreme humid area, Cherrapunji region India, vol 191, Prace Geograficzne., pp 59–72
Soja R, Starkel L (2007) Extreme rainfalls in Eastern Himalaya and southern slope of Meghalaya Plateau and their geomorphologic impacts. Geomorphology 84:170–180. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.01.040
Soja R, Starkel L, Syiemlieh JH (2004) Some aspects of rainfall-runoff relationship. In: Starkel L, Singh S (eds) Rainfall, runoff and soil erosion in the globally extreme humid area, Cherrapunji region India, vol 191, Prace Geograficzne., pp 75–80
Starkel L, Singh S, Soja R, Froehlich W, Syiemlieh H, Prokop P (2002) Rainfalls, runoff and soil erosion in the extremely humid area near Cherrapunji, India (preliminary observations). Geogr Polonica 75(1):43–65
Vikrant J, Sinha R (2003) Derivation of unit hydrograph from GIUH analysis for a Himalayan river. Water Resour Manag 17:355–375
Acknowledgments
This study was conducted thanks to collaboration between geographers from Poland and India working at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management and the Polish Academy of Science in Krakow (Poland) as well as North Eastern Hill University in Shillong (India) who investigated selected environmental parameters in the Cherrapunjee region.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer Japan
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bryndal, T., Soja, R. (2016). Maximum Flow and Maximum Specific Flow in a Small Catchment Affected by an Extreme Rainfall Near Cherrapunjee in Northeast India. In: Singh, R., Prokop, P. (eds) Environmental Geography of South Asia. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55741-8_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55741-8_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo
Print ISBN: 978-4-431-55740-1
Online ISBN: 978-4-431-55741-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)