Sample records for functional streamflow disaggregation

  1. Representation of spatial cross correlations in large stochastic seasonal streamflow models

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oliveira, G.C.; Kelman, J.; Pereira, M.V.F.

    1988-05-01

    Pereira et al. (1984) presented a special disaggregation procedure for generating cross-correlated monthly flows at many sites while using what are essentially univariate disaggregation models for the flows at each site. This was done by using a nonparametric procedure for constructing residual innovations or noise vectors with cross-correlated components. This note considers the theoretical underpinnings of that streamflow disaggregation procedure and a proposed variation and their ability to reproduce the observed historical cross correlations among concurrent monthly flows at nine Brazilian stations.

  2. Decomposition of Sources of Errors in Seasonal Streamflow Forecasting over the U.S. Sunbelt

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mazrooei, Amirhossein; Sinah, Tusshar; Sankarasubramanian, A.; Kumar, Sujay V.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.

    2015-01-01

    Seasonal streamflow forecasts, contingent on climate information, can be utilized to ensure water supply for multiple uses including municipal demands, hydroelectric power generation, and for planning agricultural operations. However, uncertainties in the streamflow forecasts pose significant challenges in their utilization in real-time operations. In this study, we systematically decompose various sources of errors in developing seasonal streamflow forecasts from two Land Surface Models (LSMs) (Noah3.2 and CLM2), which are forced with downscaled and disaggregated climate forecasts. In particular, the study quantifies the relative contributions of the sources of errors from LSMs, climate forecasts, and downscaling/disaggregation techniques in developing seasonal streamflow forecast. For this purpose, three month ahead seasonal precipitation forecasts from the ECHAM4.5 general circulation model (GCM) were statistically downscaled from 2.8deg to 1/8deg spatial resolution using principal component regression (PCR) and then temporally disaggregated from monthly to daily time step using kernel-nearest neighbor (K-NN) approach. For other climatic forcings, excluding precipitation, we considered the North American Land Data Assimilation System version 2 (NLDAS-2) hourly climatology over the years 1979 to 2010. Then the selected LSMs were forced with precipitation forecasts and NLDAS-2 hourly climatology to develop retrospective seasonal streamflow forecasts over a period of 20 years (1991-2010). Finally, the performance of LSMs in forecasting streamflow under different schemes was analyzed to quantify the relative contribution of various sources of errors in developing seasonal streamflow forecast. Our results indicate that the most dominant source of errors during winter and fall seasons is the errors due to ECHAM4.5 precipitation forecasts, while temporal disaggregation scheme contributes to maximum errors during summer season.

  3. Reducing equifinality of hydrological models by integrating Functional Streamflow Disaggregation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lüdtke, Stefan; Apel, Heiko; Nied, Manuela; Carl, Peter; Merz, Bruno

    2014-05-01

    A universal problem of the calibration of hydrological models is the equifinality of different parameter sets derived from the calibration of models against total runoff values. This is an intrinsic problem stemming from the quality of the calibration data and the simplified process representation by the model. However, discharge data contains additional information which can be extracted by signal processing methods. An analysis specifically developed for the disaggregation of runoff time series into flow components is the Functional Streamflow Disaggregation (FSD; Carl & Behrendt, 2008). This method is used in the calibration of an implementation of the hydrological model SWIM in a medium sized watershed in Thailand. FSD is applied to disaggregate the discharge time series into three flow components which are interpreted as base flow, inter-flow and surface runoff. In addition to total runoff, the model is calibrated against these three components in a modified GLUE analysis, with the aim to identify structural model deficiencies, assess the internal process representation and to tackle equifinality. We developed a model dependent (MDA) approach calibrating the model runoff components against the FSD components, and a model independent (MIA) approach comparing the FSD of the model results and the FSD of calibration data. The results indicate, that the decomposition provides valuable information for the calibration. Particularly MDA highlights and discards a number of standard GLUE behavioural models underestimating the contribution of soil water to river discharge. Both, MDA and MIA yield to a reduction of the parameter ranges by a factor up to 3 in comparison to standard GLUE. Based on these results, we conclude that the developed calibration approach is able to reduce the equifinality of hydrological model parameterizations. The effect on the uncertainty of the model predictions is strongest by applying MDA and shows only minor reductions for MIA. Besides further validation of FSD, the next steps include an extension of the study to different catchments and other hydrological models with a similar structure.

  4. The Search for Hydrologic Signatures: The Effect of Data Transformations on Bayesian Model Calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadegh, M.; Vrugt, J. A.

    2011-12-01

    In the past few years, several contributions have begun to appear in the hydrologic literature that introduced and analyzed the benefits of using a signature based approach to watershed analysis. This signature-based approach abandons the standard single criteria model-data fitting paradigm in favor of a diagnostic approach that better extracts the available information from the available data. Despite the prospects of this new viewpoint, rather ad-hoc criteria have hitherto been proposed to improve watershed modeling. Here, we aim to provide a proper mathematical foundation to signature based analysis. We analyze the information content of different data transformation by analyzing their convergence speed with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation using the Generalized Likelihood function of Schousp and Vrugt (2010). We compare the information content of the original discharge data against a simple square root and Box-Cox transformation of the streamflow data. We benchmark these results against wavelet and flow duration curve transformations that temporally disaggregate the discharge data. Our results conclusive demonstrate that wavelet transformations and flow duration curves significantly reduce the information content of the streamflow data and consequently unnecessarily increase the uncertainty of the HYMOD model parameters. Hydrologic signatures thus need to be found in the original data, without temporal disaggregation.

  5. Genetic Algorithm Based Framework for Automation of Stochastic Modeling of Multi-Season Streamflows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srivastav, R. K.; Srinivasan, K.; Sudheer, K.

    2009-05-01

    Synthetic streamflow data generation involves the synthesis of likely streamflow patterns that are statistically indistinguishable from the observed streamflow data. The various kinds of stochastic models adopted for multi-season streamflow generation in hydrology are: i) parametric models which hypothesize the form of the periodic dependence structure and the distributional form a priori (examples are PAR, PARMA); disaggregation models that aim to preserve the correlation structure at the periodic level and the aggregated annual level; ii) Nonparametric models (examples are bootstrap/kernel based methods), which characterize the laws of chance, describing the stream flow process, without recourse to prior assumptions as to the form or structure of these laws; (k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), matched block bootstrap (MABB)); non-parametric disaggregation model. iii) Hybrid models which blend both parametric and non-parametric models advantageously to model the streamflows effectively. Despite many of these developments that have taken place in the field of stochastic modeling of streamflows over the last four decades, accurate prediction of the storage and the critical drought characteristics has been posing a persistent challenge to the stochastic modeler. This is partly because, usually, the stochastic streamflow model parameters are estimated by minimizing a statistically based objective function (such as maximum likelihood (MLE) or least squares (LS) estimation) and subsequently the efficacy of the models is being validated based on the accuracy of prediction of the estimates of the water-use characteristics, which requires large number of trial simulations and inspection of many plots and tables. Still accurate prediction of the storage and the critical drought characteristics may not be ensured. In this study a multi-objective optimization framework is proposed to find the optimal hybrid model (blend of a simple parametric model, PAR(1) model and matched block bootstrap (MABB) ) based on the explicit objective functions of minimizing the relative bias and relative root mean square error in estimating the storage capacity of the reservoir. The optimal parameter set of the hybrid model is obtained based on the search over a multi- dimensional parameter space (involving simultaneous exploration of the parametric (PAR(1)) as well as the non-parametric (MABB) components). This is achieved using the efficient evolutionary search based optimization tool namely, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm - II (NSGA-II). This approach helps in reducing the drudgery involved in the process of manual selection of the hybrid model, in addition to predicting the basic summary statistics dependence structure, marginal distribution and water-use characteristics accurately. The proposed optimization framework is used to model the multi-season streamflows of River Beaver and River Weber of USA. In case of both the rivers, the proposed GA-based hybrid model yields a much better prediction of the storage capacity (where simultaneous exploration of both parametric and non-parametric components is done) when compared with the MLE-based hybrid models (where the hybrid model selection is done in two stages, thus probably resulting in a sub-optimal model). This framework can be further extended to include different linear/non-linear hybrid stochastic models at other temporal and spatial scales as well.

  6. Understanding performance measures of reservoirs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McMahon, Thomas A.; Adeloye, Adebayo J.; Zhou, Sen-Lin

    2006-06-01

    This paper examines 10 reservoir performance metrics including time and volume based reliability, several measures of resilience and vulnerability, drought risk index and sustainability. Both historical and stochastically generated streamflows are considered as inflows to a range of hypothetical storage on four rivers—Earn river in the United Kingdom, Hatchie river in the United States, Richmond river in Australia and the Vis river in South Africa. The monthly stochastic sequences were generated applying an autoregressive lag one model to Box-Cox transformed annual streamflows incorporating parameter uncertainty by the Stedinger-Taylor method and the annual flows disaggregated by the method of fragments.

  7. Sensitivity of monthly streamflow forecasts to the quality of rainfall forcing: When do dynamical climate forecasts outperform the Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) method?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tanguy, M.; Prudhomme, C.; Harrigan, S.; Smith, K. A.; Parry, S.

    2017-12-01

    Forecasting hydrological extremes is challenging, especially at lead times over 1 month for catchments with limited hydrological memory and variable climates. One simple way to derive monthly or seasonal hydrological forecasts is to use historical climate data to drive hydrological models using the Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) method. This gives a range of possible future streamflow given known initial hydrologic conditions alone. The degree of skill of ESP depends highly on the forecast initialisation month and catchment type. Using dynamic rainfall forecasts as driving data instead of historical data could potentially improve streamflow predictions. A lot of effort is being invested within the meteorological community to improve these forecasts. However, while recent progress shows promise (e.g. NAO in winter), the skill of these forecasts at monthly to seasonal timescales is generally still limited, and the extent to which they might lead to improved hydrological forecasts is an area of active research. Additionally, these meteorological forecasts are currently being produced at 1 month or seasonal time-steps in the UK, whereas hydrological models require forcings at daily or sub-daily time-steps. Keeping in mind these limitations of available rainfall forecasts, the objectives of this study are to find out (i) how accurate monthly dynamical rainfall forecasts need to be to outperform ESP, and (ii) how the method used to disaggregate monthly rainfall forecasts into daily rainfall time series affects results. For the first objective, synthetic rainfall time series were created by increasingly degrading observed data (proxy for a `perfect forecast') from 0 % to +/-50 % error. For the second objective, three different methods were used to disaggregate monthly rainfall data into daily time series. These were used to force a simple lumped hydrological model (GR4J) to generate streamflow predictions at a one-month lead time for over 300 catchments representative of the range of UK's hydro-climatic conditions. These forecasts were then benchmarked against the traditional ESP method. It is hoped that the results of this work will help the meteorological community to identify where to focus their efforts in order to increase the usefulness of their forecasts within hydrological forecasting systems.

  8. Decomposition of Sources of Errors in Seasonal Streamflow Forecasts in a Rainfall-Runoff Dominated Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinha, T.; Arumugam, S.

    2012-12-01

    Seasonal streamflow forecasts contingent on climate forecasts can be effectively utilized in updating water management plans and optimize generation of hydroelectric power. Streamflow in the rainfall-runoff dominated basins critically depend on forecasted precipitation in contrast to snow dominated basins, where initial hydrological conditions (IHCs) are more important. Since precipitation forecasts from Atmosphere-Ocean-General Circulation Models are available at coarse scale (~2.8° by 2.8°), spatial and temporal downscaling of such forecasts are required to implement land surface models, which typically runs on finer spatial and temporal scales. Consequently, multiple sources are introduced at various stages in predicting seasonal streamflow. Therefore, in this study, we addresses the following science questions: 1) How do we attribute the errors in monthly streamflow forecasts to various sources - (i) model errors, (ii) spatio-temporal downscaling, (iii) imprecise initial conditions, iv) no forecasts, and (iv) imprecise forecasts? and 2) How does monthly streamflow forecast errors propagate with different lead time over various seasons? In this study, the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model is calibrated over Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee, FL in the southeastern US and implemented with observed 1/8° daily forcings to estimate reference streamflow during 1981 to 2010. The VIC model is then forced with different schemes under updated IHCs prior to forecasting period to estimate relative mean square errors due to: a) temporally disaggregation, b) spatial downscaling, c) Reverse Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (imprecise IHCs), d) ESP (no forecasts), and e) ECHAM4.5 precipitation forecasts. Finally, error propagation under different schemes are analyzed with different lead time over different seasons.

  9. Accuracy evaluation of ClimGen weather generator and daily to hourly disaggregation methods in tropical conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safeeq, Mohammad; Fares, Ali

    2011-12-01

    Daily and sub-daily weather data are often required for hydrological and environmental modeling. Various weather generator programs have been used to generate synthetic climate data where observed climate data are limited. In this study, a weather data generator, ClimGen, was evaluated for generating information on daily precipitation, temperature, and wind speed at four tropical watersheds located in Hawai`i, USA. We also evaluated different daily to sub-daily weather data disaggregation methods for precipitation, air temperature, dew point temperature, and wind speed at Mākaha watershed. The hydrologic significance values of the different disaggregation methods were evaluated using Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model. MuDRain and diurnal method performed well over uniform distribution in disaggregating daily precipitation. However, the diurnal method is more consistent if accurate estimates of hourly precipitation intensities are desired. All of the air temperature disaggregation methods performed reasonably well, but goodness-of-fit statistics were slightly better for sine curve model with 2 h lag. Cosine model performed better than random model in disaggregating daily wind speed. The largest differences in annual water balance were related to wind speed followed by precipitation and dew point temperature. Simulated hourly streamflow, evapotranspiration, and groundwater recharge were less sensitive to the method of disaggregating daily air temperature. ClimGen performed well in generating the minimum and maximum temperature and wind speed. However, for precipitation, it clearly underestimated the number of extreme rainfall events with an intensity of >100 mm/day in all four locations. ClimGen was unable to replicate the distribution of observed precipitation at three locations (Honolulu, Kahului, and Hilo). ClimGen was able to reproduce the distributions of observed minimum temperature at Kahului and wind speed at Kahului and Hilo. Although the weather data generation and disaggregation methods were concentrated in a few Hawaiian watersheds, the results presented can be used to similar mountainous location settings, as well as any specific locations aimed at furthering the site-specific performance evaluation of these tested models.

  10. Regional stochastic generation of streamflows using an ARIMA (1,0,1) process and disaggregation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Armbruster, Jeffrey T.

    1979-01-01

    An ARIMA (1,0,1) model was calibrated and used to generate long annual flow sequences at three sites in the Juniata River basin, Pennsylvania. The model preserves the mean, variance, and cross correlations of the observed station data. In addition, it has a desirable blend of both high and low frequency characteristics and therefore is capable of preserving the Hurst coefficient, h. The generated annual flows are disaggregated into monthly sequences using a modification of the Valencia-Schaake model. The low-flow frequency and flow duration characteristics of the generated monthly flows, with length equal to the historical data, compare favorably with the historical data. Once the models were verified, 100-year sequences were generated and analyzed for their low flow characteristics. One-, three- and six- month low-flow frequencies at recurrence intervals greater than 10 years are generally found to be lower than flow computed from the historical flows. A method is proposed for synthesizing flows at ungaged sites. (Kosco-USGS)

  11. Watershed Scale Analysis of Groundwater Surface Water Interactions and Its Application to Conjunctive Management under Climatic and Anthropogenic Stresses over the US Sunbelt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, Seung Beom

    Although water is one of the most essential natural resources, human activities have been exerting pressure on water resources. In order to reduce these stresses on water resources, two key issues threatening water resources sustainability - interaction between surface water and groundwater resources and groundwater withdrawal impacts of streamflow depletion - were investigated in this study. First, a systematic decomposition procedure was proposed for quantifying the errors arising from various sources in the model chain in projecting the changes in hydrologic attributes using near-term climate change projections. Apart from the unexplained changes by GCMs, the process of customizing GCM projections to watershed scale through a model chain - spatial downscaling, temporal disaggregation and hydrologic model - also introduces errors, thereby limiting the ability to explain the observed changes in hydrologic variability. Towards this, we first propose metrics for quantifying the errors arising from different steps in the model chain in explaining the observed changes in hydrologic variables (streamflow, groundwater). The proposed metrics are then evaluated using a detailed retrospective analyses in projecting the changes in streamflow and groundwater attributes in four target basins that span across a diverse hydroclimatic regimes over the US Sunbelt. Our analyses focused on quantifying the dominant sources of errors in projecting the changes in eight hydrologic variables - mean and variability of seasonal streamflow, mean and variability of 3-day peak seasonal streamflow, mean and variability of 7-day low seasonal streamflow and mean and standard deviation of groundwater depth - over four target basins using an Penn state Integrated Hydrologic Model (PIHM) between the period 1956-1980 and 1981-2005. Retrospective analyses show that small/humid (large/arid) basins show increased (reduced) uncertainty in projecting the changes in hydrologic attributes. Further, changes in error due to GCMs primarily account for the unexplained changes in mean and variability of seasonal streamflow. On the other hand, the changes in error due to temporal disaggregation and hydrologic model account for the inability to explain the observed changes in mean and variability of seasonal extremes. Thus, the proposed metrics provide insights on how the error in explaining the observed changes being propagated through the model under different hydroclimatic regimes. To understand interaction between surface water and groundwater resources, transient pumping impacts on streamflow and groundwater level were analyzed by imposing shortterm pumping scenarios under historic drought conditions. Since surface water and groundwater systems are fully coupled and integrated systems, increased groundwater withdrawal during drought may reduce baseflow into the stream and prolong both systems' recovery from drought. Towards this, we proposed an uncertainty framework to understand the resiliency of groundwater and surface water systems using a fully-coupled hydrologic model under transient pumping. Using this framework, we quantified the restoration time of surface water and groundwater systems and also estimated the changes in the state variables after pumping. Groundwater pumping impacts over the watershed were also analyzed under different pumping volumes and different potential climate scenarios. Our analyses show that groundwater restoration time is more sensitive to changes in pumping volumes as opposed to changes in climate. After the cessation of pumping, streamflow recovers quickly in comparison to groundwater. Pumping impacts on other state variables are also discussed. Given that surface water and groundwater are inter-connected, optimal management of the both resources should be considered to improve the watershed resiliency under drought. Subsequently, conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater has been considered as an effective approach to mitigate water shortage problems that are primarily caused by a drought. It is found that appropriate use of groundwater withdrawal was able to reduce water scarcity in surface water resources in drought condition. Besides, recovery time constraint was embedded in the management model so that trade-off between minimizing water scarcity and maximizing sustainability on groundwater was successfully addressed.

  12. Evolution of an intricate J-protein network driving protein disaggregation in eukaryotes.

    PubMed

    Nillegoda, Nadinath B; Stank, Antonia; Malinverni, Duccio; Alberts, Niels; Szlachcic, Anna; Barducci, Alessandro; De Los Rios, Paolo; Wade, Rebecca C; Bukau, Bernd

    2017-05-15

    Hsp70 participates in a broad spectrum of protein folding processes extending from nascent chain folding to protein disaggregation. This versatility in function is achieved through a diverse family of J-protein cochaperones that select substrates for Hsp70. Substrate selection is further tuned by transient complexation between different classes of J-proteins, which expands the range of protein aggregates targeted by metazoan Hsp70 for disaggregation. We assessed the prevalence and evolutionary conservation of J-protein complexation and cooperation in disaggregation. We find the emergence of a eukaryote-specific signature for interclass complexation of canonical J-proteins. Consistently, complexes exist in yeast and human cells, but not in bacteria, and correlate with cooperative action in disaggregation in vitro. Signature alterations exclude some J-proteins from networking, which ensures correct J-protein pairing, functional network integrity and J-protein specialization. This fundamental change in J-protein biology during the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition allows for increased fine-tuning and broadening of Hsp70 function in eukaryotes.

  13. ModABa Model: Annual Flow Duration Curves Assessment in Ephemeral Basins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pumo, Dario; Viola, Francesco; Noto, Leonardo V.

    2013-04-01

    A representation of the streamflow regime for a river basin is required for a variety of hydrological analyses and engineering applications, from the water resource allocation and utilization to the environmental flow management. The flow duration curve (FDC) represents a comprehensive signature of temporal runoff variability often used to synthesize catchment rainfall-runoff responses. Several models aimed to the theoretical reconstruction of the FDC have been recently developed under different approaches, and a relevant scientific knowledge specific to this topic has been already acquired. In this work, a new model for the probabilistic characterization of the daily streamflows in perennial and ephemeral catchments is introduced. The ModABa model (MODel for Annual flow duration curves assessment in intermittent BAsins) can be thought as a wide mosaic whose tesserae are frameworks, models or conceptual schemes separately developed in different recent studies. Such tesserae are harmoniously placed and interconnected, concurring together towards a unique final aim that is the reproduction of the FDC of daily streamflows in a river basin. Two separated periods within the year are firstly identified: a non-zero period, typically characterized by significant streamflows, and a dry period, that, in the cases of ephemeral basins, is the period typically characterized by absence of streamflow. The proportion of time the river is dry, providing an estimation of the probability of zero flow occurring, is empirically estimated. Then, an analysis concerning the non-zero period is performed, considering the streamflow disaggregated into a slow subsuperficial component and a fast superficial component. A recent analytical model is adopted to derive the non zero FDC relative to the subsuperficial component; this last is considered to be generated by the soil water excess over the field capacity in the permeable portion of the basin. The non zero FDC relative to the fast streamflow component is directly derived from the precipitation duration curve through a simple filter model. The fast component of streamflow is considered to be formed by two contributions that are the entire amount of rainfall falling onto the impervious portion of the basin and the excess of rainfall over a fixed threshold, defining heavy rain events, falling onto the permeable portion. The two obtained FDCs are then overlapped, providing a unique non-zero FDC relative to the total streamflow. Finally, once the probability that the river is dry and the non zero FDC are known, the annual FDC of the daily total streamflow is derived applying the theory of total probability. The model is calibrated on a small catchment with ephemeral streamflows using a long period of daily precipitation, temperature and streamflow measurements, and it is successively validated in the same basin using two different time periods. The high model performances obtained in both the validation periods, demonstrate how the model, once calibrated, is able to accurately reproduce the empirical FDC starting from easily derivable parameters arising from a basic ecohydrological knowledge of the basin and commonly available climatic data such as daily precipitation and temperatures. In this sense, the model reveals itself as a valid tool for streamflow predictions in ungauged basins.

  14. Potential effects of climate change on streamflow, eastern and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, California and Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jeton, A.E.; Dettinger, M.D.; Smith, J. LaRue

    1996-01-01

    Precipitation-runoff models of the East Fork Carson and North Fork American Rivers were developed and calibrated for use in evaluating the sensitivity of streamflow in the north-central Sierra Nevada to climate change. The East Fork Carson River drains part of the rain-shadowed, eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and is generally higher than the North Fork American River, which drains the wetter, western slope. First, a geographic information system was developed to describe the spatial variability of basin characteristics and to help estimate model parameters. The result was a partitioning of each basin into noncontiguous, but hydrologically uniform, land units. Hydrologic descriptions of these units were developed and the Precipitation- Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) was used to simulate water and energy balances for each unit in response to daily weather conditions. The models were calibrated and verified using historical streamflows over 22-year (Carson River) and 42-year (American River) periods. Simulated annual streamflow errors average plus 10 percent of the observed flow for the East Fork Carson River basin and plus 15 percent for the North Fork American River basin. Interannual variability is well simulated overall, but, at daily scales, wet periods are simulated more accurately than drier periods. The simulated water budgets for the two basins are significantly different in seasonality of streamflow, sublimation, evapotranspiration, and snowmelt. The simulations indicate that differences in snowpack and snowmelt timing can play pervasive roles in determining the sensitivity of water resources to climate change, in terms of both resource availability and amount. The calibrated models were driven by more than 25 hypothetical climate-change scenarios, each 100 years long. The scenarios were synthesized and spatially disaggregated by methods designed to preserve realistic daily, monthly, annual, and spatial statistics. Simulated streamflow timing was not very sensitive to changes in mean precipitation, but was sensitive to changes in mean temperatures. Changes in annual streamflow amounts were amplified reflections of imposed mean precipitation changes, with especially large responses to wetter climates. In contrast, streamflow amount was surprisingly insensitive to mean temperature changes as a result of temporal links between peak snowmelt and the beginning of warm-season evapotranspiration. Comparisons of simulations driven by temporally detailed climate-model changes in which mean temperature changes vary from month to month and simulations in which uniform climate changes were imposed throughout the year indicate that the snowpack accumulates the influences of short-term conditions so that season average climate changes were more important than shorter term changes.

  15. Streamflow characterization using functional data analysis of the Potomac River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zelmanow, A.; Maslova, I.; Ticlavilca, A. M.; McKee, M.

    2013-12-01

    Flooding and droughts are extreme hydrological events that affect the United States economically and socially. The severity and unpredictability of flooding has caused billions of dollars in damage and the loss of lives in the eastern United States. In this context, there is an urgent need to build a firm scientific basis for adaptation by developing and applying new modeling techniques for accurate streamflow characterization and reliable hydrological forecasting. The goal of this analysis is to use numerical streamflow characteristics in order to classify, model, and estimate the likelihood of extreme events in the eastern United States, mainly the Potomac River. Functional data analysis techniques are used to study yearly streamflow patterns, with the extreme streamflow events characterized via functional principal component analysis. These methods are merged with more classical techniques such as cluster analysis, classification analysis, and time series modeling. The developed functional data analysis approach is used to model continuous streamflow hydrographs. The forecasting potential of this technique is explored by incorporating climate factors to produce a yearly streamflow outlook.

  16. New method for calculating a mathematical expression for streamflow recession

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rutledge, Albert T.

    1991-01-01

    An empirical method has been devised to calculate the master recession curve, which is a mathematical expression for streamflow recession during times of negligible direct runoff. The method is based on the assumption that the storage-delay factor, which is the time per log cycle of streamflow recession, varies linearly with the logarithm of streamflow. The resulting master recession curve can be nonlinear. The method can be executed by a computer program that reads a data file of daily mean streamflow, then allows the user to select several near-linear segments of streamflow recession. The storage-delay factor for each segment is one of the coefficients of the equation that results from linear least-squares regression. Using results for each recession segment, a mathematical expression of the storage-delay factor as a function of the log of streamflow is determined by linear least-squares regression. The master recession curve, which is a second-order polynomial expression for time as a function of log of streamflow, is then derived using the coefficients of this function.

  17. Stochastic model for simulating Souris River Basin precipitation, evapotranspiration, and natural streamflow

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kolars, Kelsey A.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Ryberg, Karen R.

    2016-02-24

    The Souris River Basin is a 61,000-square-kilometer basin in the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the State of North Dakota. In May and June of 2011, record-setting rains were seen in the headwater areas of the basin. Emergency spillways of major reservoirs were discharging at full or nearly full capacity, and extensive flooding was seen in numerous downstream communities. To determine the probability of future extreme floods and droughts, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the North Dakota State Water Commission, developed a stochastic model for simulating Souris River Basin precipitation, evapotranspiration, and natural (unregulated) streamflow. Simulations from the model can be used in future studies to simulate regulated streamflow, design levees, and other structures; and to complete economic cost/benefit analyses.Long-term climatic variability was analyzed using tree-ring chronologies to hindcast precipitation to the early 1700s and compare recent wet and dry conditions to earlier extreme conditions. The extended precipitation record was consistent with findings from the Devils Lake and Red River of the North Basins (southeast of the Souris River Basin), supporting the idea that regional climatic patterns for many centuries have consisted of alternating wet and dry climate states.A stochastic climate simulation model for precipitation, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration for the Souris River Basin was developed using recorded meteorological data and extended precipitation records provided through tree-ring analysis. A significant climate transition was seen around1970, with 1912–69 representing a dry climate state and 1970–2011 representing a wet climate state. Although there were some distinct subpatterns within the basin, the predominant differences between the two states were higher spring through early fall precipitation and higher spring potential evapotranspiration for the wet compared to the dry state.A water-balance model was developed for simulating monthly natural (unregulated) mean streamflow based on precipitation, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration at select streamflow-gaging stations. The model was calibrated using streamflow data from the U.S. Geological Survey and Environment Canada, along with natural (unregulated) streamflow data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Correlation coefficients between simulated and natural (unregulated) flows generally were high (greater than 0.8), and the seasonal means and standard deviations of the simulated flows closely matched the means and standard deviations of the natural (unregulated) flows. After calibrating the model for a monthly time step, monthly streamflow for each subbasin was disaggregated into three values per month, or an approximately 10-day time step, and a separate routing model was developed for simulating 10-day streamflow for downstream gages.The stochastic climate simulation model for precipitation, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration was combined with the water-balance model to simulate potential future sequences of 10-day mean streamflow for each of the streamflow-gaging station locations. Flood risk, as determined by equilibrium flow-frequency distributions for the dry (1912–69) and wet (1970–2011) climate states, was considerably higher for the wet state compared to the dry state. Future flood risk will remain high until the wet climate state ends, and for several years after that, because there may be a long lag-time between the return of drier conditions and the onset of a lower soil-moisture storage equilibrium.

  18. Exploring streamflow response to effective rainfall across event magnitude scale

    Treesearch

    Teemu Kokkonen; Harri Koivusalo; Tuomo Karvonen; Barry Croke; Anthony Jakeman

    2004-01-01

    Sets of flow events from four catchments were selected to study how dynamics in the conversion of effective rainfall into streamflow depends on the event size. The approach taken was to optimize parameters of a linear delay function and effective rainfall series concurrently from precipitation streamflow data without imposing a functional form of the precipitation...

  19. Streamflow profile classification using functional data analysis: A case study on the Kelantan River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jamaludin, Suhaila

    2017-05-01

    Extreme rainfall events such as floods and prolonged dry spells have become common phenomena in tropical countries like Malaysia. Floods are regular natural disasters in Malaysia, and happen nearly every year during the monsoon season. Recently, the magnitude of streamflow seems to have altered frequently, both spatially and temporally. Therefore, in order to have effective planning and an efficient water management system, it is advisable that streamflow data are analysed continuously over a period of time. If the data are treated as a set of functions rather than as a set of discrete values, then this ensures that they are not restricted by physical time. In addition, the derivatives of the functions may themselves be treated as functional data, which provides new information. The objective of this study is to develop a functional framework for hydrological applications using streamflow as the functional data. The daily flow series from the Kelantan River Basin were used as the main input in this study. Seven streamflow stations were employed in the analysis. Classification between the stations was done using the functional principal component, which was based on the results of the factor scores. The results indicated that two stations, namely the Kelantan River (Guillemard Bridge) and the Galas River, have a different flow pattern from the other streamflow stations. The flow curves of these two rivers are considered as the extreme curves because of their different magnitude and shape.

  20. Dynamic structural states of ClpB involved in its disaggregation function.

    PubMed

    Uchihashi, Takayuki; Watanabe, Yo-Hei; Nakazaki, Yosuke; Yamasaki, Takashi; Watanabe, Hiroki; Maruno, Takahiro; Ishii, Kentaro; Uchiyama, Susumu; Song, Chihong; Murata, Kazuyoshi; Iino, Ryota; Ando, Toshio

    2018-06-01

    The ATP-dependent bacterial protein disaggregation machine, ClpB belonging to the AAA+ superfamily, refolds toxic protein aggregates into the native state in cooperation with the cognate Hsp70 partner. The ring-shaped hexamers of ClpB unfold and thread its protein substrate through the central pore. However, their function-related structural dynamics has remained elusive. Here we directly visualize ClpB using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to gain a mechanistic insight into its disaggregation function. The HS-AFM movies demonstrate massive conformational changes of the hexameric ring during ATP hydrolysis, from a round ring to a spiral and even to a pair of twisted half-spirals. HS-AFM observations of Walker-motif mutants unveil crucial roles of ATP binding and hydrolysis in the oligomer formation and structural dynamics. Furthermore, repressed and hyperactive mutations result in significantly different oligomeric forms. These results provide a comprehensive view for the ATP-driven oligomeric-state transitions that enable ClpB to disentangle protein aggregates.

  1. Overlapping and Specific Functions of the Hsp104 N Domain Define Its Role in Protein Disaggregation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Jungsoon; Sung, Nuri; Mercado, Jonathan M.

    Hsp104 is a ring-forming protein disaggregase that rescues stress-damaged proteins from an aggregated state. To facilitate protein disaggregation, Hsp104 cooperates with Hsp70 and Hsp40 chaperones (Hsp70/40) to form a bi-chaperone system. How Hsp104 recognizes its substrates, particularly the importance of the N domain, remains poorly understood and multiple, seemingly conficting mechanisms have been proposed. Although the N domain is dispensable for protein disaggregation, it is sensitive to point mutations that abolish the function of the bacterial Hsp104 homolog in vitro, and is essential for curing yeast prions by Hsp104 overexpression in vivo. Here, we present the crystal structure of anmore » N-terminal fragment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsp104 with the N domain of one molecule bound to the C-terminal helix of the neighboring D1 domain. Consistent with mimicking substrate interaction, mutating the putative substrate-binding site in a constitutively active Hsp104 variant impairs the recovery of functional protein from aggregates. We fnd that the observed substrate-binding defect can be rescued by Hsp70/40 chaperones, providing a molecular explanation as to why the N domain is dispensable for protein disaggregation when Hsp70/40 is present, yet essential for the dissolution of Hsp104-specifc substrates, such as yeast prions, which likely depends on a direct N domain interaction.« less

  2. Overlapping and Specific Functions of the Hsp104 N Domain Define Its Role in Protein Disaggregation

    DOE PAGES

    Lee, Jungsoon; Sung, Nuri; Mercado, Jonathan M.; ...

    2017-09-11

    Hsp104 is a ring-forming protein disaggregase that rescues stress-damaged proteins from an aggregated state. To facilitate protein disaggregation, Hsp104 cooperates with Hsp70 and Hsp40 chaperones (Hsp70/40) to form a bi-chaperone system. How Hsp104 recognizes its substrates, particularly the importance of the N domain, remains poorly understood and multiple, seemingly conficting mechanisms have been proposed. Although the N domain is dispensable for protein disaggregation, it is sensitive to point mutations that abolish the function of the bacterial Hsp104 homolog in vitro, and is essential for curing yeast prions by Hsp104 overexpression in vivo. Here, we present the crystal structure of anmore » N-terminal fragment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsp104 with the N domain of one molecule bound to the C-terminal helix of the neighboring D1 domain. Consistent with mimicking substrate interaction, mutating the putative substrate-binding site in a constitutively active Hsp104 variant impairs the recovery of functional protein from aggregates. We fnd that the observed substrate-binding defect can be rescued by Hsp70/40 chaperones, providing a molecular explanation as to why the N domain is dispensable for protein disaggregation when Hsp70/40 is present, yet essential for the dissolution of Hsp104-specifc substrates, such as yeast prions, which likely depends on a direct N domain interaction.« less

  3. LARGE-SCALE PATTERNS OF STREAMFLOW DISTURBANCE AND FISH COMMUNITIES IN UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN, USA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Patterns of streamflow variability are likely to be a major organizing feature of the habitat template for stream fishes. Functional organization of stream communities has been linked to streamflow, especially to patterns of flow variability that describe the physical disturbanc...

  4. Model calibration criteria for estimating ecological flow characteristics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vis, Marc; Knight, Rodney; Poole, Sandra; Wolfe, William J.; Seibert, Jan; Breuer, Lutz; Kraft, Philipp

    2016-01-01

    Quantification of streamflow characteristics in ungauged catchments remains a challenge. Hydrological modeling is often used to derive flow time series and to calculate streamflow characteristics for subsequent applications that may differ from those envisioned by the modelers. While the estimation of model parameters for ungauged catchments is a challenging research task in itself, it is important to evaluate whether simulated time series preserve critical aspects of the streamflow hydrograph. To address this question, seven calibration objective functions were evaluated for their ability to preserve ecologically relevant streamflow characteristics of the average annual hydrograph using a runoff model, HBV-light, at 27 catchments in the southeastern United States. Calibration trials were repeated 100 times to reduce parameter uncertainty effects on the results, and 12 ecological flow characteristics were computed for comparison. Our results showed that the most suitable calibration strategy varied according to streamflow characteristic. Combined objective functions generally gave the best results, though a clear underprediction bias was observed. The occurrence of low prediction errors for certain combinations of objective function and flow characteristic suggests that (1) incorporating multiple ecological flow characteristics into a single objective function would increase model accuracy, potentially benefitting decision-making processes; and (2) there may be a need to have different objective functions available to address specific applications of the predicted time series.

  5. Uncertainties in Forecasting Streamflow using Entropy Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, H.; Singh, V. P.

    2017-12-01

    Streamflow forecasting is essential in river restoration, reservoir operation, power generation, irrigation, navigation, and water management. However, there is always uncertainties accompanied in forecast, which may affect the forecasting results and lead to large variations. Therefore, uncertainties must be considered and be assessed properly when forecasting streamflow for water management. The aim of our work is to quantify the uncertainties involved in forecasting streamflow and provide reliable streamflow forecast. Despite that streamflow time series are stochastic, they exhibit seasonal and periodic patterns. Therefore, streamflow forecasting entails modeling seasonality, periodicity, and its correlation structure, and assessing uncertainties. This study applies entropy theory to forecast streamflow and measure uncertainties during the forecasting process. To apply entropy theory for streamflow forecasting, spectral analysis is combined to time series analysis, as spectral analysis can be employed to characterize patterns of streamflow variation and identify the periodicity of streamflow. That is, it permits to extract significant information for understanding the streamflow process and prediction thereof. Application of entropy theory for streamflow forecasting involves determination of spectral density, determination of parameters, and extension of autocorrelation function. The uncertainties brought by precipitation input, forecasting model and forecasted results are measured separately using entropy. With information theory, how these uncertainties transported and aggregated during these processes will be described.

  6. Rainfall disaggregation for urban hydrology: Effects of spatial consistence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Müller, Hannes; Haberlandt, Uwe

    2015-04-01

    For urban hydrology rainfall time series with a high temporal resolution are crucial. Observed time series of this kind are very short in most cases, so they cannot be used. On the contrary, time series with lower temporal resolution (daily measurements) exist for much longer periods. The objective is to derive time series with a long duration and a high resolution by disaggregating time series of the non-recording stations with information of time series of the recording stations. The multiplicative random cascade model is a well-known disaggregation model for daily time series. For urban hydrology it is often assumed, that a day consists of only 1280 minutes in total as starting point for the disaggregation process. We introduce a new variant for the cascade model, which is functional without this assumption and also outperforms the existing approach regarding time series characteristics like wet and dry spell duration, average intensity, fraction of dry intervals and extreme value representation. However, in both approaches rainfall time series of different stations are disaggregated without consideration of surrounding stations. This yields in unrealistic spatial patterns of rainfall. We apply a simulated annealing algorithm that has been used successfully for hourly values before. Relative diurnal cycles of the disaggregated time series are resampled to reproduce the spatial dependence of rainfall. To describe spatial dependence we use bivariate characteristics like probability of occurrence, continuity ratio and coefficient of correlation. Investigation area is a sewage system in Northern Germany. We show that the algorithm has the capability to improve spatial dependence. The influence of the chosen disaggregation routine and the spatial dependence on overflow occurrences and volumes of the sewage system will be analyzed.

  7. Disaggregation of small, cohesive rubble pile asteroids due to YORP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scheeres, D. J.

    2018-04-01

    The implication of small amounts of cohesion within relatively small rubble pile asteroids is investigated with regard to their evolution under the persistent presence of the YORP effect. We find that below a characteristic size, which is a function of cohesive strength, density and other properties, rubble pile asteroids can enter a "disaggregation phase" in which they are subject to repeated fissions after which the formation of a stabilizing binary system is not possible. Once this threshold is passed rubble pile asteroids may be disaggregated into their constituent components within a finite time span. These constituent components will have their own spin limits - albeit potentially at a much higher spin rate due to the greater strength of a monolithic body. The implications of this prediction are discussed and include modification of size distributions, prevalence of monolithic bodies among meteoroids and the lifetime of small rubble pile bodies in the solar system. The theory is then used to place constraints on the strength of binary asteroids characterized as a function of their type.

  8. Streamflow response to increasing precipitation extremes altered by forest management

    Treesearch

    Charlene N. Kelly; Kevin J. McGuire; Chelcy Ford Miniat; James M. Vose

    2016-01-01

    Increases in extreme precipitation events of floods and droughts are expected to occur worldwide. The increase in extreme events will result in changes in streamflow that are expected to affect water availability for human consumption and aquatic ecosystem function. We present an analysis that may greatly improve current streamflow models by quantifying the...

  9. What Do They Have in Common? Physical Drivers of Streamflow Spatial Correlation and Prediction of Flow Regimes at Ungauged Locations in the Contiguous United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Betterle, A.; Schirmer, M.; Botter, G.

    2017-12-01

    Streamflow dynamics strongly influence anthropogenic activities and the ecological functions of riverine and riparian habitats. However, the widespread lack of direct discharge measurements often challenges the set-up of conscious and effective decision-making processes, including droughts and floods protection, water resources management and river restoration practices. By characterizing the spatial correlation of daily streamflow timeseries at two arbitrary locations, this study provides a method to evaluate how spatially variable catchment-scale hydrological process affects the resulting streamflow dynamics along and across river systems. In particular, streamflow spatial correlation is described analytically as a function of morphological, climatic and vegetation properties in the contributing catchments, building on a joint probabilistic description of flow dynamics at pairs of outlets. The approach enables an explicit linkage between similarities of flow dynamics and spatial patterns of hydrologically relevant features of climate and landscape. Therefore, the method is suited to explore spatial patterns of streamflow dynamics across geomorphoclimatic gradients. In particular, we show how the streamflow correlation can be used at the continental scale to individuate catchment pairs with similar hydrological dynamics, thereby providing a useful tool for the estimate of flow duration curves in poorly gauged areas.

  10. Ecological limit functions relating fish community response to hydrologic departures of the ecological flow regime in the Tennessee River basin, United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Knight, Rodney R.; Murphy, Jennifer C.; Wolfe, William J.; Saylor, Charles F.; Wales, Amy K.

    2014-01-01

    Ecological limit functions relating streamflow and aquatic ecosystems remain elusive despite decades of research. We investigated functional relationships between species richness and changes in streamflow characteristics at 662 fish sampling sites in the Tennessee River basin. Our approach included the following: (1) a brief summary of relevant literature on functional relations between fish and streamflow, (2) the development of ecological limit functions that describe the strongest discernible relationships between fish species richness and streamflow characteristics, (3) the evaluation of proposed definitions of hydrologic reference conditions, and (4) an investigation of the internal structures of wedge-shaped distributions underlying ecological limit functions.Twenty-one ecological limit functions were developed across three ecoregions that relate the species richness of 11 fish groups and departures from hydrologic reference conditions using multivariate and quantile regression methods. Each negatively sloped function is described using up to four streamflow characteristics expressed in terms of cumulative departure from hydrologic reference conditions. Negative slopes indicate increased departure results in decreased species richness.Sites with the highest measured fish species richness generally had near-reference hydrologic conditions for a given ecoregion. Hydrology did not generally differ between sites with the highest and lowest fish species richness, indicating that other environmental factors likely limit species richness at sites with reference hydrology.Use of ecological limit functions to make decisions regarding proposed hydrologic regime changes, although commonly presented as a management tool, is not as straightforward or informative as often assumed. We contend that statistical evaluation of the internal wedge structure below limit functions may provide a probabilistic understanding of how aquatic ecology is influenced by altered hydrology and may serve as the basis for evaluating the potential effect of proposed hydrologic changes.

  11. Techniques for estimating selected streamflow characteristics of rural unregulated streams in Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koltun, G.F.; Whitehead, Matthew T.

    2002-01-01

    This report provides equations for estimating mean annual streamflow, mean monthly streamflows, harmonic mean streamflow, and streamflow quartiles (the 25th-, 50th-, and 75th-percentile streamflows) as a function of selected basin characteristics for rural, unregulated streams in Ohio. The equations were developed from streamflow statistics and basin-characteristics data for as many as 219 active or discontinued streamflow-gaging stations on rural, unregulated streams in Ohio with 10 or more years of homogenous daily streamflow record. Streamflow statistics and basin-characteristics data for the 219 stations are presented in this report. Simple equations (based on drainage area only) and best-fit equations (based on drainage area and at least two other basin characteristics) were developed by means of ordinary least-squares regression techniques. Application of the best-fit equations generally involves quantification of basin characteristics that require or are facilitated by use of a geographic information system. In contrast, the simple equations can be used with information that can be obtained without use of a geographic information system; however, the simple equations have larger prediction errors than the best-fit equations and exhibit geographic biases for most streamflow statistics. The best-fit equations should be used instead of the simple equations whenever possible.

  12. Photoinduced Disaggregation of TiO2 Nanoparticles Enables Transdermal Penetration

    PubMed Central

    Bennett, Samuel W.; Zhou, Dongxu; Mielke, Randall; Keller, Arturo A.

    2012-01-01

    Under many aqueous conditions, metal oxide nanoparticles attract other nanoparticles and grow into fractal aggregates as the result of a balance between electrostatic and Van Der Waals interactions. Although particle coagulation has been studied for over a century, the effect of light on the state of aggregation is not well understood. Since nanoparticle mobility and toxicity have been shown to be a function of aggregate size, and generally increase as size decreases, photo-induced disaggregation may have significant effects. We show that ambient light and other light sources can partially disaggregate nanoparticles from the aggregates and increase the dermal transport of nanoparticles, such that small nanoparticle clusters can readily diffuse into and through the dermal profile, likely via the interstitial spaces. The discovery of photoinduced disaggregation presents a new phenomenon that has not been previously reported or considered in coagulation theory or transdermal toxicological paradigms. Our results show that after just a few minutes of light, the hydrodynamic diameter of TiO2 aggregates is reduced from ∼280 nm to ∼230 nm. We exposed pigskin to the nanoparticle suspension and found 200 mg kg−1 of TiO2 for skin that was exposed to nanoparticles in the presence of natural sunlight and only 75 mg kg−1 for skin exposed to dark conditions, indicating the influence of light on NP penetration. These results suggest that photoinduced disaggregation may have important health implications. PMID:23155401

  13. 47 CFR 90.813 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.813 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility.... Spectrum may be disaggregated in any amount. (3) Combined partitioning and disaggregation. The Commission...

  14. 47 CFR 90.813 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.813 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility.... Spectrum may be disaggregated in any amount. (3) Combined partitioning and disaggregation. The Commission...

  15. 47 CFR 90.813 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.813 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility.... Spectrum may be disaggregated in any amount. (3) Combined partitioning and disaggregation. The Commission...

  16. 47 CFR 90.813 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.813 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility.... Spectrum may be disaggregated in any amount. (3) Combined partitioning and disaggregation. The Commission...

  17. Towards a publicly available, map-based regional software tool to estimate unregulated daily streamflow at ungauged rivers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Archfield, Stacey A.; Steeves, Peter A.; Guthrie, John D.; Ries, Kernell G.

    2013-01-01

    Streamflow information is critical for addressing any number of hydrologic problems. Often, streamflow information is needed at locations that are ungauged and, therefore, have no observations on which to base water management decisions. Furthermore, there has been increasing need for daily streamflow time series to manage rivers for both human and ecological functions. To facilitate negotiation between human and ecological demands for water, this paper presents the first publicly available, map-based, regional software tool to estimate historical, unregulated, daily streamflow time series (streamflow not affected by human alteration such as dams or water withdrawals) at any user-selected ungauged river location. The map interface allows users to locate and click on a river location, which then links to a spreadsheet-based program that computes estimates of daily streamflow for the river location selected. For a demonstration region in the northeast United States, daily streamflow was, in general, shown to be reliably estimated by the software tool. Estimating the highest and lowest streamflows that occurred in the demonstration region over the period from 1960 through 2004 also was accomplished but with more difficulty and limitations. The software tool provides a general framework that can be applied to other regions for which daily streamflow estimates are needed.

  18. A Linear Dynamical Systems Approach to Streamflow Reconstruction Reveals History of Regime Shifts in Northern Thailand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Hung T. T.; Galelli, Stefano

    2018-03-01

    Catchment dynamics is not often modeled in streamflow reconstruction studies; yet, the streamflow generation process depends on both catchment state and climatic inputs. To explicitly account for this interaction, we contribute a linear dynamic model, in which streamflow is a function of both catchment state (i.e., wet/dry) and paleoclimatic proxies. The model is learned using a novel variant of the Expectation-Maximization algorithm, and it is used with a paleo drought record—the Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas—to reconstruct 406 years of streamflow for the Ping River (northern Thailand). Results for the instrumental period show that the dynamic model has higher accuracy than conventional linear regression; all performance scores improve by 45-497%. Furthermore, the reconstructed trajectory of the state variable provides valuable insights about the catchment history—e.g., regime-like behavior—thereby complementing the information contained in the reconstructed streamflow time series. The proposed technique can replace linear regression, since it only requires information on streamflow and climatic proxies (e.g., tree-rings, drought indices); furthermore, it is capable of readily generating stochastic streamflow replicates. With a marginal increase in computational requirements, the dynamic model brings more desirable features and value to streamflow reconstructions.

