Abstract
Runoff data is crucial for development of water resources. Runoff data is however rarely available for ungauged catchments, especially in developing countries. Geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrographs (GIUH) models can be used for predicting runoff in poorly gauged catchments, but a challenge with these models is estimating the dynamic velocity parameter. In this study, three GIUH models were developed based on estimation of flow velocity using calibration of Manning’s n (GIUH-cal), peak discharge (GIUH-pq) and 30-min rain intensity (GIUH-I30). The objectives of this study were to (a) assess suitability of a GIUH model for simulating runoff in Gule catchment, northern Ethiopia and (b) evaluate performance of three velocity parameter estimation methods in simulating runoff using GIUH models. Runoff hydrographs of the GIUH models matched well with observed hygrographs for most rain events. The GIUH-cal model had the best performance, 18 out of 20 rain events resulting in Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency (NSE) values of 0.53 to 0.95. The GIUH-pq and GIUH-I30 models performed satisfactorily with 12 of the 20 rain events resulting in NSE values greater than 0.50. Overall, the GIUH models underestimated peak discharge compared to observed data. The GIUH models were moderately sensitive to changes in flow velocity. Peak discharge and time to peak discharge were highly sensitive to changes in flow velocity. The developed GIUH models could be used for simulating flood hydrographs of the Gule catchment. Particularly, the GIUH-I30 model will be very useful for estimating direct surface runoff in the absence of streamflow data.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of Data and Material
All data and material comply with field standards.
Code Availability
Not applicable.
References
Al-Wagdany AS, Rao AR (1997) Estimation of the velocity parameter of the geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph. Water Resour Manag 11:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007923906214
ASTER (2009) ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model. Release Year 2009, Version 2
Babaali HR, Sabzevari T, Ghafari S (2021) Development of the Nash instantaneous unit hydrograph to predict subsurface flow in catchments. Acta Geophys. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-021-00638-x
Bhadra A, Panigrahy N, Singh R, Raghuwanshi NS, Mal BC, Tripathi MP (2008) Development of a geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph model for scantily gauged watersheds. Environ Model Softw 23(8):1013–1025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2007.08.008
Bhaskar NR, Parida BP, Nayak AK (1997) Flood estimation for ungauged catchments using the GIUH. J Water Resour Plan and Manag 123(4):228–238
Chen Y, Shi P, Ji X, Qu S, Zhao L, Dong F (2019) New method to calculate the dynamic factor–flow velocity in geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph. Sci Rep 9:14201. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50723-x
Chutha P, Dooge JCI (1990) The shape parameters of the geomorphologic unit hydrograph. J Hydrol 117:81–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(90)90087-E
Cudennec C, Fouad Y, Gatot IS, Duchesne J (2004) A geomorphological explanation of the unit hydrograph concept. Hydrol Process 18:603–621. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.1368
Ghumman AR, Ahmad MM, Hashmi HN, Kamal MA (2012) Development of geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph for a large watershed. Environ Monit Assess 184:3153–3163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2179-3
Grum B, Woldearegay K, Hessel R, Baartman JEM, Abdulkadir M, Yazew E, Kessler A, Ritsema C, Geissen V (2017) Assessing the effect of water harvesting techniques on event-based hydrological responses and sediment yield at a catchment scale in northern Ethiopia using the Limburg Soil Erosion Model (LISEM). CATENA 159:20–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2017.07.018
Gunawardhana LN, Al-rawas GA, Baawain MS (2020) Spatial regression approach to estimate synthetic unit hydrograph by geomorphic characteristics of watersheds in arid regions. J Arid Land 12(6):950–963. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-020-0101-y
Gupta VK, Waymire E, Wang CT (1980) A representation of an instantaneous unit hydrograph from geomorphology. Water Resour Res 16(5):855–862. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR016i005p00855
Hosseini SM, Mahjour N, Riahi S (2016) Development of a direct geomorphologic IUH model for daily runoff estimation in ungauged watersheds. J Hydrol Eng 05016008:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001333
Jaiswal RK, Thomas T, Galkate RV, Ghosh NC, Lohani AK, Kumar R (2014) Development of geomorphology based regional Nash model for data scares central India region. Water Resour Manag 28:351–371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-013-0486-x
Khaleghi MR, Gholami V, Ghodusi J, Hosseini H (2011) Efficiency of the geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph method in flood hydrograph simulation. CATENA 87:163–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2011.04.005
Kumar A (2015) Geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph based hydrologic response models for ungauged hilly watersheds in India. Water Resour Manag 29:863–883. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0848-z
