TY - JOUR
T1 - A weighted, multi-method approach for accurate basin-wide streamflow estimation in an ungauged watershed
AU - Shope, Christopher L.
AU - Bartsch, Svenja
AU - Kim, Kiyong
AU - Kim, Bomchul
AU - Tenhunen, John
AU - Peiffer, Stefan
AU - Park, Ji Hyung
AU - Ok, Yong Sik
AU - Fleckenstein, Jan
AU - Koellner, Thomas
PY - 2013/6/8
Y1 - 2013/6/8
N2 - River discharge is a commonly measured hydrologic variable; however, estimate uncertainty is often higher than acceptable limits. To quantify method limitations and spatiotemporal variability, a multi-year hydrologic flow partitioning investigation was completed under monsoonal conditions in the ungauged complex terrain of the Haean Catchment, South Korea. Our results indicate that sediment transport from a single annual monsoonal event can significantly modify the channel cross-sectional area resulting in inaccurate stage-discharge rating curves. We compare six discharge measurement methods at 13 locations that vary in slope from 1% to 80%, with discharge ranging up to four orders in magnitude, which enabled us to weight the accuracy of each method over a specific range in discharge. The most accurate discharge estimation methods are the weir, the acoustic Doppler current profiler, and the in-stream velocity area method; however, under certain conditions each of these methods is less desirable than other methods. The uncertainty in the three methods is on average 0.4%, 4.7%, and 6.1% of the total discharge, respectively. The accuracy of the discharge estimates has a direct influence on the characterization of basin-wide hydrologic partitioning, which can lead to significant variability in sediment erosion rates and nutrient fate and transport.
AB - River discharge is a commonly measured hydrologic variable; however, estimate uncertainty is often higher than acceptable limits. To quantify method limitations and spatiotemporal variability, a multi-year hydrologic flow partitioning investigation was completed under monsoonal conditions in the ungauged complex terrain of the Haean Catchment, South Korea. Our results indicate that sediment transport from a single annual monsoonal event can significantly modify the channel cross-sectional area resulting in inaccurate stage-discharge rating curves. We compare six discharge measurement methods at 13 locations that vary in slope from 1% to 80%, with discharge ranging up to four orders in magnitude, which enabled us to weight the accuracy of each method over a specific range in discharge. The most accurate discharge estimation methods are the weir, the acoustic Doppler current profiler, and the in-stream velocity area method; however, under certain conditions each of these methods is less desirable than other methods. The uncertainty in the three methods is on average 0.4%, 4.7%, and 6.1% of the total discharge, respectively. The accuracy of the discharge estimates has a direct influence on the characterization of basin-wide hydrologic partitioning, which can lead to significant variability in sediment erosion rates and nutrient fate and transport.
KW - Baseflow
KW - Discharge
KW - Korea
KW - River
KW - TERRECO
KW - Topography
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.04.035
DO - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.04.035
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84878452454
VL - 494
SP - 72
EP - 82
JO - Journal of Hydrology
JF - Journal of Hydrology
SN - 0022-1694
ER -