  19. Methods for estimating drought streamflow probabilities for Virginia streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Austin, Samuel H.

    2014-01-01

    Maximum likelihood logistic regression model equations used to estimate drought flow probabilities for Virginia streams are presented for 259 hydrologic basins in Virginia. Winter streamflows were used to estimate the likelihood of streamflows during the subsequent drought-prone summer months. The maximum likelihood logistic regression models identify probable streamflows from 5 to 8 months in advance. More than 5 million streamflow daily values collected over the period of record (January 1, 1900 through May 16, 2012) were compiled and analyzed over a minimum 10-year (maximum 112-year) period of record. The analysis yielded the 46,704 equations with statistically significant fit statistics and parameter ranges published in two tables in this report. These model equations produce summer month (July, August, and September) drought flow threshold probabilities as a function of streamflows during the previous winter months (November, December, January, and February). Example calculations are provided, demonstrating how to use the equations to estimate probable streamflows as much as 8 months in advance.

  20. Long-term (in)stability of the climate-streamflow relationship

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saft, Margarita; Peel, Murray; Coxon, Gemma; Freer, Jim; Parajka, Juraj; Woods, Ross

    2017-04-01

    Land use changes have long been known to alter streamflow production for a given climatic input. Recently, extended shifts in climate were also shown to be capable of altering catchment internal functioning and streamflow production for a given climatic input. This study investigates the stability of climate-streamflow relationships in natural catchments in different regions of the world for the first time, using datasets of natural/reference catchments from Europe, US, and Australia. Changes in climate-streamflow relationships are investigated statistically on the interannual to interdecadal timescale and related to interdecadal climate variability. We compare the frequency and magnitude of shifts in climate-streamflow relationship between different regions, and discuss what any differences in shift frequency and magnitude might be related to. This study draws attention to the issues of catchment vulnerability to changes in external factors, catchment-climate co-evolution, and long-term catchment memory.

  1. Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Stream Temperatures in the Methow River Basin, Washington

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gangopadhyay, S.; Caldwell, R. J.; Lai, Y.; Bountry, J.

    2011-12-01

    The Methow River in Washington offers prime spawning habitat for salmon and other cold-water fishes. During the summer months, low streamflows on the Methow result in cutoff side channels that limit the habitat available to these fishes. Future climate scenarios of increasing air temperature and decreasing precipitation suggest the potential for increasing loss of habitat and fish mortality as stream temperatures rise in response to lower flows and additional heating. To assess the impacts of climate change on stream temperature in the Methow River, the US Bureau of Reclamation is developing an hourly time-step, two-dimensional hydraulic model of the confluence of the Methow and Chewuch Rivers above Winthrop. The model will be coupled with a physical stream temperature model to generate spatial representations of stream conditions conducive for fish habitat. In this study, we develop a statistical framework for generating stream temperature time series from global climate model (GCM) and hydrologic model outputs. Regional observations of stream temperature and hydrometeorological conditions are used to develop statistical models of daily mean stream temperature for the Methow River at Winthrop, WA. Temperature and precipitation projections from 10 global climate models (GCMs) are coupled with the streamflow generated using the University of Washington Variable Infiltration Capacity model. The projections serve as input to the statistical models to generate daily time series of mean daily stream temperature. Since the output from the GCM, VIC, and statistical models offer only daily data, a k-nearest neighbor (k-nn) resampling technique is employed to select appropriate proportion vectors for disaggregating the Winthrop daily flow and temperature to an upstream location on each of the rivers above the confluence. Hourly proportion vectors are then used to disaggregate the daily flow and temperature to hourly values to be used in the hydraulic model. Historical meteorological variables are also selected using the k-nn method. We present the statistical modeling framework using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), along with diagnostics and measurements of skill. We will also provide a comparison of the stream temperature projections from the future years of 2020, 2040, and 2080 and discuss the potential implications on fish habitat in the Methow River. Future integration of the hourly climate scenarios in the hydraulic model will provide the ability to assess the spatial extent of habitat impacts and allow the USBR to evaluate the effectiveness of various river restoration projects in maintaining or improving habitat in a changing climate.

  2. Spatial weighting approach in numerical method for disaggregation of MDGs indicators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Permai, S. D.; Mukhaiyar, U.; Satyaning PP, N. L. P.; Soleh, M.; Aini, Q.

    2018-03-01

    Disaggregation use to separate and classify the data based on certain characteristics or on administrative level. Disaggregated data is very important because some indicators not measured on all characteristics. Detailed disaggregation for development indicators is important to ensure that everyone benefits from development and support better development-related policymaking. This paper aims to explore different methods to disaggregate national employment-to-population ratio indicator to province- and city-level. Numerical approach applied to overcome the problem of disaggregation unavailability by constructing several spatial weight matrices based on the neighbourhood, Euclidean distance and correlation. These methods can potentially be used and further developed to disaggregate development indicators into lower spatial level even by several demographic characteristics.

  3. StreamStats: A water resources web application

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ries, Kernell G.; Guthrie, John G.; Rea, Alan H.; Steeves, Peter A.; Stewart, David W.

    2008-01-01

    Streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent flood, the mean flow, and the 7-day 10-year low flow, are used by engineers, land managers, biologists, and many others to help guide decisions in their everyday work. For example, estimates of the 1-percent flood (the flow that is exceeded, on average, once in 100 years and has a 1-percent chance of being exceeded in any year, sometimes referred to as the 100-year flood) are used to create flood-plain maps that form the basis for setting insurance rates and land-use zoning. This and other streamflow statistics also are used for dam, bridge, and culvert design; water-supply planning and management; water-use appropriations and permitting; wastewater and industrial discharge permitting; hydropower facility design and regulation; and the setting of minimum required streamflows to protect freshwater ecosystems. In addition, researchers, planners, regulators, and others often need to know the physical and climatic characteristics of the drainage basins (basin characteristics) and the influence of human activities, such as dams and water withdrawals, on streamflow upstream from locations of interest to understand the mechanisms that control water availability and quality at those locations. Knowledge of the streamflow network and downstream human activities also is necessary to adequately determine whether an upstream activity, such as a water withdrawal, can be allowed without adversely affecting downstream activities.Streamflow statistics could be needed at any location along a stream. Most often, streamflow statistics are needed at ungaged sites, where no streamflow data are available to compute the statistics. At U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow data-collection stations, which include streamgaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous-measurement stations, streamflow statistics can be computed from available data for the stations. Streamflow data are collected continuously at streamgaging stations. Streamflow measurements are collected systematically over a period of years at partial-record stations to estimate peak-flow or low-flow statistics. Streamflow measurements usually are collected at miscellaneous-measurement stations for specific hydrologic studies with various objectives.StreamStats is a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application that was created by the USGS, in cooperation with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)1, to provide users with access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management. StreamStats functionality is based on ESRI’s ArcHydro Data Model and Tools, described on the Web at http://resources.arcgis.com/en/communities/hydro/01vn0000000s000000.htm. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and descriptive information for USGS data-collection stations and user-selected ungaged sites. It also allows users to identify stream reaches that are upstream and downstream from user-selected sites, and to identify and obtain information for locations along the streams where activities that may affect streamflow conditions are occurring. This functionality can be accessed through a map-based user interface that appears in the user’s Web browser, or individual functions can be requested remotely as Web services by other Web or desktop computer applications. StreamStats can perform these analyses much faster than historically used manual techniques.StreamStats was designed so that each state would be implemented as a separate application, with a reliance on local partnerships to fund the individual applications, and a goal of eventual full national implementation. Idaho became the first state to implement StreamStats in 2003. By mid-2008, 14 states had applications available to the public, and 18 other states were in various stages of implementation.

  4. Recent changes in ecologically-relevant streamflows in North America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ficklin, D. L.; Abatzoglou, J. T.; Knouft, J.; Robeson, S. M.

    2017-12-01

    The streamflow regime is a primary regulator of the composition and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Growth, behavior, and/or reproduction of most freshwater organisms are influenced in some way by the amount of water, including high and low flows, and seasonal fluctuations in water availability in a particular habitat. This work examines trends in ecologically-relevant measures of streamflows from 1980-2015 for over 3,000 streamflow gauges located throughout Canada and United States. Specifically, we examine trends in water year mean flow and variability, as well as trends in high (95th and 99th percentile), low (1st and 5th percentile), and 7- and 3-day maximum and minimum streamflows. The results indicate a clear regional delineation of significant increases of ecologically-relevant streamflows in the northern Central Plains/south-central Canada, upper Midwest (except Michigan and Wisconsin) and northeastern United States/southeastern Canada, while significant decreases are found throughout the southeastern and southwestern United States. The regional agreement between streamflow trends in regulated and unregulated watersheds indicate a widespread climatic influence that is not masked by human alteration of streamflows. We explore the degree to which climate factors explain both interannual variability and observed trends in streamflow to better elucidate the role of top-down climate drivers versus bottom-up land surface drivers on recent trends in ecologically-relevant streamflow. We also explore how these changes in streamflow are affecting water quality such as water temperature and sediment concentration. This type of analysis will aid in highlighting streamflow regions in the United States that are currently sensitive to changes in climate, but may also aid in understanding which regions may be sensitive to future climatic changes.

  5. Inferring Soil Moisture Memory from Streamflow Observations Using a Simple Water Balance Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Orth, Rene; Koster, Randal Dean; Seneviratne, Sonia I.

    2013-01-01

    Soil moisture is known for its integrative behavior and resulting memory characteristics. Soil moisture anomalies can persist for weeks or even months into the future, making initial soil moisture a potentially important contributor to skill in weather forecasting. A major difficulty when investigating soil moisture and its memory using observations is the sparse availability of long-term measurements and their limited spatial representativeness. In contrast, there is an abundance of long-term streamflow measurements for catchments of various sizes across the world. We investigate in this study whether such streamflow measurements can be used to infer and characterize soil moisture memory in respective catchments. Our approach uses a simple water balance model in which evapotranspiration and runoff ratios are expressed as simple functions of soil moisture; optimized functions for the model are determined using streamflow observations, and the optimized model in turn provides information on soil moisture memory on the catchment scale. The validity of the approach is demonstrated with data from three heavily monitored catchments. The approach is then applied to streamflow data in several small catchments across Switzerland to obtain a spatially distributed description of soil moisture memory and to show how memory varies, for example, with altitude and topography.

  6. Estimation of average annual streamflows and power potentials for Alaska and Hawaii

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Verdin, Kristine L.

    2004-05-01

    This paper describes the work done to develop average annual streamflow estimates and power potential for the states of Alaska and Hawaii. The Elevation Derivatives for National Applications (EDNA) database was used, along with climatic datasets, to develop flow and power estimates for every stream reach in the EDNA database. Estimates of average annual streamflows were derived using state-specific regression equations, which were functions of average annual precipitation, precipitation intensity, drainage area, and other elevation-derived parameters. Power potential was calculated through the use of the average annual streamflow and the hydraulic head of each reach, which is calculated from themore » EDNA digital elevation model. In all, estimates of streamflow and power potential were calculated for over 170,000 stream segments in the Alaskan and Hawaiian datasets.« less

  7. 47 CFR 101.1323 - Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and... Requirements § 101.1323 Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties... aggregate spectrum in any MAS bands, but may not disaggregate their licensed spectrum or partition their...

  8. 47 CFR 101.1323 - Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and... Requirements § 101.1323 Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties... aggregate spectrum in any MAS bands, but may not disaggregate their licensed spectrum or partition their...

  9. 47 CFR 90.365 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... § 90.365 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Party seeking approval... disaggregate their licensed spectrum at any time following the grant of their licenses. Multilateration LMS...

  10. 47 CFR 90.365 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... § 90.365 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Party seeking approval... disaggregate their licensed spectrum at any time following the grant of their licenses. Multilateration LMS...

  11. 47 CFR 101.1323 - Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and... Requirements § 101.1323 Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties... aggregate spectrum in any MAS bands, but may not disaggregate their licensed spectrum or partition their...

  12. 47 CFR 90.365 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... § 90.365 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Party seeking approval... disaggregate their licensed spectrum at any time following the grant of their licenses. Multilateration LMS...

  13. 47 CFR 90.365 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... § 90.365 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Party seeking approval... disaggregate their licensed spectrum at any time following the grant of their licenses. Multilateration LMS...

  14. 47 CFR 101.1323 - Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and... Requirements § 101.1323 Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties... aggregate spectrum in any MAS bands, but may not disaggregate their licensed spectrum or partition their...

  15. 47 CFR 101.1323 - Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and... Requirements § 101.1323 Spectrum aggregation, disaggregation, and partitioning. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties... aggregate spectrum in any MAS bands, but may not disaggregate their licensed spectrum or partition their...

  16. Characterization and disaggregation of daily rainfall in the Upper Blue Nile Basin in Ethiopia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Engida, Agizew N.; Esteves, Michel

    2011-03-01

    SummaryIn Ethiopia, available rainfall records are mainly limited to daily time steps. Though rainfall data at shorter time steps are important for various purposes like modeling of erosion processes and flood hydrographs, they are hardly available in Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were (i) to study the temporal characteristics of daily rains at two stations in the region of the Upper Blue Nile Basin (UBNB) and (ii) to calibrate and evaluate a daily rainfall disaggregation model. The analysis was based on rainfall data of Bahir Dar and Gonder Meteorological Stations. The disaggregation model used was the Modified Bartlett-Lewis Rectangular Pulse Model (MBLRPM). The mean daily rainfall intensity varied from about 4 mm in the dry season to 17 mm in the wet season with corresponding variation in raindays of 0.4-26 days. The observed maximum daily rainfall varied from 13 mm in the dry month to 200 mm in the wet month. The average wet/dry spell length varied from 1/21 days in the dry season to 6/1 days in the rainy season. Most of the rainfall occurs in the afternoon and evening periods of the day. Daily rainfall disaggregation using the MBLRPM alone resulted in poor match between the disaggregated and observed hourly rainfalls. Stochastic redistribution of the outputs of the model using Beta probability distribution function improved the agreement between observed and calculated hourly rain intensities. In areas where convective rainfall is dominant, the outputs of MBLRPM should be redistributed using relevant probability distributions to simulate the diurnal rainfall pattern.

  17. Disaggregation of silver nanoparticle homoaggregates in a river water matrix.

    PubMed

    Metreveli, George; Philippe, Allan; Schaumann, Gabriele E

    2015-12-01

    Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) could be found in aquatic systems in the near future. Although the interplay between aggregate formation and disaggregation is an important factor for mobility, bioavailability and toxicity of Ag NPs in surface waters, the factors controlling disaggregation of Ag NP homoaggregates are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the reversibility of homoaggregation of citrate coated Ag NPs in a Rhine River water matrix. We characterized the disaggregation of Ag NP homoaggregates by ionic strength reduction and addition of Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA) in the presence of strong and weak shear forces. In order to understand the disaggregation processes, we also studied the nature of homoaggregates and their formation dynamics under the influence of SRHA, Ca(2+) concentration and nanoparticle concentration. Even in the presence of SRHA and at low particle concentrations (10 μg L(-1)), aggregates formed rapidly in filtered Rhine water. The critical coagulation concentration (CCC) of Ca(2+) in reconstituted Rhine water was 1.5 mmol L(-1) and was shifted towards higher values in the presence of SRHA. Analysis of the attachment efficiency as a function of Ca(2+) concentration showed that SRHA induces electrosteric stabilization at low Ca(2+) concentrations and cation-bridging flocculation at high Ca(2+) concentrations. Shear forces in the form of mechanical shaking or ultrasound were necessary for breaking the aggregates. Without ultrasound, SRHA also induced disaggregation, but it required several days to reach a stable size of dense aggregates still larger than the primary particles. Citrate stabilized Ag NPs may be in the form of reaction limited aggregates in aquatic systems similar to the Rhine River. The size and the structure of these aggregates will be dynamic and be determined by the solution conditions. Seasonal variations in the chemical composition of natural waters can result in a sedimentation-release cycle of engineered nanoparticles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Liposomes bi-functionalized with phosphatidic acid and an ApoE-derived peptide affect Aβ aggregation features and cross the blood-brain-barrier: implications for therapy of Alzheimer disease.

    PubMed

    Bana, Laura; Minniti, Stefania; Salvati, Elisa; Sesana, Silvia; Zambelli, Vanessa; Cagnotto, Alfredo; Orlando, Antonina; Cazzaniga, Emanuela; Zwart, Rob; Scheper, Wiep; Masserini, Massimo; Re, Francesca

    2014-10-01

    Targeting amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) within the brain is a strategy actively sought for therapy of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated the ability of liposomes bi-functionalized with phosphatidic acid and with a modified ApoE-derived peptide (mApoE-PA-LIP) to affect Aβ aggregation/disaggregation features and to cross in vitro and in vivo the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Surface plasmon resonance showed that bi-functionalized liposomes strongly bind Aβ (kD=0.6 μM), while Thioflavin-T and SDS-PAGE/WB assays show that liposomes inhibit peptide aggregation (70% inhibition after 72 h) and trigger the disaggregation of preformed aggregates (60% decrease after 120 h incubation). Moreover, experiments with dually radiolabelled LIP suggest that bi-functionalization enhances the passage of radioactivity across the BBB either in vitro (permeability=2.5×10(-5) cm/min, 5-fold higher with respect to mono-functionalized liposomes) or in vivo in healthy mice. Taken together, our results suggest that mApoE-PA-LIP are valuable nanodevices with a potential applicability in vivo for the treatment of AD. From the clinical editor: Bi-functionalized liposomes with phosphatidic acid and a modified ApoE-derived peptide were demonstrated to influence Aβ aggregation/disaggregation as a potential treatment in an Alzheimer's model. The liposomes were able to cross the blood-brain barrier in vitro and in vivo. Similar liposomes may become clinically valuable nanodevices with a potential applicability for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. How far downstream do dams impact streamflow?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Troy, T.

    2017-12-01

    Water infrastructure can be a double-edged sword. For example, dams can provide significant flood protection and stable water supplies, but they negatively impact river ecosystems. As the United States enters an era of dam decommissioning instead of dam building, it raises the question of how far downstream dams provide protection against flood peaks and sustaining environmental flows. This study uses USGS streamflow observations, the National Inventory of Dams, and VIC-modeled streamflow as a proxy for naturalized streamflow to evaluate the scale at which dams impact a variety of hydrologic signatures such as flood return period flows, streamflow variability, and low flows. Results over the Delaware River show that the impact of dams quickly dissipates as one moves downstream, but this is due to the basin's characteristics. This analysis is performed over the contiguous United States, quantifying the length scale of impact as a function of dam capacity, position on the river network, and the hydroclimatology.

  20. Streamflow response to increasing precipitation extremes altered by forest management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelly, Charlene N.; McGuire, Kevin J.; Miniat, Chelcy Ford; Vose, James M.

    2016-04-01

    Increases in extreme precipitation events of floods and droughts are expected to occur worldwide. The increase in extreme events will result in changes in streamflow that are expected to affect water availability for human consumption and aquatic ecosystem function. We present an analysis that may greatly improve current streamflow models by quantifying the impact of the interaction between forest management and precipitation. We use daily long-term data from paired watersheds that have undergone forest harvest or species conversion. We find that interactive effects of climate change, represented by changes in observed precipitation trends, and forest management regime, significantly alter expected streamflow most often during extreme events, ranging from a decrease of 59% to an increase of 40% in streamflow, depending upon management. Our results suggest that vegetation might be managed to compensate for hydrologic responses due to climate change to help mitigate effects of extreme changes in precipitation.

  1. Chapter 3. Hydrology

    Treesearch

    Robert R. Ziemer; Thomas E. Lisle

    1998-01-01

    Streamflow is an essential variable in understanding the functioning of watersheds and associated ecosystems because it supplies the primary medium and source of energy for the movement of water, sediment, organic material, nutrients, and thermal energy. Changes in streamflow are almost invariably linked to changes in other watershed processes such as erosion,...

  2. Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Disaggregated Data on Racial/Ethnic Subgroups. NFES 2017-017

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Forum on Education Statistics, 2016

    2016-01-01

    The National Forum on Education Statistics convened the Data Disaggregation of Racial/Ethnic Subgroups Working Group to identify best practices for disaggregating data on racial/ethnic subgroups. This guide is intended to identify some of the overarching benefits and challenges involved in data disaggregation; recommend appropriate practices for…

  3. Application of AFINCH as a tool for evaluating the effects of streamflow-gaging-network size and composition on the accuracy and precision of streamflow estimates at ungaged locations in the southeast Lake Michigan hydrologic subregion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koltun, G.F.; Holtschlag, David J.

    2010-01-01

    Bootstrapping techniques employing random subsampling were used with the AFINCH (Analysis of Flows In Networks of CHannels) model to gain insights into the effects of variation in streamflow-gaging-network size and composition on the accuracy and precision of streamflow estimates at ungaged locations in the 0405 (Southeast Lake Michigan) hydrologic subregion. AFINCH uses stepwise-regression techniques to estimate monthly water yields from catchments based on geospatial-climate and land-cover data in combination with available streamflow and water-use data. Calculations are performed on a hydrologic-subregion scale for each catchment and stream reach contained in a National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHDPlus) subregion. Water yields from contributing catchments are multiplied by catchment areas and resulting flow values are accumulated to compute streamflows in stream reaches which are referred to as flow lines. AFINCH imposes constraints on water yields to ensure that observed streamflows are conserved at gaged locations.  Data from the 0405 hydrologic subregion (referred to as Southeast Lake Michigan) were used for the analyses. Daily streamflow data were measured in the subregion for 1 or more years at a total of 75 streamflow-gaging stations during the analysis period which spanned water years 1971–2003. The number of streamflow gages in operation each year during the analysis period ranged from 42 to 56 and averaged 47. Six sets (one set for each censoring level), each composed of 30 random subsets of the 75 streamflow gages, were created by censoring (removing) approximately 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 75 percent of the streamflow gages (the actual percentage of operating streamflow gages censored for each set varied from year to year, and within the year from subset to subset, but averaged approximately the indicated percentages).Streamflow estimates for six flow lines each were aggregated by censoring level, and results were analyzed to assess (a) how the size and composition of the streamflow-gaging network affected the average apparent errors and variability of the estimated flows and (b) whether results for certain months were more variable than for others. The six flow lines were categorized into one of three types depending upon their network topology and position relative to operating streamflow-gaging stations.    Statistical analysis of the model results indicates that (1) less precise (that is, more variable) estimates resulted from smaller streamflow-gaging networks as compared to larger streamflow-gaging networks, (2) precision of AFINCH flow estimates at an ungaged flow line is improved by operation of one or more streamflow gages upstream and (or) downstream in the enclosing basin, (3) no consistent seasonal trend in estimate variability was evident, and (4) flow lines from ungaged basins appeared to exhibit the smallest absolute apparent percent errors (APEs) and smallest changes in average APE as a function of increasing censoring level. The counterintuitive results described in item (4) above likely reflect both the nature of the base-streamflow estimate from which the errors were computed and insensitivity in the average model-derived estimates to changes in the streamflow-gaging-network size and composition. Another analysis demonstrated that errors for flow lines in ungaged basins have the potential to be much larger than indicated by their APEs if measured relative to their true (but unknown) flows.     “Missing gage” analyses, based on examination of censoring subset results where the streamflow gage of interest was omitted from the calibration data set, were done to better understand the true error characteristics for ungaged flow lines as a function of network size. Results examined for 2 water years indicated that the probability of computing a monthly streamflow estimate within 10 percent of the true value with AFINCH decreased from greater than 0.9 at about a 10-percent network-censoring level to less than 0.6 as the censoring level approached 75 percent. In addition, estimates for typically dry months tended to be characterized by larger percent errors than typically wetter months.

  4. Hydraulic-Geometry Relations for Rivers in Coastal and Central Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dudley, Robert W.

    2004-01-01

    Hydraulic-geometry relations (curves) were derived for 15 sites on 12 rivers in coastal and central Maine on the basis of site-specific (at-a-station) hydraulic-geometry relations and hydraulic models. At-a-station hydraulic-geometry curves, expressed as well-established power functions, describe the relations between channel geometry, velocity, and flow at a given point on a river. The derived at-a-station hydraulic-geometry curves indicate that, on average, a given increase in flow at a given river cross section in the study area will be nearly equally conveyed by increases in velocity and channel cross-sectional area. Regional curves describing the bankfull streamflow and associated channel geometry as functions of drainage area were derived for use in stream-channel assessment and restoration projects specific to coastal and central Maine. Regional hydraulic-geometry curves were derived by combining hydraulic-geometry information for 15 river cross sections using bankfull flow as the common reference streamflow. The exponents of the derived regional hydraulic-geometry relations indicate that, in the downstream direction, most of the conveyance of increasing contribution of flow is accommodated by an increase in cross-sectional area?with about 50 percent of the increase in flow accommodated by an increase in channel width, and 32 percent by an increase in depth. The remaining 18 percent is accommodated by an increase in streamflow velocity. On an annual-peak-series basis, results of this study indicate that the occurrence of bankfull streamflow for rivers in Maine is more frequent than the 1.5-year streamflow. On a flow-duration basis, bankfull streamflow for rivers in coastal and central Maine is equaled or exceeded approximately 8.1 percent of the time on mean?or about 30 days a year. Bankfull streamflow is roughly three times that of the mean annual streamflow for the sites investigated in this study. Regional climate, snowmelt hydrology, and glacial geology may play important roles in dictating the magnitude and frequency of occurrence of bankfull streamflows observed for rivers in coastal and central Maine.

  5. Metazoan Hsp70 machines use Hsp110 to power protein disaggregation.

    PubMed

    Rampelt, Heike; Kirstein-Miles, Janine; Nillegoda, Nadinath B; Chi, Kang; Scholz, Sebastian R; Morimoto, Richard I; Bukau, Bernd

    2012-11-05

    Accumulation of aggregation-prone misfolded proteins disrupts normal cellular function and promotes ageing and disease. Bacteria, fungi and plants counteract this by solubilizing and refolding aggregated proteins via a powerful cytosolic ATP-dependent bichaperone system, comprising the AAA+ disaggregase Hsp100 and the Hsp70-Hsp40 system. Metazoa, however, lack Hsp100 disaggregases. We show that instead the Hsp110 member of the Hsp70 superfamily remodels the human Hsp70-Hsp40 system to efficiently disaggregate and refold aggregates of heat and chemically denatured proteins in vitro and in cell extracts. This Hsp110 effect relies on nucleotide exchange, not on ATPase activity, implying ATP-driven chaperoning is not required. Knock-down of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans Hsp110, but not an unrelated nucleotide exchange factor, compromises dissolution of heat-induced protein aggregates and severely shortens lifespan after heat shock. We conclude that in metazoa, Hsp70-Hsp40 powered by Hsp110 nucleotide exchange represents the crucial disaggregation machinery that reestablishes protein homeostasis to counteract protein unfolding stress.

  6. Analysis of managed aquifer recharge for retiming streamflow in an alluvial river

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ronayne, Michael J.; Roudebush, Jason A.; Stednick, John D.

    2017-01-01

    Maintenance of low flows during dry periods is critical for supporting ecosystem function in many rivers. Managed aquifer recharge is one method that can be used to augment low flows in rivers that are hydraulically connected to an alluvial groundwater system. In this study, we performed numerical modeling to evaluate a managed recharge operation designed to retime streamflow in the South Platte River, northeastern Colorado (USA). Modeling involved the simulation of spatially and temporally variable groundwater-surface water exchange, as well as streamflow routing in the river. Periodic solutions that incorporate seasonality were developed for two scenarios, a natural base case scenario and an active management scenario that included groundwater pumping and managed recharge. A framework was developed to compare the scenarios by analyzing changes in head-dependent inflows and outflows to/from the aquifer, which was used to interpret the simulated impacts on streamflow. The results clearly illustrate a retiming of streamflow. Groundwater pumping near the river during winter months causes a reduction in streamflow during those months. Delivery of the pumped water to recharge ponds, located further from the river, has the intended effect of augmenting streamflow during low-flow summer months. Higher streamflow is not limited to the target time period, however, which highlights an inefficiency of flow augmentation projects that rely on water retention in the subsurface.

  7. Hydrologic response of Pacific Northwest river to climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, F.; Cuo, L.; Wu, H.; Mantua, N.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

    2009-12-01

    The climate of the Pacific Northwest (PNW - which we define as the Columbia River basin and watersheds draining to the Oregon and Washington coasts) is expected to warm by approximately 0.3°C per decade in the next 100 years based on the IPCC the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) results. PNW hydrology is particularly sensitive to a warming climate because of the dominant role of snowmelt in seasonal streamflow. Timing shifts in seasonality of flows, peak discharge, and base flows will impact water resource management, regional electrical energy production, and freshwater ecosystems. In this work we update previous studies of implications of climate change on PNW hydrology using a macroscale hydrology model driven by simulations of temperature and precipitation downscaled from runs of 20 General Circulation Models (GCMs) under two emissions scenarios (lower B1 and mid-high A1B) in the 21st century. The hydrology model is implemented at 1/16th degree spatial resolution over the entire PNW. A (statistical) bias-correction and spatial disaggregation downscaling approach is used for translating the transient monthly climate model output into continuous daily forcings for the hydrologic analysis. We evaluate projected changes in snow water equivalent, seasonal streamflow, and frequency of peak low flows over a set of case study watersheds in the region. We also compare these hydrologic projections with previous analysis based on delta downscaling method over the PNW. This research is part of a project investigating climate change impacts on the future of wild Pacific salmon, and is a pilot effort to investigate the hydrologic sensitivity of salmon bearing watersheds around the entire North Pacific Rim.

  8. Stochastic Generation of Monthly Rainfall Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srikanthan, R.

    2009-03-01

    Monthly rainfall data is generally needed in the simulation of water resources systems, and in the estimation of water yield from large catchments. Monthly streamflow data generation models are usually applied to generate monthly rainfall data, but this presents problems for most regions, which have significant months of no rainfall. In an earlier study, Srikanthan et al. (J. Hydrol. Eng., ASCE 11(3) (2006) 222-229) recommended the modified method of fragments to disaggregate the annual rainfall data generated by a first-order autoregressive model. The main drawback of this approach is the occurrence of similar patterns when only a short length of historic data is available. Porter and Pink (Hydrol. Water Res. Symp. (1991) 187-191) used synthetic fragments from a Thomas-Fiering monthly model to overcome this drawback. As an alternative, a new two-part monthly model is nested in an annual model to generate monthly rainfall data which preserves both the monthly and annual characteristics. This nested model was applied to generate rainfall data from seven rainfall stations located in eastern and southern parts of Australia, and the results showed that the model performed satisfactorily.

  9. The Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator: A decision-support tool to assess water availability at ungaged stream locations in Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Archfield, Stacey A.; Vogel, Richard M.; Steeves, Peter A.; Brandt, Sara L.; Weiskel, Peter K.; Garabedian, Stephen P.

    2010-01-01

    Federal, State and local water-resource managers require a variety of data and modeling tools to better understand water resources. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, has developed a statewide, interactive decision-support tool to meet this need. The decision-support tool, referred to as the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MA SYE) provides screening-level estimates of the sustainable yield of a basin, defined as the difference between the unregulated streamflow and some user-specified quantity of water that must remain in the stream to support such functions as recreational activities or aquatic habitat. The MA SYE tool was designed, in part, because the quantity of surface water available in a basin is a time-varying quantity subject to competing demands for water. To compute sustainable yield, the MA SYE tool estimates a daily time series of unregulated, daily mean streamflow for a 44-year period of record spanning October 1, 1960, through September 30, 2004. Selected streamflow quantiles from an unregulated, daily flow-duration curve are estimated by solving six regression equations that are a function of physical and climate basin characteristics at an ungaged site on a stream of interest. Streamflow is then interpolated between the estimated quantiles to obtain a continuous daily flow-duration curve. A time series of unregulated daily streamflow subsequently is created by transferring the timing of the daily streamflow at a reference streamgage to the ungaged site by equating exceedence probabilities of contemporaneous flow at the two locations. One of 66 reference streamgages is selected by kriging, a geostatistical method, which is used to map the spatial relation among correlations between the time series of the logarithm of daily streamflows at each reference streamgage and the ungaged site. Estimated unregulated, daily mean streamflows show good agreement with observed unregulated, daily mean streamflow at 18 streamgages located across southern New England. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency goodness-of-fit values are between 0.69 and 0.98, and percent root-mean-square-error values are between 19 and 283 percent. The MA SYE tool provides an estimate of streamflow adjusted for current (2000-04) water withdrawals and discharges using a spatially referenced database of permitted groundwater and surface-water withdrawal and discharge volumes. For a user-selected basin, the database is queried to obtain the locations of water withdrawal or discharge volumes within the basin. Groundwater and surface-water withdrawals and discharges are subtracted and added, respectively, from the unregulated, daily streamflow at an ungaged site to obtain a streamflow time series that includes the effects of these withdrawals and discharges. Users also have the option of applying an analytical solution to the time-varying, groundwater withdrawal and discharge volumes that take into account the effects of the aquifer properties on the timing and magnitude of streamflow alteration. For the MA SYE tool, it is assumed that groundwater and surface-water divides are coincident. For areas of southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod where this assumption is known to be violated, groundwater-flow models are used to estimate average monthly streamflows at fixed locations. There are several limitations to the quality and quantity of the spatially referenced database of groundwater and surface-water withdrawals and discharges. The adjusted streamflow values do not account for the effects on streamflow of climate change, septic-system discharge, impervious area, non-public water-supply withdrawals less than 100,000 gallons per day, and impounded surface-water bodies.

  10. Hourly disaggregation of industrial CO2 emissions from Shenzhen, China.

    PubMed

    Ma, Li; Cai, Bofeng; Wu, Feng; Zeng, Hui

    2018-05-01

    Shenzhen's total industrial CO 2 emission was calculated using the IPCC recommended bottom-up approach and data obtained from the China High Resolution Emission Gridded Data (CHRED). Monthly product yield was then used as the proxy to disaggregate a facility's total emission into monthly emissions. Since a thermal power unit's emission changes with daily and hourly power loads, typical power load curves were used as the proxy to disaggregate the monthly emissions on a daily and hourly basis. The daily and hourly emissions of other facilities were calculated according to two specially designed models: the "weekdays + Spring Festival holidays" model for February and the "weekdays + weekends" model for non-February months. The uncertainty ranges associated with the process of the total amount calculation, monthly disaggregation, daily disaggregation and hourly disaggregation were quantitatively estimated. The total combined uncertainty of the hourly disaggregation of "weekdays + weekends" mode was ±26.19%, and that of the "weekdays + Spring Festival holidays" mode was ±33.06%. These temporal-disaggregation methods and uncertainty estimate approaches could also be used for the industrial air pollutant emission inventory and easily reproduced in the whole country. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Modeling summer month hydrological drought probabilities in the United States using antecedent flow conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Austin, Samuel H.; Nelms, David L.

    2017-01-01

    Climate change raises concern that risks of hydrological drought may be increasing. We estimate hydrological drought probabilities for rivers and streams in the United States (U.S.) using maximum likelihood logistic regression (MLLR). Streamflow data from winter months are used to estimate the chance of hydrological drought during summer months. Daily streamflow data collected from 9,144 stream gages from January 1, 1884 through January 9, 2014 provide hydrological drought streamflow probabilities for July, August, and September as functions of streamflows during October, November, December, January, and February, estimating outcomes 5-11 months ahead of their occurrence. Few drought prediction methods exploit temporal links among streamflows. We find MLLR modeling of drought streamflow probabilities exploits the explanatory power of temporally linked water flows. MLLR models with strong correct classification rates were produced for streams throughout the U.S. One ad hoc test of correct prediction rates of September 2013 hydrological droughts exceeded 90% correct classification. Some of the best-performing models coincide with areas of high concern including the West, the Midwest, Texas, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic. Using hydrological drought MLLR probability estimates in a water management context can inform understanding of drought streamflow conditions, provide warning of future drought conditions, and aid water management decision making.

  12. Variance analysis of forecasted streamflow maxima in a wet temperate climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al Aamery, Nabil; Fox, James F.; Snyder, Mark; Chandramouli, Chandra V.

    2018-05-01

    Coupling global climate models, hydrologic models and extreme value analysis provides a method to forecast streamflow maxima, however the elusive variance structure of the results hinders confidence in application. Directly correcting the bias of forecasts using the relative change between forecast and control simulations has been shown to marginalize hydrologic uncertainty, reduce model bias, and remove systematic variance when predicting mean monthly and mean annual streamflow, prompting our investigation for maxima streamflow. We assess the variance structure of streamflow maxima using realizations of emission scenario, global climate model type and project phase, downscaling methods, bias correction, extreme value methods, and hydrologic model inputs and parameterization. Results show that the relative change of streamflow maxima was not dependent on systematic variance from the annual maxima versus peak over threshold method applied, albeit we stress that researchers strictly adhere to rules from extreme value theory when applying the peak over threshold method. Regardless of which method is applied, extreme value model fitting does add variance to the projection, and the variance is an increasing function of the return period. Unlike the relative change of mean streamflow, results show that the variance of the maxima's relative change was dependent on all climate model factors tested as well as hydrologic model inputs and calibration. Ensemble projections forecast an increase of streamflow maxima for 2050 with pronounced forecast standard error, including an increase of +30(±21), +38(±34) and +51(±85)% for 2, 20 and 100 year streamflow events for the wet temperate region studied. The variance of maxima projections was dominated by climate model factors and extreme value analyses.

  13. Western municipal water conservation policy: The case of disaggregated demand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burness, Stuart; Chermak, Janie; Krause, Kate

    2005-03-01

    We investigate aspects of the felicity of both incentive-based and command and control policies in effecting municipal water conservation goals. When demand can be disaggregated according to uses or users, our results suggest that policy efforts be focused on the submarket wherein demand is more elastic. Under plausible consumer parameters, a household production function approach to water utilization prescribes the nature of demand elasticities in alternative uses and squares nicely with empirical results from the literature. An empirical example illustrates. Overall, given data and other informational limitations, extant institutional structures, and in situ technology, our analysis suggests a predisposition for command and control policies over incentive-based tools.

  14. Full-flow-regime storage-streamflow correlation patterns provide insights into hydrologic functioning over the continental US

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Kuai; Shen, Chaopeng

    2017-09-01

    Interannual changes in low, median, and high regimes of streamflow have important implications for flood control, irrigation, and ecologic and human health. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites record global terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA), providing an opportunity to observe, interpret, and potentially utilize the complex relationships between storage and full-flow-regime streamflow. Here we show that utilizable storage-streamflow correlations exist throughout vastly different climates in the continental US (CONUS) across low- to high-flow regimes. A panoramic framework, the storage-streamflow correlation spectrum (SSCS), is proposed to examine macroscopic gradients in these relationships. SSCS helps form, corroborate or reject hypotheses about basin hydrologic behaviors. SSCS patterns vary greatly over CONUS with climate, land surface, and geologic conditions. Data mining analysis suggests that for catchments with hydrologic settings that favor storage over runoff, e.g., a large fraction of precipitation as snow, thick and highly-permeable permeable soil, SSCS values tend to be high. Based on our results, we form the hypotheses that groundwater flow dominates streamflows in Southeastern CONUS and Great Plains, while thin soils in a belt along the Appalachian Plateau impose alimit on water storage. SSCS also suggests shallow water table caused by high-bulk density soil and flat terrain induces rapid runoff in several regions. Our results highlight the importance of subsurface properties and groundwater flow in capturing flood and drought. We propose that SSCS can be used as a fundamental hydrologic signature to constrain models and to provide insights thatlead usto better understand hydrologic functioning.

  15. Multisite rainfall downscaling and disaggregation in a tropical urban area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Y.; Qin, X. S.

    2014-02-01

    A systematic downscaling-disaggregation study was conducted over Singapore Island, with an aim to generate high spatial and temporal resolution rainfall data under future climate-change conditions. The study consisted of two major components. The first part was to perform an inter-comparison of various alternatives of downscaling and disaggregation methods based on observed data. This included (i) single-site generalized linear model (GLM) plus K-nearest neighbor (KNN) (S-G-K) vs. multisite GLM (M-G) for spatial downscaling, (ii) HYETOS vs. KNN for single-site disaggregation, and (iii) KNN vs. MuDRain (Multivariate Rainfall Disaggregation tool) for multisite disaggregation. The results revealed that, for multisite downscaling, M-G performs better than S-G-K in covering the observed data with a lower RMSE value; for single-site disaggregation, KNN could better keep the basic statistics (i.e. standard deviation, lag-1 autocorrelation and probability of wet hour) than HYETOS; for multisite disaggregation, MuDRain outperformed KNN in fitting interstation correlations. In the second part of the study, an integrated downscaling-disaggregation framework based on M-G, KNN, and MuDRain was used to generate hourly rainfall at multiple sites. The results indicated that the downscaled and disaggregated rainfall data based on multiple ensembles from HadCM3 for the period from 1980 to 2010 could well cover the observed mean rainfall amount and extreme data, and also reasonably keep the spatial correlations both at daily and hourly timescales. The framework was also used to project future rainfall conditions under HadCM3 SRES A2 and B2 scenarios. It was indicated that the annual rainfall amount could reduce up to 5% at the end of this century, but the rainfall of wet season and extreme hourly rainfall could notably increase.

  16. Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis for Streamflow Prediction Using Different Objective Functions and Optimization Algorithms: San Joaquin California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paul, M.; Negahban-Azar, M.

    2017-12-01

    The hydrologic models usually need to be calibrated against observed streamflow at the outlet of a particular drainage area through a careful model calibration. However, a large number of parameters are required to fit in the model due to their unavailability of the field measurement. Therefore, it is difficult to calibrate the model for a large number of potential uncertain model parameters. This even becomes more challenging if the model is for a large watershed with multiple land uses and various geophysical characteristics. Sensitivity analysis (SA) can be used as a tool to identify most sensitive model parameters which affect the calibrated model performance. There are many different calibration and uncertainty analysis algorithms which can be performed with different objective functions. By incorporating sensitive parameters in streamflow simulation, effects of the suitable algorithm in improving model performance can be demonstrated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modeling. In this study, the SWAT was applied in the San Joaquin Watershed in California covering 19704 km2 to calibrate the daily streamflow. Recently, sever water stress escalating due to intensified climate variability, prolonged drought and depleting groundwater for agricultural irrigation in this watershed. Therefore it is important to perform a proper uncertainty analysis given the uncertainties inherent in hydrologic modeling to predict the spatial and temporal variation of the hydrologic process to evaluate the impacts of different hydrologic variables. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and uncertainty of the calibrated parameters for predicting streamflow. To evaluate the sensitivity of the calibrated parameters three different optimization algorithms (Sequential Uncertainty Fitting- SUFI-2, Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation- GLUE and Parameter Solution- ParaSol) were used with four different objective functions (coefficient of determination- r2, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency- NSE, percent bias- PBIAS, and Kling-Gupta efficiency- KGE). The preliminary results showed that using the SUFI-2 algorithm with the objective function NSE and KGE has improved significantly the calibration (e.g. R2 and NSE is found 0.52 and 0.47 respectively for daily streamflow calibration).

  17. Simulating the impacts of groundwater pumping on stream aquifer dynamics in semiarid northwestern Oklahoma, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zume, Joseph; Tarhule, Aondover

    2008-06-01

    Visual MODFLOW, a numerical groundwater flow model, was used to evaluate the impacts of groundwater exploitation on streamflow depletion in the Alluvium and Terrace aquifer of the Beaver-North Canadian River (BNCR) in northwestern Oklahoma, USA. Water demand in semi-arid northwestern Oklahoma is projected to increase by 53% during the next five decades, driven primarily by irrigation, public water supply, and agricultural demand. Using MODFLOW’s streamflow routing package, pumping-induced changes in baseflow and stream leakage were analyzed to estimate streamflow depletion in the BNCR system. Simulation results indicate groundwater pumping has reduced baseflow to streams by approximately 29% and has also increased stream leakage into the aquifer by 18% for a net streamflow loss of 47%. The magnitude and intensity of streamflow depletion, however, varies for different stream segments, ranging from 0 to 20,804 m3/d. The method provides a framework for isolating and quantifying impacts of aquifer pumping on stream function in semiarid alluvial environments.

  18. Changes in seasonal streamflow extremes experienced in rivers of Northwestern South America (Colombia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pierini, J. O.; Restrepo, J. C.; Aguirre, J.; Bustamante, A. M.; Velásquez, G. J.

    2017-04-01

    A measure of the variability in seasonal extreme streamflow was estimated for the Colombian Caribbean coast, using monthly time series of freshwater discharge from ten watersheds. The aim was to detect modifications in the streamflow monthly distribution, seasonal trends, variance and extreme monthly values. A 20-year length time moving window, with 1-year successive shiftments, was applied to the monthly series to analyze the seasonal variability of streamflow. The seasonal-windowed data were statistically fitted through the Gamma distribution function. Scale and shape parameters were computed using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and the bootstrap method for 1000 resample. A trend analysis was performed for each windowed-serie, allowing to detect the window of maximum absolute values for trends. Significant temporal shifts in seasonal streamflow distribution and quantiles (QT), were obtained for different frequencies. Wet and dry extremes periods increased significantly in the last decades. Such increase did not occur simultaneously through the region. Some locations exhibited continuous increases only at minimum QT.

  19. Post-processing of multi-hydrologic model simulations for improved streamflow projections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    khajehei, sepideh; Ahmadalipour, Ali; Moradkhani, Hamid

    2016-04-01

    Hydrologic model outputs are prone to bias and uncertainty due to knowledge deficiency in model and data. Uncertainty in hydroclimatic projections arises due to uncertainty in hydrologic model as well as the epistemic or aleatory uncertainties in GCM parameterization and development. This study is conducted to: 1) evaluate the recently developed multi-variate post-processing method for historical simulations and 2) assess the effect of post-processing on uncertainty and reliability of future streamflow projections in both high-flow and low-flow conditions. The first objective is performed for historical period of 1970-1999. Future streamflow projections are generated for 10 statistically downscaled GCMs from two widely used downscaling methods: Bias Corrected Statistically Downscaled (BCSD) and Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogs (MACA), over the period of 2010-2099 for two representative concentration pathways of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Three semi-distributed hydrologic models were employed and calibrated at 1/16 degree latitude-longitude resolution for over 100 points across the Columbia River Basin (CRB) in the pacific northwest USA. Streamflow outputs are post-processed through a Bayesian framework based on copula functions. The post-processing approach is relying on a transfer function developed based on bivariate joint distribution between the observation and simulation in historical period. Results show that application of post-processing technique leads to considerably higher accuracy in historical simulations and also reducing model uncertainty in future streamflow projections.

  20. The efficacy of calibrating hydrologic model using remotely sensed evapotranspiration and soil moisture for streamflow prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kunnath-Poovakka, A.; Ryu, D.; Renzullo, L. J.; George, B.

    2016-04-01

    Calibration of spatially distributed hydrologic models is frequently limited by the availability of ground observations. Remotely sensed (RS) hydrologic information provides an alternative source of observations to inform models and extend modelling capability beyond the limits of ground observations. This study examines the capability of RS evapotranspiration (ET) and soil moisture (SM) in calibrating a hydrologic model and its efficacy to improve streamflow predictions. SM retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E) and daily ET estimates from the CSIRO MODIS ReScaled potential ET (CMRSET) are used to calibrate a simplified Australian Water Resource Assessment - Landscape model (AWRA-L) for a selection of parameters. The Shuffled Complex Evolution Uncertainty Algorithm (SCE-UA) is employed for parameter estimation at eleven catchments in eastern Australia. A subset of parameters for calibration is selected based on the variance-based Sobol' sensitivity analysis. The efficacy of 15 objective functions for calibration is assessed based on streamflow predictions relative to control cases, and relative merits of each are discussed. Synthetic experiments were conducted to examine the effect of bias in RS ET observations on calibration. The objective function containing the root mean square deviation (RMSD) of ET result in best streamflow predictions and the efficacy is superior for catchments with medium to high average runoff. Synthetic experiments revealed that accurate ET product can improve the streamflow predictions in catchments with low average runoff.

  1. The relationship between groundwater ages, streamflow ages, and storage selection functions under stationary conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berghuijs, W.; Kirchner, J. W.