Kumar R, Chatterjee C, Singh RD, Lohani AK, Kumar S (2007) Runoff estimation for an ungauged catchment using geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) models. Hydrol Process 21:1829–1840. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6318
Lee KT, Chang C-H (2005) Incorporating subsurface-flow mechanism into geomorphology-based IUH modeling. J Hydrol 311:91–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2005.01.008
Lenhart T, Eckhardt K, Fohrer N, Frede H-G (2002) Comparison of two different approaches of sensitivity analysis. Phys Chem Earth 27:645–654. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-7065(02)00049-9
Nash JE (1957) The form of the instantaneous unit hydrograph. Int Assoc Sci Hydrol Publ 45(3):114–121
Nash JE, Sutcliffe JV (1970) River flow forecasting through conceptual models part I — a discussion of principles. J Hydrol 10:282–290
Niyazi B, Khan AA, Masoud M, Elfeki A, Basahi J, Zaidi S (2021) Morphological-hydrological relationships and the geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph of Makkah Al-Mukarramah watersheds. Arab J Geosci 14(751):1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07063-w
Nourani V, Singh VP, Delafrouz H (2009) Three geomorphological rainfall–runoff models based on the linear reservoir concept. CATENA 76(3):206–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2008.11.008
Rigon R, Bancheri M, Formetta G, de Lavenne A (2016) The geomorphological unit hydrograph from a historical-critical perspective. Earth Surf Process Landf 41:27–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3855
Rinaldo A, Rodriguez-Iturbe I (1996) Geomorphological theory of the hydrological response. Hydrol Process 10:803–829. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)10991085(199606)10:6%3c803::AID-HYP373%3e3.0.CO;2-N
Rodriguez-Iturbe I, Devoto G, Valdés JB (1979) Discharge response analysis and hydrologic similarity: the interrelation between the geomorphologic IUH and the storm characteristics. Water Resour Res 15(6):1435–1444. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR015i006p01435
Rodriguez-Iturbe I, González-Sanabria M, Bras RL (1982) A geomorphoclimatic theory of the instantaneous unit hydrograph. Water Resour Res 18(4):877–886. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR018i004p00877
Rodriguez-Iturbe I, Valdes JB (1979) The geomorphologic structure of hydrologic response. Water Resour Res 15(6):1409–1420. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR015i006p01409
Sahoo B, Chatterjee C, Raghuwanshi NS, Singh R, Kumar R (2006) Flood estimation by GIUH-based Clark and Nash models. J Hydrol Eng 11:515–525. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0699(2006)11:6(515)
Shamseldin AY, Nash JE (1998) The geomorphological unit hydrograph-a critical review. J Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 2(1):1–8. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2-1-1998
Singh PK, Mishra SK, Jain MK (2014) A review of the synthetic unit hydrograph: from the empirical UH to advanced geomorphological methods. Hydrol Sci J 59(2):239–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2013.870664
Snyder FF (1938) Synthetic unit-graphs. Eos, Trans Am Geophys Union 19(1):447–454. https://doi.org/10.1029/TR019i001p00447
Soil Conservation Service SCS (1957) Use of storm and watershed characteristics in synthetic hydrograph analysis and application. US Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, Washington, DC
Strahler AN (1957) Quantitative analysis of watershed geomorphology. Trans Am Geophys Union 38:913–920
Tarahi M, Sabzevari T, Fattahi MH, Derikvand T (2021) Estimating runoff in ungauged catchments by Nash-GIUH model using image processing and fractal analysis. Stochastic Environ Res Risk Assess. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-021-02068-z
Zelazinski J (1986) Application of the geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph theory to development of forecasting models in Poland. Hydrol Sci J 31(2):263–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626668609491043
Acknowledgements
We are thankful to the European Union for financing this study via the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 265570 (WAHARA project), and Mekelle University for providing logistic support during the field measurements.
Funding
The European Union via the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement n° 265570 (WAHARA project).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
[B. Grum], [B. A. Abebe], [A. M. Degu], [H. Goitom], [K. Woldearegay], [R. Hessel], [C. J. Ritsema] and [V. Geissen] contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection was performed by [B. Grum]. Data analysis was performed by [B. Grum], [B. A. Abebe], [A. M. Degu] and [H. Goitom]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [B. Grum]. [B. A. Abebe], [A. M. Degu], [H. Goitom], [K. Woldearegay], [R. Hessel], [C. J. Ritsema] and [V. Geissen] commented on previous versions of the manuscript. [B. Grum], [B. A. Abebe], [A. M. Degu], [H. Goitom], [K. Woldearegay], [R. Hessel], [C. J. Ritsema] and [V. Geissen] read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests
No conflict of interest from all the authors.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Grum, B., Abebe, B.A., Degu, A.M. et al. Evaluation of the Velocity Parameter Estimation Methods in a Geomorphological Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph (GIUH) Model for Simulating Flood Hydrograph in Ungauged Catchments. Water Resour Manage 37, 157–173 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-022-03360-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-022-03360-5