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A Note on an Inherent Difficulty with the Unit Hydrograph Method

William James and Robert C. Johanson (1999)
University of Guelph, Canada
University of the Pacific - Stockton
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14796/JWMM.R204-01
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Abstract

This chapter presents previously unpublished work of sometime ago. However, the topic remains timely: the re-appraisal of a popular class of simplified, non--deterministic theories regarding the link between rainfall at the ground surface and the resulting runoff. It is shown that linear unit hydrograph theory overlooks the inherent non-linearity in the time dimension of the process. A modified approach, herein called the initial storage theory (IST), is proposed, and tested in the laboratory using a pavement-rainfall-runoff rig.

We deem a theory to be adequate if it permits the accurate calculation of important features of the runoff resulting from a given rainstorm, and conclude that the IST is an improvement over the basic unit hydrograph method. Experiments will be presented in a separate publication; basic methodology is demonstrated herein.

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PAPER INFO

Identification

CHI ref #: R204-01 1034
Volume: 7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14796/JWMM.R204-01
Cite as: JWMM 7: R204-01

Publication History

Received: N/A
First decision: N/A
Accepted: N/A
Published: February 15, 1999

Status

# reviewers: 2
Version: Final published

Copyright

© 1999 CHI.
Some rights reserved.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Journal of Water Management Modeling is an open-access (OA) publication. Open access means that articles and papers are available without barriers to all who could benefit from them. Practically speaking, all published works will be available to a worldwide audience, free, immediately on publication. As such, JWMM can be considered a Diamond, Gratis OA journal.

All papers published in the JWMM are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY).

JWMM content can be downloaded, printed, copied, distributed, and linked-to, when providing full attribution to both the author/s and JWMM.


AUTHORS

William James

University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
ORCiD:

Robert C. Johanson

University of the Pacific - Stockton
ORCiD:


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