    2017-12-01

    Waters in aquifers are often much older than the streamwaters that drain them. Simple physically based reasoning suggests that these age contrasts should be expected wherever catchments are heterogeneous. However, a general quantitative catchment-scale explanation of these age contrasts remains elusive. We show that under stationary conditions conservation of mass and age dictate that the age distribution of water stored in a catchment can be directly estimated from the age distribution of its outflows, and vice versa. This in turn implies that the catchment's preference for the release or retention of waters of different ages can be estimated directly from the age distribution of outflow under stationary conditions. Using simple models of transit times, we show that the mean age of stored water can range from half as old as the mean age of streamflow (for plug flow conditions) to almost infinitely older (for strongly preferential flow). Streamflow age distributions reported in the literature often have long upper tails, consistent with preferential flow and implying that storage ages are substantially older than streamflow ages. Mean streamflow ages reported in the literature imply that most streamflow originates from a thin veneer of total groundwater storage. This preferential release of young streamflow implies that most groundwater is exchanged only slowly with the surface, and consequently must be very old. Where information is available for both storage ages and streamflow ages, our analysis establishes consistency relationships through which each could be used to better constrain the other. By quantifying the relationship between groundwater and streamflow ages, our analysis provides tools to jointly assess both of these important catchment properties.

  2. Spatial Correlation Of Streamflows: An Analytical Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Betterle, A.; Schirmer, M.; Botter, G.

    2016-12-01

    The interwoven space and time variability of climate and landscape properties results in complex and non-linear hydrological response of streamflow dynamics. Understanding how meteorologic and morphological characteristics of catchments affect similarity/dissimilarity of streamflow timeseries at their outlets represents a scientific challenge with application in water resources management, ecological studies and regionalization approaches aimed to predict streamflows in ungauged areas. In this study, we establish an analytical approach to estimate the spatial correlation of daily streamflows in two arbitrary locations within a given hydrologic district or river basin at seasonal and annual time scales. The method is based on a stochastic description of the coupled streamflow dynamics at the outlet of two catchments. The framework aims to express the correlation of daily streamflows at two locations along a river network as a function of a limited number of physical parameters characterizing the main underlying hydrological drivers, that include climate conditions, precipitation regime and catchment drainage rates. The proposed method portrays how heterogeneity of climate and landscape features affect the spatial variability of flow regimes along river systems. In particular, we show that frequency and intensity of synchronous effective rainfall events in the relevant contributing catchments are the main driver of the spatial correlation of daily discharge, whereas only pronounced differences in the drainage rate of the two basins bear a significant effect on the streamflow correlation. The topological arrangement of the two outlets also influences the underlying streamflow correlation, as we show that nested catchments tend to maximize the spatial correlation of flow regimes. The application of the method to a set of catchments in the South-Eastern US suggests the potential of the proposed tool for the characterization of spatial connections of flow regimes in the absence of discharge measurements.

  3. The significance of spatial variability of rainfall on streamflow: A synthetic analysis at the Upper Lee catchment, UK

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pechlivanidis, Ilias; McIntyre, Neil; Wheater, Howard

    2017-04-01

    Rainfall, one of the main inputs in hydrological modeling, is a highly heterogeneous process over a wide range of scales in space, and hence the ignorance of the spatial rainfall information could affect the simulated streamflow. Calibration of hydrological model parameters is rarely a straightforward task due to parameter equifinality and parameters' 'nature' to compensate for other uncertainties, i.e. structural and forcing input. In here, we analyse the significance of spatial variability of rainfall on streamflow as a function of catchment scale and type, and antecedent conditions using the continuous time, semi-distributed PDM hydrological model at the Upper Lee catchment, UK. The impact of catchment scale and type is assessed using 11 nested catchments ranging in scale from 25 to 1040 km2, and further assessed by artificially changing the catchment characteristics and translating these to model parameters with uncertainty using model regionalisation. Synthetic rainfall events are introduced to directly relate the change in simulated streamflow to the spatial variability of rainfall. Overall, we conclude that the antecedent catchment wetness and catchment type play an important role in controlling the significance of the spatial distribution of rainfall on streamflow. Results show a relationship between hydrograph characteristics (streamflow peak and volume) and the degree of spatial variability of rainfall for the impermeable catchments under dry antecedent conditions, although this decreases at larger scales; however this sensitivity is significantly undermined under wet antecedent conditions. Although there is indication that the impact of spatial rainfall on streamflow varies as a function of catchment scale, the variability of antecedent conditions between the synthetic catchments seems to mask this significance. Finally, hydrograph responses to different spatial patterns in rainfall depend on assumptions used for model parameter estimation and also the spatial variation in parameters indicating the need of an uncertainty framework in such investigation.

  4. Temporal rainfall estimation using input data reduction and model inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, A. J.; Vrugt, J. A.; Walker, J. P.; Pauwels, V. R. N.

    2016-12-01

    Floods are devastating natural hazards. To provide accurate, precise and timely flood forecasts there is a need to understand the uncertainties associated with temporal rainfall and model parameters. The estimation of temporal rainfall and model parameter distributions from streamflow observations in complex dynamic catchments adds skill to current areal rainfall estimation methods, allows for the uncertainty of rainfall input to be considered when estimating model parameters and provides the ability to estimate rainfall from poorly gauged catchments. Current methods to estimate temporal rainfall distributions from streamflow are unable to adequately explain and invert complex non-linear hydrologic systems. This study uses the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to reduce rainfall dimensionality for the catchment of Warwick, Queensland, Australia. The reduction of rainfall to DWT coefficients allows the input rainfall time series to be simultaneously estimated along with model parameters. The estimation process is conducted using multi-chain Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation with the DREAMZS algorithm. The use of a likelihood function that considers both rainfall and streamflow error allows for model parameter and temporal rainfall distributions to be estimated. Estimation of the wavelet approximation coefficients of lower order decomposition structures was able to estimate the most realistic temporal rainfall distributions. These rainfall estimates were all able to simulate streamflow that was superior to the results of a traditional calibration approach. It is shown that the choice of wavelet has a considerable impact on the robustness of the inversion. The results demonstrate that streamflow data contains sufficient information to estimate temporal rainfall and model parameter distributions. The extent and variance of rainfall time series that are able to simulate streamflow that is superior to that simulated by a traditional calibration approach is a demonstration of equifinality. The use of a likelihood function that considers both rainfall and streamflow error combined with the use of the DWT as a model data reduction technique allows the joint inference of hydrologic model parameters along with rainfall.

  5. 47 CFR 22.948 - Partitioning and Disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioning and Disaggregation. 22.948 Section 22.948 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.948 Partitioning and Disaggregation. (a) Eligibility...

  6. Streamflow variability and classification using false nearest neighbor method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vignesh, R.; Jothiprakash, V.; Sivakumar, B.

    2015-12-01

    Understanding regional streamflow dynamics and patterns continues to be a challenging problem. The present study introduces the false nearest neighbor (FNN) algorithm, a nonlinear dynamic-based method, to examine the spatial variability of streamflow over a region. The FNN method is a dimensionality-based approach, where the dimension of the time series represents its variability. The method uses phase space reconstruction and nearest neighbor concepts, and identifies false neighbors in the reconstructed phase space. The FNN method is applied to monthly streamflow data monitored over a period of 53 years (1950-2002) in an extensive network of 639 stations in the contiguous United States (US). Since selection of delay time in phase space reconstruction may influence the FNN outcomes, analysis is carried out for five different delay time values: monthly, seasonal, and annual separation of data as well as delay time values obtained using autocorrelation function (ACF) and average mutual information (AMI) methods. The FNN dimensions for the 639 streamflow series are generally identified to range from 4 to 12 (with very few exceptional cases), indicating a wide range of variability in the dynamics of streamflow across the contiguous US. However, the FNN dimensions for a majority of the streamflow series are found to be low (less than or equal to 6), suggesting low level of complexity in streamflow dynamics in most of the individual stations and over many sub-regions. The FNN dimension estimates also reveal that streamflow dynamics in the western parts of the US (including far west, northwestern, and southwestern parts) generally exhibit much greater variability compared to that in the eastern parts of the US (including far east, northeastern, and southeastern parts), although there are also differences among 'pockets' within these regions. These results are useful for identification of appropriate model complexity at individual stations, patterns across regions and sub-regions, interpolation and extrapolation of data, and catchment classification. An attempt is also made to relate the FNN dimensions with catchment characteristics and streamflow statistical properties.

  7. Integrating satellite actual evapotranspiration patterns into distributed model parametrization and evaluation for a mesoscale catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demirel, M. C.; Mai, J.; Stisen, S.; Mendiguren González, G.; Koch, J.; Samaniego, L. E.

    2016-12-01

    Distributed hydrologic models are traditionally calibrated and evaluated against observations of streamflow. Spatially distributed remote sensing observations offer a great opportunity to enhance spatial model calibration schemes. For that it is important to identify the model parameters that can change spatial patterns before the satellite based hydrologic model calibration. Our study is based on two main pillars: first we use spatial sensitivity analysis to identify the key parameters controlling the spatial distribution of actual evapotranspiration (AET). Second, we investigate the potential benefits of incorporating spatial patterns from MODIS data to calibrate the mesoscale Hydrologic Model (mHM). This distributed model is selected as it allows for a change in the spatial distribution of key soil parameters through the calibration of pedo-transfer function parameters and includes options for using fully distributed daily Leaf Area Index (LAI) directly as input. In addition the simulated AET can be estimated at the spatial resolution suitable for comparison to the spatial patterns observed using MODIS data. We introduce a new dynamic scaling function employing remotely sensed vegetation to downscale coarse reference evapotranspiration. In total, 17 parameters of 47 mHM parameters are identified using both sequential screening and Latin hypercube one-at-a-time sampling methods. The spatial patterns are found to be sensitive to the vegetation parameters whereas streamflow dynamics are sensitive to the PTF parameters. The results of multi-objective model calibration show that calibration of mHM against observed streamflow does not reduce the spatial errors in AET while they improve only the streamflow simulations. We will further examine the results of model calibration using only multi spatial objective functions measuring the association between observed AET and simulated AET maps and another case including spatial and streamflow metrics together.

  8. A statistical analysis of the daily streamflow hydrograph

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kavvas, M. L.; Delleur, J. W.

    1984-03-01

    In this study a periodic statistical analysis of daily streamflow data in Indiana, U.S.A., was performed to gain some new insight into the stochastic structure which describes the daily streamflow process. This analysis was performed by the periodic mean and covariance functions of the daily streamflows, by the time and peak discharge -dependent recession limb of the daily streamflow hydrograph, by the time and discharge exceedance level (DEL) -dependent probability distribution of the hydrograph peak interarrival time, and by the time-dependent probability distribution of the time to peak discharge. Some new statistical estimators were developed and used in this study. In general features, this study has shown that: (a) the persistence properties of daily flows depend on the storage state of the basin at the specified time origin of the flow process; (b) the daily streamflow process is time irreversible; (c) the probability distribution of the daily hydrograph peak interarrival time depends both on the occurrence time of the peak from which the inter-arrival time originates and on the discharge exceedance level; and (d) if the daily streamflow process is modeled as the release from a linear watershed storage, this release should depend on the state of the storage and on the time of the release as the persistence properties and the recession limb decay rates were observed to change with the state of the watershed storage and time. Therefore, a time-varying reservoir system needs to be considered if the daily streamflow process is to be modeled as the release from a linear watershed storage.

  9. On the Performance of Alternate Conceptual Ecohydrological Models for Streamflow Prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naseem, Bushra; Ajami, Hoori; Cordery, Ian; Sharma, Ashish

    2016-04-01

    A merging of a lumped conceptual hydrological model with two conceptual dynamic vegetation models is presented to assess the performance of these models for simultaneous simulations of streamflow and leaf area index (LAI). Two conceptual dynamic vegetation models with differing representation of ecological processes are merged with a lumped conceptual hydrological model (HYMOD) to predict catchment scale streamflow and LAI. The merged RR-LAI-I model computes relative leaf biomass based on transpiration rates while the RR-LAI-II model computes above ground green and dead biomass based on net primary productivity and water use efficiency in response to soil moisture dynamics. To assess the performance of these models, daily discharge and 8-day MODIS LAI product for 27 catchments of 90 - 1600km2 in size located in the Murray - Darling Basin in Australia are used. Our results illustrate that when single-objective optimisation was focussed on maximizing the objective function for streamflow or LAI, the other un-calibrated predicted outcome (LAI if streamflow is the focus) was consistently compromised. Thus, single-objective optimization cannot take into account the essence of all processes in the conceptual ecohydrological models. However, multi-objective optimisation showed great strength for streamflow and LAI predictions. Both response outputs were better simulated by RR-LAI-II than RR-LAI-I due to better representation of physical processes such as net primary productivity (NPP) in RR-LAI-II. Our results highlight that simultaneous calibration of streamflow and LAI using a multi-objective algorithm proves to be an attractive tool for improved streamflow predictions.

  10. 47 CFR 101.1111 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Competitive Bidding Procedures for LMDS § 101.1111 Partitioning and disaggregation. (a) Definitions. Disaggregation. The assignment of discrete portions or “blocks” of spectrum licensed to a geographic licensee or qualifying entity. Partitioning. The assignment of geographic portions...

  11. 47 CFR 22.513 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 22.513 Section 22.513 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Paging and Radiotelephone Service § 22.513 Partitioning and disaggregation. MEA and EA...

  12. 47 CFR 22.513 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 22.513 Section 22.513 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Paging and Radiotelephone Service § 22.513 Partitioning and disaggregation. MEA and EA...

  13. 47 CFR 22.513 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 22.513 Section 22.513 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Paging and Radiotelephone Service § 22.513 Partitioning and disaggregation. MEA and EA...

  14. 47 CFR 22.513 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 22.513 Section 22.513 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Paging and Radiotelephone Service § 22.513 Partitioning and disaggregation. MEA and EA...

  15. A gridded hourly rainfall dataset for the UK applied to a national physically-based modelling system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewis, Elizabeth; Blenkinsop, Stephen; Quinn, Niall; Freer, Jim; Coxon, Gemma; Woods, Ross; Bates, Paul; Fowler, Hayley

    2016-04-01

    An hourly gridded rainfall product has great potential for use in many hydrological applications that require high temporal resolution meteorological data. One important example of this is flood risk management, with flooding in the UK highly dependent on sub-daily rainfall intensities amongst other factors. Knowledge of sub-daily rainfall intensities is therefore critical to designing hydraulic structures or flood defences to appropriate levels of service. Sub-daily rainfall rates are also essential inputs for flood forecasting, allowing for estimates of peak flows and stage for flood warning and response. In addition, an hourly gridded rainfall dataset has significant potential for practical applications such as better representation of extremes and pluvial flash flooding, validation of high resolution climate models and improving the representation of sub-daily rainfall in weather generators. A new 1km gridded hourly rainfall dataset for the UK has been created by disaggregating the daily Gridded Estimates of Areal Rainfall (CEH-GEAR) dataset using comprehensively quality-controlled hourly rain gauge data from over 1300 observation stations across the country. Quality control measures include identification of frequent tips, daily accumulations and dry spells, comparison of daily totals against the CEH-GEAR daily dataset, and nearest neighbour checks. The quality control procedure was validated against historic extreme rainfall events and the UKCP09 5km daily rainfall dataset. General use of the dataset has been demonstrated by testing the sensitivity of a physically-based hydrological modelling system for Great Britain to the distribution and rates of rainfall and potential evapotranspiration. Of the sensitivity tests undertaken, the largest improvements in model performance were seen when an hourly gridded rainfall dataset was combined with potential evapotranspiration disaggregated to hourly intervals, with 61% of catchments showing an increase in NSE between observed and simulated streamflows as a result of more realistic sub-daily meteorological forcing.

  16. Can forest management be used to sustain water-based ecosystem service in the face of climate change?

    Treesearch

    Chelcy Ford; Stephanie Laseter; Wayne Swank; James Vose

    2011-01-01

    Forested watersheds, an important provider of ecosystems services related to water supply, can have their structure, function, and resulting streamflow substantially altered by land use and land cover. Using a retrospective analysis and synthesis of long-term climate and streamflow data (75 years) from six watersheds differing in management histories we explored...

  17. 47 CFR 95.823 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. (a) Eligibility. Parties seeking Commission approval of geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation of 218-219 MHz Service system licenses shall request an...

  18. 47 CFR 95.823 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. (a) Eligibility. Parties seeking Commission approval of geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation of 218-219 MHz Service system licenses shall request an...

  19. 47 CFR 95.823 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. (a) Eligibility. Parties seeking Commission approval of geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation of 218-219 MHz Service system licenses shall request an...

  20. 47 CFR 95.823 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. (a) Eligibility. Parties seeking Commission approval of geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation of 218-219 MHz Service system licenses shall request an...

  1. 47 CFR 95.823 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. (a) Eligibility. Parties seeking Commission approval of geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation of 218-219 MHz Service system licenses shall request an...

  2. 47 CFR 90.911 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. 90.911 Section 90.911 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.911 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility...

  3. 47 CFR 90.911 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. 90.911 Section 90.911 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.911 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility...

  4. 47 CFR 90.911 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. 90.911 Section 90.911 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.911 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility...

  5. 47 CFR 90.911 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. 90.911 Section 90.911 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.911 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility...

  6. 47 CFR 90.911 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. 90.911 Section 90.911 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND... Specialized Mobile Radio Service § 90.911 Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility...

  7. Winter streamflow analysis in frozen, alpine catchments to quantify groundwater contribution and properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stoelzle, Michael; Weiler, Markus

    2016-04-01

    Alpine catchments are often considered as quickly responding systems where streamflow contributions from subsurface storages (groundwater) are mostly negligible due to the steep topography, low permeable bedrock and the absence of well-developed soils. Many studies in high altitude catchments have hence focused on water stored in snowpack and glaciers or on rainfall-runoff processes as the dominant streamflow contributions. Interestingly less effort has been devoted to winter streamflow analysis when melt- or rainfall-driven contributions are switched off due to the frozen state of the catchment. Considering projected changes in the alpine cryosphere (e.g. snow, glacier, permafrost) quantification of groundwater storage and contribution to streamflow is crucial to assess the social and ecological implications for downstream areas (e.g. water temperature, drought propagation). In this study we hypothesize that groundwater is the main streamflow contribution during winter and thus being responsible for the perennial regime of many alpine catchments. The hypothesis is investigated with well-known methods based on recession and breakpoint analysis of the streamflow regimes and temperature data to determine frozen periods. Analyzing nine catchments in Switzerland with mean elevation between 1000 and 2400 m asl, we found that above a mean elevation of 1800 m asl winter recessions are sufficient long and persistent enough to quantify groundwater contribution to streamflow and to characterize the properties of subsurface storage. The results show that groundwater in alpine catchment is the dominant streamflow contribution for nearly half a year and accountable for several hundred millimeter of annual streamflow. In sub-alpine catchments, driven by a mix of snowmelt and rainfall, a clear quantification of groundwater contributions is rather challenging due to discontinuous frozen periods in winter. We found that the inter-annual variability of different streamflow contributions is helpful to assess the water sustainability of alpine catchments functioning as water towers for downstream water basins. We outline how well-known hydrograph and recession analyses in alpine catchments can help to explore the role of catchment storage and to advance our understanding of (ground-)water management in alpine environments.

  8. NCEP/NLDAS Drought Monitoring and Prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Y.; Ek, M.; Wood, E.; Luo, L.; Sheffield, J.; Lettenmaier, D.; Livneh, B.; Cosgrove, B.; Mocko, D.; Meng, J.; Wei, H.; Restrepo, P.; Schaake, J.; Mo, K.

    2009-05-01

    The NCEP Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) collaborated with its CPPA (Climate Prediction Program of the Americas) partners to develop a North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS, http://www.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/nldas) to monitor and predict the drought over the Continental United States (CONUS). The realtime NLDAS drought monitor, executed daily at NCEP/EMC, including daily, weekly and monthly anomaly and percentile of six fields (soil moisture, snow water equivalent, total runoff, streamflow, evaporation, precipitation) outputted from four land surface models (Noah, Mosaic, SAC, and VIC) on a common 1/8th degree grid using common hourly land surface forcing. The non-precipitation surface forcing is derived from NCEP's retrospective and realtime North American Regional Reanalysis System (NARR). The precipitation forcing is anchored to a daily gauge-only precipitation analysis over CONUS that applies a Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) correction. This daily precipitation analysis is then temporally disaggregated to hourly precipitation amounts using radar and satellite precipitation. The NARR- based surface downward solar radiation is bias-corrected using seven years (1997-2004) of GOES satellite- derived solar radiation retrievals. The uncoupled ensemble seasonal drought prediction utilizes the following three independent approaches for generating downscaled ensemble seasonal forecasts of surface forcing: (1) Ensemble Streamflow Prediction, (2) CPC Official Seasonal Climate Outlook, and (3) NCEP CFS ensemble dynamical model prediction. For each of these three approaches, twenty ensemble members of forcing realizations are generated using a Bayesian merging algorithm developed by Princeton University. The three forcing methods are then used to drive the VIC model in seasonal prediction mode over thirteen large river basins that together span the CONUS domain. One to nine month ensemble seasonal prediction products such as air temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, snowpack, total runoff, evaporation and streamflow are derived for each forcing approach. The anomalies and percentiles of the predicted products for each approach may be used for CONUS drought prediction. This system is executed at the beginning of each month and distributes its products by the 10th of each month. The prediction products are evaluated using corresponding monitoring products for the VIC model and are compared with the prediction products from other research groups (e.g., University of Washington at Seattle, NASA Goddard) in the CONUS.

  9. 47 CFR 27.15 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties seeking approval for... service area or disaggregate their licensed spectrum at any time following the grant of their licenses. (b...

  10. 47 CFR 101.56 - Partitioned service areas (PSAs) and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioned service areas (PSAs) and disaggregated spectrum. 101.56 Section 101.56 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED..., Modifications, Conditions and Forfeitures § 101.56 Partitioned service areas (PSAs) and disaggregated spectrum...

  11. Linear genetic programming application for successive-station monthly streamflow prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danandeh Mehr, Ali; Kahya, Ercan; Yerdelen, Cahit

    2014-09-01

    In recent decades, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been pronounced as a branch of computer science to model wide range of hydrological phenomena. A number of researches have been still comparing these techniques in order to find more effective approaches in terms of accuracy and applicability. In this study, we examined the ability of linear genetic programming (LGP) technique to model successive-station monthly streamflow process, as an applied alternative for streamflow prediction. A comparative efficiency study between LGP and three different artificial neural network algorithms, namely feed forward back propagation (FFBP), generalized regression neural networks (GRNN), and radial basis function (RBF), has also been presented in this study. For this aim, firstly, we put forward six different successive-station monthly streamflow prediction scenarios subjected to training by LGP and FFBP using the field data recorded at two gauging stations on Çoruh River, Turkey. Based on Nash-Sutcliffe and root mean squared error measures, we then compared the efficiency of these techniques and selected the best prediction scenario. Eventually, GRNN and RBF algorithms were utilized to restructure the selected scenario and to compare with corresponding FFBP and LGP. Our results indicated the promising role of LGP for successive-station monthly streamflow prediction providing more accurate results than those of all the ANN algorithms. We found an explicit LGP-based expression evolved by only the basic arithmetic functions as the best prediction model for the river, which uses the records of the both target and upstream stations.

  12. Relations between Parent Psychopathology, Family Functioning, and Adolescent Problems in Substance-Abusing Families: Disaggregating the Effects of Parent Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burstein, Marcy; Stanger, Catherine; Dumenci, Levent

    2012-01-01

    The present study: (1) examined relations between parent psychopathology and adolescent internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and substance use in substance-abusing families; and (2) tested family functioning problems as mediators of these relations. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the independent effects of parent…

  13. 47 CFR 90.813 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... defined by coordinate points at every 3 degrees along the partitioned service area unless an FCC... disaggregation. (c) Installment payments—(1) Apportioning the balance on installment payment plans. When a... partitions its licensed area or disaggregates spectrum to another party, the outstanding balance owed by the...

  14. 47 CFR 27.805 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1.4 GHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  15. 47 CFR 27.904 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1670-1675 MHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  16. 47 CFR 27.904 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1670-1675 MHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  17. 47 CFR 27.805 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1.4 GHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  18. 47 CFR 27.805 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1.4 GHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  19. 47 CFR 22.948 - Partitioning and Disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... partition or disaggregate their spectrum to other qualified entities. (2) Partitioning. During the five year... obtaining disaggregated spectrum may only use such spectrum in that portion of the cellular market encompassed by the original licensee's CGSA and may not use such spectrum to provide service to unserved...

  20. 47 CFR 27.805 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1.4 GHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  1. 47 CFR 22.948 - Partitioning and Disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... partition or disaggregate their spectrum to other qualified entities. (2) Partitioning. During the five year... obtaining disaggregated spectrum may only use such spectrum in that portion of the cellular market encompassed by the original licensee's CGSA and may not use such spectrum to provide service to unserved...

  2. 47 CFR 27.904 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1670-1675 MHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  3. 47 CFR 27.904 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1670-1675 MHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  4. 47 CFR 22.948 - Partitioning and Disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... partition or disaggregate their spectrum to other qualified entities. (2) Partitioning. During the five year... obtaining disaggregated spectrum may only use such spectrum in that portion of the cellular market encompassed by the original licensee's CGSA and may not use such spectrum to provide service to unserved...

  5. 47 CFR 22.948 - Partitioning and Disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... partition or disaggregate their spectrum to other qualified entities. (2) Partitioning. During the five year... obtaining disaggregated spectrum may only use such spectrum in that portion of the cellular market encompassed by the original licensee's CGSA and may not use such spectrum to provide service to unserved...

  6. 47 CFR 27.904 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1670-1675 MHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  7. 47 CFR 27.805 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Geographic partitioning and spectrum... partitioning and spectrum disaggregation. An entity that acquires a portion of a 1.4 GHz band licensee's geographic area or spectrum subject to a geographic partitioning or spectrum disaggregation agreement under...

  8. Effects of sediment transport on survival of salmonid embryos in a natural stream: A simulation approach

    Treesearch

    Thomas E. Lisle; Jack Lewis

    1992-01-01

    A model is presented that simulates the effects of streamflow and sediment transport on survival of salmonid embryos incubating in spawning gravels in a natural channel. Components of the model include a 6-yr streamflow record, an empirical bed load-transport function, a relation between transport and infiltration of sandy bedload into a gravel bed, effects of fine-...

  9. Investigation of the complexity of streamflow fluctuations in a large heterogeneous lake catchment in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Xuchun; Xu, Chong-Yu; Li, Xianghu; Zhang, Qi

    2018-05-01

    The occurrence of flood and drought frequency is highly correlated with the temporal fluctuations of streamflow series; understanding of these fluctuations is essential for the improved modeling and statistical prediction of extreme changes in river basins. In this study, the complexity of daily streamflow fluctuations was investigated by using multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) in a large heterogeneous lake basin, the Poyang Lake basin in China, and the potential impacts of human activities were also explored. Major results indicate that the multifractality of streamflow fluctuations shows significant regional characteristics. In the study catchment, all the daily streamflow series present a strong long-range correlation with Hurst exponents bigger than 0.8. The q-order Hurst exponent h( q) of all the hydrostations can be characterized well by only two parameters: a (0.354 ≤ a ≤ 0.384) and b (0.627 ≤ b ≤ 0.677), with no pronounced differences. Singularity spectrum analysis pointed out that small fluctuations play a dominant role in all daily streamflow series. Our research also revealed that both the correlation properties and the broad probability density function (PDF) of hydrological series can be responsible for the multifractality of streamflow series that depends on watershed areas. In addition, we emphasized the relationship between watershed area and the estimated multifractal parameters, such as the Hurst exponent and fitted parameters a and b from the q-order Hurst exponent h( q). However, the relationship between the width of the singularity spectrum (Δ α) and watershed area is not clear. Further investigation revealed that increasing forest coverage and reservoir storage can effectively enhance the persistence of daily streamflow, decrease the hydrological complexity of large fluctuations, and increase the small fluctuations.

  10. 47 CFR 24.714 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties seeking approval for... § 24.839. (2) Broadband PCS licensees in spectrum blocks A, B, D, and E and broadband PCS C and F block...

  11. 47 CFR 24.714 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties seeking approval for... § 24.839. (2) Broadband PCS licensees in spectrum blocks A, B, D, and E and broadband PCS C and F block...

  12. 47 CFR 24.714 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties seeking approval for... § 24.839. (2) Broadband PCS licensees in spectrum blocks A, B, D, and E and broadband PCS C and F block...

  13. 47 CFR 24.714 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties seeking approval for... § 24.839. (2) Broadband PCS licensees in spectrum blocks A, B, D, and E and broadband PCS C and F block...

  14. 47 CFR 24.714 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Eligibility. (1) Parties seeking approval for... § 24.839. (2) Broadband PCS licensees in spectrum blocks A, B, D, and E and broadband PCS C and F block...

  15. Quantifying uncertainties in streamflow predictions through signature based inference of hydrological model parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fenicia, Fabrizio; Reichert, Peter; Kavetski, Dmitri; Albert, Calro

    2016-04-01

    The calibration of hydrological models based on signatures (e.g. Flow Duration Curves - FDCs) is often advocated as an alternative to model calibration based on the full time series of system responses (e.g. hydrographs). Signature based calibration is motivated by various arguments. From a conceptual perspective, calibration on signatures is a way to filter out errors that are difficult to represent when calibrating on the full time series. Such errors may for example occur when observed and simulated hydrographs are shifted, either on the "time" axis (i.e. left or right), or on the "streamflow" axis (i.e. above or below). These shifts may be due to errors in the precipitation input (time or amount), and if not properly accounted in the likelihood function, may cause biased parameter estimates (e.g. estimated model parameters that do not reproduce the recession characteristics of a hydrograph). From a practical perspective, signature based calibration is seen as a possible solution for making predictions in ungauged basins. Where streamflow data are not available, it may in fact be possible to reliably estimate streamflow signatures. Previous research has for example shown how FDCs can be reliably estimated at ungauged locations based on climatic and physiographic influence factors. Typically, the goal of signature based calibration is not the prediction of the signatures themselves, but the prediction of the system responses. Ideally, the prediction of system responses should be accompanied by a reliable quantification of the associated uncertainties. Previous approaches for signature based calibration, however, do not allow reliable estimates of streamflow predictive distributions. Here, we illustrate how the Bayesian approach can be employed to obtain reliable streamflow predictive distributions based on signatures. A case study is presented, where a hydrological model is calibrated on FDCs and additional signatures. We propose an approach where the likelihood function for the signatures is derived from the likelihood for streamflow (rather than using an "ad-hoc" likelihood for the signatures as done in previous approaches). This likelihood is not easily tractable analytically and we therefore cannot apply "simple" MCMC methods. This numerical problem is solved using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). Our result indicate that the proposed approach is suitable for producing reliable streamflow predictive distributions based on calibration to signature data. Moreover, our results provide indications on which signatures are more appropriate to represent the information content of the hydrograph.

  16. Actin cytoskeleton and exocytosis in rat melanotrophs.

    PubMed

    Chowdhury, Helana H; Popoff, Michel R; Zorec, Robert

    2000-01-01

    We monitored secretory activity of single rat melanotrophs by the patch-clamp membrane capacitance measurements (C m ). Secretory activity was stimulated by cytosol dialysis with a patch-pipette solution containing 1μM [Ca 2+ ] i . Actin cytoskeleton was disaggregated by pretreating cells with Clostridium spiroforme toxin, which specifically ADP-ribosylates cellular actin. The extent of cytoskeleton disaggregation was monitored by phalloidin immunostaining. The maximal rate of secretion increases two folds in toxin-treated cells in comparison to controls, whereas the extent of calcium-induced secretory response was similar to that obtained in the non-treated cells. The results show that the subcortical actin network attenuates the rate of secretory activity, which we interpret to reflect a barrier function of cytoskeleton for exocytosis.

  17. Actin cytoskeleton and exocytosis in rat melanotrophs.

    PubMed

    Chowdhury, H H; Popoff, M R; Zorec, R

    2000-01-01

    We monitored secretory activity of single rat melanotrophs by the patch-clamp membrane capacitance measurements (Cm). Secretory activity was stimulated by cytosol dialysis with a patch-pipette solution containing 1 microM [Ca2+]i. Actin cytoskeleton was disaggregated by pretreating cells with Clostridium spiroforme toxin, which specifically ADP-ribosylates cellular actin. The extent of cytoskeleton disaggregation was monitored by phalloidin immunostaining. The maximal rate of secretion increases two folds in toxin-treated cells in comparison to controls, whereas the extent of calcium-induced secretory response was similar to that obtained in the non-treated cells. The results show that the subcortical actin network attenuates the rate of secretory activity, which we interpret to reflect a barrier function of cytoskeleton for exocytosis.

  18. Selective Tree-ring Models: A Novel Method for Reconstructing Streamflow Using Tree Rings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foard, M. B.; Nelson, A. S.; Harley, G. L.

    2017-12-01

    Surface water is among the most instrumental and vulnerable resources in the Northwest United States (NW). Recent observations show that overall water quantity is declining in streams across the region, while extreme flooding events occur more frequently. Historical streamflow models inform probabilities of extreme flow events (flood or drought) by describing frequency and duration of past events. There are numerous examples of tree-rings being utilized to reconstruct streamflow in the NW. These models confirm that tree-rings are highly accurate at predicting streamflow, however there are many nuances that limit their applicability through time and space. For example, most models predict streamflow from hydrologically altered rivers (e.g. dammed, channelized) which may hinder our ability to predict natural prehistoric flow. They also have a tendency to over/under-predict extreme flow events. Moreover, they often neglect to capture the changing relationships between tree-growth and streamflow over time and space. To address these limitations, we utilized national tree-ring and streamflow archives to investigate the relationships between the growth of multiple coniferous species and free-flowing streams across the NW using novel species-and site-specific streamflow models - a term we coined"selective tree-ring models." Correlation function analysis and regression modeling were used to evaluate the strengths and directions of the flow-growth relationships. Species with significant relationships in the same direction were identified as strong candidates for selective models. Temporal and spatial patterns of these relationships were examined using running correlations and inverse distance weighting interpolation, respectively. Our early results indicate that (1) species adapted to extreme climates (e.g. hot-dry, cold-wet) exhibit the most consistent relationships across space, (2) these relationships weaken in locations with mild climatic variability, and (3) some species appear to be strong candidates for predicting high flow events, while others may be better at pridicting drought. These findings indicate that selective models may outperform traditional models when reconstructing distinctive aspects of streamflow.

  19. 47 CFR 80.60 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Except as specified in § 20.15(c) of this chapter with respect to... spectrum pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section. (2) AMTS geographic area licensees, see § 80...

  20. 47 CFR 80.60 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Except as specified in § 20.15(c) of this chapter with respect to... spectrum pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section. (2) AMTS geographic area licensees, see § 80...

  1. 47 CFR 80.60 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Except as specified in § 20.15(c) of this chapter with respect to... spectrum pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section. (2) AMTS geographic area licensees, see § 80...

  2. 47 CFR 80.60 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Except as specified in § 20.15(c) of this chapter with respect to... spectrum pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section. (2) AMTS geographic area licensees, see § 80...

  3. 47 CFR 80.60 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum... licenses and disaggregated spectrum. (a) Except as specified in § 20.15(c) of this chapter with respect to... spectrum pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section. (2) AMTS geographic area licensees, see § 80...

  4. Operational Plasticity Enables Hsp104 to Disaggregate Diverse Amyloid and Non-Amyloid Clients

    PubMed Central

    DeSantis, Morgan E.; Leung, Eunice H.; Sweeny, Elizabeth A.; Jackrel, Meredith E.; Cushman-Nick, Mimi; Neuhaus-Follini, Alexandra; Vashist, Shilpa; Sochor, Matthew A.; Knight, M. Noelle; Shorter, James

    2012-01-01

    Summary It is not understood how Hsp104, a hexameric AAA+ ATPase from yeast, disaggregates diverse structures including stress-induced aggregates, prions, and α-synuclein conformers connected to Parkinson disease. Here, we establish that Hsp104 hexamers adapt different mechanisms of intersubunit collaboration to disaggregate stress-induced aggregates versus amyloid. To resolve disordered aggregates, Hsp104 subunits collaborate non-co-operatively via probabilistic substrate binding and ATP hydrolysis. To disaggregate amyloid, several subunits co-operatively engage substrate and hydrolyze ATP. Importantly, Hsp104 variants with impaired intersubunit communication dissolve disordered aggregates but not amyloid. Unexpectedly, prokaryotic ClpB subunits collaborate differently than Hsp104 and couple probabilistic substrate binding to cooperative ATP hydrolysis, which enhances disordered aggregate dissolution but sensitizes ClpB to inhibition and diminishes amyloid disaggregation. Finally, we establish that Hsp104 hexamers deploy more subunits to disaggregate Sup35 prion strains with more stable ‘cross-β’ cores. Thus, operational plasticity enables Hsp104 to robustly dissolve amyloid and non-amyloid clients, which impose distinct mechanical demands. PMID:23141537

  5. Improving Streamflow Forecasts Using Predefined Sea Surface Temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalra, A.; Ahmad, S.

    2011-12-01

    With the increasing evidence of climate variability, water resources managers in the western United States are faced with greater challenges of developing long range streamflow forecast. This is further aggravated by the increases in climate extremes such as floods and drought caused by climate variability. Over the years, climatologists have identified several modes of climatic variability and their relationship with streamflow. These climate modes have the potential of being used as predictor in models for improving the streamflow lead time. With this as the motivation, the current research focuses on increasing the streamflow lead time using predefine climate indices. A data driven model i.e. Support Vector Machine (SVM) based on the statistical learning theory is used to predict annual streamflow volume 3-year in advance. The SVM model is a learning system that uses a hypothesis space of linear functions in a Kernel induced higher dimensional feature space, and is trained with a learning algorithm from the optimization theory. Annual oceanic-atmospheric indices, comprising of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), El Niño-Southern Oscillations (ENSO), and a new Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data set of "Hondo" Region for a period of 1906-2005 are used to generate annual streamflow volumes. The SVM model is applied to three gages i.e. Cisco, Green River, and Lees Ferry in the Upper Colorado River Basin in the western United States. Based on the performance measures the model shows very good forecasts, and the forecast are in good agreement with measured streamflow volumes. Previous research has identified NAO and ENSO as main drivers for extending streamflow forecast lead-time in the UCRB. Inclusion of "Hondo Region" SST information further improve the model's forecasting ability. The overall results of this study revealed that the annual streamflow of the UCRB is significantly influenced by predefine climate modes and the proposed SVM modeling technique incorporating oceanic-atmospheric oscillations is expected to be useful to water managers in the long-term management of the water resources within the UCRB.

  6. Water quality, streamflow conditions, and annual flow-duration curves for streams of the San Juan–Chama Project, southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, 1935-2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Falk, Sarah E.; Anderholm, Scott K.; Hafich, Katya A.

    2013-01-01

    The Albuquerque–Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority supplements the municipal water supply for the Albuquerque metropolitan area, in central New Mexico, with water diverted from the Rio Grande. Water diverted from the Rio Grande for municipal use is derived from the San Juan–Chama Project, which delivers water from streams in the southern San Juan Mountains in the Colorado River Basin in southern Colorado to the Rio Chama watershed and the Rio Grande Basin in northern New Mexico. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Albuquerque–Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, has compiled historical streamflow and water-quality data and collected new water-quality data to characterize the water quality and streamflow conditions and annual flow variability, as characterized by annual flow-duration curves, of streams of the San Juan–Chama Project. Nonparametric statistical methods were applied to calculate annual and monthly summary statistics of streamflow, trends in streamflow conditions were evaluated with the Mann–Kendall trend test, and annual variation in streamflow conditions was evaluated with annual flow-duration curves. The study area is located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado and includes the Rio Blanco, Little Navajo River, and Navajo River, tributaries of the San Juan River in the Colorado River Basin located in the southern San Juan Mountains, and Willow Creek and Horse Lake Creek, tributaries of the Rio Chama in the Rio Grande Basin. The quality of water in the streams in the study area generally varied by watershed on the basis of the underlying geology and the volume and source of the streamflow. Water from the Rio Blanco and Little Navajo River watersheds, primarily underlain by volcanic deposits, volcaniclastic sediments and landslide deposits derived from these materials, was compositionally similar and had low specific-conductance values relative to the other streams in the study area. Water from the Navajo River, Horse Lake Creek, and Willow Creek watersheds, which are underlain mostly by Cretaceous-aged marine shale, was compositionally similar and had large concentrations of sulfate relative to the other streams in the study area, though the water from the Navajo River had lower specific-conductance values than did the water from Horse Lake Creek above Heron Reservoir and Willow Creek above Azotea Creek. Generally, surface-water quality varied with streamflow conditions throughout the year. Streamflow in spring and summer is generally a mixture of base flow (the component of streamflow derived from groundwater discharged to the stream channel) diluted with runoff from snowmelt and precipitation events, whereas streamflow in fall and winter is generally solely base flow. Major- and trace-element concentrations in the streams sampled were lower than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency primary and secondary drinking-water standards and New Mexico Environment Department surface-water standards for the streams. In general, years with increased annual discharge, compared to years with decreased annual discharge, had a smaller percentage of discharge in March, a larger percentage of discharge in June, an interval of discharge derived from snowmelt runoff that occurred later in the year, and a larger discharge in June. Additionally, years with increased annual discharge generally had a longer duration of runoff, and the streamflow indicators occurred at dates later in the year than the years with less snowmelt runoff. Additionally, the seasonal distribution of streamflow was more strongly controlled by the change in the amount of annual discharge than by changes in streamflow over time. The variation of streamflow conditions over time at one streamflow-gaging station in the study area, Navajo River at Banded Peak Ranch, was not significantly monotonic over the period of record with a Kendall’s tau of 0.0426 and with a p-value of 0.5938 for 1937 to 2009 (a trend was considered statistically significant at a p-value ≤ 0.05). There was a relation, however, such that annual discharge was generally lower than the median during a negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation interval and higher than the median during a positive Pacific Decadal Oscillation interval. Streamflow conditions at Navajo River at Banded Peak Ranch varied nonmonotonically over time and were likely a function of complex climate pattern interactions. Similarly, the monthly distribution of streamflow varied nonmonotonically over time and was likely a function of complex climate pattern interactions that cause variation over time. Study results indicated that the median of the sum of the streamflow available above the minimum monthly bypass requirement from Rio Blanco, Little Navajo River, and Navajo River was 126,240 acre-feet. The results also indicated that diversion of water for the San Juan–Chama Project has been possible for most months of most years.

  7. The effects of selective logging on low flows and water yield in a coastal stream in northern California

    Treesearch

    Elizabeth T. Keppeler

    1986-01-01

    Abstract - Using a low flow season defined as a function of antecedent precipitation, streamflow data for a 21 year period was analyzed to determine the effects of selective tractor harvesting of second-growth Douglas-fir and redwood forest on the volume, timing, and duration of low flows and annual water yield. Significant increases in streamflow were detected for...

  8. A Peltier-based freeze-thaw device for meteorite disaggregation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogliore, R. C.

    2018-02-01

    A Peltier-based freeze-thaw device for the disaggregation of meteorite or other rock samples is described. Meteorite samples are kept in six water-filled cavities inside a thin-walled Al block. This block is held between two Peltier coolers that are automatically cycled between cooling and warming. One cycle takes approximately 20 min. The device can run unattended for months, allowing for ˜10 000 freeze-thaw cycles that will disaggregate meteorites even with relatively low porosity. This device was used to disaggregate ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite regoltih breccia meteorites to search for micrometeoroid impact craters.

  9. Heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 is an activator of the Hsp104 motor.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jungsoon; Kim, Ji-Hyun; Biter, Amadeo B; Sielaff, Bernhard; Lee, Sukyeong; Tsai, Francis T F

    2013-05-21

    Heat shock protein (Hsp) 104 is a ring-forming, protein-remodeling machine that harnesses the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to drive protein disaggregation. Although Hsp104 is an active ATPase, the recovery of functional protein requires the species-specific cooperation of the Hsp70 system. However, like Hsp104, Hsp70 is an active ATPase, which recognizes aggregated and aggregation-prone proteins, making it difficult to differentiate the mechanistic roles of Hsp104 and Hsp70 during protein disaggregation. Mapping the Hsp70-binding sites in yeast Hsp104 using peptide array technology and photo-cross-linking revealed a striking conservation of the primary Hsp70-binding motifs on the Hsp104 middle-domain across species, despite lack of sequence identity. Remarkably, inserting a Strep-Tactin binding motif at the spatially conserved Hsp70-binding site elicits the Hsp104 protein disaggregating activity that now depends on Strep-Tactin but no longer requires Hsp70/40. Consistent with a Strep-Tactin-dependent activation step, we found that full-length Hsp70 on its own could activate the Hsp104 hexamer by promoting intersubunit coordination, suggesting that Hsp70 is an activator of the Hsp104 motor.

  10. Statistical downscaling of GCM simulations to streamflow using relevance vector machine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, Subimal; Mujumdar, P. P.

    2008-01-01

    General circulation models (GCMs), the climate models often used in assessing the impact of climate change, operate on a coarse scale and thus the simulation results obtained from GCMs are not particularly useful in a comparatively smaller river basin scale hydrology. The article presents a methodology of statistical downscaling based on sparse Bayesian learning and Relevance Vector Machine (RVM) to model streamflow at river basin scale for monsoon period (June, July, August, September) using GCM simulated climatic variables. NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data have been used for training the model to establish a statistical relationship between streamflow and climatic variables. The relationship thus obtained is used to project the future streamflow from GCM simulations. The statistical methodology involves principal component analysis, fuzzy clustering and RVM. Different kernel functions are used for comparison purpose. The model is applied to Mahanadi river basin in India. The results obtained using RVM are compared with those of state-of-the-art Support Vector Machine (SVM) to present the advantages of RVMs over SVMs. A decreasing trend is observed for monsoon streamflow of Mahanadi due to high surface warming in future, with the CCSR/NIES GCM and B2 scenario.

  11. Disaggregating Qualitative Data from Asian American College Students in Campus Racial Climate Research and Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Museus, Samuel D.; Truong, Kimberly A.

    2009-01-01

    This article highlights the utility of disaggregating qualitative research and assessment data on Asian American college students. Given the complexity of and diversity within the Asian American population, scholars have begun to underscore the importance of disaggregating data in the empirical examination of Asian Americans, but most of those…

  12. A statistical approach for isolating fossil fuel emissions in atmospheric inverse problems

    DOE PAGES

    Yadav, Vineet; Michalak, Anna M.; Ray, Jaideep; ...

    2016-10-27

    We study independent verification and quantification of fossil fuel (FF) emissions that constitutes a considerable scientific challenge. By coupling atmospheric observations of CO 2 with models of atmospheric transport, inverse models offer the possibility of overcoming this challenge. However, disaggregating the biospheric and FF flux components of terrestrial fluxes from CO 2 concentration measurements has proven to be difficult, due to observational and modeling limitations. In this study, we propose a statistical inverse modeling scheme for disaggregating winter time fluxes on the basis of their unique error covariances and covariates, where these covariances and covariates are representative of the underlyingmore » processes affecting FF and biospheric fluxes. The application of the method is demonstrated with one synthetic and two real data prototypical inversions by using in situ CO 2 measurements over North America. Also, inversions are performed only for the month of January, as predominance of biospheric CO 2 signal relative to FF CO 2 signal and observational limitations preclude disaggregation of the fluxes in other months. The quality of disaggregation is assessed primarily through examination of a posteriori covariance between disaggregated FF and biospheric fluxes at regional scales. Findings indicate that the proposed method is able to robustly disaggregate fluxes regionally at monthly temporal resolution with a posteriori cross covariance lower than 0.15 µmol m -2 s -1 between FF and biospheric fluxes. Error covariance models and covariates based on temporally varying FF inventory data provide a more robust disaggregation over static proxies (e.g., nightlight intensity and population density). However, the synthetic data case study shows that disaggregation is possible even in absence of detailed temporally varying FF inventory data.« less

  13. Disaggregation induced solvatochromic switch: A study of dansylated polyglycerol dendrons in binary solvent mixture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subuddhi, Usharani; Vuram, Prasanna K.; Chadha, Anju; Mishra, Ashok K.

    2014-07-01

    A reversal in solvatochromic behaviour was observed in second and third generation glycerol based dansylated polyether dendrons in water on addition of a second solvent like methanol or acetonitrile. Below a certain percentage of the nonaqueous solvent there is a negative-solvatochromism observed and above that there is a switch to positive-solvatochromism. The negative-solvatochromism is attributed to the progressive disaggregation of the dendron aggregates by the nonaqueous solvent component. Once the disaggregation process is complete, positive-solvatochromism is exhibited by the dendron monomers. Higher the hydrophobicity of the dendron more is the amount of the second solvent required for disaggregation.

