Assessment of Chen and Other Methods for Estimating Intensity-Duration-Frequency Functions
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 9
Abstract
Estimation of intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) functions at ungauged locations is sometimes done using the method introduced by Chen in 1983 [Chen, C. 1983. “Rainfall intensity-duration-frequency formulas.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 109 (12): 1603–1621.], with local rainfall statistics as input. This study applied the Chen method at 9,264 gauged locations in 44 states. The results were used to assess the validity of the fundamental assumptions of the Chen method, and to quantify the accuracy of IDF functions estimated using this method. It is shown that the two fundamental assumptions incorporated in the Chen method are not universally valid across all regions of the United States. Average statewide relative errors are in the range of to 3.4%, with standard deviations in the range of 5.4–34.6%. Alternative approaches were investigated that will likely yield more accurate estimates of IDF functions.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
AlHassoun, S. 2011. “Developing an empirical formulae to estimate rainfall intensity in Riyadh region.” J. King Saud Univ. Eng. Sci. 23: 81–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksues.2011.03.003.
Bernard, M. 1932. “Formulas for rainfall intensities of long durations.” Trans. Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. 96: 592–624.
Bonnin, G., D. Martin, B. Lin, T. Parzybok, M. Yekta, and D. Riley. 2006. Precipitation-frequency atlas of the United States, Volume 2 Version 3.0: Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia. Silver Spring, MD: US Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Chen, C. 1983. “Rainfall intensity-duration-frequency formulas.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 109 (12): 1603–1621. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1983)109:12(1603).
Chin, D. 2013. Water-resources engineering. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chow, V., D. Maidment, and L. Mays. 1988. Applied hydrology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Fathy, I., A. Negm, M. El-Fiky, M. Nassar, and E. Al-Sayed. 2014. “Intensity duration frequency curves for Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.” Int. J. Res. Eng. Technol. 2 (6): 105–112.
Frederick, R., V. Myers, and E. Auciello. 1977. Five- to 60-minute precipitation frequency for the eastern and central United States. Silver Spring, MD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service.
Hadadin, N. 2005. “Rainfall intensity-duration-frequency relationship in the Mujib Basin in Jordan.” J. Appl. Sci. 8 (10): 1777–1784.
Hershfield, D. 1961. Rainfall frequency Atlas of the United States for durations from 30 minutes to 24 hours and return periods from 1 to 100 years. Washington, DC: US Dept. of Commerce, Weather Bureau.
Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel. 2006. “Simulation of climatic series with nonstationary trends and periodicities.” Meteorologische Zeitschrift 15 (3): 259–263. https://doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130.
Koutsoyiannis, D., D. Kozonis, and A. Manetas. 1998. “A mathematical framework for studying rainfall intensity-duration-frequency relationships.” J. Hydrol. 206 (1–2): 118–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(98)00097-3.
Manzano-Agugliaro, F., A. Zapata-Sierra, J. Rubí-Maldonado, and Q. Hernández-Escobedo. 2014. “Assessment of methods to obtain IDF curves for Mexico.” Water Technol. Sci. (Spanish) 5 (3): 149–158.
Nhat, L., Y. Tachikawa, and K. Takara. 2006. “Establishment of intensity-duration-frequency curves for precipitation in the monsoon area of Vietnam.” Ann. Disaster Prev. Res. Inst. 49B: 93–103.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). 2018. “Precipitation data frequency server (PFDS).” Accessed June 15, 2018. http://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/.
Perica, S., D. Martin, S. Pavlovic, I. Roy, M. Laurent St., C. Trypaluk, D. Unruh, M. Yekta, and G. Bonnin. 2013. Precipitation-frequency atlas of the United States, Volume 9 Version 2.0: Southeastern States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi). Silver Spring, MD: US Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric.
Saharia, M., P.-E. Kirstetter, H. Vergara, J. Gourley, and Y. Hong. 2017. “Characterization of floods in the United States.” J. Hydrol. 548: 524–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.03.010.
Shaw, E. 1983. Hydrology in practice. Berkshire, UK: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Singh, V. 1992. Elementary hydrology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 9 • September 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 7, 2017
Accepted: Apr 3, 2018
Published online: Jun 29, 2018
Published in print: Sep 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Nov 29, 2018
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.