Regional Patterns of Baseflow Variability in Mexican Subwatersheds

Abstract

Abstract:One of the challenges faced by subwatershed hydrology is the discovery of patterns associated with climate and landscape variability with the available data. This study has three objectives: (1) to evaluate the annual recession curves; (2) to relate the recession parameter (RP) with physiographic characteristics of 21 Mexican subwatersheds in different climate regions; and (3) to formulate a Baseflow (BF) model based on a top-down approach. The RP was calibrated utilizing the largest magnitude curves. The RP was related to topographical, climate and soil variables. A non-linear model was employed to separate the baseflow which considers RP as a recharge rate. Our results show that RP increases with longitude and decreases with latitude. RP displayed a sustained non-linear behavior determined by precipitation rate and evapotranspiration ( P E ) over years and subwatersheds. The model was fit to a parameter concurrent with invariance and space-time symmetry conditions. The dispersion of our model was associated with the product of ( P E ) by the aquifer's transmissivity. We put forward a generalized baseflow model, which made the discrimination of baseflow from direct flow in subwatersheds possible. The proposed model involves the recharge-storage-discharge relation and could be implemented in basins where there are no suitable ground-based data.

Use of Meta-Heuristic Techniques in Rainfall-Runoff Modelling

“…The correlation between landscape and climate with the data availability is a difficult problem in sub-watershed hydrology. Salas-Aguilar et al's work [13] employs a top-down approach to develop a generalized baseflow model in order to assess the annual recession curves and to correlate the recession parameter with hydrological and geographical attributes of twenty-one sub-watersheds in Mexico, covering a variety of climatic conditions. Results indicate that the recession parameter increases with longitude but decreases with latitude and it exhibits a consistent non-linear behavior dependent upon the precipitation rate and evapotranspiration in the sub-watersheds.…”

Use of Meta-Heuristic Techniques in Rainfall-Runoff Modelling

“…Salas-Aguilar et al's work [13] employs a top-down approach to develop a generalized baseflow model in order to assess the annual recession curves and to correlate the recession parameter with hydrological and geographical attributes of twenty-one sub-watersheds in Mexico, covering a variety of climatic conditions. Results indicate that the recession parameter increases with longitude but decreases with latitude and it exhibits a consistent non-linear behavior dependent upon the precipitation rate and evapotranspiration in the sub-watersheds.…”