  14. Command Disaggregation Attack and Mitigation in Industrial Internet of Things

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Pei-Dong; Hu, Yi-Fan; Cui, Peng-Shuai; Zhang, Yan

    2017-01-01

    A cyber-physical attack in the industrial Internet of Things can cause severe damage to physical system. In this paper, we focus on the command disaggregation attack, wherein attackers modify disaggregated commands by intruding command aggregators like programmable logic controllers, and then maliciously manipulate the physical process. It is necessary to investigate these attacks, analyze their impact on the physical process, and seek effective detection mechanisms. We depict two different types of command disaggregation attack modes: (1) the command sequence is disordered and (2) disaggregated sub-commands are allocated to wrong actuators. We describe three attack models to implement these modes with going undetected by existing detection methods. A novel and effective framework is provided to detect command disaggregation attacks. The framework utilizes the correlations among two-tier command sequences, including commands from the output of central controller and sub-commands from the input of actuators, to detect attacks before disruptions occur. We have designed components of the framework and explain how to mine and use these correlations to detect attacks. We present two case studies to validate different levels of impact from various attack models and the effectiveness of the detection framework. Finally, we discuss how to enhance the detection framework. PMID:29065461

  15. Command Disaggregation Attack and Mitigation in Industrial Internet of Things.

    PubMed

    Xun, Peng; Zhu, Pei-Dong; Hu, Yi-Fan; Cui, Peng-Shuai; Zhang, Yan

    2017-10-21

    A cyber-physical attack in the industrial Internet of Things can cause severe damage to physical system. In this paper, we focus on the command disaggregation attack, wherein attackers modify disaggregated commands by intruding command aggregators like programmable logic controllers, and then maliciously manipulate the physical process. It is necessary to investigate these attacks, analyze their impact on the physical process, and seek effective detection mechanisms. We depict two different types of command disaggregation attack modes: (1) the command sequence is disordered and (2) disaggregated sub-commands are allocated to wrong actuators. We describe three attack models to implement these modes with going undetected by existing detection methods. A novel and effective framework is provided to detect command disaggregation attacks. The framework utilizes the correlations among two-tier command sequences, including commands from the output of central controller and sub-commands from the input of actuators, to detect attacks before disruptions occur. We have designed components of the framework and explain how to mine and use these correlations to detect attacks. We present two case studies to validate different levels of impact from various attack models and the effectiveness of the detection framework. Finally, we discuss how to enhance the detection framework.

  16. Documentation of a computer program to simulate stream-aquifer relations using a modular, finite-difference, ground-water flow model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prudic, David E.

    1989-01-01

    Computer models are widely used to simulate groundwater flow for evaluating and managing the groundwater resource of many aquifers, but few are designed to also account for surface flow in streams. A computer program was written for use in the US Geological Survey modular finite difference groundwater flow model to account for the amount of flow in streams and to simulate the interaction between surface streams and groundwater. The new program is called the Streamflow-Routing Package. The Streamflow-Routing Package is not a true surface water flow model, but rather is an accounting program that tracks the flow in one or more streams which interact with groundwater. The program limits the amount of groundwater recharge to the available streamflow. It permits two or more streams to merge into one with flow in the merged stream equal to the sum of the tributary flows. The program also permits diversions from streams. The groundwater flow model with the Streamflow-Routing Package has an advantage over the analytical solution in simulating the interaction between aquifer and stream because it can be used to simulate complex systems that cannot be readily solved analytically. The Streamflow-Routing Package does not include a time function for streamflow but rather streamflow entering the modeled area is assumed to be instantly available to downstream reaches during each time period. This assumption is generally reasonable because of the relatively slow rate of groundwater flow. Another assumption is that leakage between streams and aquifers is instantaneous. This assumption may not be reasonable if the streams and aquifers are separated by a thick unsaturated zone. Documentation of the Streamflow-Routing Package includes data input instructions; flow charts, narratives, and listings of the computer program for each of four modules; and input data sets and printed results for two test problems, and one example problem. (Lantz-PTT)

  17. Effect of Streamflow Forecast Uncertainty on Real-Time Reservoir Operation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, T.; Cai, X.; Yang, D.

    2010-12-01

    Various hydrological forecast products have been applied to real-time reservoir operation, including deterministic streamflow forecast (DSF), DSF-based probabilistic streamflow forecast (DPSF), and ensemble streamflow forecast (ESF), which represent forecast uncertainty in the form of deterministic forecast error, deterministic forecast error-based uncertainty distribution, and ensemble forecast errors, respectively. Compared to previous studies that treat these forecast products as ad hoc inputs for reservoir operation models, this paper attempts to model the uncertainties involved in the various forecast products and explores their effect on real-time reservoir operation decisions. In hydrology, there are various indices reflecting the magnitude of streamflow forecast uncertainty; meanwhile, few models illustrate the forecast uncertainty evolution process. This research introduces Martingale Model of Forecast Evolution (MMFE) from supply chain management and justifies its assumptions for quantifying the evolution of uncertainty in streamflow forecast as time progresses. Based on MMFE, this research simulates the evolution of forecast uncertainty in DSF, DPSF, and ESF, and applies the reservoir operation models (dynamic programming, DP; stochastic dynamic programming, SDP; and standard operation policy, SOP) to assess the effect of different forms of forecast uncertainty on real-time reservoir operation. Through a hypothetical single-objective real-time reservoir operation model, the results illustrate that forecast uncertainty exerts significant effects. Reservoir operation efficiency, as measured by a utility function, decreases as the forecast uncertainty increases. Meanwhile, these effects also depend on the type of forecast product being used. In general, the utility of reservoir operation with ESF is nearly as high as the utility obtained with a perfect forecast; the utilities of DSF and DPSF are similar to each other but not as efficient as ESF. Moreover, streamflow variability and reservoir capacity can change the magnitude of the effects of forecast uncertainty, but not the relative merit of DSF, DPSF, and ESF. Schematic diagram of the increase in forecast uncertainty with forecast lead-time and the dynamic updating property of real-time streamflow forecast

  18. 21st Century Projections of High Streamflow Events in the UK and Germany

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cioffi, Francesco; Rosario Conticello, Federico; Lall, Upmanu; Merz, Bruno

    2017-04-01

    Radiative effects of anthropogenic changes in atmospheric composition are expected to enhance the hydrological cycle leading to more frequent and intense floods. To explore if there will be an increased risk of river flooding in the future, 21st century projections under global warming scenarios of High Streamflow Events (HSEs) for UK and German rivers are carried out, using a model that statistically relates large-scale atmospheric predictors - 850 hPa Geopotential Height (GPH850) and Integrated Water Vapor Transport (IVT) - to the occurrence of HSEs in one or simultaneously in several streamflow gauges. Here, HSE is defined as the streamflow exceeding the 99th percentile of daily flowrate time series measured at streamflow gauges. For the common period 1960-2012, historical data from 57 streamflow gauges in UK and 61 streamflow gauges in Germany, as well as, reanalysis data of GPH850 and IVT fields, bounded from 90W to 70E and from 20N to 80N are used. The link between GPH850 configurations and HSEs, and more precisely, identification of the GPH850 states potentially able to generate HSEs, is performed by a combined Kohonen Networks (Self Organized Map, SOM) and Event Syncronization approach. Complex network and modularity methods are used to cluster streamflow gauges that share common GPH850 configurations. Then a model based on a conditional Poisson distribution, in which the parameter of the Poisson distribution is assumed to be a nonlinear function of GPH850 and IVT, allows for the identification of GPH850 state and threshold of IVT beyond which there is the HSE highest probability. Using that model, projections of 21st century changes in frequency of HSEs occurrence in UK and Germany are estimated using the simulated fields of GPH850 and IVT from selected GCMs belonging to the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Among the different GCMs, those are selected whose retrospective predictor fields have consistent statistics with the corresponding reanalysis data.

  19. THE EXPRESSION OF MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS IN URBAN FORESTED WETLANDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Forested wetlands in metropolitan areas function to support biodiversity, protect water quality, store floodwaters, and maintain streamflow, but they also function to provide natural areas for passive recreation, education, and esthetic appreciation for the surrounding human popu...

  20. Quantitative predictions of streamflow variability in the Susquehanna River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alexander, R.; Boyer, E. W.; Leonard, L. N.; Duffy, C.; Schwarz, G. E.; Smith, R. A.

    2012-12-01

    Hydrologic researchers and water managers have increasingly sought an improved understanding of the major processes that control fluxes of water and solutes across diverse environmental settings and large spatial scales. Regional analyses of observed streamflow data have led to advances in our knowledge of relations among land use, climate, and streamflow, with methodologies ranging from statistical assessments of multiple monitoring sites to the regionalization of the parameters of catchment-scale mechanistic simulation models. However, gaps remain in our understanding of the best ways to transfer the knowledge of hydrologic response and governing processes among locations, including methods for regionalizing streamflow measurements and model predictions. We developed an approach to predict variations in streamflow using the SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) modeling infrastructure, with mechanistic functions, mass conservation constraints, and statistical estimation of regional and sub-regional parameters. We used the model to predict discharge in the Susquehanna River Basin (SRB) under varying hydrological regimes that are representative of contemporary flow conditions. The resulting basin-scale water balance describes mean monthly flows in stream reaches throughout the entire SRB (represented at a 1:100,000 scale using the National Hydrologic Data network), with water supply and demand components that are inclusive of a range of hydrologic, climatic, and cultural properties (e.g., precipitation, evapotranspiration, soil and groundwater storage, runoff, baseflow, water use). We compare alternative models of varying complexity that reflect differences in the number and types of explanatory variables and functional expressions as well as spatial and temporal variability in the model parameters. Statistical estimation of the models reveals the levels of complexity that can be uniquely identified, subject to the information content and uncertainties of the hydrologic and climate measurements. Assessment of spatial variations in the model parameters and predictions provides an improved understanding of how much of the hydrologic response to land use, climate, and other properties is unique to specific locations versus more universally observed across catchments of the SRB. This approach advances understanding of water cycle variability at any location throughout the stream network, as a function of both landscape characteristics (e.g., soils, vegetation, land use) and external forcings (e.g., precipitation quantity and frequency). These improvements in predictions of streamflow dynamics will advance the ability to predict spatial and temporal variability in key solutes, such as nutrients, and their delivery to the Chesapeake Bay.

  1. Quantifying mountain block recharge by means of catchment-scale storage-discharge relationships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajami, Hoori; Troch, Peter A.; Maddock, Thomas, III; Meixner, Thomas; Eastoe, Chris

    2011-04-01

    Despite the importance of mountainous catchments for providing freshwater resources, especially in semi-arid regions, little is known about key hydrological processes such as mountain block recharge (MBR). Here we implement a data-based method informed by isotopic data to quantify MBR rates using recession flow analysis. We applied our hybrid method in a semi-arid sky island catchment in southern Arizona, United States. Sabino Creek is a 91 km2 catchment with its sources near the summit of the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson. Southern Arizona's climate has two distinct wet seasons separated by prolonged dry periods. Winter frontal storms (November-March) provide about 50% of annual precipitation, and summers are dominated by monsoon convective storms from July to September. Isotope analyses of springs and surface water in the Sabino Creek catchment indicate that streamflow during dry periods is derived from groundwater storage in fractured bedrock. Storage-discharge relationships are derived from recession flow analysis to estimate changes in storage during wet periods. To provide reliable estimates, several corrections and improvements to classic base flow recession analysis are considered. These corrections and improvements include adaptive time stepping, data binning, and the choice of storage-discharge functions. Our analysis shows that (1) incorporating adaptive time steps to correct for streamflow measurement errors improves the coefficient of determination, (2) the quantile method is best for streamflow data binning, (3) the choice of the regression model is critical when the stage-discharge function is used to predict changes in bedrock storage beyond the maximum observed flow in the catchment, and (4) the use of daily or night-time hourly streamflow does not affect the form of the storage-discharge relationship but will impact MBR estimates because of differences in the observed range of streamflow in each series.

  2. An Analysis of Costs in Institutions of Higher Education in England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnes, Geraint; Johnes, Jill; Thanassoulis, Emmanuel

    2008-01-01

    Cost functions are estimated, using random effects and stochastic frontier methods, for English higher education institutions. The article advances on existing literature by employing finer disaggregation by subject, institution type and location, and by introducing consideration of quality effects. Estimates are provided of average incremental…

  3. Manpower Theory and Policy and the Residual Occupational Elasticity of Substitution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rostker, Bernard Daniel

    By developing the short-run policy implications of a structurally disaggregated labor market, this study attempts to show that fiscal and manpower policies are complementary means to achieve full employment. Using a constant elasticity of substitution production function, the study demonstrates mathematically that the smaller the residual…

  4. Disaggregation Of Passive Microwave Soil Moisture For Use In Watershed Hydrology Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Bin

    In recent years the passive microwave remote sensing has been providing soil moisture products using instruments on board satellite/airborne platforms. Spatial resolution has been restricted by the diameter of antenna which is inversely proportional to resolution. As a result, typical products have a spatial resolution of tens of kilometers, which is not compatible for some hydrological research applications. For this reason, the dissertation explores three disaggregation algorithms that estimate L-band passive microwave soil moisture at the subpixel level by using high spatial resolution remote sensing products from other optical and radar instruments were proposed and implemented in this investigation. The first technique utilized a thermal inertia theory to establish a relationship between daily temperature change and average soil moisture modulated by the vegetation condition was developed by using NLDAS, AVHRR, SPOT and MODIS data were applied to disaggregate the 25 km AMSR-E soil moisture to 1 km in Oklahoma. The second algorithm was built on semi empirical physical models (NP89 and LP92) derived from numerical experiments between soil evaporation efficiency and soil moisture over the surface skin sensing depth (a few millimeters) by using simulated soil temperature derived from MODIS and NLDAS as well as AMSR-E soil moisture at 25 km to disaggregate the coarse resolution soil moisture to 1 km in Oklahoma. The third algorithm modeled the relationship between the change in co-polarized radar backscatter and the remotely sensed microwave change in soil moisture retrievals and assumed that change in soil moisture was a function of only the canopy opacity. The change detection algorithm was implemented using aircraft based the remote sensing data from PALS and UAVSAR that were collected in SMPAVEX12 in southern Manitoba, Canada. The PALS L-band h-polarization radiometer soil moisture retrievals were disaggregated by combining them with the PALS and UAVSAR L-band hh-polarization radar spatial resolutions of 1500 m and 5 m/800 m, respectively. All three algorithms were validated using ground measurements from network in situ stations or handheld hydra probes. The validation results demonstrate the practicability on coarse resolution passive microwave soil moisture products.

  5. Tropical Montane Cloud Forests: Hydrometeorological variability in three neighbouring catchments with different forest cover

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramírez, Beatriz H.; Teuling, Adriaan J.; Ganzeveld, Laurens; Hegger, Zita; Leemans, Rik

    2017-09-01

    Mountain areas are characterized by a large heterogeneity in hydrological and meteorological conditions. This heterogeneity is currently poorly represented by gauging networks and by the coarse scale of global and regional climate and hydrological models. Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCFs) are found in a narrow elevation range and are characterized by persistent fog. Their water balance depends on local and upwind temperatures and moisture, therefore, changes in these parameters will alter TMCF hydrology. Until recently the hydrological functioning of TMCFs was mainly studied in coastal regions, while continental TMCFs were largely ignored. This study contributes to fill this gap by focusing on a TMCF which is located on the northern eastern Andes at an elevation of 1550-2300 m asl, in the Orinoco river basin highlands. In this study, we describe the spatial and seasonal meteorological variability, analyse the corresponding catchment hydrological response to different land cover, and perform a sensitivity analysis on uncertainties related to rainfall interpolation, catchment area estimation and streamflow measurements. Hydro-meteorological measurements, including hourly solar radiation, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation, soil moisture and streamflow, were collected from June 2013 to May 2014 at three gauged neighbouring catchments with contrasting TMCF/grassland cover and less than 250 m elevation difference. We found wetter and less seasonally contrasting conditions at higher elevations, indicating a positive relation between elevation and fog or rainfall persistence. This pattern is similar to that of other eastern Andean TMCFs, however, the study site had higher wet season rainfall and lower dry season rainfall suggesting that upwind contrasts in land cover and moisture can influence the meteorological conditions at eastern Andean TMCFs. Contrasting streamflow dynamics between the studied catchments reflect the overall system response as a function of the catchments' elevation and land cover. The forested catchment, located at the higher elevations, had the highest seasonal streamflows. During the wet season, different land covers at the lower elevations were important in defining the streamflow responses between the deforested catchment and the catchment with intermediate forest cover. Streamflows were higher and the rainfall-runoff responses were faster in the deforested catchment than in the intermediate forest cover catchment. During the dry season, the catchments' elevation defined streamflows due to higher water inputs and lower evaporative demand at the higher elevations.

  6. Estimation of selected streamflow statistics for a network of low-flow partial-record stations in areas affected by Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in Maryland

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ries, Kernell G.; Eng, Ken

    2010-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of the Environment, operated a network of 20 low-flow partial-record stations during 2008 in a region that extends from southwest of Baltimore to the northeastern corner of Maryland to obtain estimates of selected streamflow statistics at the station locations. The study area is expected to face a substantial influx of new residents and businesses as a result of military and civilian personnel transfers associated with the Federal Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005. The estimated streamflow statistics, which include monthly 85-percent duration flows, the 10-year recurrence-interval minimum base flow, and the 7-day, 10-year low flow, are needed to provide a better understanding of the availability of water resources in the area to be affected by base-realignment activities. Streamflow measurements collected for this study at the low-flow partial-record stations and measurements collected previously for 8 of the 20 stations were related to concurrent daily flows at nearby index streamgages to estimate the streamflow statistics. Three methods were used to estimate the streamflow statistics and two methods were used to select the index streamgages. Of the three methods used to estimate the streamflow statistics, two of them--the Moments and MOVE1 methods--rely on correlating the streamflow measurements at the low-flow partial-record stations with concurrent streamflows at nearby, hydrologically similar index streamgages to determine the estimates. These methods, recommended for use by the U.S. Geological Survey, generally require about 10 streamflow measurements at the low-flow partial-record station. The third method transfers the streamflow statistics from the index streamgage to the partial-record station based on the average of the ratios of the measured streamflows at the partial-record station to the concurrent streamflows at the index streamgage. This method can be used with as few as one pair of streamflow measurements made on a single streamflow recession at the low-flow partial-record station, although additional pairs of measurements will increase the accuracy of the estimates. Errors associated with the two correlation methods generally were lower than the errors associated with the flow-ratio method, but the advantages of the flow-ratio method are that it can produce reasonably accurate estimates from streamflow measurements much faster and at lower cost than estimates obtained using the correlation methods. The two index-streamgage selection methods were (1) selection based on the highest correlation coefficient between the low-flow partial-record station and the index streamgages, and (2) selection based on Euclidean distance, where the Euclidean distance was computed as a function of geographic proximity and the basin characteristics: drainage area, percentage of forested area, percentage of impervious area, and the base-flow recession time constant, t. Method 1 generally selected index streamgages that were significantly closer to the low-flow partial-record stations than method 2. The errors associated with the estimated streamflow statistics generally were lower for method 1 than for method 2, but the differences were not statistically significant. The flow-ratio method for estimating streamflow statistics at low-flow partial-record stations was shown to be independent from the two correlation-based estimation methods. As a result, final estimates were determined for eight low-flow partial-record stations by weighting estimates from the flow-ratio method with estimates from one of the two correlation methods according to the respective variances of the estimates. Average standard errors of estimate for the final estimates ranged from 90.0 to 7.0 percent, with an average value of 26.5 percent. Average standard errors of estimate for the weighted estimates were, on average, 4.3 percent less than the best average standard errors of estima

  7. Parameterisation of rainfall-runoff models for forecasting low and average flows, I: Conceptual modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castiglioni, S.; Toth, E.

    2009-04-01

    In the calibration procedure of continuously-simulating models, the hydrologist has to choose which part of the observed hydrograph is most important to fit, either implicitly, through the visual agreement in manual calibration, or explicitly, through the choice of the objective function(s). Changing the objective functions it is in fact possible to emphasise different kind of errors, giving them more weight in the calibration phase. The objective functions used for calibrating hydrological models are generally of the quadratic type (mean squared error, correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, etc) and are therefore oversensitive to high and extreme error values, that typically correspond to high and extreme streamflow values. This is appropriate when, like in the majority of streamflow forecasting applications, the focus is on the ability to reproduce potentially dangerous flood events; on the contrary, if the aim of the modelling is the reproduction of low and average flows, as it is the case in water resource management problems, this may result in a deterioration of the forecasting performance. This contribution presents the results of a series of automatic calibration experiments of a continuously-simulating rainfall-runoff model applied over several real-world case-studies, where the objective function is chosen so to highlight the fit of average and low flows. In this work a simple conceptual model will be used, of the lumped type, with a relatively low number of parameters to be calibrated. The experiments will be carried out for a set of case-study watersheds in Central Italy, covering an extremely wide range of geo-morphologic conditions and for whom at least five years of contemporary daily series of streamflow, precipitation and evapotranspiration estimates are available. Different objective functions will be tested in calibration and the results will be compared, over validation data, against those obtained with traditional squared functions. A companion work presents the results, over the same case-study watersheds and observation periods, of a system-theoretic model, again calibrated for reproducing average and low streamflows.

  8. HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plans of Sub-Saharan African countries: an analysis for gender equality and sex-disaggregated HIV targets

    PubMed Central

    Sherwood, Jennifer; Sharp, Alana; Cooper, Bergen; Roose-Snyder, Beirne; Blumenthal, Susan

    2017-01-01

    Abstract National Strategic Plans (NSPs) for HIV/AIDS are country planning documents that set priorities for programmes and services, including a set of targets to quantify progress toward national and international goals. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets and targets to combat gender inequality is important given the high disease burden among young women and adolescent girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet no comprehensive gender-focused analysis of NSP targets has been performed. This analysis quantitatively evaluates national HIV targets, included in NSPs from eighteen Sub-Saharan African countries, for sex-disaggregation. Additionally, NSP targets aimed at reducing gender-based inequality in health outcomes are compiled and inductively coded to report common themes. On average, in the eighteen countries included in this analysis, 31% of NSP targets include sex-disaggregation (range 0–92%). Three countries disaggregated a majority (>50%) of their targets by sex. Sex-disaggregation in data reporting was more common for targets related to the early phases of the HIV care continuum: 83% of countries included any sex-disaggregated targets for HIV prevention, 56% for testing and linkage to care, 22% for improving antiretroviral treatment coverage, and 11% for retention in treatment. The most common target to reduce gender inequality was to prevent gender-based violence (present in 50% of countries). Other commonly incorporated target areas related to improving women’s access to family planning, human and legal rights, and decision-making power. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets in national planning is vital to ensure that programmes make progress for all population groups. Improving the availability and quality of indicators to measure gender inequality, as well as evaluating programme outcomes by sex, is critical to tracking this progress. This analysis reveals an urgent need to set specific and separate targets for men and women in order to achieve an equitable and effective HIV response and align government planning with international priorities for gender equality. PMID:28973358

  9. The Hidden Academic Opportunity Gaps among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: What Disaggregated Data Reveals in Washington State. iCount: A Data Quality Movement for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nguyen, Bach Mai Dolly; Nguyen, Mike Hoa; Teranishi, Robert T.; Hune, Shirley

    2015-01-01

    Utilizing disaggregated data from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Educational Research Data Center (ERDC), this report offers a deeper and more nuanced perspective on the educational realities of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and reinforces the need for disaggregated data to unmask the…

  10. Traffic Flow Management Using Aggregate Flow Models and the Development of Disaggregation Methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sun, Dengfeng; Sridhar, Banavar; Grabbe, Shon

    2010-01-01

    A linear time-varying aggregate traffic flow model can be used to develop Traffic Flow Management (tfm) strategies based on optimization algorithms. However, there are no methods available in the literature to translate these aggregate solutions into actions involving individual aircraft. This paper describes and implements a computationally efficient disaggregation algorithm, which converts an aggregate (flow-based) solution to a flight-specific control action. Numerical results generated by the optimization method and the disaggregation algorithm are presented and illustrated by applying them to generate TFM schedules for a typical day in the U.S. National Airspace System. The results show that the disaggregation algorithm generates control actions for individual flights while keeping the air traffic behavior very close to the optimal solution.

  11. A historical perspective on precipitation, drought severity, and streamflow in Texas during 1951-56 and 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Winters, Karl E.

    2013-01-01

    Annual mean streamflow and streamflow-duration curves for the 1951–56 and 2011 water years were assessed for 19 unregulated U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations. At eight of these streamflow-gaging stations, the annual mean streamflow was lower in 2011 than for any year during 1951–56; many of these stations are located in eastern Texas. Annual mean streamflows for streamflow-gaging stations in the Guadalupe, Blanco, and upper Frio River Basins were lower in 1956 than in 2011. The streamflow-duration curves for many streamflow-gaging stations indicate a lack of (or diminished) storm runoff during 2011. Low streamflows (those exceeded 90 to 95 percent of days) were lower for 1956 than for 2011 at seven streamflow-gaging stations. For most of these stations, the lowest of the low streamflows during 1951–56 occurred in 1956. During March to September 2011, record daily lows were measured at USGS streamflow-gaging station 08041500 Village Creek near Kountze, Tex., which has more than 70 years of record. Many other USGS streamflow-gaging stations in Texas started the 2011 water year with normal streamflow but by the end of the water year were flowing at near-record lows.

  12. Temporal rainfall disaggregation using a multiplicative cascade model for spatial application in urban hydrology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Müller, H.; Haberlandt, U.

    2018-01-01

    Rainfall time series of high temporal resolution and spatial density are crucial for urban hydrology. The multiplicative random cascade model can be used for temporal rainfall disaggregation of daily data to generate such time series. Here, the uniform splitting approach with a branching number of 3 in the first disaggregation step is applied. To achieve a final resolution of 5 min, subsequent steps after disaggregation are necessary. Three modifications at different disaggregation levels are tested in this investigation (uniform splitting at Δt = 15 min, linear interpolation at Δt = 7.5 min and Δt = 3.75 min). Results are compared both with observations and an often used approach, based on the assumption that a time steps with Δt = 5.625 min, as resulting if a branching number of 2 is applied throughout, can be replaced with Δt = 5 min (called the 1280 min approach). Spatial consistence is implemented in the disaggregated time series using a resampling algorithm. In total, 24 recording stations in Lower Saxony, Northern Germany with a 5 min resolution have been used for the validation of the disaggregation procedure. The urban-hydrological suitability is tested with an artificial combined sewer system of about 170 hectares. The results show that all three variations outperform the 1280 min approach regarding reproduction of wet spell duration, average intensity, fraction of dry intervals and lag-1 autocorrelation. Extreme values with durations of 5 min are also better represented. For durations of 1 h, all approaches show only slight deviations from the observed extremes. The applied resampling algorithm is capable to achieve sufficient spatial consistence. The effects on the urban hydrological simulations are significant. Without spatial consistence, flood volumes of manholes and combined sewer overflow are strongly underestimated. After resampling, results using disaggregated time series as input are in the range of those using observed time series. Best overall performance regarding rainfall statistics are obtained by the method in which the disaggregation process ends at time steps with 7.5 min duration, deriving the 5 min time steps by linear interpolation. With subsequent resampling this method leads to a good representation of manhole flooding and combined sewer overflow volume in terms of hydrological simulations and outperforms the 1280 min approach.

  13. How are streamflow responses to the El Nino Southern Oscillation affected by watershed characteristics?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rice, Joshua S.; Emanuel, Ryan E.

    2017-05-01

    Understanding the factors that influence how global climate phenomena, such as the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), affect streamflow behavior is an important area of research in the hydrologic sciences. While large-scale patterns in ENSO-streamflow relationships have been thoroughly studied, and are relatively well-understood, information is scarce concerning factors that affect variation in ENSO responses from one watershed to another. To this end, we examined relationships between variability in ENSO activity and streamflow for 2731 watersheds across the conterminous U.S. from 1970 to 2014 using a novel approach to account for the intermediary role of precipitation. We applied an ensemble of regression techniques to describe relationships between variability in ENSO activity and streamflow as a function of watershed characteristics including: hydroclimate, topography, geomorphology, geographic location, land cover, soil characteristics, bedrock geology, and anthropogenic influences. We found that variability in watershed scale ENSO-streamflow relationships was strongly related to factors including: precipitation timing and phase, forest cover, and interactions between watershed topography and geomorphology. These, and other influential factors, share in common the ability to affect the partitioning and movement of water within watersheds. Our results demonstrate that the conceptualization of watersheds as signal filters for hydroclimate inputs, commonly applied to short-term rainfall-runoff responses, also applies to long-term hydrologic responses to sources of recurrent climate variability. These results also show that watershed processes, which are typically studied at relatively fine spatial scales, are also critical for understanding continental scale hydrologic responses to global climate.

  14. The Role of Multimodel Combination in Improving Streamflow Prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arumugam, S.; Li, W.

    2008-12-01

    Model errors are the inevitable part in any prediction exercise. One approach that is currently gaining attention to reduce model errors is by optimally combining multiple models to develop improved predictions. The rationale behind this approach primarily lies on the premise that optimal weights could be derived for each model so that the developed multimodel predictions will result in improved predictability. In this study, we present a new approach to combine multiple hydrological models by evaluating their predictability contingent on the predictor state. We combine two hydrological models, 'abcd' model and Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model, with each model's parameter being estimated by two different objective functions to develop multimodel streamflow predictions. The performance of multimodel predictions is compared with individual model predictions using correlation, root mean square error and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient. To quantify precisely under what conditions the multimodel predictions result in improved predictions, we evaluate the proposed algorithm by testing it against streamflow generated from a known model ('abcd' model or VIC model) with errors being homoscedastic or heteroscedastic. Results from the study show that streamflow simulated from individual models performed better than multimodels under almost no model error. Under increased model error, the multimodel consistently performed better than the single model prediction in terms of all performance measures. The study also evaluates the proposed algorithm for streamflow predictions in two humid river basins from NC as well as in two arid basins from Arizona. Through detailed validation in these four sites, the study shows that multimodel approach better predicts the observed streamflow in comparison to the single model predictions.

  15. Using oceanic-atmospheric oscillations for long lead time streamflow forecasting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalra, Ajay; Ahmad, Sajjad

    2009-03-01

    We present a data-driven model, Support Vector Machine (SVM), for long lead time streamflow forecasting using oceanic-atmospheric oscillations. The SVM is based on statistical learning theory that uses a hypothesis space of linear functions based on Kernel approach and has been used to predict a quantity forward in time on the basis of training from past data. The strength of SVM lies in minimizing the empirical classification error and maximizing the geometric margin by solving inverse problem. The SVM model is applied to three gages, i.e., Cisco, Green River, and Lees Ferry in the Upper Colorado River Basin in the western United States. Annual oceanic-atmospheric indices, comprising Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and El Nino-Southern Oscillations (ENSO) for a period of 1906-2001 are used to generate annual streamflow volumes with 3 years lead time. The SVM model is trained with 86 years of data (1906-1991) and tested with 10 years of data (1992-2001). On the basis of correlation coefficient, root means square error, and Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency Coefficient the model shows satisfactory results, and the predictions are in good agreement with measured streamflow volumes. Sensitivity analysis, performed to evaluate the effect of individual and coupled oscillations, reveals a strong signal for ENSO and NAO indices as compared to PDO and AMO indices for the long lead time streamflow forecast. Streamflow predictions from the SVM model are found to be better when compared with the predictions obtained from feedforward back propagation artificial neural network model and linear regression.

  16. Streamflow characteristics based on data through water year 2009 for selected streamflow-gaging stations in or near Montana: Chapter E in Montana StreamStats

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCarthy, Peter M.

    2016-04-05

    Chapter E of this Scientific Investigations Report documents results from a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, to provide an update of statewide streamflow characteristics based on data through water year 2009 for streamflow-gaging stations in or near Montana. Streamflow characteristics are presented for 408 streamflow-gaging stations in Montana and adjacent areas having 10 or more years of record. Data include the magnitude and probability of annual low and high streamflow, the magnitude and probability of low streamflow for three seasons (March–June, July–October, and November–February), streamflow duration statistics for monthly and annual periods, and mean streamflows for monthly and annual periods. Streamflow is considered to be regulated at streamflow-gaging stations where dams or other large-scale human modifications affect 20 percent or more of the contributing drainage basin. Separate streamflow characteristics are presented for the unregulated and regulated periods of record for streamflow-gaging stations with sufficient data.

  17. Open Source Tools for Assessment of Global Water Availability, Demands, and Scarcity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X.; Vernon, C. R.; Hejazi, M. I.; Link, R. P.; Liu, Y.; Feng, L.; Huang, Z.; Liu, L.

    2017-12-01

    Water availability and water demands are essential factors for estimating water scarcity conditions. To reproduce historical observations and to quantify future changes in water availability and water demand, two open source tools have been developed by the JGCRI (Joint Global Change Research Institute): Xanthos and GCAM-STWD. Xanthos is a gridded global hydrologic model, designed to quantify and analyze water availability in 235 river basins. Xanthos uses a runoff generation and a river routing modules to simulate both historical and future estimates of total runoff and streamflows on a monthly time step at a spatial resolution of 0.5 degrees. GCAM-STWD is a spatiotemporal water disaggregation model used with the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) to spatially downscale global water demands for six major enduse sectors (irrigation, domestic, electricity generation, mining, and manufacturing) from the region scale to the scale of 0.5 degrees. GCAM-STWD then temporally downscales the gridded annual global water demands to monthly results. These two tools, written in Python, can be integrated to assess global, regional or basin-scale water scarcity or water stress. Both of the tools are extensible to ensure flexibility and promote contribution from researchers that utilize GCAM and study global water use and supply.

  18. A rank-based approach for correcting systematic biases in spatial disaggregation of coarse-scale climate simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nahar, Jannatun; Johnson, Fiona; Sharma, Ashish

    2017-07-01

    Use of General Circulation Model (GCM) precipitation and evapotranspiration sequences for hydrologic modelling can result in unrealistic simulations due to the coarse scales at which GCMs operate and the systematic biases they contain. The Bias Correction Spatial Disaggregation (BCSD) method is a popular statistical downscaling and bias correction method developed to address this issue. The advantage of BCSD is its ability to reduce biases in the distribution of precipitation totals at the GCM scale and then introduce more realistic variability at finer scales than simpler spatial interpolation schemes. Although BCSD corrects biases at the GCM scale before disaggregation; at finer spatial scales biases are re-introduced by the assumptions made in the spatial disaggregation process. Our study focuses on this limitation of BCSD and proposes a rank-based approach that aims to reduce the spatial disaggregation bias especially for both low and high precipitation extremes. BCSD requires the specification of a multiplicative bias correction anomaly field that represents the ratio of the fine scale precipitation to the disaggregated precipitation. It is shown that there is significant temporal variation in the anomalies, which is masked when a mean anomaly field is used. This can be improved by modelling the anomalies in rank-space. Results from the application of the rank-BCSD procedure improve the match between the distributions of observed and downscaled precipitation at the fine scale compared to the original BCSD approach. Further improvements in the distribution are identified when a scaling correction to preserve mass in the disaggregation process is implemented. An assessment of the approach using a single GCM over Australia shows clear advantages especially in the simulation of particularly low and high downscaled precipitation amounts.

  19. 47 CFR 27.1333 - Geographic partitioning, spectrum disaggregation, license assignment, and transfer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES MISCELLANEOUS WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership § 27.1333 Geographic partitioning, spectrum disaggregation, license...

  20. 47 CFR 27.1333 - Geographic partitioning, spectrum disaggregation, license assignment, and transfer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES MISCELLANEOUS WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership § 27.1333 Geographic partitioning, spectrum disaggregation, license...

  1. 47 CFR 27.1333 - Geographic partitioning, spectrum disaggregation, license assignment, and transfer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES MISCELLANEOUS WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership § 27.1333 Geographic partitioning, spectrum disaggregation, license...

  2. Evaluation of Streamflow Gain-Loss Characteristics of Hubbard Creek, in the Vicinity of a Mine-Permit Area, Delta County, Colorado, 2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ruddy, Barbara C.; Williams, Cory A.

    2007-01-01

    In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Bowie Mining Company, initiated a study to characterize the streamflow and streamflow gain-loss in a reach of Hubbard Creek in Delta County, Colorado, in the vicinity of a mine-permit area planned for future coal mining. Premining streamflow characteristics and streamflow gain-loss variation were determined so that pre- and postmining gain-loss characteristics could be compared. This report describes the methods used in this study and the results of two streamflow-measurement sets collected during low-flow conditions. Streamflow gain-loss measurements were collected using rhodamine WT and sodium bromide tracers at four sites spanning the mine-permit area on June 26-28, 2007. Streamflows were estimated and compared between four measurement sites within three stream subreaches of the study reach. Data from two streamflow-gaging stations on Hubbard Creek upstream and downstream from the mine-permit area were evaluated. Streamflows at the stations were continuous, and flow at the upstream station nearly always exceeded the streamflow at the downstream station. Furthermore, streamflow at both stations showed similar diurnal patterns with traveltime offsets. On June 26, streamflow from the gain-loss measurements was greater at site 1 (most upstream site) than at site 4 (most downstream site); on June 27, streamflow was greater at site 4 than at site 2; and on June 27, there was no difference in streamflow between sites 2 and 3. Data from streamflow-gaging stations 09132940 and 09132960 showed diurnal variations and overall decreasing streamflow over time. The data indicate a dynamic system, and streamflow can increase or decrease depending on hydrologic conditions. The streamflow within the study reach was greater than the streamflows at either the upstream or downstream stations. A second set of gain-loss measurements was collected at sites 2 and 4 on November 8-9, 2007. On November 8, streamflow was greater at site 4 than at site 2, and on the following day, November 9, streamflow was greater at site 2 than at site 4. Data collection on November 8 occurred while the streamflow was increasing due to contributions from stream ice melting throughout different parts of the basin. Data collection on November 9 occurred earlier in the day with less stream ice melting and more steady-state conditions, so the indication that streamflow decreased between sites 2 and 4 may be more accurate. Diurnal variations in streamflow are common at both the upper and the lower streamflow-gaging stations. The upper streamflow-gaging station shows a melt-freeze influence from tributaries to Hubbard Creek during the winter season. Downstream from the study reach, observed diurnal variation is likely due to evapotranspiration associated with dense flood-plain vegetation, which consumes water from the creek during the middle of the day. Varying diurnal patterns in streamflow, combined with possible variations in tributary inflows to Hubbard Creek in the study reach, probably account for the observed variations in streamflow at the tracer measurement sites. During both sampling periods in June and November 2007, conditions were less than ideal and not steady state. The June 27 sampling indicates that the streamflow was increasing between measurement sites 2 and 4, and the November 9 sampling indicates that the streamflow was decreasing between measurement sites 2 and 4. The data collected during the diurnal and day-to-day variations in streamflow indicated that the streamflow reach is dynamic and can be gaining, losing, or constant.

  3. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Approaches for Disaggregated Energy Sensing: A Survey

    PubMed Central

    Zoha, Ahmed; Gluhak, Alexander; Imran, Muhammad Ali; Rajasegarar, Sutharshan

    2012-01-01

    Appliance Load Monitoring (ALM) is essential for energy management solutions, allowing them to obtain appliance-specific energy consumption statistics that can further be used to devise load scheduling strategies for optimal energy utilization. Fine-grained energy monitoring can be achieved by deploying smart power outlets on every device of interest; however it incurs extra hardware cost and installation complexity. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is an attractive method for energy disaggregation, as it can discern devices from the aggregated data acquired from a single point of measurement. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of NILM system and its associated methods and techniques used for disaggregated energy sensing. We review the state-of-the art load signatures and disaggregation algorithms used for appliance recognition and highlight challenges and future research directions. PMID:23223081

  4. HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plans of Sub-Saharan African countries: an analysis for gender equality and sex-disaggregated HIV targets.

    PubMed

    Sherwood, Jennifer; Sharp, Alana; Cooper, Bergen; Roose-Snyder, Beirne; Blumenthal, Susan

    2017-12-01

    National Strategic Plans (NSPs) for HIV/AIDS are country planning documents that set priorities for programmes and services, including a set of targets to quantify progress toward national and international goals. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets and targets to combat gender inequality is important given the high disease burden among young women and adolescent girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet no comprehensive gender-focused analysis of NSP targets has been performed. This analysis quantitatively evaluates national HIV targets, included in NSPs from eighteen Sub-Saharan African countries, for sex-disaggregation. Additionally, NSP targets aimed at reducing gender-based inequality in health outcomes are compiled and inductively coded to report common themes. On average, in the eighteen countries included in this analysis, 31% of NSP targets include sex-disaggregation (range 0-92%). Three countries disaggregated a majority (>50%) of their targets by sex. Sex-disaggregation in data reporting was more common for targets related to the early phases of the HIV care continuum: 83% of countries included any sex-disaggregated targets for HIV prevention, 56% for testing and linkage to care, 22% for improving antiretroviral treatment coverage, and 11% for retention in treatment. The most common target to reduce gender inequality was to prevent gender-based violence (present in 50% of countries). Other commonly incorporated target areas related to improving women's access to family planning, human and legal rights, and decision-making power. The inclusion of sex-disaggregated targets in national planning is vital to ensure that programmes make progress for all population groups. Improving the availability and quality of indicators to measure gender inequality, as well as evaluating programme outcomes by sex, is critical to tracking this progress. This analysis reveals an urgent need to set specific and separate targets for men and women in order to achieve an equitable and effective HIV response and align government planning with international priorities for gender equality. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

  5. Using a predictive model to evaluate spatiotemporal variability in streamflow permanence across the Pacific Northwest region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaeger, K. L.

    2017-12-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed the PRObability Of Streamflow PERmanence (PROSPER) model, a GIS-based empirical model that provides predictions of the annual probability of a stream channel having year-round flow (Streamflow permanence probability; SPP) for any unregulated and minimally-impaired stream channel in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana). The model provides annual predictions for 2004-2016 at a 30-m spatial resolution based on monthly or annually updated values of climatic conditions, and static physiographic variables associated with the upstream basin. Prediction locations correspond to the channel network consistent with the National Hydrography Dataset stream grid and are publicly available through the USGS StreamStats platform (https://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/). In snowmelt-driven systems, the most informative predictor variable was mean upstream snow water equivalent on May 1, which highlights the influence of late spring snow cover for supporting streamflow in mountain river networks. In non-snowmelt-driven systems, the most informative variable was mean annual precipitation. Streamflow permanence probabilities varied across the study area by geography and from year-to-year. Notably lower SPP corresponded to the climatically drier subregions of the study area. Higher SPP were concentrated in coastal and higher elevation mountain regions. In addition, SPP appeared to trend with average hydroclimatic conditions, which were also geographically coherent. The year-to-year variability lends support for the growing recognition of the spatiotemporal dynamism of streamflow permanence. An analysis of three focus basins located in contrasting geographical and hydroclimatic settings demonstrates differences in the sensitivity of streamflow permanence to antecedent climate conditions as a function of geography. Consequently, results suggest that PROSPER model can be a useful tool to evaluate regions of the landscape that may be resilient or sensitive to drought conditions, allowing for targeted management efforts to protect critical reaches.

  6. Integration of Multiple Data Sources to Simulate the Dynamics of Land Systems

    PubMed Central

    Deng, Xiangzheng; Su, Hongbo; Zhan, Jinyan

    2008-01-01

    In this paper we present and develop a new model, which we have called Dynamics of Land Systems (DLS). The DLS model is capable of integrating multiple data sources to simulate the dynamics of a land system. Three main modules are incorporated in DLS: a spatial regression module, to explore the relationship between land uses and influencing factors, a scenario analysis module of the land uses of a region during the simulation period and a spatial disaggregation module, to allocate land use changes from a regional level to disaggregated grid cells. A case study on Taips County in North China is incorporated in this paper to test the functionality of DLS. The simulation results under the baseline, economic priority and environmental scenarios help to understand the land system dynamics and project near future land-use trajectories of a region, in order to focus management decisions on land uses and land use planning. PMID:27879726

  7. Evaluation of streamflow traveltime and streamflow gains and losses along the lower Purgatoire River, southeastern Colorado, 1984-92

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dash, R.G.; Edelmann, P.R.

    1997-01-01

    Traveltime and gains and losses within a stream are important basic characteristics of streamflow. The lower Purgatoire River flows more than 160 river miles from Trinidad to the Arkansas River near Las Animas. A better knowledge of streamflow traveltime and streamflow gains and losses along the lower Purgatoire River would enable more informed management decisions about the availability of water supplies for irrigation use in southeastern Colorado. In 1994-95, the U.S.\\x11Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District and the Arkansas River Compact Administration, evaluated streamflow traveltime and estimated streamflow gains and losses using historical surface-water records. Traveltime analyses were used along the lower Purgatoire River to determine when streamflows would arrive at selected downstream sites. The substantial effects of diversions for irrigation and unmeasured return flows in the most upstream reach of the river prevented the tracking of streamflow through reach\\x111. Therefore, the estimation of streamflow traveltime for the 60.6 miles of river downstream from Trinidad could not be made.Hourly streamflow data from 1990 through 1994 were used to estimate traveltimes of more than 30 streamflow events for about 100 miles of the lower Purgatoire River. In the middle reach of the river, the traveltime of streamflow for the 40.1\\x11miles ranged from about 11 to about 47\\x11hours, and in the lower reach of the river, traveltime for the 58.5 miles ranged from about 6 to about 61 hours.Traveltime in the river reaches generally increased as streamflow decreased, but also varied for a specific streamflow in both reaches. Streamflow gains and losses were estimated using daily streamflow data at the upstream and downstream sites, available tributary inflow data, and daily diversion data. Differences between surface-water inflows and surface-water outflows in a reach determined the quantity of water gained or lost. In the most upstream reach of the river near Trinidad, difficulties in establishing streamflow traveltimes prevented the estimation of streamflow gains or losses. From 1984 through 1992, more than 2,900 daily estimates of streamflow gains or losses were made for the last 100\\x11miles of the lower Purgatoire River that indicated daily gains and losses in streamflow were common during all four seasons of the year. Although some large daily streamflow gains and losses were computed, most daily estimates indicated small gains and losses in streamflow. The daily median streamflow gain or loss for the middle reach of the river was close to zero during every season, whereas median values for the lower most reach of the river indicated a daily gain in streamflow during every season.

  8. SMAP Soil Moisture Disaggregation using Land Surface Temperature and Vegetation Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, B.; Lakshmi, V.

    2016-12-01

    Soil moisture (SM) is a key parameter in agriculture, hydrology and ecology studies. The global SM retrievals have been providing by microwave remote sensing technology since late 1970s and many SM retrieval algorithms have been developed, calibrated and applied on satellite sensors such as AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System), AMSR-2 (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2) and SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity). Particularly, SMAP (Soil Moisture Active/Passive) satellite, which was developed by NASA, was launched in January 2015. SMAP provides soil moisture products of 9 km and 36 km spatial resolutions which are not capable for research and applications of finer scale. Toward this issue, this study applied a SM disaggregation algorithm to disaggregate SMAP passive microwave soil moisture 36 km product. This algorithm was developed based on the thermal inertial relationship between daily surface temperature variation and daily average soil moisture which is modulated by vegetation condition, by using remote sensing retrievals from AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), SPOT (Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre), as well as Land Surface Model (LSM) output from NLDAS (North American Land Data Assimilation System). The disaggregation model was built at 1/8o spatial resolution on monthly basis and was implemented to calculate and disaggregate SMAP 36 km SM retrievals to 1 km resolution in Oklahoma. The SM disaggregation results were also validated using MESONET (Mesoscale Network) and MICRONET (Microscale Network) ground SM measurements.

  9. Load Disaggregation Technologies: Real World and Laboratory Performance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mayhorn, Ebony T.; Sullivan, Greg P.; Petersen, Joseph M.

