Prediction of Rainfall-Runoff in an Ungauged Basin: Case Study in the Mountainous Region of Northern Thailand
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 2
Abstract
Reduction of uncertainty in hydrologic predictions is important for water resources development and management, especially in ungauged basins. The objective of this study was to predict rainfall and runoff in an ungauged basin located in a mountainous region of northern Thailand by using a weather radar to estimate rainfall and a modeling approach to simulate rainfall-runoff processes. The calibrated relationship () was used to estimate rainfall over a gauged basin and an assumed ungauged basin. The runoff simulations in the gauged and ungauged basins were conducted using the quasi-distributed hydrological model HEC-HMS. The simulation results in the gauged basin, for both calibration and verification, were in agreement with the observed data. Model parameters in the assumed ungauged basin were estimated using transposition and regionalization techniques. The predicted direct runoff hydrograph in the assumed ungauged basin using radar measured rainfall and the regionalization technique matches well with the measurements at the basin outlet. Based on the study results, the radar rainfall estimates and regionalization of the hydrologic model parameters are promising alternatives for improved hydrologic predictions in ungauged basins.
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Acknowledgments
This study is part of the doctoral research conducted by the first author at Water Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, which was supported by the Royal Thai Government. The authors express sincere gratitude to the staff of the 7th Watershed Management Center of the Royal Forestry Department, the Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, the Royal Irrigation Department and the Thai Meteorological Department who assisted and provided rainfall, radar, and streamflow data, in addition to valuable suggestions during the research.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18 • Issue 2 • February 2013
Pages: 285 - 296
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 14, 2011
Accepted: Jan 9, 2012
Published online: Jan 11, 2012
Published in print: Feb 1, 2013
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