Rainfall Analysis for the Northern Wadis of United Arab Emirates: A Case Study
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 14, Issue 6
Abstract
The rainfall distribution in space and time, its consistency, probability of occurrences, and drought conditions in three selected wadis in the northern area of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been investigated. Like other arid and semi-arid regions, rainfall in the selected wadis is limited, scattered, and random. The standard deviation and coefficient of asymmetry of the rainfall patterns are relatively high. The three wadis have similar rainfall patterns based on the monthly, annual, and maximum rainfalls. Empirical equations were developed to estimate the annual and maximum rainfalls. A probability analysis is carried out for the annual and maximum rainfalls and probability graphs are developed with a confidence level of 95%. Intensity–duration–frequency curves are developed for the three wadis. A conceptual model is used in drought characterization. The available rainfall data of the three wadis are analyzed for drought intensity, duration, and frequency. Based on the drought characterization, the study region is classified as “arid.” The present study constitutes the first comprehensive analysis for rainfall in UAE.
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Acknowledgments
The research and results presented in this paper have been completed within the activities of a project entitled “Assessment of the Effectiveness of Al Bih, Al Tawyean and Ham Dams in Groundwater Recharge using Numerical Models.” The project was support by the Ministry of Environment and Water (MEW), Dubai, UAE. Several individuals from the MEW and the UAE University have contributed in the field activities and data collections related to this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 14 • Issue 6 • June 2009
Pages: 535 - 544
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 29, 2006
Accepted: Aug 12, 2008
Published online: Feb 18, 2009
Published in print: Jun 2009
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