    Low cost interval metering and communication technology improvements over the past ten years have enabled the maturity of load disaggregation (or non-intrusive load monitoring) technologies to better estimate and report energy consumption of individual end-use loads. With the appropriate performance characteristics, these technologies have the potential to enable many utility and customer facing applications such as billing transparency, itemized demand and energy consumption, appliance diagnostics, commissioning, energy efficiency savings verification, load shape research, and demand response measurement. However, there has been much skepticism concerning the ability of load disaggregation products to accurately identify and estimate energy consumption of end-uses; whichmore » has hindered wide-spread market adoption. A contributing factor is that common test methods and metrics are not available to evaluate performance without having to perform large scale field demonstrations and pilots, which can be costly when developing such products. Without common and cost-effective methods of evaluation, more developed disaggregation technologies will continue to be slow to market and potential users will remain uncertain about their capabilities. This paper reviews recent field studies and laboratory tests of disaggregation technologies. Several factors are identified that are important to consider in test protocols, so that the results reflect real world performance. Potential metrics are examined to highlight their effectiveness in quantifying disaggregation performance. This analysis is then used to suggest performance metrics that are meaningful and of value to potential users and that will enable researchers/developers to identify beneficial ways to improve their technologies.« less

  10. Summary of annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics of daily mean streamflow for 620 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Texas through water year 2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Heitmuller, Franklin T.

    2008-01-01

    Analysts and managers of surface-water resources have interest in annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics of daily mean streamflow for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The mean streamflow represents streamflow volume, whereas the harmonic mean streamflow represents an appropriate statistic for assessing constituent concentrations that might adversely affect human health. In 2008, the USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, conducted a large-scale documentation of mean and harmonic mean streamflow for 620 active and inactive, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations using period of record data through water year 2007. About 99 stations within the Texas USGS streamflow-gaging network are part of the larger national Hydroclimatic Data Network and are identified. The graphical depictions of annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics in this report provide a historical perspective of streamflow at each station. Each figure consists of three time-series plots, two flow-duration curves, and a statistical summary of the mean annual and annual harmonic mean streamflow statistics for available data for each station.The first time-series plot depicts daily mean streamflow for the period 1900-2007. Flow-duration curves follow and are a graphical depiction of streamflow variability. Next, the remaining two time-series plots depict annual mean and annual harmonic mean streamflow and are augmented with horizontal lines that depict mean and harmonic mean for the period of record. Monotonic trends for the annual mean streamflow and annual harmonic mean streamflow also are identified using Kendall's tau, and the slope of the trend is depicted using the nonparametric (linear) Theil-Sen line, which is only drawn for p-values less than .10 of tau. The history of annual mean and annual harmonic mean streamflow of one or more streamflow-gaging stations could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of streamflow conditions in Texas.

  11. Presenting the master of all conductivity meters, and how it tastes streamflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weijs, S. V.; Parlange, M. B.

    2012-04-01

    For measuring streamflow in small Alpine streams, the salt dilution method is suitable and often used. By injecting a known mass of salt in the stream and measuring the downstream salt concentration as a function of time, we can obtain the streamflow by integration of the time signal. The underlying assumption is that the salt is well mixed within the stream cross-section. In this method, the salt concentration us usually measured through its relation with conductivity. Several commercial systems exist to do these conductivity measurements and automatically process the results. The problem we encountered when using these systems, however, is that uncertainty is often hidden under the hood. Because the processing happens onboard, researchers may be tempted to put too much trust in the final measurement outcomes. This is somewhat remediated by using a system with two probes which are individually processed to a streamflow outcome. We found that the salt-wave was differently shaped for the faster part of the stream compared to the sides, and therefore gave different readings for the discharge. To come a more probabilistic characterization of streamflow, and to know what is under the hood, we decided to build our own conductivity meter, equipped with eight probes covering the cross section. This enables quantifying some of the uncertainty in the streamflow measurements, which is important for testing hydrological models. This poster shows the first results and the hardware setup. We based our hardware on the open source hardware platform Arduino, and believe that by sharing both the design and the drawbacks, we contribute to the evolution of better measurement equipment or at least better understanding of its shortcomings.

  12. Assessing the impact of managed aquifer recharge on seasonal low flows in a semi-arid alluvial river

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ronayne, M. J.; Roudebush, J. A.; Stednick, J. D.

    2016-12-01

    Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is one strategy that can be used to augment seasonal low flows in alluvial rivers. Successful implementation requires an understanding of spatio-temporal groundwater-surface water exchange. In this study we conducted numerical groundwater modeling to analyze the performance of an existing MAR system in the South Platte River Valley in northeastern Colorado (USA). The engineered system involves a spatial reallocation of water during the winter months; alluvial groundwater is extracted near the river and pumped to upgradient recharge ponds, with the intent of producing a delayed hydraulic response that increases the riparian zone water table (and therefore streamflow) during summer months. Higher flows during the summer are required to improve riverine habitat for threatened species in the Platte River. Modeling scenarios were constrained by surface (streamflow gaging) and subsurface (well data) measurements throughout the study area. We compare two scenarios to analyze the impact of MAR: a natural base case scenario and an active management scenario that includes groundwater pumping and managed recharge. Steady-periodic solutions are used to evaluate the long-term stabilized behavior of the stream-aquifer system with and without pumping/recharge. Streamflow routing is included in the model, which permits quantification of the timing and location of streamflow accretion (increased streamflow associated with MAR). An analysis framework utilizing capture concepts is developed to interpret seasonal changes in head-dependent flows to/from the aquifer, including groundwater-surface water exchange that impacts streamflow. Results demonstrate that accretion occurs during the target low-flow period but is not limited to those months, highlighting an inefficiency that is a function of the aquifer geometry and hydraulic properties. The results of this study offer guidance for other flow augmentation projects that rely on water storage in shallow alluvial aquifers.

  13. Comparison of Strategies for Climate Change Adaptation of Water Supply and Flood Control Reservoirs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, T. L.; Yang, P.; Bhushan, R.

    2016-12-01

    With climate change, streamflows are expected to become more fluctuating, with more frequent and intense floods and droughts. This complicates reservoir operation, which is highly sensitive to inflow variability. We make a comparative evaluation of three strategies for adapting reservoirs to climate-induced shifts in streamflow patterns. Specifically, we examine the effectiveness of (i) expanding the capacities of reservoirs by way of new off-stream reservoirs, (ii) introducing wastewater reclamation to augment supplies, and (iii) improving real-time streamflow forecasts for more optimal decision-making. The first two are hard strategies involving major infrastructure modifications, while the third a soft strategy entailing adjusting the system operation. A comprehensive side-by-side comparison of the three strategies is as yet lacking in the literature despite the many past studies investigating the strategies individually. To this end, we developed an adaptive forward-looking linear program that solves to yield the optimal decisions for the current time as a function of an ensemble forecast of future streamflows. Solving the model repeatedly on a rolling basis with regular updating of the streamflow forecast simulates the system behavior over the entire operating horizon. Results are generated for two hypothetical water supply and flood control reservoirs of differing inflows and demands. Preliminary findings suggest that of the three strategies, improving streamflow forecasts to be most effective in mitigating the effects of climate change. We also found that, in average terms, both additional reservoir capacity and wastewater reclamation have potential to reduce water shortage and downstream flooding. However, in the worst case, the potential of the former to reduce water shortage is limited, and similarly so the potential of the latter to reduce downstream flooding.

  14. Joint pattern of seasonal hydrological droughts and floods alternation in China's Huai River Basin using the multivariate L-moments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, ShaoFei; Zhang, Xiang; She, DunXian

    2017-06-01

    Under the current condition of climate change, droughts and floods occur more frequently, and events in which flooding occurs after a prolonged drought or a drought occurs after an extreme flood may have a more severe impact on natural systems and human lives. This challenges the traditional approach wherein droughts and floods are considered separately, which may largely underestimate the risk of the disasters. In our study, the sudden alternation of droughts and flood events (ADFEs) between adjacent seasons is studied using the multivariate L-moments theory and the bivariate copula functions in the Huai River Basin (HRB) of China with monthly streamflow data at 32 hydrological stations from 1956 to 2012. The dry and wet conditions are characterized by the standardized streamflow index (SSI) at a 3-month time scale. The results show that: (1) The summer streamflow makes the largest contribution to the annual streamflow, followed by the autumn streamflow and spring streamflow. (2) The entire study area can be divided into five homogeneous sub-regions using the multivariate regional homogeneity test. The generalized logistic distribution (GLO) and log-normal distribution (LN3) are acceptable to be the optimal marginal distributions under most conditions, and the Frank copula is more appropriate for spring-summer and summer-autumn SSI series. Continuous flood events dominate at most sites both in spring-summer and summer-autumn (with an average frequency of 13.78% and 17.06%, respectively), while continuous drought events come second (with an average frequency of 11.27% and 13.79%, respectively). Moreover, seasonal ADFEs most probably occurred near the mainstream of HRB, and drought and flood events are more likely to occur in summer-autumn than in spring-summer.

  15. Historical perspective of statewide streamflows during the 2002 and 1977 droughts in Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kuhn, Gerhard

    2005-01-01

    Since 1890, Colorado has experienced a number of widespread drought periods; the most recent statewide drought began during 1999 and includes 2002, a year characterized by precipitation, snowpack accumulation, and streamflows that were much lower than normal. Because the drought of 2002 had a substantial effect on streamflows in Colorado, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, began a study in 2004 to analyze statewide streamflows during 2002 and develop a historical perspective of those streamflows. The purpose of this report is to describe an analysis of streamflows recorded throughout Colorado during the drought of 2002, as well as other drought years such as 1977, and to provide some historical perspective of drought-diminished streamflows in Colorado. Because most streamflows in Colorado are derived from melting of mountain snowpacks during April through July, streamflows primarily were analyzed for the snowmelt (high-flow) period, but streamflows also were analyzed for the winter (low-flow) period. The snowmelt period is defined as April 1 through September 30 and the winter period is defined as October 1 through March 31. Historical daily average streamflows were analyzed on the basis of 7, 30, 90, and 180 consecutive-day periods (N-day) for 154 selected stations in Colorado. Methods used for analysis of the N-day snowmelt and winter streamflows include evaluation of trends in the historical streamflow records, computation of the rank of each annual N-day streamflow value for each station, analysis for years other than 2002 and 1977 with drought-diminished streamflows, and frequency analysis (on the basis of nonexceedance probability) of the 180-day streamflows. Ranking analyses for the N-day snowmelt streamflows indicated that streamflows during 2002 were ranked as the lowest or second lowest historical values at 114-123 stations, or about 74-80 percent of the stations; by comparison, the N-day snowmelt streamflows during 1977 were ranked as the lowest or second lowest historical values at 69-87 stations, or about 47-59 percent of the stations. Many of the stations in the mountainous headwaters where snowmelt streamflows were ranked lowest during 2002 were ranked second lowest during 1977. These results indicate that snowmelt streamflows during 2002 were considerably more diminished than those during 1977. The 180-day snowmelt streamflows were ranked among the five lowest historical values at about 90 percent of the stations during 2002 and were ranked among the five lowest historical values at about 77 percent of the stations during 1977. Other years during which the 180-day snowmelt streamflows were ranked among the five lowest values at a substantial percentage of stations include 1934, 1954, 1963, and 1981, but the percentages of stations with 180-day snowmelt streamflows ranked among the five lowest values were smaller during those years than during 2002 and 1977. Frequency analysis of snowmelt streamflows indicated that recurrence intervals for the 180-day snowmelt streamflows during 2002 were greater than 50 years for about 57 percent of the stations and were more than 100 years for about 14 percent of the stations. By comparison, recurrence intervals for the 180-day snowmelt streamflows during 1977 were greater than 50 years only for about 15 percent of the stations and were more than 100 years only for about 1 percent of the stations. Generally, snowmelt streamflows during 2002 were more diminished and have higher recurrence intervals than snowmelt streamflows during 1977. The N-day winter streamflows during 2002 and 1977 were not ranked among the five lowest historical values at about 86-103 stations, or about 58-70 percent of the stations, compared to about 10-27 percent of the stations for the N-day snowmelt streamflows. These results indicate that winter streamflows during the 2002 and 1977 droughts were diminished to a lesser extent than t

  16. Technique for estimation of streamflow statistics in mineral areas of interest in Afghanistan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Olson, Scott A.; Mack, Thomas J.

    2011-01-01

    A technique for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged stream sites in areas of mineral interest in Afghanistan using drainage-area-ratio relations of historical streamflow data was developed and is documented in this report. The technique can be used to estimate the following streamflow statistics at ungaged sites: (1) 7-day low flow with a 10-year recurrence interval, (2) 7-day low flow with a 2-year recurrence interval, (3) daily mean streamflow exceeded 90 percent of the time, (4) daily mean streamflow exceeded 80 percent of the time, (5) mean monthly streamflow for each month of the year, (6) mean annual streamflow, and (7) minimum monthly streamflow for each month of the year. Because they are based on limited historical data, the estimates of streamflow statistics at ungaged sites are considered preliminary.

  17. Simulating streamflow in ungauged basins under a changing climate: The importance of landscape characteristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teutschbein, Claudia; Grabs, Thomas; Laudon, Hjalmar; Karlsen, Reinert H.; Bishop, Kevin

    2018-06-01

    In this paper we explored how landscape characteristics such as topography, geology, soils and land cover influence the way catchments respond to changing climate conditions. Based on an ensemble of 15 regional climate models bias-corrected with a distribution-mapping approach, present and future streamflow in 14 neighboring and rather similar catchments in Northern Sweden was simulated with the HBV model. We established functional relationships between a range of landscape characteristics and projected changes in streamflow signatures. These were then used to analyze hydrological consequences of physical perturbations in a hypothetically ungauged basin in a climate change context. Our analysis showed a strong connection between the forest cover extent and the sensitivity of different components of a catchment's hydrological regime to changing climate conditions. This emphasizes the need to redefine forestry goals and practices in advance of climate change-related risks and uncertainties.

  18. A fully distributed implementation of mean annual streamflow regional regression equations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Verdin, K.L.; Worstell, B.

    2008-01-01

    Estimates of mean annual streamflow are needed for a variety of hydrologic assessments. Away from gage locations, regional regression equations that are a function of upstream area, precipitation, and temperature are commonly used. Geographic information systems technology has facilitated their use for projects, but traditional approaches using the polygon overlay operator have been too inefficient for national scale applications. As an alternative, the Elevation Derivatives for National Applications (EDNA) database was used as a framework for a fully distributed implementation of mean annual streamflow regional regression equations. The raster “flow accumulation” operator was used to efficiently achieve spatially continuous parameterization of the equations for every 30 m grid cell of the conterminous United States (U.S.). Results were confirmed by comparing with measured flows at stations of the Hydro-Climatic Data Network, and their applications value demonstrated in the development of a national geospatial hydropower assessment. Interactive tools at the EDNA website make possible the fast and efficient query of mean annual streamflow for any location in the conterminous U.S., providing a valuable complement to other national initiatives (StreamStats and the National Hydrography Dataset Plus).

  19. Estimating distribution parameters of annual maximum streamflows in Johor, Malaysia using TL-moments approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mat Jan, Nur Amalina; Shabri, Ani

    2017-01-01

    TL-moments approach has been used in an analysis to identify the best-fitting distributions to represent the annual series of maximum streamflow data over seven stations in Johor, Malaysia. The TL-moments with different trimming values are used to estimate the parameter of the selected distributions namely: Three-parameter lognormal (LN3) and Pearson Type III (P3) distribution. The main objective of this study is to derive the TL-moments ( t 1,0), t 1 = 1,2,3,4 methods for LN3 and P3 distributions. The performance of TL-moments ( t 1,0), t 1 = 1,2,3,4 was compared with L-moments through Monte Carlo simulation and streamflow data over a station in Johor, Malaysia. The absolute error is used to test the influence of TL-moments methods on estimated probability distribution functions. From the cases in this study, the results show that TL-moments with four trimmed smallest values from the conceptual sample (TL-moments [4, 0]) of LN3 distribution was the most appropriate in most of the stations of the annual maximum streamflow series in Johor, Malaysia.

  20. Relations between winter climatic variables and April streamflows in New England and implications for summer streamflows

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Dudley, Robert W.; Schalk, Luther F.

    2012-01-01

    A period of much below normal streamflow in southern New England during April 2012 raised concerns that a long-term period of drought could evolve through late spring and summer, leading to potential water availability issues. To understand better the relations between winter climatic variables and April streamflows, April streamflows from 31 streamflow gages in New England that drain relatively natural watersheds were tested for year-to-year correlation with winter precipitation and air temperature from nearby meteorological sites. Higher winter (December through March) precipitation is associated with higher April streamflows at many gages in northern and central New England. This implies that snowpack accumulation is an important mechanism for winter water storage and subsequently important for spring streamflows in this area. Higher March air temperatures are associated with lower April streamflows at many gages in central and southern New England, likely because the majority of snowmelt runoff occurs before April in warm years. A warm March 2012 contributed to early snowmelt runoff in New England and to much below normal April streamflows in southern New England. However, no strong relation was found between historical April streamflows and late-spring or summer streamflows in New England. The lack of a strong relation implies that summer precipitation, rather than spring conditions, controls summer streamflows.

  1. A rainfall disaggregation scheme for sub-hourly time scales: Coupling a Bartlett-Lewis based model with adjusting procedures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kossieris, Panagiotis; Makropoulos, Christos; Onof, Christian; Koutsoyiannis, Demetris

    2018-01-01

    Many hydrological applications, such as flood studies, require the use of long rainfall data at fine time scales varying from daily down to 1 min time step. However, in the real world there is limited availability of data at sub-hourly scales. To cope with this issue, stochastic disaggregation techniques are typically employed to produce possible, statistically consistent, rainfall events that aggregate up to the field data collected at coarser scales. A methodology for the stochastic disaggregation of rainfall at fine time scales was recently introduced, combining the Bartlett-Lewis process to generate rainfall events along with adjusting procedures to modify the lower-level variables (i.e., hourly) so as to be consistent with the higher-level one (i.e., daily). In the present paper, we extend the aforementioned scheme, initially designed and tested for the disaggregation of daily rainfall into hourly depths, for any sub-hourly time scale. In addition, we take advantage of the recent developments in Poisson-cluster processes incorporating in the methodology a Bartlett-Lewis model variant that introduces dependence between cell intensity and duration in order to capture the variability of rainfall at sub-hourly time scales. The disaggregation scheme is implemented in an R package, named HyetosMinute, to support disaggregation from daily down to 1-min time scale. The applicability of the methodology was assessed on a 5-min rainfall records collected in Bochum, Germany, comparing the performance of the above mentioned model variant against the original Bartlett-Lewis process (non-random with 5 parameters). The analysis shows that the disaggregation process reproduces adequately the most important statistical characteristics of rainfall at wide range of time scales, while the introduction of the model with dependent intensity-duration results in a better performance in terms of skewness, rainfall extremes and dry proportions.

  2. Characterization of hydrodynamic and sediment conditions in the lower Yampa River at Deerlodge Park, east entrance to Dinosaur National Monument, northwest Colorado, 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, Cory A.

    2013-01-01

    The Yampa River in northwestern Colorado is the largest, relatively unregulated river system in the upper Colorado River Basin. Water from the Yampa River Basin continues to be sought for a number of municipal, industrial, and energy uses. It is anticipated that future water development within the Yampa River Basin above the amount of water development identified under the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Implementation Program and the Programmatic Biological Opinion may require additional analysis in order to understand the effects on habitat and river function. Water development in the Yampa River Basin could alter the streamflow regime and, consequently, could lead to changes in the transport and storage of sediment in the Yampa River at Deerlodge Park. These changes could affect the physical form of the reach and may impact aquatic and riparian habitat in and downstream from Deerlodge Park. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, began a study in 2011 to characterize the current hydrodynamic and sediment-transport conditions for a 2-kilometer reach of the Yampa River in Deerlodge Park. Characterization of channel conditions in the Deerlodge Park reach was completed through topographic surveying, grain-size analysis of streambed sediment, and characterization of streamflow properties. This characterization provides (1) a basis for comparisons of current stream functions (channel geometry, sediment transport, and stream hydraulics) to future conditions and (2) a dataset that can be used to assess channel response to streamflow alteration scenarios indicated from computer modeling of streamflow and sediment-transport conditions.

  3. Stimulation of Cysteine-Coated CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dot Luminescence by meso-Tetrakis (p-sulfonato-phenyl) Porphyrin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parra, Gustavo G.; Ferreira, Lucimara P.; Gonçalves, Pablo J.; Sizova, Svetlana V.; Oleinikov, Vladimir A.; Morozov, Vladimir N.; Kuzmin, Vladimir A.; Borissevitch, Iouri E.

    2018-02-01

    Interaction between porphyrins and quantum dots (QD) via energy and/or charge transfer is usually accompanied by reduction of the QD luminescence intensity and lifetime. However, for CdSe/ZnS-Cys QD water solutions, kept at 276 K during 3 months (aged QD), the significant increase in the luminescence intensity at the addition of meso-tetrakis (p-sulfonato-phenyl) porphyrin (TPPS4) has been observed in this study. Aggregation of QD during the storage provokes reduction in the quantum yield and lifetime of their luminescence. Using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques, we demonstrated that TPPS4 stimulated disaggregation of aged CdSe/ZnS-Cys QD in aqueous solutions, increasing the quantum yield of their luminescence, which finally reached that of the fresh-prepared QD. Disaggregation takes place due to increase in electrostatic repulsion between QD at their binding with negatively charged porphyrin molecules. Binding of just four porphyrin molecules per single QD was sufficient for total QD disaggregation. The analysis of QD luminescence decay curves demonstrated that disaggregation stronger affected the luminescence related with the electron-hole annihilation in the QD shell. The obtained results demonstrate the way to repair aged QD by adding of some molecules or ions to the solutions, stimulating QD disaggregation and restoring their luminescence characteristics, which could be important for QD biomedical applications, such as bioimaging and fluorescence diagnostics. On the other hand, the disaggregation is important for QD applications in biology and medicine since it reduces the size of the particles facilitating their internalization into living cells across the cell membrane.

  4. Reduction of forecast uncertainty in the context of hydropower production: a case study for two catchment in Lac-St-Jean, Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brisson, Cathy; Boucher, Marie-Amélie; Latraverse, Marco

    2014-05-01

    This research focuses on the improvement of streamflow forecasts for two subcatchments in the Lac-St-Jean area, a northern part of the province of Quebec in Canada. Those two subcatchments, named Manouane and Passes-Dangereuses, are part of a bigger system, which comprises many reservoirs and six hydropower plants. This system is managed by Rio Tinto Alcan, an aluminium producer who needs this energy for its processes. Optimal management of the hydropower plants highly depends on the reliability of the inflow forecasts to the reservoirs and also on the reliability of observed streamflow. The latter are not directly measured, but rather deduced from the computation of a water balance. This water balance includes streamflow computation based on rating curves for river sections and upstream reservoirs and a modelling process using CEQUEAU hydrological model (Morin et al., 1981). In addition, mostly during the winter, the model has to account for a transfer of water from Lac Manouane reservoir to Passes-Dangereuses through Bonnard channel. Winter flow though Bonnard channel is controlled by a spillway, and represented in CEQUEAU by a transfer function and a fixed time delay (2 days). However, it is suspected that the evacuation function, as it is currently computed, is inaccurate. The main objective of this work is to reduce predictive uncertainty for Lac Manouane and Passes-Dangereuses catchment, for the one-day ahead horizon. This objective is twofold. First, the uncertainty related to the parameterization of the hydrological model had never been evaluated. It was to be investigated whether it is better to spatialize the calibration of the hydrological model. In its actual form, the calibration of the hydrological model CEQUEAU (Morin et al., 1981) is based exclusively on the downstream outflow. There is, however, intermediate streamflow measurements data available for an intermediate location. Our study shows that calibrating the model using streamflows for both locations (intermediate location and downstream) leads to improved forecasts, as measured by the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency criterion. The parameter sets thus determined best represent the phenomena of exchange and runoff in the watershed. Second, this study aims at reducing the uncertainty associated to the evacuation function for the Bonnard channel as well as the time delay related to this transfer. Instead of using a fixed 2-day time delay for the transfer, it was attempted to represent the channel in the hydrological model CEQUEAU and compute the time delay from this model. The results show that hydrological modelling does not improve the results and that the 2-day time delay is adequate, especially for first days of opening and few days after closure of the gate. In addition, this research shows that the evacuation function of Bonnard spillway is inexact for large streamflows. It is considered the main source of uncertainty for the prediction of inflows to the reservoirs. We also show that the evacuated streamflows can be successfully corrected by hydrological modelling. This case study shows that a careful revision of the inflow forecasting process for those important watersheds can help reduce predictive uncertainty. Although the application is specific to the Lac-St-Jean area, we believe that our experience could serve other users and water managers with similar issues regarding inflow uncertainty. Reference Morin, G., J.-P. Fortin, J.-P. Lardeau, W. Sochanska and S. Paquette. 1981. Modèle CEQUEAU : Manuel d'utilisation. Rapport de recherche no R-93, INRS-Eau, Sainte-Foy

  5. Statistical analysis of surface-water-quality data in and near the coal-mining region of southwestern Indiana, 1957-80

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Martin, Jeffrey D.; Crawford, Charles G.

    1987-01-01

    The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires that applications for coal-mining permits contain information about the water quality of streams at and near a proposed mine. To meet this need for information, streamflow, specific conductance, pH, and concentrations of total alkalinity, sulfate, dissolved solids, suspended solids, total iron, and total manganese at 37 stations were analyzed to determine the spatial and seasonal variations in water quality and to develop equations for predicting water quality. The season of lowest median streamflow was related to the size of the drainage area. Median streamflow was least during fall at 15 of 16 stations having drainage areas greater than 1,000 square miles but was least during summer at 17 of 21 stations having drainage areas less than 1,000 square miles. In general, the season of lowest median specific conductance occurred during the season of highest streamflow except at stations on the Wabash River. Median specific conductance was least during summer at 9 of 9 stations on the Wabash River, but was least during winter or spring (the seasons of highest streamflow) at 27 of the remaining 28 stations. Linear, inverse, semilog, log-log, and hyperbolic regression models were used to investigate the functional relations between water-quality characteristics and streamflow. Of 186 relations investigated, 143 were statistically significant. Specific conductance and concentrations of total alkalinity and sulfate were negatively related to streamflow at all stations except for a positive relation between total alkalinity concentration and streamflow at Patoka River near Princeton. Concentrations of total alkalinity and sulfate were positively related to specific conductance at all stations except for a negative relation at Patoka River near Princeton and for a positive and negative relation at Patoka River at Jasper. Most of these relations are good, have small confidence intervals, and will give reliable predictions of the water-quality variables listed above. The poorest relations are typically at stations in the Patoka River watershed. Suspended-solids concentration was positively related to streamflow at all but two stations on the Patoka River. These relations are poor, have large confidence intervals, and will give less reliable predictions of suspended-solids concentration. Predictive equations for the regional relations between dissolved-solids concentration and specific conductance and between sulfate concentration and specific conductance, and the seasonal patterns of water quality, are probably valid for the coal-mining regions of Illinois and western Kentucky.

  6. Streamflow monitoring and statistics for development of water rights claims for Wild and Scenic Rivers, Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness, Idaho, 2012

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wood, Molly S.; Fosness, Ryan L.

    2013-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), collected streamflow data in 2012 and estimated streamflow statistics for stream segments designated "Wild," "Scenic," or "Recreational" under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness in southwestern Idaho. The streamflow statistics were used by BLM to develop and file a draft, federal reserved water right claim in autumn 2012 to protect federally designated "outstanding remarkable values" in the stream segments. BLM determined that the daily mean streamflow equaled or exceeded 20 and 80 percent of the time during bimonthly periods (two periods per month) and the bankfull streamflow are important streamflow thresholds for maintaining outstanding remarkable values. Prior to this study, streamflow statistics estimated using available datasets and tools for the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness were inaccurate for use in the water rights claim. Streamflow measurements were made at varying intervals during February–September 2012 at 14 monitoring sites; 2 of the monitoring sites were equipped with telemetered streamgaging equipment. Synthetic streamflow records were created for 11 of the 14 monitoring sites using a partial‑record method or a drainage-area-ratio method. Streamflow records were obtained directly from an operating, long-term streamgage at one monitoring site, and from discontinued streamgages at two monitoring sites. For 10 sites analyzed using the partial-record method, discrete measurements were related to daily mean streamflow at a nearby, telemetered “index” streamgage. Resulting regression equations were used to estimate daily mean and annual peak streamflow at the monitoring sites during the full period of record for the index sites. A synthetic streamflow record for Sheep Creek was developed using a drainage-area-ratio method, because measured streamflows did not relate well to any index site to allow use of the partial-record method. The synthetic and actual daily mean streamflow records were used to estimate daily mean streamflow that was exceeded 80, 50, and 20 percent of the time (80-, 50-, and 20-percent exceedances) for bimonthly and annual periods. Bankfull streamflow statistics were calculated by fitting the synthetic and actual annual peak streamflow records to a log Pearson Type III distribution using Bulletin 17B guidelines in the U.S. Geological Survey PeakFQ program. The coefficients of determination (R2) for the regressions between the monitoring and index sites ranged from 0.74 for Wickahoney Creek to 0.98 for the West Fork Bruneau River and Deep Creek. Confidence in computed streamflow statistics is highest among other sites for the East Fork Owyhee River and the West Fork Bruneau River on the basis of regression statistics, visual fit of the related data, and the range and number of streamflow measurements. Streamflow statistics for sites with the greatest uncertainty included Big Jacks, Little Jacks, Cottonwood, Wickahoney, and Sheep Creeks. The uncertainty in computed streamflow statistics was due to a number of factors which included the distance of index sites relative to monitoring sites, relatively low streamflow conditions that occurred during the study, and the limited number and range of streamflow measurements. However, the computed streamflow statistics are considered the best possible estimates given available datasets in the remote study area. Streamflow measurements over a wider range of hydrologic and climatic conditions would improve the relations between streamflow characteristics at monitoring and index sites. Additionally, field surveys are needed to verify if the streamflows selected for the water rights claims are sufficient for maintaining outstanding remarkable values in the Wild and Scenic rivers included in the study.

  7. Photoisomerisation and light-induced morphological switching of a polyoxometalate-azobenzene hybrid.

    PubMed

    Markiewicz, Grzegorz; Pakulski, Dawid; Galanti, Agostino; Patroniak, Violetta; Ciesielski, Artur; Stefankiewicz, Artur R; Samorì, Paolo

    2017-06-29

    The functionalization of a spherical Keplerate-type polyoxometalate {Mo 72 V 30 } with a cationic azobenzene surfactant has been achieved through ionic self-assembly. The photoisomerisation reaction of this complex, which emerges in a light-triggered aggregation-disaggregation process, has been followed by 1 H NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses.

  8. Envisioning the Future of Christian Higher Education: Leadership for Embracing, Engaging, and Executing in a Changing Landscape

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reynolds, John; Wallace, Jon

    2016-01-01

    The focus of this article centers on three specific themes of disruption that are likely to affect the future of Christian higher education. The first theme examines the juxtaposition of faith-based institutional identity and its influence on a post-modern society. The second theme explores the disaggregation of traditional faculty functions and…

  9. Streamflow characteristics of small tributaries of Rock Creek, Milk River basin, Montana, base period water years 1983-87

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parrett, Charles; Hull, J.A.

    1990-01-01

    Five streamflow-gaging stations were installed in the Rock Creek basin north of the Milk River near Hinsdale, Montana. Streamflow was monitored at these stations and at an existing gaging station upstream on Rock Creek from May 1983 through September 1987. The data collected were used to describe the flow characteristics of four small tributary streams. Annual mean streamflow ranges from 2.8 to 57 cu ft/sec in the mainstem and from 0 to 0.60 cu ft/sec in the tributaries. Monthly mean streamflow ranged from 0 to 528 cu ft/sec in Rock Creek and from zero to 5.3 cu ft/sec in the four tributaries. The six gaged sites show similar patterns of daily mean streamflow during periods of large runoff, but substantial individual variations during periods of lesser runoff. During periods of lesser runoff , the small tributaries may have small daily mean streamflows. At other times, daily mean streamflow at the two mainstem sites decreased downstream. Daily mean streamflow in the tributaries appears to be closely related to daily mean streamflow in the mainstem only during periods of substantial area-wide runoff. Thus, streamflow in the tributaries resulting from local storms or local snowmelt may not contribute to streamflow in the mainstem. (USGS)

  10. Trends in selected streamflow statistics at 19 long-term streamflow-gaging stations indicative of outflows from Texas to Arkansas, Louisiana, Galveston Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico, 1922-2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barbie, Dana L.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.

    2012-01-01

    Trends in selected streamflow statistics during 1922-2009 were evaluated at 19 long-term streamflow-gaging stations considered indicative of outflows from Texas to Arkansas, Louisiana, Galveston Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, evaluated streamflow data from streamflow-gaging stations with more than 50 years of record that were active as of 2009. The outflows into Arkansas and Louisiana were represented by 3 streamflow-gaging stations, and outflows into the Gulf of Mexico, including Galveston Bay, were represented by 16 streamflow-gaging stations. Monotonic trend analyses were done using the following three streamflow statistics generated from daily mean values of streamflow: (1) annual mean daily discharge, (2) annual maximum daily discharge, and (3) annual minimum daily discharge. The trend analyses were based on the nonparametric Kendall's Tau test, which is useful for the detection of monotonic upward or downward trends with time. A total of 69 trend analyses by Kendall's Tau were computed - 19 periods of streamflow multiplied by the 3 streamflow statistics plus 12 additional trend analyses because the periods of record for 2 streamflow-gaging stations were divided into periods representing pre- and post-reservoir impoundment. Unless otherwise described, each trend analysis used the entire period of record for each streamflow-gaging station. The monotonic trend analysis detected 11 statistically significant downward trends, 37 instances of no trend, and 21 statistically significant upward trends. One general region studied, which seemingly has relatively more upward trends for many of the streamflow statistics analyzed, includes the rivers and associated creeks and bayous to Galveston Bay in the Houston metropolitan area. Lastly, the most western river basins considered (the Nueces and Rio Grande) had statistically significant downward trends for many of the streamflow statistics analyzed.

  11. Evaluating climate change impacts on streamflow variability based on a multisite multivariate GCM downscaling method in the Jing River of China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Zhi; Jin, Jiming

    2017-11-01

    Projected hydrological variability is important for future resource and hazard management of water supplies because changes in hydrological variability can cause more disasters than changes in the mean state. However, climate change scenarios downscaled from Earth System Models (ESMs) at single sites cannot meet the requirements of distributed hydrologic models for simulating hydrological variability. This study developed multisite multivariate climate change scenarios via three steps: (i) spatial downscaling of ESMs using a transfer function method, (ii) temporal downscaling of ESMs using a single-site weather generator, and (iii) reconstruction of spatiotemporal correlations using a distribution-free shuffle procedure. Multisite precipitation and temperature change scenarios for 2011-2040 were generated from five ESMs under four representative concentration pathways to project changes in streamflow variability using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the Jing River, China. The correlation reconstruction method performed realistically for intersite and intervariable correlation reproduction and hydrological modeling. The SWAT model was found to be well calibrated with monthly streamflow with a model efficiency coefficient of 0.78. It was projected that the annual mean precipitation would not change, while the mean maximum and minimum temperatures would increase significantly by 1.6 ± 0.3 and 1.3 ± 0.2 °C; the variance ratios of 2011-2040 to 1961-2005 were 1.15 ± 0.13 for precipitation, 1.15 ± 0.14 for mean maximum temperature, and 1.04 ± 0.10 for mean minimum temperature. A warmer climate was predicted for the flood season, while the dry season was projected to become wetter and warmer; the findings indicated that the intra-annual and interannual variations in the future climate would be greater than in the current climate. The total annual streamflow was found to change insignificantly but its variance ratios of 2011-2040 to 1961-2005 increased by 1.25 ± 0.55. Streamflow variability was predicted to become greater over most months on the seasonal scale because of the increased monthly maximum streamflow and decreased monthly minimum streamflow. The increase in streamflow variability was attributed mainly to larger positive contributions from increased precipitation variances rather than negative contributions from increased mean temperatures.

  12. Trends in timing, magnitude, and duration of summer and fall/winter streamflows for unregulated coastal river basins in Maine during the 20th century

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dudley, Robert W.; Hodgkins, Glenn A.

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission (ASC), began a study in 2003 to examine the timing, magnitude, and duration of summer (June through October) and fall/early winter (September through January) seasonal streamflows of unregulated coastal river basins in Maine and to correlate them to meteorological variables and winter/spring (January through May) seasonal streamflows. This study overlapped the summer seasonal window with the fall/early winter seasonal window to completely bracket the low-streamflow period during July, August, and September between periods of high streamflows in June and October. The ASC is concerned with the impacts of potentially changing meteorological and hydrologic conditions on Atlantic salmon survival. Because winter/spring high streamflows appear to have trended toward earlier dates over the 20th century in coastal Maine, it was hypothesized that the spring/summer recession to low streamflows could have a similar trend toward earlier, and possibly lower, longer lasting, late summer/early fall low streamflows during the 20th century. There were few statistically significant trends in the timing, magnitude, or duration of summer low streamflows for coastal river basins in Maine during the 20th century. The hypothesis that earlier winter/spring high streamflows may result in earlier or lower low streamflows is not supported by the data. No statistically significant trends in the magnitude of total runoff volume during the low-streamflow months of August and September were observed. The magnitude and timing of summer low streamflows correlated with the timing of fall/winter high streamflows and the amount of summer precipitation. The magnitude and timing of summer low streamflows did not correlate with the timing of spring snowmelt runoff. There were few correlations between the magnitude and timing of summer low streamflows and monthly mean surface air temperatures. There were few statistically significant trends in the timing or duration of fall/winter high streamflows for coastal river basins in Maine during the 20th century. The timing of the bulk of fall/winter high streamflows correlated with seasonal precipitation. Earlier fall/winter center-of-volume dates correlated with higher September and October precipitation. In general, little evidence was observed of trends in the magnitude of seasonal runoff volume during fall/winter. The magnitude of fall/winter high streamflows positively correlated with November and December precipitation amounts. There were few correlations between the magnitude and timing of fall/winter high streamflows and monthly mean surface air temperatures.

  13. 47 CFR 90.365 - Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioned licenses and disaggregated spectrum. 90.365 Section 90.365 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Intelligent Transportation Systems Radio Service...

  14. 47 CFR 101.1111 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 101.1111 Section 101.1111 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Competitive Bidding Procedures for LMDS § 101.1111 Partitioning and...

  15. 47 CFR 101.1111 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 101.1111 Section 101.1111 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Competitive Bidding Procedures for LMDS § 101.1111 Partitioning and...

  16. 47 CFR 101.1111 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 101.1111 Section 101.1111 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Competitive Bidding Procedures for LMDS § 101.1111 Partitioning and...

  17. 47 CFR 101.1111 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Partitioning and disaggregation. 101.1111 Section 101.1111 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Competitive Bidding Procedures for LMDS § 101.1111 Partitioning and...

  18. Multivariate exploration of non-intrusive load monitoring via spatiotemporal pattern network

    DOE PAGES

    Liu, Chao; Akintayo, Adedotun; Jiang, Zhanhong; ...

    2017-12-18

    Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) of electrical demand for the purpose of identifying load components has thus far mostly been studied using univariate data, e.g., using only whole building electricity consumption time series to identify a certain type of end-use such as lighting load. However, using additional variables in the form of multivariate time series data may provide more information in terms of extracting distinguishable features in the context of energy disaggregation. In this work, a novel probabilistic graphical modeling approach, namely the spatiotemporal pattern network (STPN) is proposed for energy disaggregation using multivariate time-series data. The STPN framework is shownmore » to be capable of handling diverse types of multivariate time-series to improve the energy disaggregation performance. The technique outperforms the state of the art factorial hidden Markov models (FHMM) and combinatorial optimization (CO) techniques in multiple real-life test cases. Furthermore, based on two homes' aggregate electric consumption data, a similarity metric is defined for the energy disaggregation of one home using a trained model based on the other home (i.e., out-of-sample case). The proposed similarity metric allows us to enhance scalability via learning supervised models for a few homes and deploying such models to many other similar but unmodeled homes with significantly high disaggregation accuracy.« less

  19. Primary midgut, salivary gland, and ovary cultures from Boophilus microplus.

    PubMed

    Mosqueda, Juan; Cossío-Bayugar, Raquel; Rodríguez, Elba; Falcón, Alfonso; Ramos, Alberto; Figueroa, Julio V; Alvarez, Antonio

    2008-12-01

    Primary cell cultures from different tick organs are a valuable tool for host parasite research in the study of the protozoan Babesia sp., which infects different organs of the tick. In this work we describe the generation of midgut, salivary gland, and ovary primary cell cultures from dissections of Boophilus microplus. Midguts, salivary glands, and ovaries were dissected from B. microplus ticks on different days after bovine infestation; different enzymatic disaggregating protocols were tested in the presence of proteolytic enzymes, such as trypsin and collagenase type I and II, for tissue disaggregation and primary cell culture generation. The dissected tick organs obtained 18-20 days after bovine infestation showed a major cellular differentiation and were easier to identify by cellular morphology. The enzymatic disaggregation results showed that each tissue required a different proteolytic enzyme for optimal disaggregation; collagenase type I produced the most complete disaggregation for ovaries but not for midgut or salivary glands. Collagenase type II was effective for salivary glands but performed poorly on ovaries and midgets, and typsin was effective for midguts only. The midgut and ovary primary cell cultures were maintained for 4 weeks in optimal conditions after the cells were no longer viable. The salivary gland cell cultures were viable for 8 months.

  20. Crucial HSP70 co–chaperone complex unlocks metazoan protein disaggregation

    PubMed Central

    Nillegoda, Nadinath B.; Kirstein, Janine; Szlachcic, Anna; Berynskyy, Mykhaylo; Stank, Antonia; Stengel, Florian; Arnsburg, Kristin; Gao, Xuechao; Scior, Annika; Aebersold, Ruedi; Guilbride, D. Lys; Wade, Rebecca C.; Morimoto, Richard I.; Mayer, Matthias P.; Bukau, Bernd

    2016-01-01

    Protein aggregates are the hallmark of stressed and ageing cells, and characterize several pathophysiological states1,2. Healthy metazoan cells effectively eliminate intracellular protein aggregates3,4, indicating that efficient disaggregation and/or degradation mechanisms exist. However, metazoans lack the key heat-shock protein disaggregase HSP100 of non-metazoan HSP70-dependent protein disaggregation systems5,6, and the human HSP70 system alone, even with the crucial HSP110 nucleotide exchange factor, has poor disaggregation activity in vitro4,7. This unresolved conundrum is central to protein quality control biology. Here we show that synergic cooperation between complexed J-protein co-chaperones of classes A and B unleashes highly efficient protein disaggregation activity in human and nematode HSP70 systems. Metazoan mixed-class J-protein complexes are transient, involve complementary charged regions conserved in the J-domains and carboxy-terminal domains of each J-protein class, and are flexible with respect to subunit composition. Complex formation allows J-proteins to initiate transient higher order chaperone structures involving HSP70 and interacting nucleotide exchange factors. A network of cooperative class A and B J-protein interactions therefore provides the metazoan HSP70 machinery with powerful, flexible, and finely regulatable disaggregase activity and a further level of regulation crucial for cellular protein quality control. PMID:26245380

  1. An economic analysis of disaggregation of space assets: Application to GPS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hastings, Daniel E.; La Tour, Paul A.

    2017-05-01

    New ideas, technologies and architectural concepts are emerging with the potential to reshape the space enterprise. One of those new architectural concepts is the idea that rather than aggregating payloads onto large very high performance buses, space architectures should be disaggregated with smaller numbers of payloads (as small as one) per bus and the space capabilities spread across a correspondingly larger number of systems. The primary rationale is increased survivability and resilience. The concept of disaggregation is examined from an acquisition cost perspective. A mixed system dynamics and trade space exploration model is developed to look at long-term trends in the space acquisition business. The model is used to examine the question of how different disaggregated GPS architectures compare in cost to the well-known current GPS architecture. A generation-over-generation examination of policy choices is made possible through the application of soft systems modeling of experience and learning effects. The assumptions that are allowed to vary are: design lives, production quantities, non-recurring engineering and time between generations. The model shows that there is always a premium in the first generation to be paid to disaggregate the GPS payloads. However, it is possible to construct survivable architectures where the premium after two generations is relatively low.

  2. Multivariate exploration of non-intrusive load monitoring via spatiotemporal pattern network

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu, Chao; Akintayo, Adedotun; Jiang, Zhanhong

    Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) of electrical demand for the purpose of identifying load components has thus far mostly been studied using univariate data, e.g., using only whole building electricity consumption time series to identify a certain type of end-use such as lighting load. However, using additional variables in the form of multivariate time series data may provide more information in terms of extracting distinguishable features in the context of energy disaggregation. In this work, a novel probabilistic graphical modeling approach, namely the spatiotemporal pattern network (STPN) is proposed for energy disaggregation using multivariate time-series data. The STPN framework is shownmore » to be capable of handling diverse types of multivariate time-series to improve the energy disaggregation performance. The technique outperforms the state of the art factorial hidden Markov models (FHMM) and combinatorial optimization (CO) techniques in multiple real-life test cases. Furthermore, based on two homes' aggregate electric consumption data, a similarity metric is defined for the energy disaggregation of one home using a trained model based on the other home (i.e., out-of-sample case). The proposed similarity metric allows us to enhance scalability via learning supervised models for a few homes and deploying such models to many other similar but unmodeled homes with significantly high disaggregation accuracy.« less

  3. Streamflow Statistics for the Narraguagus River at Cherryfield, Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dudley, Robert W.; Nielsen, Joseph P.

    2000-01-01

    Streamflow data have been collected for the Narraguagus River from 1948 to the present (2000) at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgaging station at Cherryfield, Maine. This report describes a study done by the USGS to determine streamflow statistics using the streamflow record at the Narraguagus River station for use in total water use management plans implemented by State and Federal agencies. Because the effect of changes in irrigation practices from 1993 to the present on streamflow in the Narraguagus basin is unknown and potentially significant, streamflow data after December 1992 were not used in the determination of the streamflow statistics. For the period 1948- 92, monthly median streamflows range from 93.0 ft3/s (August) to 1,000 ft3/s (April). The median streamflow for the selected period of record for all days (1948-92) is 302 ft3/s.

  4. Influence of groundwater pumping on streamflow restoration following upstream dam removal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Constantz, J.; Essaid, H.

    2007-01-01

    We compared streamflow in basins under the combined impacts of an upland dam and groundwater pumping withdrawals, by examining streamflow in the presence and absence of each impact. As a qualitative analysis, inter-watersbed streamflow comparisons were performed for several rivers flowing into the east side of the Central Valley, CA. Results suggest that, in the absence of upland dams supporting large reservoirs, some reaches of these rivers might develop ephemeral streamflow in late summer. As a quantitative analysis, we conducted a series of streamflow/ groundwater simulations (using MODFLOW-2000 plus the streamflow routing package, SFR1) for a representative hypothetical watershed, with an upland dam and groundwater pumping in the downstream basin, under humid, semi-arid, and and conditions. As a result of including the impact of groundwater pumping, post-dam removal simulated streamflow was significantly less than natural streamflow. The model predicts extensive ephemeral conditions in the basin during September for both the arid and semi-arid cases. The model predicts continued perennial conditions in the humid case, but spatially weighted, average streamflow of only 71% of natural September streamflow, as a result of continued pumping after dam removal.

  5. Comparison of historical streamflows to 2013 Streamflows in the Williamson, Sprague, and Wood Rivers, Upper Klamath Lake Basin, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hess, Glen W.; Stonewall, Adam J.

    2014-01-01

    In 2013, the Upper Klamath Lake Basin, Oregon, experienced a dry spring, resulting in an executive order declaring a state of drought emergency in Klamath County. The 2013 drought limited the water supply and led to a near-total cessation of surface-water diversions for irrigation above Upper Klamath Lake once regulation was implemented. These conditions presented a unique opportunity to understand the effects of water right regulation on streamflows. The effects of regulation of diversions were evaluated by comparing measured 2013 streamflow with data from hydrologically similar years. Years with spring streamflow similar to that in 2013 measured at the Sprague River gage at Chiloquin from water years 1973 to 2012 were used to define a Composite Index Year (CIY; with diversions) for comparison to measured 2013 streamflows (no diversions). The best-fit 6 years (1977, 1981, 1990, 1991, 1994, and 2001) were used to determine the CIY. Two streams account for most of the streamflow into Upper Klamath Lake: the Williamson and Wood Rivers. Most streamflow into the lake is from the Williamson River Basin, which includes the Sprague River. Because most of the diversion regulation affecting the streamflow of the Williamson River occurred in the Sprague River Basin, and because of uncertainties about historical flows in a major diversion above the Williamson River gage, streamflow data from the Sprague River were used to estimate the change in streamflow from regulation of diversions for the Williamson River Basin. Changes in streamflow outside of the Sprague River Basin were likely minor relative to total streamflow. The effect of diversion regulation was evaluated using the “Baseflow Method,” which compared 2013 baseflow to baseflow of the CIY. The Baseflow Method reduces the potential effects of summer precipitation events on the calculations. A similar method using streamflow produced similar results, however, despite at least one summer precipitation event. The result of the analysis estimates that streamflow from the Williamson River Basin to Upper Klamath Lake increased by approximately 14,100 acre-feet between July 1 and September 30 relative to prior dry years as a result of regulation of surface-water diversions in 2013. Quantifying the change in streamflow from regulation of diversion for the Wood River Basin was likely less accurate due to a lack of long-term streamflow data. An increase in streamflow from regulation of diversions in the Wood River Basin of roughly 5,500 acre-feet was estimated by comparing the average August and September streamflow in 2013 with historical August and September streamflow. Summing the results of the estimated streamflow gain of the Williamson River Basin (14,100 acre-feet) and Wood River (5,500 acre-feet) gives a total estimated increase in streamflow into Upper Klamath Lake resulting from the July 1–September 2013 regulation of diversions of approximately 19,600 acre-feet.

