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Runoff responses at different watershed scales in semi arid region: exploration of a developed rainfall runoff model (Merguellil and Skhira watershed, Central Tunisia)

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Abstract

Understanding the hydrological response of small and large river basins is crucial for regional climate and hydrology studies. Also, rainfall space–time variability (Known in semi arid climate) has a major influence on hydrological dynamics. As consequent, we developed a software application (with MATLAB) in order to take into account the rainfall space-time variability, and that open a major prospects of studying hydrometeorological effects such scale effect and moving storms. In this context, in order to asses scale and dynamic rainy events effect in hydrologic modelling, this study focuses on instantaneous rainy data in central Tunisia (Merguellil and Skhira watershed): a rainfall runoff modelling was done to investigate basins responses and a developed geomorphology-based transfer function, was applied. A systematic hydro-meteorological analysis have been implemented to understand different types of variability and rainy fields dynamic, the relevance of rainfall network and scale effects. As result, two different behaviours of studied basins are detected. Responses of studied areas are much related to event dynamic (East/West and West/East) and hydrographs change according to event direction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Mahrajène, 1082, Tunis, Tunisia

    Sameh Chargui, Hana Gharbi & Mohamed Slimani

Authors
  1. Sameh Chargui
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  2. Hana Gharbi
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  3. Mohamed Slimani
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Correspondence to Sameh Chargui.

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Communicated by: H. A. Babaie

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Chargui, S., Gharbi, H. & Slimani, M. Runoff responses at different watershed scales in semi arid region: exploration of a developed rainfall runoff model (Merguellil and Skhira watershed, Central Tunisia). Earth Sci Inform 6, 127–136 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-013-0116-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-013-0116-4

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