  6. Streamflow gains and losses along San Francisquito Creek and characterization of surface-water and ground-water quality, southern San Mateo and northern Santa Clara counties, California, 1996-97

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Metzger, Loren F.

    2002-01-01

    San Francisquito Creek is an important source of recharge to the 22-square-mile San Francisquito Creek alluvial fan ground-water subbasin in the southern San Mateo and northern Santa Clara Counties of California. Ground water supplies as much as 20 percent of the water to some area communities. Local residents are concerned that infiltration and consequently ground-water recharge would be reduced if additional flood-control measures are implemented along San Francisquito Creek. To improve the understanding of the surface-water/ground-water interaction between San Francisquito Creek and the San Francisquito Creek alluvial fan, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated streamflow gains and losses along San Francisquito Creek and determined the chemical quality and isotopic composition of surface and ground water in the study area.Streamflow was measured at 13 temporary streamflow-measurement stations to determine streamflow gains and losses along a 8.4-mile section of San Francisquito Creek. A series of five seepage runs between April 1996 and May 1997 indicate that losses in San Francisquito Creek were negligible until it crossed the Pulgas Fault at Sand Hill Road. Streamflow losses increased between Sand Hill Road and Middlefield Road where the alluvial deposits are predominantly coarse-grained and the water table is below the bottom of the channel. The greatest streamflow losses were measured along a 1.8-mile section of the creek between the San Mateo Drive bike bridge and Middlefield Road; average losses between San Mateo Drive and Alma Street and from there to Middlefield Road were 3.1 and 2.5 acre-feet per day, respectively.Downstream from Middlefield Road, streamflow gains and losses owing to seepage may be masked by urban runoff, changes in bank storage, and tidal effects from San Francisco Bay. Streamflow gains measured between Middlefield Road and the 1200 block of Woodland Avenue may be attributable to urban runoff and (or) ground-water inflow. Water-level measurements from nearby wells indicate that the regional water table may coincide with the channel bottom along this reach of San Francisquito Creek, particularly during the winter and early spring when water levels usually reach their maximum. Streamflow losses resumed below the 1200 block of Woodland Avenue, extending downstream to Newell Road. Discharge from a large storm drain between Newell Road and East Bayshore Road may account for the streamflow gains measured between these sites. Streamflow gains were measured between East Bayshore Road and the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, but this reach is difficult to characterize because of the probable influence of high tides.Estimated average streamflow losses totaled approximately 1,050 acre-feet per year for the reaches between USGS stream gage 11164500 at Stanford University (upstream of Junipero Serra Boulevard) and the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, including approximately 595 acre-feet per year for the 1.8-mile section between San Mateo Drive and Middlefield Road. Approximately 58 percent, or 550 acre-feet, of the total estimated average annual recharge from San Francisquito Creek occurs between the San Mateo Drive and Middlefield Road sites.The chemical composition of San Francisquito Creek water varies as a function of seasonal changes in hydrologic conditions. Measurements of specific conductance indicate that during dry weather and low flow, the dissolved-solids concentrations tends to be high, and during wet weather, the concentration tends to be low owing to dilution by surface water. Compared with water samples from upstream sites at USGS stream gage 11164500 and San Mateo Drive, the samples from the downstream sites at Alma Street and Woodland Avenue had low specific conductance; low concentrations of magnesium, sodium, sulfate, chloride, boron, and total dissolved solids; high nutrient concentrations; and light isotopic compositions indicating that urban runoff constitutes most of the streamflow

  7. Preliminary assessment of streamflow characteristics for selected streams at Fort Gordon, Georgia, 1999-2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stamey, Timothy C.

    2001-01-01

    In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, began collection of periodic streamflow data at four streams on the military base to assess and estimate streamflow characteristics of those streams for potential water-supply sources. Simple and reliable methods of determining streamflow characteristics of selected streams on the military base are needed for the initial implementation of the Fort Gordon Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan. Long-term streamflow data from the Butler Creek streamflow gaging station were used along with several concurrent discharge measurements made at three selected partial-record streamflow stations on Fort Gordon to determine selected low-flow streamflow characteristics. Streamflow data were collected and analyzed using standard U.S. Geological Survey methods and computer application programs to verify the use of simple drainage area to discharge ratios, which were used to estimate the low-flow characteristics for the selected streams. Low-flow data computed based on daily mean streamflow include: mean discharges for consecutive 1-, 3-, 7-, 14-, and 30-day period and low-flow estimates of 7Q10, 30Q2, 60Q2, and 90Q2 recurrence intervals. Flow-duration data also were determined for the 10-, 30-, 50-, 70-, and 90-percent exceedence flows. Preliminary analyses of the streamflow indicate that the flow duration and selected low-flow statistics for the selected streams averages from about 0.15 to 2.27 cubic feet per square mile. The long-term gaged streamflow data indicate that the streamflow conditions for the period analyzed were in the 50- to 90-percent flow range, or in which streamflow would be exceeded about 50 to 90 percent of the time.

  8. WaterWatch - Maps, graphs, and tables of current, recent, and past streamflow conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jian, Xiaodong; Wolock, David; Lins, Harry F.

    2008-01-01

    WaterWatch (http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) World Wide Web site that dis­plays maps, graphs, and tables describing real-time, recent, and past streamflow conditions for the United States. The real-time information generally is updated on an hourly basis. WaterWatch provides streamgage-based maps that show the location of more than 3,000 long-term (30 years or more) USGS streamgages; use colors to represent streamflow conditions compared to historical streamflow; feature a point-and-click interface allowing users to retrieve graphs of stream stage (water elevation) and flow; and highlight locations where extreme hydrologic events, such as floods and droughts, are occurring.The streamgage-based maps show streamflow conditions for real-time, average daily, and 7-day average streamflow. The real-time streamflow maps highlight flood and high flow conditions. The 7-day average streamflow maps highlight below-normal and drought conditions.WaterWatch also provides hydrologic unit code (HUC) maps. HUC-based maps are derived from the streamgage-based maps and illustrate streamflow conditions in hydrologic regions. These maps show average streamflow conditions for 1-, 7-, 14-, and 28-day periods, and for monthly average streamflow; highlight regions of low flow or hydrologic drought; and provide historical runoff and streamflow conditions beginning in 1901.WaterWatch summarizes streamflow conditions in a region (state or hydrologic unit) in terms of the long-term typical condition at streamgages in the region. Summary tables are provided along with time-series plots that depict variations through time. WaterWatch also includes tables of current streamflow information and locations of flooding.

  9. Evaluation of uncertainty in capturing the spatial variability and magnitudes of extreme hydrological events for the uMngeni catchment, South Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kusangaya, Samuel; Warburton Toucher, Michele L.; van Garderen, Emma Archer

    2018-02-01

    Downscaled General Circulation Models (GCMs) output are used to forecast climate change and provide information used as input for hydrological modelling. Given that our understanding of climate change points towards an increasing frequency, timing and intensity of extreme hydrological events, there is therefore the need to assess the ability of downscaled GCMs to capture these extreme hydrological events. Extreme hydrological events play a significant role in regulating the structure and function of rivers and associated ecosystems. In this study, the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) method was adapted to assess the ability of simulated streamflow (using downscaled GCMs (dGCMs)) in capturing extreme river dynamics (high and low flows), as compared to streamflow simulated using historical climate data from 1960 to 2000. The ACRU hydrological model was used for simulating streamflow for the 13 water management units of the uMngeni Catchment, South Africa. Statistically downscaled climate models obtained from the Climate System Analysis Group at the University of Cape Town were used as input for the ACRU Model. Results indicated that, high flows and extreme high flows (one in ten year high flows/large flood events) were poorly represented both in terms of timing, frequency and magnitude. Simulated streamflow using dGCMs data also captures more low flows and extreme low flows (one in ten year lowest flows) than that captured in streamflow simulated using historical climate data. The overall conclusion was that although dGCMs output can reasonably be used to simulate overall streamflow, it performs poorly when simulating extreme high and low flows. Streamflow simulation from dGCMs must thus be used with caution in hydrological applications, particularly for design hydrology, as extreme high and low flows are still poorly represented. This, arguably calls for the further improvement of downscaling techniques in order to generate climate data more relevant and useful for hydrological applications such as in design hydrology. Nevertheless, the availability of downscaled climatic output provide the potential of exploring climate model uncertainties in different hydro climatic regions at local scales where forcing data is often less accessible but more accurate at finer spatial scales and with adequate spatial detail.

  10. Methods for estimating selected low-flow statistics and development of annual flow-duration statistics for Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koltun, G.F.; Kula, Stephanie P.

    2013-01-01

    This report presents the results of a study to develop methods for estimating selected low-flow statistics and for determining annual flow-duration statistics for Ohio streams. Regression techniques were used to develop equations for estimating 10-year recurrence-interval (10-percent annual-nonexceedance probability) low-flow yields, in cubic feet per second per square mile, with averaging periods of 1, 7, 30, and 90-day(s), and for estimating the yield corresponding to the long-term 80-percent duration flow. These equations, which estimate low-flow yields as a function of a streamflow-variability index, are based on previously published low-flow statistics for 79 long-term continuous-record streamgages with at least 10 years of data collected through water year 1997. When applied to the calibration dataset, average absolute percent errors for the regression equations ranged from 15.8 to 42.0 percent. The regression results have been incorporated into the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) StreamStats application for Ohio (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/ohio.html) in the form of a yield grid to facilitate estimation of the corresponding streamflow statistics in cubic feet per second. Logistic-regression equations also were developed and incorporated into the USGS StreamStats application for Ohio for selected low-flow statistics to help identify occurrences of zero-valued statistics. Quantiles of daily and 7-day mean streamflows were determined for annual and annual-seasonal (September–November) periods for each complete climatic year of streamflow-gaging station record for 110 selected streamflow-gaging stations with 20 or more years of record. The quantiles determined for each climatic year were the 99-, 98-, 95-, 90-, 80-, 75-, 70-, 60-, 50-, 40-, 30-, 25-, 20-, 10-, 5-, 2-, and 1-percent exceedance streamflows. Selected exceedance percentiles of the annual-exceedance percentiles were subsequently computed and tabulated to help facilitate consideration of the annual risk of exceedance or nonexceedance of annual and annual-seasonal-period flow-duration values. The quantiles are based on streamflow data collected through climatic year 2008.

  11. Water chemistry, seepage investigation, streamflow, reservoir storage, and annual availability of water for the San Juan-Chama Project, northern New Mexico, 1942-2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McKean, Sarah E.; Anderholm, Scott K.

    2014-01-01

    The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority supplements the municipal water supply for the Albuquerque metropolitan area, in central New Mexico, with surface water diverted from the Rio Grande. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, undertook this study in which water-chemistry data and historical streamflow were compiled and new water-chemistry data were collected to characterize the water chemistry and streamflow of the San Juan-Chama Project (SJCP). Characterization of streamflow included analysis of the variability of annual streamflow and comparison of the theoretical amount of water that could have been diverted into the SJCP to the actual amount of water that was diverted for the SJCP. Additionally, a seepage investigation was conducted along the channel between Azotea Tunnel Outlet and the streamflow-gaging station at Willow Creek above Heron Reservoir to estimate the magnitude of the gain or loss in streamflow resulting from groundwater interaction over the approximately 10-mile reach. Generally, surface-water chemistry varied with streamflow throughout the year. Streamflow ranged from high flow to low flow on the basis of the quantity of water diverted from the Rio Blanco, Little Navajo River, and Navajo River for the SJCP. Vertical profiles of the water temperature over the depth of the water column at Heron Reservoir indicated that the reservoir is seasonally stratified. The results from the seepage investigations indicated a small amount of loss of streamflow along the channel. Annual variability in streamflow for the SJCP was an indication of the variation in the climate parameters that interact to contribute to streamflow in the Rio Blanco, Little Navajo River, Navajo River, and Willow Creek watersheds. For most years, streamflow at Azotea Tunnel Outlet started in March and continued for approximately 3 months until the middle of July. The majority of annual streamflow at Azotea Tunnel Outlet occurred from May through June, with a median duration of slightly longer than a month. Years with higher maximum daily streamflow generally are associated with higher annual streamflow than years with lower maximum daily streamflow. The amount of water that can be diverted for the SJCP is controlled by the availability of streamflow and is limited by several factors including legal limits for diversion, limits from the SJCP infrastructure including the size of the diversion dams and tunnels, the capacity of Heron Reservoir, and operational constraints that limit when water can be diverted. The average annual streamflow at Azotea Tunnel Outlet was 94,710 acre-feet, and the annual streamflow at Azotea Tunnel Outlet was approximately 75 percent of the annual streamflow available for the SJCP. The average annual percentage of available streamflow not diverted for the SJCP was 14 percent because of structural limitations of the capacity of infrastructure, 1 percent because of limitations of the reservoir storage capacity, and 29 percent because of the limitations from operations. For most years, the annual available streamflow not diverted for unknown reasons exceeded the sum of the water not diverted because of structural, capacity, and operational limitations.

  12. Origin destination disaggregation using fratar biproportional least squares estimation for truck forecasting.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-02-01

    This working paper describes a group of techniques for disaggregating origin-destination tables : for truck forecasting that makes explicit use of observed traffic on a network. Six models within : the group are presented, each of which uses nonlinea...

  13. From Sub-basin to Grid Scale Soil Moisture Disaggregation in SMART, A Semi-distributed Hydrologic Modeling Framework

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajami, H.; Sharma, A.

    2016-12-01

    A computationally efficient, semi-distributed hydrologic modeling framework is developed to simulate water balance at a catchment scale. The Soil Moisture and Runoff simulation Toolkit (SMART) is based upon the delineation of contiguous and topologically connected Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs). In SMART, HRUs are delineated using thresholds obtained from topographic and geomorphic analysis of a catchment, and simulation elements are distributed cross sections or equivalent cross sections (ECS) delineated in first order sub-basins. ECSs are formulated by aggregating topographic and physiographic properties of the part or entire first order sub-basins to further reduce computational time in SMART. Previous investigations using SMART have shown that temporal dynamics of soil moisture are well captured at a HRU level using the ECS delineation approach. However, spatial variability of soil moisture within a given HRU is ignored. Here, we examined a number of disaggregation schemes for soil moisture distribution in each HRU. The disaggregation schemes are either based on topographic based indices or a covariance matrix obtained from distributed soil moisture simulations. To assess the performance of the disaggregation schemes, soil moisture simulations from an integrated land surface-groundwater model, ParFlow.CLM in Baldry sub-catchment, Australia are used. ParFlow is a variably saturated sub-surface flow model that is coupled to the Common Land Model (CLM). Our results illustrate that the statistical disaggregation scheme performs better than the methods based on topographic data in approximating soil moisture distribution at a 60m scale. Moreover, the statistical disaggregation scheme maintains temporal correlation of simulated daily soil moisture while preserves the mean sub-basin soil moisture. Future work is focused on assessing the performance of this scheme in catchments with various topographic and climate settings.

  14. Montana StreamStats—A method for retrieving basin and streamflow characteristics in Montana: Chapter A in Montana StreamStats

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCarthy, Peter M.; Dutton, DeAnn M.; Sando, Steven K.; Sando, Roy

    2016-04-05

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides streamflow characteristics and other related information needed by water-resource managers to protect people and property from floods, plan and manage water-resource activities, and protect water quality. Streamflow characteristics provided by the USGS, such as peak-flow and low-flow frequencies for streamflow-gaging stations, are frequently used by engineers, flood forecasters, land managers, biologists, and others to guide their everyday decisions. In addition to providing streamflow characteristics at streamflow-gaging stations, the USGS also develops regional regression equations and drainage area-adjustment methods for estimating streamflow characteristics at locations on ungaged streams. Regional regression equations can be complex and often require users to determine several basin characteristics, which are physical and climatic characteristics of the stream and its drainage basin. Obtaining these basin characteristics for streamflow-gaging stations and ungaged sites traditionally has been time consuming and subjective, and led to inconsistent results.StreamStats is a Web-based geographic information system application that was created by the USGS to provide users with access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resource planning and management. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain streamflow and basin characteristics for USGS streamflow-gaging stations and user-selected locations on ungaged streams. The USGS, in cooperation with Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, completed a study to develop a StreamStats application for Montana, compute streamflow characteristics at streamflow-gaging stations, and develop regional regression equations to estimate streamflow characteristics at ungaged sites. Chapter A of this Scientific Investigations Report describes the Montana StreamStats application and the datasets, streamflow-gaging stations, streamflow characteristics, and regression equations (as described fully in Chapters B through G of this report) that are used for development of the StreamStats application for Montana.

  15. Regional regression equations for estimation of natural streamflow statistics in Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Capesius, Joseph P.; Stephens, Verlin C.

    2009-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Colorado Department of Transportation, developed regional regression equations for estimation of various streamflow statistics that are representative of natural streamflow conditions at ungaged sites in Colorado. The equations define the statistical relations between streamflow statistics (response variables) and basin and climatic characteristics (predictor variables). The equations were developed using generalized least-squares and weighted least-squares multilinear regression reliant on logarithmic variable transformation. Streamflow statistics were derived from at least 10 years of streamflow data through about 2007 from selected USGS streamflow-gaging stations in the study area that are representative of natural-flow conditions. Basin and climatic characteristics used for equation development are drainage area, mean watershed elevation, mean watershed slope, percentage of drainage area above 7,500 feet of elevation, mean annual precipitation, and 6-hour, 100-year precipitation. For each of five hydrologic regions in Colorado, peak-streamflow equations that are based on peak-streamflow data from selected stations are presented for the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year instantaneous-peak streamflows. For four of the five hydrologic regions, equations based on daily-mean streamflow data from selected stations are presented for 7-day minimum 2-, 10-, and 50-year streamflows and for 7-day maximum 2-, 10-, and 50-year streamflows. Other equations presented for the same four hydrologic regions include those for estimation of annual- and monthly-mean streamflow and streamflow-duration statistics for exceedances of 10, 25, 50, 75, and 90 percent. All equations are reported along with salient diagnostic statistics, ranges of basin and climatic characteristics on which each equation is based, and commentary of potential bias, which is not otherwise removed by log-transformation of the variables of the equations from interpretation of residual plots. The predictor-variable ranges can be used to assess equation applicability for ungaged sites in Colorado.

  16. Spatial patterns of March and September streamflow trends in Pacific Northwest Streams, 1958-2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chang, Heejun; Jung, Il-Won; Steele, Madeline; Gannett, Marshall

    2012-01-01

    Summer streamflow is a vital water resource for municipal and domestic water supplies, irrigation, salmonid habitat, recreation, and water-related ecosystem services in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in the United States. This study detects significant negative trends in September absolute streamflow in a majority of 68 stream-gauging stations located on unregulated streams in the PNW from 1958 to 2008. The proportion of March streamflow to annual streamflow increases in most stations over 1,000 m elevation, with a baseflow index of less than 50, while absolute March streamflow does not increase in most stations. The declining trends of September absolute streamflow are strongly associated with seven-day low flow, January–March maximum temperature trends, and the size of the basin (19–7,260 km2), while the increasing trends of the fraction of March streamflow are associated with elevation, April 1 snow water equivalent, March precipitation, center timing of streamflow, and October–December minimum temperature trends. Compared with ordinary least squares (OLS) estimated regression models, spatial error regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models effectively remove spatial autocorrelation in residuals. The GWR model results show spatial gradients of local R 2 values with consistently higher local R 2 values in the northern Cascades. This finding illustrates that different hydrologic landscape factors, such as geology and seasonal distribution of precipitation, also influence streamflow trends in the PNW. In addition, our spatial analysis model results show that considering various geographic factors help clarify the dynamics of streamflow trends over a large geographical area, supporting a spatial analysis approach over aspatial OLS-estimated regression models for predicting streamflow trends. Results indicate that transitional rain–snow surface water-dominated basins are likely to have reduced summer streamflow under warming scenarios. Consequently, a better understanding of the relationships among summer streamflow, precipitation, snowmelt, elevation, and geology can help water managers predict the response of regional summer streamflow to global warming.

  17. Using Coupled Groundwater-Surface Water Models to Simulate Eco-Regional Differences in Climate Change Impacts on Hydrological Drought Regimes in British Columbia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dierauer, J. R.; Allen, D. M.

    2016-12-01

    Climate change is expected to lead to an increase in extremes, including daily maximum temperatures, heat waves, and meteorological droughts, which will likely result in shifts in the hydrological drought regime (i.e. the frequency, timing, duration, and severity of drought events). While many studies have used hydrologic models to simulate climate change impacts on water resources, only a small portion of these studies have analyzed impacts on low flows and/or hydrological drought. This study is the first to use a fully coupled groundwater-surface water (gw-sw) model to study climate change impacts on hydrological drought. Generic catchment-scale gw-sw models were created for each of the six major eco-regions in British Columbia using the MIKE-SHE/MIKE-11 modelling code. Daily precipitation and temperature time series downscaled using bias-correction spatial disaggregation for the simulated period of 1950-2100 were obtained from the Pacific Climate Institute Consortium (PCIC). Streamflow and groundwater drought events were identified from the simulated time series for each catchment model using the moving window quantile threshold. The frequency, timing, duration, and severity of drought events were compared between the reference period (1961-2000) and two future time periods (2031-2060, 2071-2100). Results show how hydrological drought regimes across the different British Columbia eco-regions will be impacted by climate change.

  18. Analysis of trends in selected streamflow statistics for the Concho River Basin, Texas, 1916-2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barbie, Dana L.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.; May, Jayne E.

    2012-01-01

    Six U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations were selected for analysis. Streamflow-gaging station 08128000 South Concho River at Christoval has downward trends for annual maximum daily discharge and annual instantaneous peak discharge for the combined period 1931-95, 2002-9. Streamflow-gaging station 08128400 Middle Concho River above Tankersley has downward trends for annual maximum daily discharge and annual instantaneous peak discharge for the combined period 1962-95, 2002-9. Streamflow-gaging station 08128500 Middle Concho River near Tankersley has no significant trends in the streamflow statistics considered for the period 1931-60. Streamflow-gaging station 08134000 North Concho River near Carlsbad has downward trends for annual mean daily discharge, annual 7-day minimum daily discharge, annual maximum daily discharge, and annual instantaneous peak discharge for the period 1925-2009. Streamflow-gaging stations 08136000 Concho River at San Angelo and 08136500 Concho River at Paint Rock have downward trends for 1916-2009 for all streamflow statistics calculated, but streamflow-gaging station 08136000 Concho River at San Angelo has an upward trend for annual maximum daily discharge during 1964-2009. The downward trends detected during 1916-2009 for the Concho River at San Angelo are not unexpected because of three reservoirs impounding and profoundly regulating streamflow.

  19. 47 CFR 101.535 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES 24 GHz Service and Digital Electronic Message Service § 101.535 Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation. (a) Eligibility... grant of a license. (2) Any existing frequency coordination agreements shall convey with the assignment...

  20. 47 CFR 101.535 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES 24 GHz Service and Digital Electronic Message Service § 101.535 Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation. (a) Eligibility... grant of a license. (2) Any existing frequency coordination agreements shall convey with the assignment...

  1. 47 CFR 101.535 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES 24 GHz Service and Digital Electronic Message Service § 101.535 Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation. (a) Eligibility... grant of a license. (2) Any existing frequency coordination agreements shall convey with the assignment...

  2. 47 CFR 101.535 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES 24 GHz Service and Digital Electronic Message Service § 101.535 Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation. (a) Eligibility... grant of a license. (2) Any existing frequency coordination agreements shall convey with the assignment...

  3. 47 CFR 101.535 - Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES 24 GHz Service and Digital Electronic Message Service § 101.535 Geographic partitioning and spectrum aggregation/disaggregation. (a) Eligibility... grant of a license. (2) Any existing frequency coordination agreements shall convey with the assignment...

  4. Geo-social media as a proxy for hydrometeorological data for streamflow estimation and to improve flood monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Restrepo-Estrada, Camilo; de Andrade, Sidgley Camargo; Abe, Narumi; Fava, Maria Clara; Mendiondo, Eduardo Mario; de Albuquerque, João Porto

    2018-02-01

    Floods are one of the most devastating types of worldwide disasters in terms of human, economic, and social losses. If authoritative data is scarce, or unavailable for some periods, other sources of information are required to improve streamflow estimation and early flood warnings. Georeferenced social media messages are increasingly being regarded as an alternative source of information for coping with flood risks. However, existing studies have mostly concentrated on the links between geo-social media activity and flooded areas. Thus, there is still a gap in research with regard to the use of social media as a proxy for rainfall-runoff estimations and flood forecasting. To address this, we propose using a transformation function that creates a proxy variable for rainfall by analysing geo-social media messages and rainfall measurements from authoritative sources, which are later incorporated within a hydrological model for streamflow estimation. We found that the combined use of official rainfall values with the social media proxy variable as input for the Probability Distributed Model (PDM), improved streamflow simulations for flood monitoring. The combination of authoritative sources and transformed geo-social media data during flood events achieved a 71% degree of accuracy and a 29% underestimation rate in a comparison made with real streamflow measurements. This is a significant improvement on the respective values of 39% and 58%, achieved when only authoritative data were used for the modelling. This result is clear evidence of the potential use of derived geo-social media data as a proxy for environmental variables for improving flood early-warning systems.

  5. On the sensitivity of annual streamflow to air temperature

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Milly, Paul C.D.; Kam, Jonghun; Dunne, Krista A.

    2018-01-01

    Although interannual streamflow variability is primarily a result of precipitation variability, temperature also plays a role. The relative weakness of the temperature effect at the annual time scale hinders understanding, but may belie substantial importance on climatic time scales. Here we develop and evaluate a simple theory relating variations of streamflow and evapotranspiration (E) to those of precipitation (P) and temperature. The theory is based on extensions of the Budyko water‐balance hypothesis, the Priestley‐Taylor theory for potential evapotranspiration ( ), and a linear model of interannual basin storage. The theory implies that the temperature affects streamflow by modifying evapotranspiration through a Clausius‐Clapeyron‐like relation and through the sensitivity of net radiation to temperature. We apply and test (1) a previously introduced “strong” extension of the Budyko hypothesis, which requires that the function linking temporal variations of the evapotranspiration ratio (E/P) and the index of dryness ( /P) at an annual time scale is identical to that linking interbasin variations of the corresponding long‐term means, and (2) a “weak” extension, which requires only that the annual evapotranspiration ratio depends uniquely on the annual index of dryness, and that the form of that dependence need not be known a priori nor be identical across basins. In application of the weak extension, the readily observed sensitivity of streamflow to precipitation contains crucial information about the sensitivity to potential evapotranspiration and, thence, to temperature. Implementation of the strong extension is problematic, whereas the weak extension appears to capture essential controls of the temperature effect efficiently.

  6. Estimating rainfall time series and model parameter distributions using model data reduction and inversion techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, Ashley J.; Walker, Jeffrey P.; Pauwels, Valentijn R. N.

    2017-08-01

    Floods are devastating natural hazards. To provide accurate, precise, and timely flood forecasts, there is a need to understand the uncertainties associated within an entire rainfall time series, even when rainfall was not observed. The estimation of an entire rainfall time series and model parameter distributions from streamflow observations in complex dynamic catchments adds skill to current areal rainfall estimation methods, allows for the uncertainty of entire rainfall input time series to be considered when estimating model parameters, and provides the ability to improve rainfall estimates from poorly gauged catchments. Current methods to estimate entire rainfall time series from streamflow records are unable to adequately invert complex nonlinear hydrologic systems. This study aims to explore the use of wavelets in the estimation of rainfall time series from streamflow records. Using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to reduce rainfall dimensionality for the catchment of Warwick, Queensland, Australia, it is shown that model parameter distributions and an entire rainfall time series can be estimated. Including rainfall in the estimation process improves streamflow simulations by a factor of up to 1.78. This is achieved while estimating an entire rainfall time series, inclusive of days when none was observed. It is shown that the choice of wavelet can have a considerable impact on the robustness of the inversion. Combining the use of a likelihood function that considers rainfall and streamflow errors with the use of the DWT as a model data reduction technique allows the joint inference of hydrologic model parameters along with rainfall.

  7. Development of regression equations to revise estimates of historical streamflows for the St. Croix River at Stillwater, Minnesota (water years 1910-2011), and Prescott, Wisconsin (water years 1910-2007)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ziegeweid, Jeffrey R.; Magdalene, Suzanne

    2015-01-01

    The new regression equations were used to calculate revised estimates of historical streamflows for Stillwater and Prescott starting in 1910 and ending when index-velocity streamgages were installed. Monthly, annual, 30-year, and period of record statistics were examined between previous and revised estimates of historical streamflows. The abilities of the new regression equations to estimate historical streamflows were evaluated by using percent differences to compare new estimates of historical daily streamflows to discrete streamflow measurements made at Stillwater and Prescott before the installation of index-velocity streamgages. Although less variability was observed between estimated and measured streamflows at Stillwater compared to Prescott, the percent difference data indicated that the new estimates closely approximated measured streamflows at both locations.

  8. Simulation of the Quantity, Variability, and Timing of Streamflow in the Dennys River Basin, Maine, by Use of a Precipitation-Runoff Watershed Model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dudley, Robert W.

    2008-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Bureau of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat, began a study in 2004 to characterize the quantity, variability, and timing of streamflow in the Dennys River. The study included a synoptic summary of historical streamflow data at a long-term streamflow gage, collecting data from an additional four short-term streamflow gages, and the development and evaluation of a distributed-parameter watershed model for the Dennys River Basin. The watershed model used in this investigation was the USGS Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). The Geographic Information System (GIS) Weasel was used to delineate the Dennys River Basin and subbasins and derive parameters for their physical geographic features. Calibration of the models used in this investigation involved a four-step procedure in which model output was evaluated against four calibration data sets using computed objective functions for solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration, annual and seasonal water budgets, and daily streamflows. The calibration procedure involved thousands of model runs and was carried out using the USGS software application Luca (Let us calibrate). Luca uses the Shuffled Complex Evolution (SCE) global search algorithm to calibrate the model parameters. The SCE method reliably produces satisfactory solutions for large, complex optimization problems. The primary calibration effort went into the Dennys main stem watershed model. Calibrated parameter values obtained for the Dennys main stem model were transferred to the Cathance Stream model, and a similar four-step SCE calibration procedure was performed; this effort was undertaken to determine the potential to transfer modeling information to a nearby basin in the same region. The calibrated Dennys main stem watershed model performed with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) statistic values for the calibration period and evaluation period of 0.79 and 0.76, respectively. The Cathance Stream model had an NSE value of 0.68. The Dennys River Basin models make use of limited streamflow-gaging station data and provide information to characterize subbasin hydrology. The calibrated PRMS watershed models of the Dennys River Basin provide simulated daily streamflow time series from October 1, 1985, through September 30, 2006, for nearly any location within the basin. These models enable natural-resources managers to characterize the timing and quantity of water moving through the basin to support many endeavors including geochemical calculations, water-use assessment, Atlantic salmon population dynamics and migration modeling, habitat modeling and assessment, and other resource-management scenario evaluations. Characterizing streamflow contributions from subbasins in the basin and the relative amounts of surface- and ground-water contributions to streamflow throughout the basin will lead to a better understanding of water quantity and quality in the basin. Improved water-resources information will support Atlantic salmon protection efforts.

  9. Runoff generation processes and fraction of young water for streamflow and groundwater in a pre-alpine forested catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuecco, Giulia; Penna, Daniele; van Meerveld, Ilja; Borga, Marco

    2017-04-01

    Understanding of runoff generation mechanisms and storage dynamics is needed for sustainable management of water resources, particularly in catchments characterized by marked seasonality in rainfall. However, temporal and spatial variability of hydrological processes can hinder a detailed comprehension of catchment functioning. In this study, we use hydrometric data and stable isotope data from a 2-ha forested catchment in the Italian pre-Alps to i) identify seasonal changes in runoff generation, ii) determine the factors that affect the hysteretic relations between streamflow and soil moisture and between streamflow and shallow groundwater, and iii) estimate the fraction of young water in stream water and shallow groundwater. Streamflow, soil moisture and groundwater levels were measured continuously between August 2012 and December 2015. Soil moisture was measured at 0-30 cm depth by four time domain reflectometers installed at different locations along a riparian-hillslope transect. Depth to water table was measured in two piezometers installed at a depth of 2.0 and 1.8 m in the riparian zone. Water samples for isotopic analysis were taken monthly from bulk precipitation and approximately biweekly from stream water and groundwater. The relations between streamflow (independent variable), soil moisture and depth to water table (dependent variables) were analyzed by computing a hysteresis index that provides information on the direction, the extent and the shape of the loops for 103 rainfall-runoff events. The temporal variability of the hysteresis index was related to event characteristics (mean and maximum rainfall intensity, rainfall amount and total stormflow) and antecedent soil moisture conditions. We observed threshold-like relations between stormflow and the sum of rainfall and the antecedent soil moisture index and an exponential relation between the change in groundwater level and stormflow. Clockwise hysteretic relations were common between streamflow and riparian soil moisture, suggesting quick contributions from shallow soil layers in the riparian zone to streamflow. The relations between streamflow and hillslope soil moisture and between streamflow and depth to water table in the riparian zone varied seasonally, with clockwise loops being typical for large rainfall events in autumn and anti-clockwise hysteresis being more common in spring and summer. This indicates that hillslope soil water and riparian groundwater dynamics and their contribution to stormflow varied seasonally and depended on event size and antecedent moisture conditions. There was a marked seasonal variability in the isotopic composition of precipitation but a much more damped variability in the isotopic signature of stream water and groundwater. A sine curve was fitted to the seasonal variation in isotopic composition of weighted precipitation, stream water and groundwater to estimate the fraction of young water in stream water and groundwater. The fraction of young water in streamflow was about 14% when considering baseflow conditions only (23% using the entire isotopic dataset). This was similar to the fraction of young water in riparian groundwater. Keywords: runoff generation; hysteresis; isotopes; young water fraction; forested catchment.

  10. Simulation of streamflow and estimation of streamflow constituent loads in the San Antonio River watershed, Bexar County, Texas, 1997-2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ockerman, Darwin J.; McNamara, Kenna C.

    2003-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey developed watershed models (Hydrological Simulation Program—FORTRAN) to simulate streamflow and estimate streamflow constituent loads from five basins that compose the San Antonio River watershed in Bexar County, Texas. Rainfall and streamflow data collected during 1997–2001 were used to calibrate and test the model. The model was configured so that runoff from various land uses and discharges from other sources (such as wastewater recycling facilities) could be accounted for to indicate sources of streamflow. Simulated streamflow volumes were used with land-use-specific, water-quality data to compute streamflow loads of selected constituents from the various streamflow sources.Model simulations for 1997–2001 indicate that inflow from the upper Medina River (originating outside Bexar County) represents about 22 percent of total streamflow. Recycled wastewater discharges account for about 20 percent and base flow (ground-water inflow to streams) about 18 percent. Storm runoff from various land uses represents about 33 percent. Estimates of sources of streamflow constituent loads indicate recycled wastewater as the largest source of dissolved solids and nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen (about 38 and 66 percent, respectively, of the total loads) during 1997–2001. Stormwater runoff from urban land produced about 49 percent of the 1997–2001 total suspended solids load. Stormwater runoff from residential and commercial land (about 23 percent of the land area) produced about 70 percent of the total lead streamflow load during 1997–2001.

  11. Summary of annual mean, maximum, minimum, and L-scale statistics of daily mean streamflow for 712 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging Stations in Texas Through 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Vrabel, Joseph; Roussel, Meghan C.

    2007-01-01

    Analysts and managers of surface-water resources might have interest in selected statistics of daily mean streamflow for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The selected statistics are the annual mean, maximum, minimum, and L-scale of daily meanstreamflow. Annual L-scale of streamflow is a robust measure of the variability of the daily mean streamflow for a given year. The USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, initiated in 2006a data and reporting process to generate annual statistics for 712 USGS streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. A graphical depiction of the history of the annual statistics for most active and inactive, continuous-record gaging stations in Texas provides valuable information by conveying the historical perspective of streamflow for the watershed. Each figure consists off our time-series plots of the annual statistics of daily mean streamflow for each streamflow-gaging station. Each of the four plots is augmented with horizontal lines that depict the mean and median annual values of the corresponding statistic for the period of record. Monotonic trends for each of the four annual statistics also are identified using Kendall's T. The history of one or more streamflow-gaging stations could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of streamflow conditions in Texas.

  12. Summary of percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for 712 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Texas through 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Vrabel, Joseph; Roussel, Meghan C.

    2007-01-01

    Analysts and managers of surface-water resources might have interest in the zero-flow potential for U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, initiated a data and reporting process to generate summaries of percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for 712 USGS streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. A summary of the percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for most active and inactive, continuous-record gaging stations in Texas provides valuable information by conveying the historical perspective for zero-flow potential for the watershed. The summaries of percentages of zero daily mean streamflow for each station are graphically depicted using two thematic perspectives: annual and monthly. The annual perspective consists of graphs of annual percentages of zero streamflow by year with the addition of lines depicting the mean and median annual percentage of zero streamflow. Monotonic trends in the percentages of zero streamflow also are identified using Kendall's T. The monthly perspective consists of graphs of the percentage of zero streamflow by month with lines added to indicate the mean and median monthly percentage of zero streamflow. One or more summaries could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of zero-flow or other low-flow conditions in Texas.

  13. Disentangling the response of streamflow to forest management and climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dymond, S.; Miniat, C.; Bladon, K. D.; Keppeler, E.; Caldwell, P. V.

    2016-12-01

    Paired watershed studies have showcased the relationships between forests, management, and streamflow. However, classical analyses of paired-watershed studies have done little to disentangle the effects of management from overarching climatic signals, potentially masking the interaction between management and climate. Such approaches may confound our understanding of how forest management impacts streamflow. Here we use a 50-year record of streamflow and climate data from the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds (CCEW), California, USA to separate the effects of forest management and climate on streamflow. CCEW has two treatment watersheds that have been harvested in the past 50 years. We used a nonlinear mixed model to combine the pre-treatment relationship between streamflow and climate and the post-treatment relationship via an interaction between climate and management into one equation. Our results show that precipitation and potential evapotranspiration alone can account for >95% of the variability in pre-treatment streamflow. Including management scenarios into the model explained most of the variability in streamflow (R2 > 0.98). While forest harvesting altered streamflow in both of our modeled watersheds, removing 66% of the vegetation via selection logging using a tractor yarding system over the entire watershed had a more substantial impact on streamflow than clearcutting small portions of a watershed using cable-yarding. These results suggest that forest harvesting may result in differing impacts on streamflow and highlights the need to incorporate climate into streamflow analyses of paired-watershed studies.

  14. Streamflow data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holmes, Robert R.; Singh, Vijay P.

    2016-01-01

    The importance of streamflow data to the world’s economy, environmental health, and public safety continues to grow as the population increases. The collection of streamflow data is often an involved and complicated process. The quality of streamflow data hinges on such things as site selection, instrumentation selection, streamgage maintenance and quality assurance, proper discharge measurement techniques, and the development and continued verification of the streamflow rating. This chapter serves only as an overview of the streamflow data collection process as proper treatment of considerations, techniques, and quality assurance cannot be addressed adequately in the space limitations of this chapter. Readers with the need for the detailed information on the streamflow data collection process are referred to the many references noted in this chapter. 

  15. Use of StreamStats in the Upper French Broad River Basin, North Carolina: A Pilot Water-Resources Web Application

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wagner, Chad R.; Tighe, Kirsten C.; Terziotti, Silvia

    2009-01-01

    StreamStats is a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application that was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) to provide access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and descriptive information for USGS data-collection sites and selected ungaged sites. StreamStats also allows users to identify stream reaches upstream and downstream from user-selected sites and obtain information for locations along streams where activities occur that can affect streamflow conditions. This functionality can be accessed through a map-based interface with the user's Web browser or through individual functions requested remotely through other Web applications.

  16. Streamflow Bias Correction for Climate Change Impact Studies: Harmless Correction or Wrecking Ball?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nijssen, B.; Chegwidden, O.

    2017-12-01

    Projections of the hydrologic impacts of climate change rely on a modeling chain that includes estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions, global climate models, and hydrologic models. The resulting streamflow time series are used in turn as input to impact studies. While these flows can sometimes be used directly in these impact studies, many applications require additional post-processing to remove model errors. Water resources models and regulation studies are a prime example of this type of application. These models rely on specific flows and reservoir levels to trigger reservoir releases and diversions and do not function well if the unregulated streamflow inputs are significantly biased in time and/or amount. This post-processing step is typically referred to as bias-correction, even though this step corrects not just the mean but the entire distribution of flows. Various quantile-mapping approaches have been developed that adjust the modeled flows to match a reference distribution for some historic period. Simulations of future flows are then post-processed using this same mapping to remove hydrologic model errors. These streamflow bias-correction methods have received far less scrutiny than the downscaling and bias-correction methods that are used for climate model output, mostly because they are less widely used. However, some of these methods introduce large artifacts in the resulting flow series, in some cases severely distorting the climate change signal that is present in future flows. In this presentation, we discuss our experience with streamflow bias-correction methods as part of a climate change impact study in the Columbia River basin in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. To support this discussion, we present a novel way to assess whether a streamflow bias-correction method is merely a harmless correction or is more akin to taking a wrecking ball to the climate change signal.

  17. Muted responses of streamflow and suspended sediment flux in a wildfire-affected watershed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Owens, P. N.; Giles, T. R.; Petticrew, E. L.; Leggat, M. S.; Moore, R. D.; Eaton, B. C.

    2013-11-01

    In August 2003 a severe wildfire burnt 62% of Fishtrap Creek, a 158 km2 watershed in central British Columbia, Canada. Streamflows were obtained for the period 1980-2010 and suspended sediment fluxes were determined for the period 2004-2010 for Fishtrap Creek and these were compared to data for nearby Jamieson Creek, which was not affected by the wildfire. Peak streamflows in Fishtrap Creek after the wildfire were not significantly higher than before the wildfire, although total annual runoff had increased. Perhaps the most important change in streamflows following the wildfire was that peak flows associated with the annual freshet occurred earlier in the year (by ca. 2 weeks). Following the wildfire, monthly total suspended sediment fluxes peaked in April in Fishtrap Creek and May in Jamieson Creek, which reflects the change in timing of peak streamflows in Fishtrap. Specific suspended sediment yields were low in the first year following the wildfire (2004), and peak values for the 2004-2010 monitoring period occurred in 2006. Average specific suspended sediment yields over the monitoring period were similar for both watersheds at 2.8 and 2.9 t km- 2 year- 1 for Fishtrap and Jamieson watersheds, respectively. The muted responses of streamflows and suspended sediment fluxes following this severe wildfire are due to the lack of winter precipitation and the low intensities of summer rainfall events in the first year following the wildfire. Greater winter precipitation and associated snowmelt in subsequent years coincided with vegetation recovery. The major changes in the wildfire-affected watershed were increased bank erosion and channel migration due to a loss of root strength and cohesion, which occurred 3-5 years after the fire. This work demonstrates that the hydrological and geomorphological responses of watersheds to wildfires are a function of the severity of the wildfire and the timing and nature of driving forces (i.e. rainfall intensity, winter precipitation and snowmelt) during the progression of vegetation recovery.

  18. Hydrologic functioning of the deep Critical Zone and contributions to streamflow in a high elevation catchment: testing of multiple conceptual models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dwivedi, R.; Meixner, T.; McIntosh, J. C.; Ferre, T. P. A.; Eastoe, C. J.; Minor, R. L.; Barron-Gafford, G.; Chorover, J.

    2017-12-01

    The composition of natural mountainous waters maintains important control over the water quality available to downstream users. Furthermore, the geochemical constituents of stream water in the mountainous catchments represent the result of the spatial and temporal evolution of critical zone structure and processes. A key problem is that high elevation catchments involve rugged terrain and are subject to extreme climate and landscape gradients; therefore, high density or high spatial resolution hydro-geochemical observations are rare. Despite such difficulties, the Santa Catalina Mountains Critical Zone Observatory (SCM-CZO), Tucson, AZ, generates long-term hydrogeochemical data for understanding not only hydrological processes and their seasonal characters, but also the geochemical impacts of such processes on streamflow chemical composition. Using existing instrumentation and hydrogeochemical observations from the last 9+ years (2009 through 2016 and an initial part of 2017), we employed a multi-tracer approach along with principal component analysis to identify water sources and their seasonal character. We used our results to inform hydrological process understanding (flow paths, residence times, and water sources) for our study site. Our results indicate that soil water is the largest contributor to streamflow, which is ephemeral in nature. Although a 3-dimensional mixing space involving precipitation, soil water, interflow, and deep groundwater end-members could explain most of the streamflow chemistry, geochemical complexity was observed to grow with catchment storage. In terms of processes and their seasonal character, we found soil water and interflow were the primary end-member contributors to streamflow in all seasons. Deep groundwater only contributes to streamflow at high catchment storage conditions, but it provides major ions such as Na, Mg, and Ca that are lacking in other water types. In this way, our results indicate that any future efforts aimed at explaining concentration-discharge behavior of our field site should consider at least three-dimensional mixing space or 4 end-members.

  19. Stream-flow forecasting using extreme learning machines: A case study in a semi-arid region in Iraq

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yaseen, Zaher Mundher; Jaafar, Othman; Deo, Ravinesh C.; Kisi, Ozgur; Adamowski, Jan; Quilty, John; El-Shafie, Ahmed

    2016-11-01

    Monthly stream-flow forecasting can yield important information for hydrological applications including sustainable design of rural and urban water management systems, optimization of water resource allocations, water use, pricing and water quality assessment, and agriculture and irrigation operations. The motivation for exploring and developing expert predictive models is an ongoing endeavor for hydrological applications. In this study, the potential of a relatively new data-driven method, namely the extreme learning machine (ELM) method, was explored for forecasting monthly stream-flow discharge rates in the Tigris River, Iraq. The ELM algorithm is a single-layer feedforward neural network (SLFNs) which randomly selects the input weights, hidden layer biases and analytically determines the output weights of the SLFNs. Based on the partial autocorrelation functions of historical stream-flow data, a set of five input combinations with lagged stream-flow values are employed to establish the best forecasting model. A comparative investigation is conducted to evaluate the performance of the ELM compared to other data-driven models: support vector regression (SVR) and generalized regression neural network (GRNN). The forecasting metrics defined as the correlation coefficient (r), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (ENS), Willmott's Index (WI), root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) computed between the observed and forecasted stream-flow data are employed to assess the ELM model's effectiveness. The results revealed that the ELM model outperformed the SVR and the GRNN models across a number of statistical measures. In quantitative terms, superiority of ELM over SVR and GRNN models was exhibited by ENS = 0.578, 0.378 and 0.144, r = 0.799, 0.761 and 0.468 and WI = 0.853, 0.802 and 0.689, respectively and the ELM model attained lower RMSE value by approximately 21.3% (relative to SVR) and by approximately 44.7% (relative to GRNN). Based on the findings of this study, several recommendations were suggested for further exploration of the ELM model in hydrological forecasting problems.

  20. TOPMODEL simulations of streamflow and depth to water table in Fishing Brook Watershed, New York, 2007-09

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nystrom, Elizabeth A.; Burns, Douglas A.

    2011-01-01

    TOPMODEL uses a topographic wetness index computed from surface-elevation data to simulate streamflow and subsurface-saturation state, represented by the saturation deficit. Depth to water table was computed from simulated saturation-deficit values using computed soil properties. In the Fishing Brook Watershed, TOPMODEL was calibrated to the natural logarithm of streamflow at the study area outlet and depth to water table at Sixmile Wetland using a combined multiple-objective function. Runoff and depth to water table responded differently to some of the model parameters, and the combined multiple-objective function balanced the goodness-of-fit of the model realizations with respect to these parameters. Results show that TOPMODEL reasonably simulated runoff and depth to water table during the study period. The simulated runoff had a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.738, but the model underpredicted total runoff by 14 percent. Depth to water table computed from simulated saturation-deficit values matched observed water-table depth moderately well; the root mean squared error of absolute depth to water table was 91 millimeters (mm), compared to the mean observed depth to water table of 205 mm. The correlation coefficient for temporal depth-to-water-table fluctuations was 0.624. The variability of the TOPMODEL simulations was assessed using prediction intervals grouped using the combined multiple-objective function. The calibrated TOPMODEL results for the entire study area were applied to several subwatersheds within the study area using computed hydrogeomorphic properties of the subwatersheds.

  1. Streamflow data: Chapter 13

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiche, Gregg J.; Holmes, Robert R.

    2016-01-01

    Streamflow data are vital for a variety of water-resources issues, from flood warning to water supply planning. The collection of streamflow data is usually an involved and complicated process. This chapter serves as an overview of the streamflow data collection process. Readers with the need for the detailed information on the streamflow data collection process are referred to the many references noted in this chapter.

  2. Floods in Central Texas, September 7-14, 2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Winters, Karl E.

    2012-01-01

    Severe flooding occurred near the Austin metropolitan area in central Texas September 7–14, 2010, because of heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Hermine. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Brushy Creek Water Control and Improvement District, determined rainfall amounts and annual exceedance probabilities for rainfall resulting in flooding in Bell, Williamson, and Travis counties in central Texas during September 2010. We documented peak streamflows and the annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflows recorded at several streamflow-gaging stations in the study area. The 24-hour rainfall total exceeded 12 inches at some locations, with one report of 14.57 inches at Lake Georgetown. Rainfall probabilities were estimated using previously published depth-duration frequency maps for Texas. At 4 sites in Williamson County, the 24-hour rainfall had an annual exceedance probability of 0.002. Streamflow measurement data and flood-peak data from U.S. Geological Survey surface-water monitoring stations (streamflow and reservoir gaging stations) are presented, along with a comparison of September 2010 flood peaks to previous known maximums in the periods of record. Annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflow were computed for 20 streamflow-gaging stations based on an analysis of streamflow-gaging station records. The annual exceedance probability was 0.03 for the September 2010 peak streamflow at the Geological Survey's streamflow-gaging stations 08104700 North Fork San Gabriel River near Georgetown, Texas, and 08154700 Bull Creek at Loop 360 near Austin, Texas. The annual exceedance probability was 0.02 for the peak streamflow for Geological Survey's streamflow-gaging station 08104500 Little River near Little River, Texas. The lack of similarity in the annual exceedance probabilities computed for precipitation and streamflow might be attributed to the small areal extent of the heaviest rainfall over these and the other gaged watersheds.

  3. Estimation of streamflow gains and losses in the lower San Antonio River watershed, south-central Texas, 2006-10

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lizarraga, Joy S.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the San Antonio River Authority, the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District, and the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District, investigated streamflow gains and losses during 2006-10 in the lower San Antonio River watershed in south-central Texas. Streamflow gains and losses were estimated using 2006-10 continuous streamflow records from 11 continuous streamflow-gaging stations, and discrete streamflow measurements made at as many as 20 locations on the San Antonio River and selected tributaries during four synoptic surveys during 2006-7. From the continuous streamflow records, the greatest streamflow gain on the lower San Antonio River occurred in the reach from Falls City, Tex., to Goliad, Tex. The greatest streamflow gain on Cibolo Creek during 2006-10 occurred in the reach from near Saint Hedwig, Tex., to Sutherland Springs, Tex. The San Antonio River between Floresville, Tex., and Falls City was the only reach that had an estimated streamflow loss during 2006-10. During all four synoptic streamflow measurement surveys, the only substantially flowing tributary reach to the main stem of the lower San Antonio River was Cibolo Creek. Along the main stem of the lower San Antonio River, verifiable gains larger than the potential measurement error were estimated in two of the four synoptic streamflow measurement surveys. These gaining reaches occurred in the two most downstream reaches of the San Antonio River between Goliad and Farm Road (FM) 2506 near Fannin, Tex., and between FM 2506 near Fannin to near McFaddin. There were verifiable gains in streamflow in Cibolo Creek, between La Vernia, Tex., and the town of Sutherland Springs during all four surveys, estimated at between 4.8 and 14 ft3/s.

  4. 75 FR 38959 - Uniform License Renewal, Discontinuance of Operations, and Geographic Partitioning and Spectrum...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-07

    ... Spectrum Disaggregation Rules and Policies for Certain Wireless Radio Services AGENCY: Federal..., geographic partitioning, and spectrum disaggregation for certain Wireless Radio Services in an effort to... Counsel, Mobility Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418- 0920, or e-mail at Richard...

  5. 47 CFR 101.1415 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... American Datum (NAD83). (d) Unjust enrichment. 12 GHz licensees that received a bidding credit and... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service Rules for the 12.2-12.7 GHz Band § 101.1415 Partitioning and disaggregation. (a) MVDDS licensees are permitted to partition...

  6. 47 CFR 101.1415 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... American Datum (NAD83). (d) Unjust enrichment. 12 GHz licensees that received a bidding credit and... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service Rules for the 12.2-12.7 GHz Band § 101.1415 Partitioning and disaggregation. (a) MVDDS licensees are permitted to partition...

  7. 47 CFR 101.1415 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... American Datum (NAD83). (d) Unjust enrichment. 12 GHz licensees that received a bidding credit and... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service Rules for the 12.2-12.7 GHz Band § 101.1415 Partitioning and disaggregation. (a) MVDDS licensees are permitted to partition...

  8. 47 CFR 101.1415 - Partitioning and disaggregation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... American Datum (NAD83). (d) Unjust enrichment. 12 GHz licensees that received a bidding credit and... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service Rules for the 12.2-12.7 GHz Band § 101.1415 Partitioning and disaggregation. (a) MVDDS licensees are permitted to partition...

  9. Cascade rainfall disaggregation application in U.S. Central Plains

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Hourly rainfall are increasingly used in complex, process-based simulations of the environment. Long records of daily rainfall are common, but long continuous records of hourly rainfall are rare and must be developed. A Multiplicative Random Cascade (MRC) model is proposed to disaggregate observed d...

  10. 34 CFR 200.7 - Disaggregation of data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Disaggregation of data. 200.7 Section 200.7 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic...

  11. 34 CFR 200.7 - Disaggregation of data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Disaggregation of data. 200.7 Section 200.7 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic...

  12. August median streamflow on ungaged streams in Eastern Coastal Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lombard, Pamela J.

    2004-01-01

    Methods for estimating August median streamflow were developed for ungaged, unregulated streams in eastern coastal Maine. The methods apply to streams with drainage areas ranging in size from 0.04 to 73.2 square miles and fraction of basin underlain by a sand and gravel aquifer ranging from 0 to 71 percent. The equations were developed with data from three long-term (greater than or equal to 10 years of record) continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations, 23 partial-record streamflow- gaging stations, and 5 short-term (less than 10 years of record) continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations. A mathematical technique for estimating a standard low-flow statistic, August median streamflow, at partial-record streamflow-gaging stations and short-term continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations was applied by relating base-flow measurements at these stations to concurrent daily streamflows at nearby long-term continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations (index stations). Generalized least-squares regression analysis (GLS) was used to relate estimates of August median streamflow at streamflow-gaging stations to basin characteristics at these same stations to develop equations that can be applied to estimate August median streamflow on ungaged streams. GLS accounts for different periods of record at the gaging stations and the cross correlation of concurrent streamflows among gaging stations. Thirty-one stations were used for the final regression equations. Two basin characteristics?drainage area and fraction of basin underlain by a sand and gravel aquifer?are used in the calculated regression equation to estimate August median streamflow for ungaged streams. The equation has an average standard error of prediction from -27 to 38 percent. A one-variable equation uses only drainage area to estimate August median streamflow when less accuracy is acceptable. This equation has an average standard error of prediction from -30 to 43 percent. Model error is larger than sampling error for both equations, indicating that additional or improved estimates of basin characteristics could be important to improved estimates of low-flow statistics. Weighted estimates of August median streamflow at partial- record or continuous-record gaging stations range from 0.003 to 31.0 cubic feet per second or from 0.1 to 0.6 cubic feet per second per square mile. Estimates of August median streamflow on ungaged streams in eastern coastal Maine, within the range of acceptable explanatory variables, range from 0.003 to 45 cubic feet per second or 0.1 to 0.6 cubic feet per second per square mile. Estimates of August median streamflow per square mile of drainage area generally increase as drainage area and fraction of basin underlain by a sand and gravel aquifer increase.

  13. An analysis of annual maximum streamflows in Terengganu, Malaysia using TL-moments approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, Ummi Nadiah; Shabri, Ani; Zakaria, Zahrahtul Amani

    2013-02-01

    TL-moments approach has been used in an analysis to determine the best-fitting distributions to represent the annual series of maximum streamflow data over 12 stations in Terengganu, Malaysia. The TL-moments with different trimming values are used to estimate the parameter of the selected distributions namely: generalized pareto (GPA), generalized logistic, and generalized extreme value distribution. The influence of TL-moments on estimated probability distribution functions are examined by evaluating the relative root mean square error and relative bias of quantile estimates through Monte Carlo simulations. The boxplot is used to show the location of the median and the dispersion of the data, which helps in reaching the decisive conclusions. For most of the cases, the results show that TL-moments with one smallest value was trimmed from the conceptual sample (TL-moments (1,0)), of GPA distribution was the most appropriate in majority of the stations for describing the annual maximum streamflow series in Terengganu, Malaysia.

  14. Estimation of baseline daily mean streamflows for ungaged locations on Pennsylvania streams, water years 1960-2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stuckey, Marla H.; Koerkle, Edward H.; Ulrich, James E.

    2012-01-01

    BaSE uses the map correlation method and flow-duration exceedance probability regression equations to estimate baseline daily mean streamflow for an ungaged location. The output from BaSE is a Microsoft Excel® report file that summarizes the reference streamgage and ungaged location information, including basin characteristics, percent difference in basin characteristics between the two locations, any warning associated with the basin characteristics, mean and median streamflow for the ungaged location, and a daily hydrograph of streamflow for water years 1960–2008 for the ungaged location. The daily mean streamflow for the ungaged location can be exported as a text file to be used as input into other statistical software packages. BaSE estimates daily mean streamflow for baseline conditions only, and any alterations to streamflow from regulation, large water use, or substantial mining are not reflected in the estimated streamflow.

  15. A comparative analysis of two highly spatially resolved European atmospheric emission inventories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferreira, J.; Guevara, M.; Baldasano, J. M.; Tchepel, O.; Schaap, M.; Miranda, A. I.; Borrego, C.

    2013-08-01

    A reliable emissions inventory is highly important for air quality modelling applications, especially at regional or local scales, which require high resolutions. Consequently, higher resolution emission inventories have been developed that are suitable for regional air quality modelling. This research performs an inter-comparative analysis of different spatial disaggregation methodologies of atmospheric emission inventories. This study is based on two different European emission inventories with different spatial resolutions: 1) the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) inventory and 2) an emission inventory developed by the TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research). These two emission inventories were converted into three distinct gridded emission datasets as follows: (i) the EMEP emission inventory was disaggregated by area (EMEParea) and (ii) following a more complex methodology (HERMES-DIS - High-Elective Resolution Modelling Emissions System - DISaggregation module) to understand and evaluate the influence of different disaggregation methods; and (iii) the TNO gridded emissions, which are based on different emission data sources and different disaggregation methods. A predefined common grid with a spatial resolution of 12 × 12 km2 was used to compare the three datasets spatially. The inter-comparative analysis was performed by source sector (SNAP - Selected Nomenclature for Air Pollution) with emission totals for selected pollutants. It included the computation of difference maps (to focus on the spatial variability of emission differences) and a linear regression analysis to calculate the coefficients of determination and to quantitatively measure differences. From the spatial analysis, greater differences were found for residential/commercial combustion (SNAP02), solvent use (SNAP06) and road transport (SNAP07). These findings were related to the different spatial disaggregation that was conducted by the TNO and HERMES-DIS for the first two sectors and to the distinct data sources that were used by the TNO and HERMES-DIS for road transport. Regarding the regression analysis, the greatest correlation occurred between the EMEParea and HERMES-DIS because the latter is derived from the first, which does not occur for the TNO emissions. The greatest correlations were encountered for agriculture NH3 emissions, due to the common use of the CORINE Land Cover database for disaggregation. The point source emissions (energy industries, industrial processes, industrial combustion and extraction/distribution of fossil fuels) resulted in the lowest coefficients of determination. The spatial variability of SOx differed among the emissions that were obtained from the different disaggregation methods. In conclusion, HERMES-DIS and TNO are two distinct emission inventories, both very well discretized and detailed, suitable for air quality modelling. However, the different databases and distinct disaggregation methodologies that were used certainly result in different spatial emission patterns. This fact should be considered when applying regional atmospheric chemical transport models. Future work will focus on the evaluation of air quality models performance and sensitivity to these spatial discrepancies in emission inventories. Air quality modelling will benefit from the availability of appropriate resolution, consistent and reliable emission inventories.

  16. Challenges in researching migration status, health and health service use: an intersectional analysis of a South London community

    PubMed Central

    Gazard, Billy; Frissa, Souci; Nellums, Laura; Hotopf, Matthew; Hatch, Stephani L.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. This study aimed to investigate the associations between migration status and health-related outcomes and to examine whether and how the effect of migration status changes when it is disaggregated by length of residence, first language, reason for migration and combined with ethnicity. Design. A total of 1698 adults were interviewed from 1076 randomly selected households in two South London boroughs. We described the socio-demographic and socio-economic differences between migrants and non-migrants and compared the prevalence of health-related outcomes by migration status, length of residence, first language, reason for migration and migration status within ethnic groups. Unadjusted models and models adjusted for socio-demographic and socio-economic indicators are presented. Results. Migrants were disadvantaged in terms of socio-economic status but few differences were found between migrant and non-migrants regarding health or health service use indicators; migration status was associated with decreased hazardous alcohol use, functional limitations due to poor mental health and not being registered with a general practitioner. Important differences emerged when migration status was disaggregated by length of residence in the UK, first language, reason for migration and intersected with ethnicity. The association between migration status and functional limitations due to poor mental health was only seen in White migrants, migrants whose first language was not English and migrants who had moved to the UK for work or a better life or for asylum or political reasons. There was no association between migration status and self-rated health overall, but Black African migrants had decreased odds for reporting poor health compared to their non-migrant counterparts [odds ratio = 0.15 (0.05–0.48), p < 0.01]. Conclusions. Disaggregating migration status by length of residence, first language and reason for migration as well as intersecting it with ethnicity leads to better understanding of the effect migration status has on health and health service use. PMID:25271468

  17. Analysis of trends in streamflow and its linkages with rainfall and anthropogenic factors in Gomti River basin of North India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abeysingha, N. S.; Singh, Man; Sehgal, V. K.; Khanna, Manoj; Pathak, Himanshu

    2016-02-01

    Trend analysis of hydro-climatic variables such as streamflow, rainfall, and temperature provides useful information for effective water resources planning, designing, and management. Trends in observed streamflow at four gauging stations in the Gomti River basin of North India were assessed using the Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope for the 1982 to 2012 period. The relationships between trends in streamflow and rainfall were studied by correlation analyses. There was a gradual decreasing trend of annual, monsoonal, and winter seasonal streamflow ( p < 0.05) from the midstream to the downstream of the river and also a decreasing trend of annual streamflow for the 5-year moving averaged standardized anomalies of streamflow for the entire basin. The declining trend in the streamflow was attributed partly to the increased water withdrawal, to increased air temperature, to higher population, and partly to significant reducing trend of post monsoon rainfall especially at downstream. Upstream gauging station showed a significant increasing trend of streamflow (1.6 m3/s/year) at annual scale, and this trend was attributed to the significant increasing trend of catchment rainfall (9.54 mm/year). It was further evident in the significant coefficient of positive correlation ( ρ = 0.8) between streamflow and catchment rainfall. The decreasing trend in streamflow and post-monsoon rainfall especially towards downstream area with concurrent increasing trend of temperature indicates a drying tendency of the Gomti River basin over the study period. The results of this study may help stakeholders to design streamflow restoration strategies for sustainable water management planning of the Gomti River basin.

  18. A Methodology for the Optimization of Disaggregated Space System Conceptual Designs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-06-18

    orbit disaggregated space systems. Savings of $82 million are identified for an optimized fire detection system. Savings of $5.7 billion are...solutions and update architecture ................................................................31 Fire detection problem...149 Figure 30 – Example cost vs. weighted mean science return output [37] ...................... 153 Figure 31

  19. Disaggregating Assessment to Close the Loop and Improve Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rawls, Janita; Hammons, Stacy

    2015-01-01

    This study examined student learning outcomes for accelerated degree students as compared to conventional undergraduate students, disaggregated by class levels, to develop strategies for then closing the loop with assessment. Using the National Survey of Student Engagement, critical thinking and oral and written communication outcomes were…

  20. Effects of slaking and mechanical breakdown on disaggregation and splash erosion

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The contributions of different aggregate breakdown mechanisms to splash erosion are still obscure. This study was designed to investigate the effects of different soil disaggregation mechanisms on splash erosion. Loam clay soil, clay loam soil, and sandy loam soil were used in this study. Soil aggre...

  1. Freight Demand Characteristics and Mode Choice: An Analysis of the Results of Modeling with Disaggregate Revealed Preference Data

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-12-01

    This paper analyzes the freight demand characteristics that drive modal choice by means of a large scale, national, disaggregate revealed preference database for shippers in France in 1988, using a nested logit. Particular attention is given to priva...

  2. Preliminary stage and streamflow data at selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Maine and New Hampshire for the flood of October 30–31, 2017

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kiah, Richard G.; Stasulis, Nicholas W.

    2018-03-08

    Rainfall from a storm on October 24–27, 2017, and Tropical Storm Philippe on October 29–30, created conditions that led to flooding across portions of New Hampshire and western Maine. On the basis of streamflow data collected at 30 selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages in the Androscoggin River, Connecticut River, Merrimack River, and Saco River Basins, the storms caused minor to moderate flooding in those basins on October 30–31, 2017. During the storms, the USGS deployed hydrographers to take discrete measurements of streamflow. The measurements were used to confirm the stage-to-streamflow relation (rating curve) at the selected USGS streamgages. Following the storms, hydrographers documented high-water marks in support of indirect measurements of streamflow. Seven streamgages with greater than 50 years of streamflow data recorded preliminary streamflow peaks within the top five for the periods of record. Twelve streamgages recorded preliminary peak streamflows greater than an estimate of the 100-year streamflow based on drainage area.

  3. Hydraulic geometry and streamflow of channels in the Piceance Basin, Rio Blanco and Garfield counties, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Elliott, J.G.; Cartier, K.D.

    1986-01-01

    The influence of streamflow and basin characteristics on channel geometry was investigated at 18 perennial and ephemeral stream reaches in the Piceance basin of northwestern Colorado. Results of stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that the variabilities of mean bankfull depth (D) and bankfull cross-sectional flow area (Af) were predominantly a function of bankfull discharge (QB), and that most of the variability in channel slopes (S) could be explained by drainage area (DA). None of the independent variables selected for the study could account for a large part of the variability in bankfull channel width (W). (USGS)

  4. Human influences on streamflow drought characteristics in England and Wales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tijdeman, Erik; Hannaford, Jamie; Stahl, Kerstin

    2018-02-01

    Human influences can affect streamflow drought characteristics and propagation. The question is where, when and why? To answer these questions, the impact of different human influences on streamflow droughts were assessed in England and Wales, across a broad range of climate and catchments conditions. We used a dataset consisting of catchments with near-natural flow as well as catchments for which different human influences have been indicated in the metadata (Factors Affecting Runoff) of the UK National River Flow Archive (NRFA). A screening approach was applied on the streamflow records to identify human-influenced records with drought characteristics that deviated from those found for catchments with near-natural flow. Three different deviations were considered, specifically deviations in (1) the relationship between streamflow drought duration and the base flow index, BFI (specifically, BFIHOST, the BFI predicted from the hydrological properties of soils), (2) the correlation between streamflow and precipitation and (3) the temporal occurrence of streamflow droughts compared to precipitation droughts, i.e. an increase or decrease in streamflow drought months relative to precipitation drought months over the period of record. The identified deviations were then related to the indicated human influences. Results showed that the majority of catchments for which human influences were indicated did not show streamflow drought characteristics that deviated from those expected under near-natural conditions. For the catchments that did show deviating streamflow drought characteristics, prolonged streamflow drought durations were found in some of the catchments affected by groundwater abstractions. Weaker correlations between streamflow and precipitation were found for some of the catchments with reservoirs, water transfers or groundwater augmentation schemes. An increase in streamflow drought occurrence towards the end of their records was found for some of the catchments affected by groundwater abstractions and a decrease in streamflow drought occurrence for some of the catchments with either reservoirs or groundwater abstractions. In conclusion, the proposed screening approaches were sometimes successful in identifying streamflow records with deviating drought characteristics that are likely related to different human influences. However, a quantitative attribution of the impact of human influences on streamflow drought characteristics requires more detailed case-by-case information about the type and degree of all different human influences. Given that, in many countries, such information is often not readily accessible, the approaches adopted here could provide useful in targeting future efforts. In England and Wales specifically, the catchments with deviating streamflow drought characteristics identified in this study could serve as the starting point of detailed case study research.

  5. Disaggregated seismic hazard and the elastic input energy spectrum: An approach to design earthquake selection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chapman, Martin Colby

    1998-12-01

    The design earthquake selection problem is fundamentally probabilistic. Disaggregation of a probabilistic model of the seismic hazard offers a rational and objective approach that can identify the most likely earthquake scenario(s) contributing to hazard. An ensemble of time series can be selected on the basis of the modal earthquakes derived from the disaggregation. This gives a useful time-domain realization of the seismic hazard, to the extent that a single motion parameter captures the important time-domain characteristics. A possible limitation to this approach arises because most currently available motion prediction models for peak ground motion or oscillator response are essentially independent of duration, and modal events derived using the peak motions for the analysis may not represent the optimal characterization of the hazard. The elastic input energy spectrum is an alternative to the elastic response spectrum for these types of analyses. The input energy combines the elements of amplitude and duration into a single parameter description of the ground motion that can be readily incorporated into standard probabilistic seismic hazard analysis methodology. This use of the elastic input energy spectrum is examined. Regression analysis is performed using strong motion data from Western North America and consistent data processing procedures for both the absolute input energy equivalent velocity, (Vsbea), and the elastic pseudo-relative velocity response (PSV) in the frequency range 0.5 to 10 Hz. The results show that the two parameters can be successfully fit with identical functional forms. The dependence of Vsbea and PSV upon (NEHRP) site classification is virtually identical. The variance of Vsbea is uniformly less than that of PSV, indicating that Vsbea can be predicted with slightly less uncertainty as a function of magnitude, distance and site classification. The effects of site class are important at frequencies less than a few Hertz. The regression modeling does not resolve significant effects due to site class at frequencies greater than approximately 5 Hz. Disaggregation of general seismic hazard models using Vsbea indicates that the modal magnitudes for the higher frequency oscillators tend to be larger, and vary less with oscillator frequency, than those derived using PSV. Insofar as the elastic input energy may be a better parameter for quantifying the damage potential of ground motion, its use in probabilistic seismic hazard analysis could provide an improved means for selecting earthquake scenarios and establishing design earthquakes for many types of engineering analyses.

  6. Trends in annual, seasonal, and monthly streamflow characteristics at 227 streamgages in the Missouri River watershed, water years 1960-2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Norton, Parker A.; Anderson, Mark T.; Stamm, John F.

    2014-01-01

    The Missouri River and its tributaries are an important resource that serve multiple uses including agriculture, energy, recreation, and municipal water supply. Understanding historical streamflow characteristics provides relevant guidance to adaptive management of these water resources. Streamflow records in the Missouri River watershed were examined for trends in time series of annual, seasonal, and monthly streamflow. A total of 227 streamgages having continuous observational records for water years 1960–2011 were examined. Kendall’s tau nonparametric test was used to determine statistical significance of trends in annual, seasonal, and monthly streamflow. A trend was considered statistically significant for a probability value less than or equal to 0.10 that the Kendall’s tau value equals zero. Significant trends in annual streamflow were indicated for 101 out of a total of 227 streamgages. The Missouri River watershed was divided into six watershed regions and trends within regions were examined. The western and the southern parts of the Missouri River watershed had downward trends in annual streamflow (56 streamgages), whereas the eastern part of the watershed had upward trends in streamflow (45 streamgages). Seasonal and monthly streamflow trends reflected prevailing annual streamflow trends within each watershed region.

  7. Streamflow gain-loss characteristics of Elkhead Creek downstream from Elkhead Reservoir near Craig, Colorado, 2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ruddy, Barbara C.

    2010-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (UCREFRP), Colorado Division of Water Resources, and City of Craig studied the gain-loss characteristics of Elkhead Creek downstream from Elkhead Reservoir to the confluence with the Yampa River during August through October 2009. Earlier qualitative interpretation of streamflow data downstream from the reservoir indicated that there could be a transit loss of nearly 10 percent. This potential loss could be a significant portion of the releases from Elkhead Reservoir requested by UCREFRP during late summer and early fall for improving critical habitat for endangered fish downstream in the Yampa River. Information on the gain-loss characteristics was needed for the effective management of the reservoir releases. In order to determine streamflow gain-loss characteristics for Elkhead Creek, eight measurement sets were made at four strategic instream sites and at one diversion from August to early October 2009. An additional measurement set was made after the study period during low-flow conditions in November 2009. Streamflow measurements were made using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter to provide high accuracy and consistency, especially at low flows. During this study, streamflow ranged from about 5 cubic feet per second up to more than 90 cubic feet per second with step increments in between. Measurements were made at least 24 hours after a change in reservoir release (streamflow) during steady-state conditions. The instantaneous streamflow measurements and the streamflow volume comparisons show the reach of Elkhead Creek immediately downstream from Elkhead Reservoir to the streamflow-gaging station 09246500, Elkhead Creek near Craig, CO, is neither a gaining nor losing reach. The instantaneous measurements immediately downstream from the dam and the combined measurements of Norvell ditch plus streamflow-gaging station 09246500 are mostly within the plus or minus 5-percent measurement error of each other. The variability of data is such that sometimes the streamflow is greater upstream than downstream and sometimes the streamflow is greater downstream than upstream. Streamflow volumes were calculated for multiple time periods as determined by a change in release from the reservoir. Streamflow volumes were greater downstream than upstream for all but one time period. The predominance of greater streamflows downstream is due to the difference between the USGS instantaneous measurements and record computation with the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) record at the dam. Immediately following an increase in streamflow from the reservoir, the downstream volume was smaller than the upstream volume, but this was an artifact of the traveltime between the two sites and possibly small amounts of water entering the streambank. Traveltimes were shorter at higher streamflows and when streamflow was increasing.

  8. Computation of major solute concentrations and loads in German rivers using regression analysis.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Steele, T.D.

    1980-01-01

    Regression functions between concentrations of several inorganic solutes and specific conductance and between specific conductance and stream discharge were derived from intermittent samples collected for 2 rivers in West Germany. These functions, in conjunction with daily records of streamflow, were used to determine monthly and annual solute loadings. -from Author

  9. Changing characteristics of streamflow in the Midwest and its relation to oceanic-atmospheric oscillations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thakur, B.; Pathak, P.; Kalra, A.; Ahmad, S.

    2016-12-01

    The identification of primary drivers of streamflow may prove beneficial in forecasting streamflow in the Midwestern U.S. In the past researches, streamflow in the region have been strongly correlated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The present study takes in to account the pre-defined Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions (e.g., ENSO, PDO, AMO) along with new regions with an intent to identify new significantly correlated regions. This study assesses the interrelationship between sea surface temperatures (SST) anomalies in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean and seasonal streamflow in the Midwestern U.S. Average Pacific and Atlantic Ocean SST anomalies, were calculated for 2 different 3 month series: September-November and December-February so as to create a lead time varying from 3 to 9 months. Streamflow were averaged for three seasons: spring (April-June), spring-summer (April-August) and summer (June-August). The correlation between streamflow and SST is analyzed using singular value decomposition for a period of 1960-2013. The result of the study showed several regions-other than the known Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions- that were significantly correlated with streamflow stations. Higher correlation between the climate indices and streamflow were observed as the lead time decreased. The identification of the associations between SST and streamflow and significant SST regions in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean may enhance the skill of streamflow predictability and water management in the region.

  10. Timing and Duration of Flow in Ephemeral Streams of the Sierra Vista Subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin, Cochise County, Southeastern Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gungle, Bruce

    2006-01-01

    Frequency, timing, and duration of streamflow were monitored in 20 ephemeral-stream channels across the Sierra Vista Subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro Basin, southeastern Arizona, during an 18-month period. One channel (Walnut Gulch) had Agricultural Research Service streamflow-gaging stations in place. The sediments of the remaining 19 ephemeral-stream channels were instrumented with multiple temperature loggers along the channel lengths. A thermograph-interpretation technique was developed in order to determine frequency, timing, and duration of streamflow in these channels. Streamflow onset was characterized by exceedance of a critical minimum drop in temperature within the channel sediments during any 15-minute interval, whereas streamflow cessation was identified by the local temperature minimum that immediately followed the critical temperature drop. All data for the 18-month period from December 1, 2000, to May 31, 2002, were analyzed in terms of monsoon (June 1 to September 19) and nonmonsoon (September 20 to May 31) periods. Nonmonsoon precipitation during the 2000-2002 study period (excludes October and November 2000) was 82 percent and 39 percent of the 30-year average, respectively, whereas monsoon precipitation during 2001 was 99 percent of the 30-year average. Ephemeral streamflow was detected at least once during the monitoring period at 87 percent of the monitoring sites (45 of the 52 sites that returned useful data; includes 4 streamflow-gaging stations). The summer monsoon period accounted for 82 percent of all streamflow events by number and 71 percent of all events by total streamflow duration. Nonmonsoon streamflow events peaked in number, total streamflow duration, and mean streamflow duration midway between the Huachuca Mountains and the San Pedro River on the west side of the subwatershed. These three streamflow parameters dropped off sharply about 10 kilometers from the mountain front. The number and total duration of nonmonsoon streamflows on the east side of the subwatershed trended downward with increased distance from the mountain fronts. Monsoon streamflow events were more evenly distributed across the subwatershed than nonmonsoon events, and the number and duration of streamflows generally trended upward with distance from the mountain fronts. Additional years of data are needed to determine whether these patterns are consistent year to year, or were due to randomness in the spatial distribution of precipitation. Streamflows in three ephemeral-stream channels were analyzed in detail. More than two-thirds of the streamflow events detected in each of these channels occurred at no more than one monitoring site along the channel length. In only one of the three channels-Garden Canyon-was a streamflow event detected at all logger sites along its length. Five temperature loggers provided data from urbanized areas, and these loggers detected streamflow more than 50 percent more often and of a duration nearly three times greater than did temperature loggers across the rural parts of the subwatershed. Because historical records do not indicate that more precipitation occurs in the urbanized area than in the rural areas, the increased frequency of flow detection in the urban area is attributed to an increase in runoff from the impervious surfaces throughout the urbanized area.

  11. Aggregation and disaggregation dynamics of sedimented and charged superparamagnetic micro-particles in water suspension.

    PubMed

    Domínguez-García, P; Pastor, J M; Rubio, M A

    2011-04-01

    This article presents results on the aggregation and disaggregation kinetics on a 1 μm diameter charged superparamagnetic particles dispersed in water under a constant uniaxial magnetic field in experiments with salt (KCl) added to the suspension in order to observe the behaviour of the system when the electrical properties of the particles have been screened. These particles have an electric charge and are confined between two separated 100 μm thick quartz windows, and sediment near the charged bottom wall. The electrostatic interactions that take place in this experimental setup may affect the micro-structure and colloidal stability of the suspension and thus, the dynamics of aggregation and disaggregation.

  12. Trends and variability in streamflow and snowmelt runoff timing in the southern Tianshan Mountains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Yan-Jun; Shen, Yanjun; Fink, Manfred; Kralisch, Sven; Chen, Yaning; Brenning, Alexander

    2018-02-01

    Streamflow and snowmelt runoff timing of mountain rivers are susceptible to climate change. Trends and variability in streamflow and snowmelt runoff timing in four mountain basins in the southern Tianshan were analyzed in this study. Streamflow trends were detected by Mann-Kendall tests and changes in snowmelt runoff timing were analyzed based on the winter/spring snowmelt runoff center time (WSCT). Pearson's correlation coefficient was further calculated to analyze the relationships between climate variables, streamflow and WSCT. Annual streamflow increased significantly in past decades in the southern Tianshan, especially in spring and winter months. However, the relations between streamflow and temperature/precipitation depend on the different streamflow generation processes. Annual precipitation plays a vital role in controlling recharge in the Toxkon basin, while the Kaidu and Huangshuigou basins are governed by both precipitation and temperature. Seasonally, temperature has a strong effect on streamflow in autumn and winter, while summer streamflow appears more sensitive to changes in precipitation. However, temperature is the dominant factor for streamflow in the glacierized Kunmalik basin at annual and seasonal scales. An uptrend in streamflow begins in the 1990s at both annual and seasonal scales, which is generally consistent with temperature and precipitation fluctuations. Average WSCT dates in the Kaidu and Huangshuigou basins are earlier than in the Toxkon and Kunmalik basins, and shifted towards earlier dates since the mid-1980s in all the basins. It is plausible that WSCT dates are more sensitive to warmer temperature in spring period compared to precipitation, except for the Huangshuigou basin. Taken together, these findings are useful for applications in flood risk regulation, future hydropower projects and integrated water resources management.

  13. Streamflow statistics for development of water rights claims for the Jarbidge Wild and Scenic River, Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness, Idaho, 2013-14: a supplement to Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5212

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wood, Molly S.

    2014-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), estimated streamflow statistics for stream segments designated “Wild,” “Scenic,” or “Recreational” under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness in southwestern Idaho. The streamflow statistics were used by the BLM to develop and file a draft, federal reserved water right claim to protect federally designated “outstanding remarkable values” in the Jarbidge River. The BLM determined that the daily mean streamflow equaled or exceeded 20, 50, and 80 percent of the time during bimonthly periods (two periods per month) and the bankfull (66.7-percent annual exceedance probability) streamflow are important thresholds for maintaining outstanding remarkable values. Although streamflow statistics for the Jarbidge River below Jarbidge, Nevada (USGS 13162225) were published previously in 2013 and used for the draft water right claim, the BLM and USGS have since recognized the need to refine streamflow statistics given the approximate 40 river mile distance and intervening tributaries between the original point of estimation (USGS 13162225) and at the mouth of the Jarbidge River, which is the downstream end of the Wild and Scenic River segment. A drainage-area-ratio method was used in 2013 to estimate bimonthly exceedance probability streamflow statistics at the mouth of the Jarbidge River based on available streamgage data on the Jarbidge and East Fork Jarbidge Rivers. The resulting bimonthly streamflow statistics were further adjusted using a scaling factor calculated from a water balance on streamflow statistics calculated for the Bruneau and East Fork Bruneau Rivers and Sheep Creek. The final, adjusted bimonthly exceedance probability and bankfull streamflow statistics compared well with available verification datasets (including discrete streamflow measurements made at the mouth of the Jarbidge River) and are considered the best available estimates for streamflow statistics in the Jarbidge Wild and Scenic River segment.

  14. Statistical Attribution of Changes in Streamflow in the U.S. Midwest over the 20th and 21st Centuries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slater, L. J.; Villarini, G.

    2016-12-01

    Streamflows have increased notably across the Midwest over the past century. These changes have largely been attributed to the influence of upward trends in heavy precipitation and agricultural increases in row crop production. However, attempts to understand the specific causes of the changes in streamflow timing, magnitude, frequency, and seasonality have led to much debate in recent years, particularly regarding the influence of changing agricultural practices. Separating the different - climatic or land use/land cover - drivers of changing streamflow from a statistical perspective is not straightforward, and different methods have been implemented in the literature. Here, we develop statistical models in 476 U.S. Midwest river basins with long-term USGS discharge records to investigate the influence of the main drivers of changing streamflows: urbanization (using basin-averaged population per square kilometer), agricultural land cover (total corn and soybean harvested acreage), basin-averaged temperature, basin-averaged precipitation, and antecedent soil moisture (using precipitation from the month preceding each season as a proxy). We model the changes in the seasonal discharge quantiles from low to high flows as a function of these drivers (separately and combined), to evaluate which set of predictors is the best in each river basin. Results indicate that precipitation is indeed the most widespread driver in regions that are neither predominantly agricultural nor heavily urbanized. Elsewhere, we find strong regional patterns in terms of the best-fitting drivers, depending on climate, agricultural land cover and urbanization. Using these models, we then examine the sensitivity of discharge to different scenarios based on potential changes in each of the predictors. The projected changes have profound implications for water resources management across the Midwest.

  15. Relation between Streamflow of Swiftcurrent Creek, Montana, and the Geometry of Passage for Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Auble, Gregor T.; Holmquist-Johnson, Christopher L.; Mogen, Jim T.; Kaeding, Lynn R.; Bowen, Zachary H.

    2009-01-01

    Operation of Sherburne Dam in northcentral Montana has typically reduced winter streamflow in Swiftcurrent Creek downstream of the dam and resulted in passage limitations for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). We defined an empirical relation between discharge in Swiftcurrent Creek between Sherburne Dam and the downstream confluence with Boulder Creek and fish passage geometry by considering how the cross-sectional area of water changed as a function of discharge at a set of cross sections likely to limit fish passage. With a minimum passage window of 15 x 45 cm, passage at the cross sections increased strongly with discharge over the range of 1.2 to 24 cfs. Most cross sections did not satisfy the minimum criteria at 1.2 cfs, 25 percent had no passage at 12.7 cfs, whereas at 24 cfs all but one of 26 cross sections had some passage and 90 percent had more than 3 m of width satisfying the minimum criteria. Sensitivity analysis suggests that the overall results are not highly dependent on exact dimensions of the minimum passage window. Combining these results with estimates of natural streamflow in the study reach further suggests that natural streamflow provided adequate passage at some times in most months and locations in the study reach, although not for all individual days and locations. Limitations of our analysis include assumptions about minimum passage geometry, measurement error, limitations of the cross-sectional model we used to characterize passage, the relation of Sherburne Dam releases to streamflow in the downstream study reach in the presence of ephemeral accretions, and the relation of passage geometry as we have measured it to fish responses of movement, stranding, and mortality, especially in the presence of ice cover.

  16. Hydrologic controls on basin-scale distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bertuzzo, E.; Ceola, S.; Singer, G. A.; Battin, T. J.; Montanari, A.; Rinaldo, A.

    2013-12-01

    The presentation deals with the role of streamflow variability on basin-scale distributions of benthic macroinvertebrates. Specifically, we present a probabilistic analysis of the impacts of the variability along the river network of relevant hydraulic variables on the density of benthic macroinvertebrate species. The relevance of this work is based on the implications of the predictability of macroinvertebrate patterns within a catchment on fluvial ecosystem health, being macroinvertebrates commonly used as sensitive indicators, and on the effects of anthropogenic activity. The analytical tools presented here outline a novel procedure of general nature aiming at a spatially-explicit quantitative assessment of how near-bed flow variability affects benthic macroinvertebrate abundance. Moving from the analytical characterization of the at-a-site probability distribution functions (pdfs) of streamflow and bottom shear stress, a spatial extension to a whole river network is performed aiming at the definition of spatial maps of streamflow and bottom shear stress. Then, bottom shear stress pdf, coupled with habitat suitability curves (e.g., empirical relations between species density and bottom shear stress) derived from field studies are used to produce maps of macroinvertebrate suitability to shear stress conditions. Thus, moving from measured hydrologic conditions, possible effects of river streamflow alterations on macroinvertebrate densities may be fairly assessed. We apply this framework to an Austrian river network, used as benchmark for the analysis, for which rainfall and streamflow time-series and river network hydraulic properties and macroinvertebrate density data are available. A comparison between observed vs "modeled" species' density in three locations along the examined river network is also presented. Although the proposed approach focuses on a single controlling factor, it shows important implications with water resources management and fluvial ecosystem protection.

  17. 77 FR 26531 - Request for Information To Gather Technical Expertise Pertaining to the Disaggregation of Asian...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-04

    ... information to help State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and... student population. SEAs, LEAs, schools, and IHEs might then use those data to improve their ability to... seeking information on disaggregation practices that SEAs, LEAs, schools, and IHEs use when collecting and...

  18. Coupling Poisson rectangular pulse and multiplicative microcanonical random cascade models to generate sub-daily precipitation timeseries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pohle, Ina; Niebisch, Michael; Müller, Hannes; Schümberg, Sabine; Zha, Tingting; Maurer, Thomas; Hinz, Christoph

    2018-07-01

    To simulate the impacts of within-storm rainfall variabilities on fast hydrological processes, long precipitation time series with high temporal resolution are required. Due to limited availability of observed data such time series are typically obtained from stochastic models. However, most existing rainfall models are limited in their ability to conserve rainfall event statistics which are relevant for hydrological processes. Poisson rectangular pulse models are widely applied to generate long time series of alternating precipitation events durations and mean intensities as well as interstorm period durations. Multiplicative microcanonical random cascade (MRC) models are used to disaggregate precipitation time series from coarse to fine temporal resolution. To overcome the inconsistencies between the temporal structure of the Poisson rectangular pulse model and the MRC model, we developed a new coupling approach by introducing two modifications to the MRC model. These modifications comprise (a) a modified cascade model ("constrained cascade") which preserves the event durations generated by the Poisson rectangular model by constraining the first and last interval of a precipitation event to contain precipitation and (b) continuous sigmoid functions of the multiplicative weights to consider the scale-dependency in the disaggregation of precipitation events of different durations. The constrained cascade model was evaluated in its ability to disaggregate observed precipitation events in comparison to existing MRC models. For that, we used a 20-year record of hourly precipitation at six stations across Germany. The constrained cascade model showed a pronounced better agreement with the observed data in terms of both the temporal pattern of the precipitation time series (e.g. the dry and wet spell durations and autocorrelations) and event characteristics (e.g. intra-event intermittency and intensity fluctuation within events). The constrained cascade model also slightly outperformed the other MRC models with respect to the intensity-frequency relationship. To assess the performance of the coupled Poisson rectangular pulse and constrained cascade model, precipitation events were stochastically generated by the Poisson rectangular pulse model and then disaggregated by the constrained cascade model. We found that the coupled model performs satisfactorily in terms of the temporal pattern of the precipitation time series, event characteristics and the intensity-frequency relationship.

  19. Contribution of human and climate change impacts to changes in streamflow of Canada.

    PubMed

    Tan, Xuezhi; Gan, Thian Yew

    2015-12-04

    Climate change exerts great influence on streamflow by changing precipitation, temperature, snowpack and potential evapotranspiration (PET), while human activities in a watershed can directly alter the runoff production and indirectly through affecting climatic variables. However, to separate contribution of anthropogenic and natural drivers to observed changes in streamflow is non-trivial. Here we estimated the direct influence of human activities and climate change effect to changes of the mean annual streamflow (MAS) of 96 Canadian watersheds based on the elasticity of streamflow in relation to precipitation, PET and human impacts such as land use and cover change. Elasticities of streamflow for each watershed are analytically derived using the Budyko Framework. We found that climate change generally caused an increase in MAS, while human impacts generally a decrease in MAS and such impact tends to become more severe with time, even though there are exceptions. Higher proportions of human contribution, compared to that of climate change contribution, resulted in generally decreased streamflow of Canada observed in recent decades. Furthermore, if without contributions from retreating glaciers to streamflow, human impact would have resulted in a more severe decrease in Canadian streamflow.

  20. Methods for estimating tributary streamflow in the Chattahoochee River basin between Buford Dam and Franklin, Georgia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stamey, Timothy C.

    1998-01-01

    Simple and reliable methods for estimating hourly streamflow are needed for the calibration and verification of a Chattahoochee River basin model between Buford Dam and Franklin, Ga. The river basin model is being developed by Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, as part of their Chattahoochee River Modeling Project. Concurrent streamflow data collected at 19 continuous-record, and 31 partial-record streamflow stations, were used in ordinary least-squares linear regression analyses to define estimating equations, and in verifying drainage-area prorations. The resulting regression or drainage-area ratio estimating equations were used to compute hourly streamflow at the partial-record stations. The coefficients of determination (r-squared values) for the regression estimating equations ranged from 0.90 to 0.99. Observed and estimated hourly and daily streamflow data were computed for May 1, 1995, through October 31, 1995. Comparisons of observed and estimated daily streamflow data for 12 continuous-record tributary stations, that had available streamflow data for all or part of the period from May 1, 1995, to October 31, 1995, indicate that the mean error of estimate for the daily streamflow was about 25 percent.

  1. Trends in selected streamflow and stream-channel characteristics for the Chagrin River at Willoughby, Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koltun, G.F.; Kunze, Allison E.

    2002-01-01

    Monotonic upward trends in annual mean streamflows and annual 7-day low flows were identified statistically for the streamflow-gaging station on the Chagrin River at Willoughby, Ohio. No monotonic trends were identified for the annual peak streamflow series or partial-duration series of peak streamflows augmented with annual peak streamflows that did not exceed a base discharge of 4,000 cubic feet per second. A plot of cumulative departure of annual precipitation from the long-term mean annual precipitation for the weather-observation station at Hiram, Ohio, indicates a relatively dry period extending from about 1910 to about 1968, followed by a relatively wet period extending from about 1968 to the late 1990s. A plot of cumulative departure of annual mean streamflow from the mean annual streamflow for the Chagrin River at Willoughby, Ohio, closely mimics the shape of the precipitation departure plot, indicating that the annual mean streamflows increased in concert with annual precipitation. These synchronous trends likely explain why upward trends in annual mean streamflows and annual 7-day low flows were observed. A lack of trend in peak streamflows indicates that the intensity and severity of flood-producing storms did not increase appreciably along with the increases in annual precipitation. An analysis of point-of-zero-flow data indicates that the low-water control of the Chagrin River streamflow-gaging station tended to aggrade over the period 1930?93; however, the magnitude of aggradation is sufficiently small that its effect on stages of moderate to large floods would be negligible. Stage values associated with reference streamflows of 500 and 5,000 cubic feet per second tended to remain fairly stable during the period from about 1950 to 1970 and then decreased slightly during the period from about 1970 to 1980, suggesting that the flood-carrying capacity of the stream increased somewhat during the latter period. Since a large flood on May 26, 1989, significant changes have occurred in the relation between stage and streamflow. The most recent relation indicates that stage values associated with streamflows of 500 and 5,000 cubic feet per second are about 0.5 foot and 0.1 foot higher, respectively, than the pre-1989 levels.

  2. An improved rainfall disaggregation technique for GCMs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Onof, C.; Mackay, N. G.; Oh, L.; Wheater, H. S.

    1998-08-01

    Meteorological models represent rainfall as a mean value for a grid square so that when the latter is large, a disaggregation scheme is required to represent the spatial variability of rainfall. In general circulation models (GCMs) this is based on an assumption of exponentiality of rainfall intensities and a fixed value of areal rainfall coverage, dependent on rainfall type. This paper examines these two assumptions on the basis of U.K. and U.S. radar data. Firstly, the coverage of an area is strongly dependent on its size, and this dependence exhibits a scaling law over a range of sizes. Secondly, the coverage is, of course, dependent on the resolution at which it is measured, although this dependence is weak at high resolutions. Thirdly, the time series of rainfall coverages has a long-tailed autocorrelation function which is comparable to that of the mean areal rainfalls. It is therefore possible to reproduce much of the temporal dependence of coverages by using a regression of the log of the mean rainfall on the log of the coverage. The exponential assumption is satisfactory in many cases but not able to reproduce some of the long-tailed dependence of some intensity distributions. Gamma and lognormal distributions provide a better fit in these cases, but they have their shortcomings and require a second parameter. An improved disaggregation scheme for GCMs is proposed which incorporates the previous findings to allow the coverage to be obtained for any area and any mean rainfall intensity. The parameters required are given and some of their seasonal behavior is analyzed.

  3. A theoretically consistent stochastic cascade for temporal disaggregation of intermittent rainfall

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lombardo, F.; Volpi, E.; Koutsoyiannis, D.; Serinaldi, F.

    2017-06-01

    Generating fine-scale time series of intermittent rainfall that are fully consistent with any given coarse-scale totals is a key and open issue in many hydrological problems. We propose a stationary disaggregation method that simulates rainfall time series with given dependence structure, wet/dry probability, and marginal distribution at a target finer (lower-level) time scale, preserving full consistency with variables at a parent coarser (higher-level) time scale. We account for the intermittent character of rainfall at fine time scales by merging a discrete stochastic representation of intermittency and a continuous one of rainfall depths. This approach yields a unique and parsimonious mathematical framework providing general analytical formulations of mean, variance, and autocorrelation function (ACF) for a mixed-type stochastic process in terms of mean, variance, and ACFs of both continuous and discrete components, respectively. To achieve the full consistency between variables at finer and coarser time scales in terms of marginal distribution and coarse-scale totals, the generated lower-level series are adjusted according to a procedure that does not affect the stochastic structure implied by the original model. To assess model performance, we study rainfall process as intermittent with both independent and dependent occurrences, where dependence is quantified by the probability that two consecutive time intervals are dry. In either case, we provide analytical formulations of main statistics of our mixed-type disaggregation model and show their clear accordance with Monte Carlo simulations. An application to rainfall time series from real world is shown as a proof of concept.

  4. Continental U.S. streamflow trends from 1940 to 2009 and their relationships with watershed spatial characteristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rice, Joshua S.; Emanuel, Ryan E.; Vose, James M.; Nelson, Stacy A. C.

    2015-08-01

    Changes in streamflow are an important area of ongoing research in the hydrologic sciences. To better understand spatial patterns in past changes in streamflow, we examined relationships between watershed-scale spatial characteristics and trends in streamflow. Trends in streamflow were identified by analyzing mean daily flow observations between 1940 and 2009 from 967 U.S. Geological Survey stream gages. Results indicated that streamflow across the continental U.S., as a whole, increased while becoming less extreme between 1940 and 2009. However, substantial departures from the continental U.S. (CONUS) scale pattern occurred at the regional scale, including increased annual maxima, decreased annual minima, overall drying trends, and changes in streamflow variability. A subset of watersheds belonging to a reference data set exhibited significantly smaller trend magnitudes than those observed in nonreference watersheds. Boosted regression tree models were applied to examine the influence of watershed characteristics on streamflow trend magnitudes at both the CONUS and regional scale. Geographic location was found to be of particular importance at the CONUS scale while local variability in hydroclimate and topography tended to have a strong influence on regional-scale patterns in streamflow trends. This methodology facilitates detailed, data-driven analyses of how the characteristics of individual watersheds interact with large-scale hydroclimate forces to influence how changes in streamflow manifest.

  5. Analytical flow duration curves for summer streamflow in Switzerland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santos, Ana Clara; Portela, Maria Manuela; Rinaldo, Andrea; Schaefli, Bettina

    2018-04-01

    This paper proposes a systematic assessment of the performance of an analytical modeling framework for streamflow probability distributions for a set of 25 Swiss catchments. These catchments show a wide range of hydroclimatic regimes, including namely snow-influenced streamflows. The model parameters are calculated from a spatially averaged gridded daily precipitation data set and from observed daily discharge time series, both in a forward estimation mode (direct parameter calculation from observed data) and in an inverse estimation mode (maximum likelihood estimation). The performance of the linear and the nonlinear model versions is assessed in terms of reproducing observed flow duration curves and their natural variability. Overall, the nonlinear model version outperforms the linear model for all regimes, but the linear model shows a notable performance increase with catchment elevation. More importantly, the obtained results demonstrate that the analytical model performs well for summer discharge for all analyzed streamflow regimes, ranging from rainfall-driven regimes with summer low flow to snow and glacier regimes with summer high flow. These results suggest that the model's encoding of discharge-generating events based on stochastic soil moisture dynamics is more flexible than previously thought. As shown in this paper, the presence of snowmelt or ice melt is accommodated by a relative increase in the discharge-generating frequency, a key parameter of the model. Explicit quantification of this frequency increase as a function of mean catchment meteorological conditions is left for future research.

  6. Moving Beyond Streamflow Observations: Lessons From A Multi-Objective Calibration Experiment in the Mississippi Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koppa, A.; Gebremichael, M.; Yeh, W. W. G.

    2017-12-01

    Calibrating hydrologic models in large catchments using a sparse network of streamflow gauges adversely affects the spatial and temporal accuracy of other water balance components which are important for climate-change, land-use and drought studies. This study combines remote sensing data and the concept of Pareto-Optimality to address the following questions: 1) What is the impact of streamflow (SF) calibration on the spatio-temporal accuracy of Evapotranspiration (ET), near-surface Soil Moisture (SM) and Total Water Storage (TWS)? 2) What is the best combination of fluxes that can be used to calibrate complex hydrological models such that both the accuracy of streamflow and the spatio-temporal accuracy of ET, SM and TWS is preserved? The study area is the Mississippi Basin in the United States (encompassing HUC-2 regions 5,6,7,9,10 and 11). 2003 and 2004, two climatologically average years are chosen for calibration and validation of the Noah-MP hydrologic model. Remotely sensed ET data is sourced from GLEAM, SM from ESA-CCI and TWS from GRACE. Single objective calibration is carried out using DDS Algorithm. For Multi objective calibration PA-DDS is used. First, the Noah-MP model is calibrated using a single objective function (Minimize Mean Square Error) for the outflow from the 6 HUC-2 sub-basins for 2003. Spatial correlograms are used to compare the spatial structure of ET, SM and TWS between the model and the remote sensing data. Spatial maps of RMSE and Mean Error are used to quantify the impact of calibrating streamflow on the accuracy of ET, SM and TWS estimates. Next, a multi-objective calibration experiment is setup to determine the pareto optimal parameter sets (pareto front) for the following cases - 1) SF and ET, 2) SF and SM, 3) SF and TWS, 4) SF, ET and SM, 5) SF, ET and TWS, 6) SF, SM and TWS, 7) SF, ET, SM and TWS. The best combination of fluxes that provides the optimal trade-off between accurate streamflow and preserving the spatio-temporal structure of ET, SM and TWS is then determined by validating the model outputs for the pareto-optimal parameter sets. Results from single-objective calibration experiment with streamflow shows that it does indeed negatively impact the accuracy of ET, SM and TWS estimates.

  7. A precipitation-runoff model for simulating natural streamflow conditions in the Smith River watershed, Montana, water years 1996-2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chase, Katherine J.; Caldwell, Rodney R.; Stanley, Andrea K.

    2014-01-01

    This report documents the construction of a precipitation-runoff model for simulating natural streamflow in the Smith River watershed, Montana. This Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model, constructed in cooperation with the Meagher County Conservation District, can be used to examine the general hydrologic framework of the Smith River watershed, including quantification of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and streamflow; partitioning of streamflow between surface runoff and subsurface flow; and quantifying contributions to streamflow from several parts of the watershed. The model was constructed by using spatial datasets describing watershed topography, the streams, and the hydrologic characteristics of the basin soils and vegetation. Time-series data (daily total precipitation, and daily minimum and maximum temperature) were input to the model to simulate daily streamflow. The model was calibrated for water years 2002–2007 and evaluated for water years 1996–2001. Though water year 2008 was included in the study period to evaluate water-budget components, calibration and evaluation data were unavailable for that year. During the calibration and evaluation periods, simulated-natural flow values were compared to reconstructed-natural streamflow data. These reconstructed-natural streamflow data were calculated by adding Bureau of Reclamation’s depletions data to the observed streamflows. Reconstructed-natural streamflows represent estimates of streamflows for water years 1996–2007 assuming there was no agricultural water-resources development in the watershed. Additional calibration targets were basin mean monthly solar radiation and potential evapotranspiration. The model estimated the hydrologic processes in the Smith River watershed during the calibration and evaluation periods. Simulated-natural mean annual and mean monthly flows generally were the same or higher than the reconstructed-natural streamflow values during the calibration period, whereas they were lower during the evaluation period. The shape of the annual hydrographs for the simulated-natural daily streamflow values matched the shape of the hydrographs for the reconstructed-natural values for most of the calibration period, but daily streamflow values were underestimated during the evaluation period for water years 1996–1998. The model enabled a detailed evaluation of the components of the water budget within the Smith River watershed during the water year 1996–2008 study period. During this study period, simulated mean annual precipitation across the Smith River watershed was 16 inches, out of which 14 inches evaporated or transpired and 2 inches left the basin as streamflow. Per the precipitation-runoff model simulations, during most of the year, surface runoff rarely (less than 2 percent of the time during water years 2002–2008) makes up more than 10 percent of the total streamflow. Subsurface flow (the combination of interflow and groundwater flow) makes up most of the total streamflow (99 or more percent of total streamflow for 71 percent of the time during water years 2002–2008).

  8. Using tracers to evaluate streamflow gain-loss characteristics of Terror Creek, in the vicinity of a mine-permit area, Delta County, Colorado, water year 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, Cory A.; Leib, Kenneth J.

    2005-01-01

    In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Delta County, initiated a study to characterize streamflow gainloss in a reach of Terror Creek, in the vicinity of a mine-permit area planned for future coal mining. This report describes the methods of the study and includes results from a comparison of two sets of streamflow measurements using tracer techniques following the constant-rate injection method. Two measurement sets were used to characterize the streamflow gain-loss associated with reservoir-supplemented streamflow conditions and with natural base-flow conditions. A comparison of the measurement sets indicates that the streamflow gain-loss characteristics of the Terror Creek study reach are consistent between the two hydrologic conditions evaluated. A substantial streamflow gain occurs between measurement locations 4 and 5 in both measurement sets, and streamflow is lost between measurement locations 5 and 7 (measurement set 1, measurement location 6 not visited) and 5 and 6 (measurement set 2). A comparison of the measurement sets above and below the mine-permit area (measurement locations 3 and 7) shows a consistent loss of 0.37 and 0.31 cubic foot per second (representing 5- and 12-percent streamflow losses normalized to measurement location 3) for measurement sets 1 and 2, respectively. This indicates that similar streamflow losses occur both during reservoir-supplemented and natural base-flow conditions, with a mean streamflow loss of 0.34 cubic foot per second for measurement sets 1 and 2. Findings from a previous investigation support the observed streamflow loss between measurement locations 3 and 7 in this study. The findings from the previous investigation indicate a streamflow loss of 0.59 cubic foot per second occurs between these measurement locations. Statistical testing of the differences in streamflow between measurement locations 3 and 7 indicates that there is a discernible streamflow loss. The p-value of 0.0236 for the parametric paired t-test indicates that there is a 2.36-percent probability of observing a sample mean difference of 0.34 cubic foot per second if the population mean is zero. The p-value of 0.125 for the nonparametric exact Wilcoxon signed rank test indicates that there is a 12.5-percent probability of observing a sample mean difference this large if the population mean is zero. The similarity in streamflow gain-loss between measurement sets indicates that the process controlling streamflow may be the same between the two hydrologic conditions evaluated. Gains between measurement locations 4 and 5 may be related to hyporheic flow from tributaries that were dry during the study. No other obvious sources of surface water were identified during the investigation. The cause for the observed streamflow loss between measurement locations 5 and 6 is unknown but may be related to mapped local faulting, 100 years of coal mining in the area, and aquifer recharge.

  9. Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency of Peak Streamflows for Ungaged Sites on Streams in Alaska and Conterminous Basins in Canada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Curran, Janet H.; Meyer, David F.; Tasker, Gary D.

    2003-01-01

    Estimates of the magnitude and frequency of peak streamflow are needed across Alaska for floodplain management, cost-effective design of floodway structures such as bridges and culverts, and other water-resource management issues. Peak-streamflow magnitudes for the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year recurrence-interval flows were computed for 301 streamflow-gaging and partial-record stations in Alaska and 60 stations in conterminous basins of Canada. Flows were analyzed from data through the 1999 water year using a log-Pearson Type III analysis. The State was divided into seven hydrologically distinct streamflow analysis regions for this analysis, in conjunction with a concurrent study of low and high flows. New generalized skew coefficients were developed for each region using station skew coefficients for stations with at least 25 years of systematic peak-streamflow data. Equations for estimating peak streamflows at ungaged locations were developed for Alaska and conterminous basins in Canada using a generalized least-squares regression model. A set of predictive equations for estimating the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year peak streamflows was developed for each streamflow analysis region from peak-streamflow magnitudes and physical and climatic basin characteristics. These equations may be used for unregulated streams without flow diversions, dams, periodically releasing glacial impoundments, or other streamflow conditions not correlated to basin characteristics. Basin characteristics should be obtained using methods similar to those used in this report to preserve the statistical integrity of the equations.

  10. Streamflow alteration at selected sites in Kansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Juracek, Kyle E.; Eng, Ken

    2017-06-26

    An understanding of streamflow alteration in response to various disturbances is necessary for the effective management of stream habitat for a variety of species in Kansas. Streamflow alteration can have negative ecological effects. Using a modeling approach, streamflow alteration was assessed for 129 selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the State for which requisite streamflow and basin-characteristic information was available. The assessment involved a comparison of the observed condition from 1980 to 2015 with the predicted expected (least-disturbed) condition for 29 streamflow metrics. The metrics represent various characteristics of streamflow including average flow (annual, monthly) and low and high flow (frequency, duration, magnitude).Streamflow alteration in Kansas was indicated locally, regionally, and statewide. Given the absence of a pronounced trend in annual precipitation in Kansas, a precipitation-related explanation for streamflow alteration was not supported. Thus, the likely explanation for streamflow alteration was human activity. Locally, a flashier flow regime (typified by shorter lag times and more frequent and higher peak discharges) was indicated for three streamgages with urbanized basins that had higher percentages of impervious surfaces than other basins in the State. The combination of localized reservoir effects and regional groundwater pumping from the High Plains aquifer likely was responsible, in part, for diminished conditions indicated for multiple streamflow metrics in western and central Kansas. Statewide, the implementation of agricultural land-management practices to reduce runoff may have been responsible, in part, for a diminished duration and magnitude of high flows. In central and eastern Kansas, implemented agricultural land-management practices may have been partly responsible for an inflated magnitude of low flows at several sites.

  11. Estimating current and future streamflow characteristics at ungaged sites, central and eastern Montana, with application to evaluating effects of climate change on fish populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sando, Roy; Chase, Katherine J.

    2017-03-23

    A common statistical procedure for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged locations is to develop a relational model between streamflow and drainage basin characteristics at gaged locations using least squares regression analysis; however, least squares regression methods are parametric and make constraining assumptions about the data distribution. The random forest regression method provides an alternative nonparametric method for estimating streamflow characteristics at ungaged sites and requires that the data meet fewer statistical conditions than least squares regression methods.Random forest regression analysis was used to develop predictive models for 89 streamflow characteristics using Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System simulated streamflow data and drainage basin characteristics at 179 sites in central and eastern Montana. The predictive models were developed from streamflow data simulated for current (baseline, water years 1982–99) conditions and three future periods (water years 2021–38, 2046–63, and 2071–88) under three different climate-change scenarios. These predictive models were then used to predict streamflow characteristics for baseline conditions and three future periods at 1,707 fish sampling sites in central and eastern Montana. The average root mean square error for all predictive models was about 50 percent. When streamflow predictions at 23 fish sampling sites were compared to nearby locations with simulated data, the mean relative percent difference was about 43 percent. When predictions were compared to streamflow data recorded at 21 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations outside of the calibration basins, the average mean absolute percent error was about 73 percent.

  12. Development of a Precipitation-Runoff Model to Simulate Unregulated Streamflow in the Salmon Creek Basin, Okanogan County, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    van Heeswijk, Marijke

    2006-01-01

    Surface water has been diverted from the Salmon Creek Basin for irrigation purposes since the early 1900s, when the Bureau of Reclamation built the Okanogan Project. Spring snowmelt runoff is stored in two reservoirs, Conconully Reservoir and Salmon Lake Reservoir, and gradually released during the growing season. As a result of the out-of-basin streamflow diversions, the lower 4.3 miles of Salmon Creek typically has been a dry creek bed for almost 100 years, except during the spring snowmelt season during years of high runoff. To continue meeting the water needs of irrigators but also leave water in lower Salmon Creek for fish passage and to help restore the natural ecosystem, changes are being considered in how the Okanogan Project is operated. This report documents development of a precipitation-runoff model for the Salmon Creek Basin that can be used to simulate daily unregulated streamflows. The precipitation-runoff model is a component of a Decision Support System (DSS) that includes a water-operations model the Bureau of Reclamation plans to develop to study the water resources of the Salmon Creek Basin. The DSS will be similar to the DSS that the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey developed previously for the Yakima River Basin in central southern Washington. The precipitation-runoff model was calibrated for water years 1950-89 and tested for water years 1990-96. The model was used to simulate daily streamflows that were aggregated on a monthly basis and calibrated against historical monthly streamflows for Salmon Creek at Conconully Dam. Additional calibration data were provided by the snowpack water-equivalent record for a SNOTEL station in the basin. Model input time series of daily precipitation and minimum and maximum air temperatures were based on data from climate stations in the study area. Historical records of unregulated streamflow for Salmon Creek at Conconully Dam do not exist for water years 1950-96. Instead, estimates of historical monthly mean unregulated streamflow based on reservoir outflows and storage changes were used as a surrogate for the missing data and to calibrate and test the model. The estimated unregulated streamflows were corrected for evaporative losses from Conconully Reservoir (about 1 ft3/s) and ground-water losses from the basin (about 2 ft3/s). The total of the corrections was about 9 percent of the mean uncorrected streamflow of 32.2 ft3/s (23,300 acre-ft/yr) for water years 1949-96. For the calibration period, the basinwide mean annual evapotranspiration was simulated to be 19.1 inches, or about 83 percent of the mean annual precipitation of 23.1 inches. Model calibration and testing indicated that the daily streamflows simulated using the precipitation-runoff model should be used only to analyze historical and forecasted annual mean and April-July mean streamflows for Salmon Creek at Conconully Dam. Because of the paucity of model input data and uncertainty in the estimated unregulated streamflows, the model is not adequately calibrated and tested to estimate monthly mean streamflows for individual months, such as during low-flow periods, or for shorter periods such as during peak flows. No data were available to test the accuracy of simulated streamflows for lower Salmon Creek. As a result, simulated streamflows for lower Salmon Creek should be used with caution. For the calibration period (water years 1950-89), both the simulated mean annual streamflow and the simulated mean April-July streamflow compared well with the estimated uncorrected unregulated streamflow (UUS) and corrected unregulated streamflow (CUS). The simulated mean annual streamflow exceeded UUS by 5.9 percent and was less than CUS by 2.7 percent. Similarly, the simulated mean April-July streamflow exceeded UUS by 1.8 percent and was less than CUS by 3.1 percent. However, streamflow was significantly undersimulated during the low-flow, baseflow-dominated months of November through F

  13. Trends in streamflow of the San Pedro River, southeastern Arizona, and regional trends in precipitation and streamflow in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thomas, Blakemore E.; Pool, Don R.

    2006-01-01

    This study was done to improve the understanding of trends in streamflow of the San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona. Annual streamflow of the river at Charleston, Arizona, has decreased by more than 50 percent during the 20th century. The San Pedro River is one of the few remaining free-flowing perennial streams in the arid Southwestern United States, and the riparian forest along the river supports several endangered species and is an important habitat for migratory birds. Trends in seasonal and annual precipitation and streamflow were evaluated for surrounding areas in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico to provide a regional perspective for the trends of the San Pedro River. Seasonal and annual streamflow trends and the relation between precipitation and streamflow in the San Pedro River Basin were evaluated to improve the understanding of the causes of trends. There were few significant trends in seasonal and annual precipitation or streamflow for the regional study area. Precipitation and streamflow records were analyzed for 11 time periods ranging from 1930 to 2002; no significant trends were found in 92 percent of the trend tests for precipitation, and no significant trends were found in 79 percent of the trend tests for streamflow. For the trends in precipitation that were significant, 90 percent were positive and most of those positive trends were in records of winter, spring, or annual precipitation that started during the mid-century drought in 1945-60. For the trends in streamflow that were significant, about half were positive and half were negative. Trends in precipitation in the San Pedro River Basin were similar to regional precipitation trends for spring and fall values and were different for summer and annual values. The largest difference was in annual precipitation, for which no trend tests were significant in the San Pedro River Basin, and 23 percent of the trend tests were significantly positive in the rest of the study area. Streamflow trends for the San Pedro River were different from regional streamflow trends. All seasonal flows for the San Pedro River, except winter flows, had significant decreasing trends, and seasonal flows for most streams in the rest of the study area had either no trend or a significant increasing trend. Two streams adjacent to the San Pedro River Basin (Whitewater Draw and Santa Cruz River), however, had significant decreasing trends in summer streamflow. Factors that caused the decreasing trends in streamflow of the San Pedro River at Charleston were investigated. Possible factors were fluctuations in precipitation and air temperature, changes in watershed characteristics, human activities, or changes in seasonal distribution of bank storage. This study statistically removed or accounted for the variation in streamflow caused by fluctuations in precipitation. Thus, the remaining variation or trend in streamflow was caused by factors other than precipitation. Two methods were used to partition the variation in streamflow and to determine trends in the partitioned variation: (1) regression analysis between precipitation and streamflow using all years in the record and evaluation of time trends in regression residuals, and (2) development of regression equations between precipitation and streamflow for three time periods (early, middle, and late parts of the record) and testing to determine if the three regression equations were significantly different. The methods were applied to monthly values of total flow (average flow) and storm runoff (maximum daily mean flow) for 1913-2002, and to monthly values of low flow (3-day low flow) for 1931-2002. Statistical tests provide strong evidence that factors other than precipitation caused a decrease in streamflow of the San Pedro River. Factors other than precipitation caused significant decreasing trends in streamflows for late spring through early winter and did not cause significant trends f

  14. Field manual for the collection of Navajo Nation streamflow-gage data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hart, Robert J.; Fisk, Gregory G.

    2014-01-01

    The Field Manual for the Collection of Navajo Nation Streamflow-Gage Data (Navajo Field Manual) is based on established (standard) U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging methods and provides guidelines specifically designed for the Navajo Department of Water Resources personnel who establish and maintain streamflow gages. The Navajo Field Manual addresses field visits, including essential field equipment and the selection of and routine visits to streamflow-gaging stations, examines surveying methods for determining peak flows (indirect measurements), discusses safety considerations, and defines basic terms.

  15. Evaluation of Streamflow Requirements for Habitat Protection by Comparison to Streamflow Characteristics at Index Streamflow-Gaging Stations in Southern New England

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Armstrong, David S.; Parker, Gene W.; Richards, Todd A.

    2003-01-01

    Streamflow characteristics and methods for determining streamflow requirements for habitat protection were investigated at 23 active index streamflow-gaging stations in southern New England. Fish communities sampled near index streamflow-gaging stations in Massachusetts have a high percentage of fish that require flowing-water habitats for some or all of their life cycle. The relatively unaltered flow condition at these sites was assumed to be one factor that has contributed to this condition. Monthly flow durations and low flow statistics were determined for the index streamflow-gaging stations for a 25- year period from 1976 to 2000. Annual hydrographs were prepared for each index station from median streamflows at the 50-percent monthly flow duration, normalized by drainage area. A median monthly flow of 1 ft3/s/mi2 was used to split hydrographs into a high-flow period (November–May), and a low-flow period (June–October). The hydrographs were used to classify index stations into groups with similar median monthly flow durations. Index stations were divided into four regional groups, roughly paralleling the coast, to characterize streamflows for November to May; and into two groups, on the basis of base-flow index and percentage of sand and gravel in the contributing area, for June to October. For the June to October period, for index stations with a high base-flow index and contributing areas greater than 20 percent sand and gravel, median streamflows at the 50-percent monthly flow duration, normalized by drainage area, were 0.57, 0.49, and 0.46 ft3/s/mi2 for July, August, and September, respectively. For index stations with a low base-flow index and contributing areas less than 20 percent sand and gravel, median streamflows at the 50-percent monthly flow duration, normalized by drainage area, were 0.34, 0.28, and 0.27 ft3/s/mi2 for July, August, and September, respectively. Streamflow variability between wet and dry years can be characterized by use of the interquartile range of median streamflows at selected monthly flow durations. For example, the median Q50 discharge for August had an interquartile range of 0.30 to 0.87 ft3/s/mi2 for the high-flow group and 0.16 to 0.47 ft3/s/mi2 for the low-flow group. Streamflow requirements for habitat protection were determined for 23 index stations by use of three methods based on hydrologic records, the Range of Variability Approach, the Tennant method, and the New England Aquatic-Base-Flow method. Normalized flow management targets determined by the Range of Variability Approach for July, August, and September ranged between 0.21 and 0.84 ft3/s/mi2 for the low monthly flow duration group, and 0.37 and 1.27 ft3/s/mi2 for the high monthly flow duration group. Median streamflow requirements for habitat protection during summer for the 23 index streamflow-gaging stations determined by the Tennant method, normalized by drainage area, were 0.81, 0.61, and 0.21 ft3/s/mi2 for the Tennant 40-, 30-, and 10-percent of the mean annual flow methods, representing good, fair, and poor stream habitat conditions in summer, according to Tennant. New England Aquatic-Base-Flow streamflow requirements for habitat protection during summer were determined from median of monthly mean flows for August for index streamflow-gaging stations having drainage areas greater than 50 mi2 . For five index streamflow-gaging stations in the low median monthly flow group, the average median monthly mean streamflow for August, normalized by drainage area, was 0.48 ft3/s/mi2. Streamflow requirements for habitat protection were determined for riffle habitats near 10 index stations by use of two methods based on hydraulic ratings, the Wetted-Perimeter and R2Cross methods. Hydraulic parameters required by these methods were simulated by calibrated HEC-RAS models. Wetted-Perimeter streamflow requirements for habitat protection, normalized by drainage area, ranged between 0.13 and 0.58 ft3/s/mi2, and had a median value of 0.37 ft3/s/mi2. Streamflow requirements determined by the R2Cross 3-of-3 criteria method ranged between 0.39 and 2.1 ft3/s/mi2 , and had a median of 0.84 ft3/s/mi2. Streamflow requirements determined by the R2Cross 2-of-3 criteria method, normalized by drainage area, ranged between 0.16 and 0.85 ft3/s/mi2 and had a median of 0.36 ft3/s/mi2 , respectively. Streamflow requirements determined by the different methods were evaluated by comparison to streamflow statistics from the index streamflow-gaging stations.

  16. Vulnerability of Oregon hydrologic landscapes and streamflow to climate change

    EPA Science Inventory

    Hydrologic classification systems can provide a basis for broadscale assessments of the hydrologic functions of landscapes and watersheds and their responses to stressors. Such assessments could be particularly useful in determining hydrologic vulnerability from climate change. ...

  17. Statistical summaries of streamflow in Oklahoma through 1999

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tortorelli, R.L.

    2002-01-01

    Statistical summaries of streamflow records through 1999 for gaging stations in Oklahoma and parts of adjacent states are presented for 188 stations with at least 10 years of streamflow record. Streamflow at 113 of the stations is regulated for specific periods. Data for these periods were analyzed separately to account for changes in streamflow due to regulation by dams or other human modification of streamflow. A brief description of the location, drainage area, and period of record is given for each gaging station. A brief regulation history also is given for stations with a regulated streamflow record. This descriptive information is followed by tables of mean annual discharges, magnitude and probability of exceedance of annual high flows, magnitude and probability of exceedance of annual instantaneous peak flows, durations of daily mean flow, magnitude and probability of non-exceedance of annual low flows, and magnitude and probability of non-exceedance of seasonal low flows.

  18. Mississippi River streamflow measurement techniques at St. Louis, Missouri

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wastson, Chester C.; Holmes, Robert R.; Biedenham, David S.

    2013-01-01

    Streamflow measurement techniques of the Mississippi River at St. Louis have changed through time (1866–present). In addition to different methods used for discrete streamflow measurements, the density and range of discrete measurements used to define the rating curve (stage versus streamflow) have also changed. Several authors have utilized published water surface elevation (stage) and streamflow data to assess changes in the rating curve, which may be attributed to be caused by flood control and/or navigation structures. The purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough review of the available flow measurement data and techniques and to assess how a strict awareness of the limitations of the data may affect previous analyses. It is concluded that the pre-1930s discrete streamflow measurement data are not of sufficient accuracy to be compared with modern streamflow values in establishing long-term trends of river behavior.

  19. Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Nonstationarity on Seasonal Streamflow Predictability in the U.S. Southwest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lehner, Flavio; Wood, Andrew W.; Llewellyn, Dagmar; Blatchford, Douglas B.; Goodbody, Angus G.; Pappenberger, Florian

    2017-12-01

    Seasonal streamflow predictions provide a critical management tool for water managers in the American Southwest. In recent decades, persistent prediction errors for spring and summer runoff volumes have been observed in a number of watersheds in the American Southwest. While mostly driven by decadal precipitation trends, these errors also relate to the influence of increasing temperature on streamflow in these basins. Here we show that incorporating seasonal temperature forecasts from operational global climate prediction models into streamflow forecasting models adds prediction skill for watersheds in the headwaters of the Colorado and Rio Grande River basins. Current dynamical seasonal temperature forecasts now show sufficient skill to reduce streamflow forecast errors in snowmelt-driven regions. Such predictions can increase the resilience of streamflow forecasting and water management systems in the face of continuing warming as well as decadal-scale temperature variability and thus help to mitigate the impacts of climate nonstationarity on streamflow predictability.

  20. 45 CFR 286.255 - What quarterly reports must the Tribe submit to us?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false What quarterly reports must the Tribe submit to us... must the Tribe submit to us? (a) Quarterly reports. Each Tribe must collect on a monthly basis, and... Data Report: Disaggregated Data—Sections one and two. Each Tribe must file disaggregated information on...

  1. The Disaggregation of Value-Added Test Scores to Assess Learning Outcomes in Economics Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walstad, William B.; Wagner, Jamie

    2016-01-01

    This study disaggregates posttest, pretest, and value-added or difference scores in economics into four types of economic learning: positive, retained, negative, and zero. The types are derived from patterns of student responses to individual items on a multiple-choice test. The micro and macro data from the "Test of Understanding in College…

  2. Fate of mRNA following disaggregation of brain polysomes after administration of (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide in vivo.

    PubMed

    Mahony, J B; Brown, I R

    1979-11-22

    Intravenous injection of (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide into young rabbits induced a transient brain-specific disaggregation of polysomes to monosomes. Investigation of the fate of mRNA revealed that brain poly(A+)mRNA was conserved. In particular, mRNA coding for brain-specific S100 protein was not degraded, nor was it released into free ribonucleoprotein particles. Following the (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide-induced disaggregation of polysomes, mRNA shifted from polysomes and accumulated on monosomes. Formation of a blocked monosome complex, which contained intact mRNA and 40-S plus 60-S ribosomal subunits but lacked nascent peptide chains, suggested that (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide inhibited brain protein synthesis at a specific stage of late initiation or early elongation.

  3. Trends and sensitivities of low streamflow extremes to discharge timing and magnitude in pacific northwest mountain streams

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Historical streamflow data from the Pacific Northwest indicate that the precipitation amount has been the dominant control on the magnitude of low streamflow extremes compared to the air temperature-affected timing of snowmelt runoff. The relative sensitivities of low streamflow to precipitation and...

  4. Comparing large-scale hydrological model predictions with observed streamflow in the Pacific Northwest: effects of climate and groundwater

    Treesearch

    Mohammad Safeeq; Guillaume S. Mauger; Gordon E. Grant; Ivan Arismendi; Alan F. Hamlet; Se-Yeun Lee

    2014-01-01

    Assessing uncertainties in hydrologic models can improve accuracy in predicting future streamflow. Here, simulated streamflows using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model at coarse (1/16°) and fine (1/120°) spatial resolutions were evaluated against observed streamflows from 217 watersheds. In...

  5. The effects of changing land cover on streamflow simulation in Puerto Rico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Van Beusekom, Ashley E.; Hay, Lauren E.; Viger, Roland; Gould, William A.; Collazo, Jaime; Henareh Khalyani, Azad

    2014-01-01

    This study quantitatively explores whether land cover changes have a substantive impact on simulated streamflow within the tropical island setting of Puerto Rico. The Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) was used to compare streamflow simulations based on five static parameterizations of land cover with those based on dynamically varying parameters derived from four land cover scenes for the period 1953-2012. The PRMS simulations based on static land cover illustrated consistent differences in simulated streamflow across the island. It was determined that the scale of the analysis makes a difference: large regions with localized areas that have undergone dramatic land cover change may show negligible difference in total streamflow, but streamflow simulations using dynamic land cover parameters for a highly altered subwatershed clearly demonstrate the effects of changing land cover on simulated streamflow. Incorporating dynamic parameterization in these highly altered watersheds can reduce the predictive uncertainty in simulations of streamflow using PRMS. Hydrologic models that do not consider the projected changes in land cover may be inadequate for water resource management planning for future conditions.

  6. Reconstruction and analysis of the past five centuries of streamflow on northern slopes on Tianshan Mountains in Northern Xinjiang, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yuhui; Chen, Yaning; Wang, Minzhong; Sun, Huilan

    2017-07-01

    We examined the changes in streamflow on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in northern Xinjiang, China, over two time scales: the past 500 years, based on dendrochronology data; and the past 50 years, based on streamflow data from hydrological stations. The method of artificial neural networks built from the data of the 50-year period was used to reconstruct the streamflow of the 500-year period. The results indicate that streamflow has undergone seven high-flow periods and four low-flow periods during the past 500 years. To identify possible transition points in the streamflow, we applied the Mann-Kendall and running T tests to the 50- and 500-year periods, respectively. During the past 500 years, streamflow has changed significantly from low to high flow about three to four times, and from high to low flow about three to five times. Over the recent 50 years, there have been three phases of variation in river runoff, and the most distinct transition of streamflow occurred in 1996.

  7. What Do They Have in Common? Drivers of Streamflow Spatial Correlation and Prediction of Flow Regimes in Ungauged Locations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Betterle, A.; Radny, D.; Schirmer, M.; Botter, G.

    2017-12-01

    The spatial correlation of daily streamflows represents a statistical index encapsulating the similarity between hydrographs at two arbitrary catchment outlets. In this work, a process-based analytical framework is utilized to investigate the hydrological drivers of streamflow spatial correlation through an extensive application to 78 pairs of stream gauges belonging to 13 unregulated catchments in the eastern United States. The analysis provides insight on how the observed heterogeneity of the physical processes that control flow dynamics ultimately affect streamflow correlation and spatial patterns of flow regimes. Despite the variability of recession properties across the study catchments, the impact of heterogeneous drainage rates on the streamflow spatial correlation is overwhelmed by the spatial variability of frequency and intensity of effective rainfall events. Overall, model performances are satisfactory, with root mean square errors between modeled and observed streamflow spatial correlation below 10% in most cases. We also propose a method for estimating streamflow correlation in the absence of discharge data, which proves useful to predict streamflow regimes in ungauged areas. The method consists in setting a minimum threshold on the modeled flow correlation to individuate hydrologically similar sites. Catchment outlets that are most correlated (ρ>0.9) are found to be characterized by analogous streamflow distributions across a broad range of flow regimes.

  8. Regional equations for estimation of peak-streamflow frequency for natural basins in Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Slade, Raymond M.

    1997-01-01

    Peak-streamflow frequency for 559 Texas stations with natural (unregulated and rural or nonurbanized) basins was estimated with annual peak-streamflow data through 1993. The peak-streamflow frequency and drainage-basin characteristics for the Texas stations were used to develop 16 sets of equations to estimate peak-streamflow frequency for ungaged natural stream sites in each of 11 regions in Texas. The relation between peak-streamflow frequency and contributing drainage area for 5 of the 11 regions is curvilinear, requiring that one set of equations be developed for drainage areas less than 32 square miles and another set be developed for drainage areas greater than 32 square miles. These equations, developed through multiple-regression analysis using weighted least squares, are based on the relation between peak-streamflow frequency and basin characteristics for streamflow-gaging stations. The regions represent areas with similar flood characteristics. The use and limitations of the regression equations also are discussed. Additionally, procedures are presented to compute the 50-, 67-, and 90-percent confidence limits for any estimation from the equations. Also, supplemental peak-streamflow frequency and basin characteristics for 105 selected stations bordering Texas are included in the report. This supplemental information will aid in interpretation of flood characteristics for sites near the state borders of Texas.

  9. Measuring real-time streamflow using emerging technologies: Radar, hydroacoustics, and the probability concept

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fulton, John; Ostrowski, Joseph

    2008-07-01

    SummaryForecasting streamflow during extreme hydrologic events such as floods can be problematic. This is particularly true when flow is unsteady, and river forecasts rely on models that require uniform-flow rating curves to route water from one forecast point to another. As a result, alternative methods for measuring streamflow are needed to properly route flood waves and account for inertial and pressure forces in natural channels dominated by nonuniform-flow conditions such as mild water surface slopes, backwater, tributary inflows, and reservoir operations. The objective of the demonstration was to use emerging technologies to measure instantaneous streamflow in open channels at two existing US Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Pennsylvania. Surface-water and instream-point velocities were measured using hand-held radar and hydroacoustics. Streamflow was computed using the probability concept, which requires velocity data from a single vertical containing the maximum instream velocity. The percent difference in streamflow at the Susquehanna River at Bloomsburg, PA ranged from 0% to 8% with an average difference of 4% and standard deviation of 8.81 m 3/s. The percent difference in streamflow at Chartiers Creek at Carnegie, PA ranged from 0% to 11% with an average difference of 5% and standard deviation of 0.28 m 3/s. New generation equipment is being tested and developed to advance the use of radar-derived surface-water velocity and instantaneous streamflow to facilitate the collection and transmission of real-time streamflow that can be used to parameterize hydraulic routing models.

  10. Measuring real-time streamflow using emerging technologies: Radar, hydroacoustics, and the probability concept

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fulton, J.; Ostrowski, J.

    2008-01-01

    Forecasting streamflow during extreme hydrologic events such as floods can be problematic. This is particularly true when flow is unsteady, and river forecasts rely on models that require uniform-flow rating curves to route water from one forecast point to another. As a result, alternative methods for measuring streamflow are needed to properly route flood waves and account for inertial and pressure forces in natural channels dominated by nonuniform-flow conditions such as mild water surface slopes, backwater, tributary inflows, and reservoir operations. The objective of the demonstration was to use emerging technologies to measure instantaneous streamflow in open channels at two existing US Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Pennsylvania. Surface-water and instream-point velocities were measured using hand-held radar and hydroacoustics. Streamflow was computed using the probability concept, which requires velocity data from a single vertical containing the maximum instream velocity. The percent difference in streamflow at the Susquehanna River at Bloomsburg, PA ranged from 0% to 8% with an average difference of 4% and standard deviation of 8.81 m3/s. The percent difference in streamflow at Chartiers Creek at Carnegie, PA ranged from 0% to 11% with an average difference of 5% and standard deviation of 0.28 m3/s. New generation equipment is being tested and developed to advance the use of radar-derived surface-water velocity and instantaneous streamflow to facilitate the collection and transmission of real-time streamflow that can be used to parameterize hydraulic routing models.

  11. Climate model assessment of changes in winter-spring streamflow timing over North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kam, Jonghun; Knutson, Thomas R.; Milly, Paul C. D.

    2018-01-01

    Over regions where snow-melt runoff substantially contributes to winter-spring streamflows, warming can accelerate snow melt and reduce dry-season streamflows. However, conclusive detection of changes and attribution to anthropogenic forcing is hindered by brevity of observational records, model uncertainty, and uncertainty concerning internal variability. In this study, a detection/attribution of changes in mid-latitude North American winter-spring streamflow timing is examined using nine global climate models under multiple forcing scenarios. In this study, robustness across models, start/end dates for trends, and assumptions about internal variability is evaluated. Marginal evidence for an emerging detectable anthropogenic influence (according to four or five of nine models) is found in the north-central U.S., where winter-spring streamflows have been coming earlier. Weaker indications of detectable anthropogenic influence (three of nine models) are found in the mountainous western U.S./southwestern Canada and in extreme northeastern U.S./Canadian Maritimes. In the former region, a recent shift toward later streamflows has rendered the full-record trend toward earlier streamflows only marginally significant, with possible implications for previously published climate change detection findings for streamflow timing in this region. In the latter region, no forced model shows as large a shift toward earlier streamflow timing as the detectable observed shift. In other (including warm, snow-free) regions, observed trends are typically not detectable, although in the U.S. central plains we find detectable delays in streamflow, which are inconsistent with forced model experiments.

  12. Reconstructing pre-instrumental streamflow in Eastern Australia using a water balance approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tozer, C. R.; Kiem, A. S.; Vance, T. R.; Roberts, J. L.; Curran, M. A. J.; Moy, A. D.

    2018-03-01

    Streamflow reconstructions based on paleoclimate proxies provide much longer records than the short instrumental period records on which water resource management plans are currently based. In Australia there is a lack of in-situ high resolution paleoclimate proxy records, but remote proxies with teleconnections to Australian climate have utility in producing streamflow reconstructions. Here we investigate, via a case study for a catchment in eastern Australia, the novel use of an Antarctic ice-core based rainfall reconstruction within a Budyko-framework to reconstruct ∼1000 years of annual streamflow. The resulting streamflow reconstruction captures interannual to decadal variability in the instrumental streamflow, validating both the use of the ice core rainfall proxy record and the Budyko-framework method. In the preinstrumental era the streamflow reconstruction shows longer wet and dry epochs and periods of streamflow variability that are higher than observed in the instrumental era. Importantly, for both the instrumental record and preinstrumental reconstructions, the wet (dry) epochs in the rainfall record are shorter (longer) in the streamflow record and this non-linearity must be considered when inferring hydroclimatic risk or historical water availability directly from rainfall proxy records alone. These insights provide a better understanding of present infrastructure vulnerability in the context of past climate variability for eastern Australia. The streamflow reconstruction presented here also provides a better understanding of the range of hydroclimatic variability possible, and therefore represents a more realistic baseline on which to quantify the potential impacts of anthropogenic climate change on water security.

  13. IOD and ENSO impacts on the extreme stream-flows of Citarum river in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahu, Netrananda; Behera, Swadhin K.; Yamashiki, Yosuke; Takara, Kaoru; Yamagata, Toshio

    2012-10-01

    Extreme stream-flow events of Citarum River are derived from the daily stream-flows at the Nanjung gauge station. Those events are identified based on their persistently extreme flows for 6 or more days during boreal fall when the seasonal mean stream-flow starts peaking-up from the lowest seasonal flows of June-August. Most of the extreme events of high-streamflows were related to La Niña conditions of tropical Pacific. A few of them were also associated with the negative phases of IOD and the newly identified El Niño Modoki. Unlike the cases of extreme high streamflows, extreme low streamflow events are seen to be associated with the positive IODs. Nevertheless, it was also found that the low-stream-flow events related to positive IOD events were also associated with El Niño events except for one independent event of 1977. Because the occurrence season coincides the peak season of IOD, not only the picked extreme events are seen to fall under the IOD seasons but also there exists a statistically significant correlation of 0.51 between the seasonal IOD index and the seasonal streamflows. There also exists a significant lag correlation when IOD of June-August season leads the streamflows of September-November. A significant but lower correlation coefficient (0.39) is also found between the seasonal streamflow and El Niño for September-November season only.

  14. Skilful seasonal forecasts of streamflow over Europe?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnal, Louise; Cloke, Hannah L.; Stephens, Elisabeth; Wetterhall, Fredrik; Prudhomme, Christel; Neumann, Jessica; Krzeminski, Blazej; Pappenberger, Florian

    2018-04-01

    This paper considers whether there is any added value in using seasonal climate forecasts instead of historical meteorological observations for forecasting streamflow on seasonal timescales over Europe. A Europe-wide analysis of the skill of the newly operational EFAS (European Flood Awareness System) seasonal streamflow forecasts (produced by forcing the Lisflood model with the ECMWF System 4 seasonal climate forecasts), benchmarked against the ensemble streamflow prediction (ESP) forecasting approach (produced by forcing the Lisflood model with historical meteorological observations), is undertaken. The results suggest that, on average, the System 4 seasonal climate forecasts improve the streamflow predictability over historical meteorological observations for the first month of lead time only (in terms of hindcast accuracy, sharpness and overall performance). However, the predictability varies in space and time and is greater in winter and autumn. Parts of Europe additionally exhibit a longer predictability, up to 7 months of lead time, for certain months within a season. In terms of hindcast reliability, the EFAS seasonal streamflow hindcasts are on average less skilful than the ESP for all lead times. The results also highlight the potential usefulness of the EFAS seasonal streamflow forecasts for decision-making (measured in terms of the hindcast discrimination for the lower and upper terciles of the simulated streamflow). Although the ESP is the most potentially useful forecasting approach in Europe, the EFAS seasonal streamflow forecasts appear more potentially useful than the ESP in some regions and for certain seasons, especially in winter for almost 40 % of Europe. Patterns in the EFAS seasonal streamflow hindcast skill are however not mirrored in the System 4 seasonal climate hindcasts, hinting at the need for a better understanding of the link between hydrological and meteorological variables on seasonal timescales, with the aim of improving climate-model-based seasonal streamflow forecasting.

  15. Bayesian Models for Streamflow and River Network Reconstruction using Tree Rings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ravindranath, A.; Devineni, N.

    2016-12-01

    Water systems face non-stationary, dynamically shifting risks due to shifting societal conditions and systematic long-term variations in climate manifesting as quasi-periodic behavior on multi-decadal time scales. Water systems are thus vulnerable to long periods of wet or dry hydroclimatic conditions. Streamflow is a major component of water systems and a primary means by which water is transported to serve ecosystems' and human needs. Thus, our concern is in understanding streamflow variability. Climate variability and impacts on water resources are crucial factors affecting streamflow, and multi-scale variability increases risk to water sustainability and systems. Dam operations are necessary for collecting water brought by streamflow while maintaining downstream ecological health. Rules governing dam operations are based on streamflow records that are woefully short compared to periods of systematic variation present in the climatic factors driving streamflow variability and non-stationarity. We use hierarchical Bayesian regression methods in order to reconstruct paleo-streamflow records for dams within a basin using paleoclimate proxies (e.g. tree rings) to guide the reconstructions. The riverine flow network for the entire basin is subsequently modeled hierarchically using feeder stream and tributary flows. This is a starting point in analyzing streamflow variability and risks to water systems, and developing a scientifically-informed dynamic risk management framework for formulating dam operations and water policies to best hedge such risks. We will apply this work to the Missouri and Delaware River Basins (DRB). Preliminary results of streamflow reconstructions for eight dams in the upper DRB using standard Gaussian regression with regional tree ring chronologies give streamflow records that now span two to two and a half centuries, and modestly smoothed versions of these reconstructed flows indicate physically-justifiable trends in the time series.

  16. Acoustic Doppler current profiler applications used in rivers and estuaries by the U.S. Geological Survey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gotvald, Anthony J.; Oberg, Kevin A.

    2009-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected streamflow information for the Nation's streams since 1889. Streamflow information is used to predict floods, manage and allocate water resources, design engineering structures, compute water-quality loads, and operate water-control structures. The current (2007) size of the USGS streamgaging network is over 7,400 streamgages nationwide. The USGS has progressively improved the streamgaging program by incorporating new technologies and techniques that streamline data collection while increasing the quality of the streamflow data that are collected. The single greatest change in streamflow measurement technology during the last 100 years has been the development and application of high frequency acoustic instruments for measuring streamflow. One such instrument, the acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), is rapidly replacing traditional mechanical current meters for streamflow measurement (Muste and others, 2007). For more information on how an ADCP works see Simpson (2001) or visit http://hydroacoustics.usgs.gov/. The USGS has used ADCPs attached to manned or tethered boats since the mid-1990s to measure streamflow in a wide variety of conditions (fig. 1). Recent analyses have shown that ADCP streamflow measurements can be made with similar or greater accuracy, efficiency, and resolution than measurements made using conventional current-meter methods (Oberg and Mueller, 2007). ADCPs also have the ability to measure streamflow in streams where traditional current-meter measurements previously were very difficult or costly to obtain, such as streams affected by backwater or tides. In addition to streamflow measurements, the USGS also uses ADCPs for other hydrologic measurements and applications, such as computing continuous records of streamflow for tidally or backwater affected streams, measuring velocity fields with high spatial and temporal resolution, and estimating suspended-sediment concentrations. An overview of these applications is provided in the fact sheet.

  17. A hydrogeologic framework for characterizing summer streamflow sensitivity to climate warming in the Pacific Northwest, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safeeq, M.; Grant, G. E.; Lewis, S. L.; Kramer, M. G.; Staab, B.

    2014-09-01

    Summer streamflows in the Pacific Northwest are largely derived from melting snow and groundwater discharge. As the climate warms, diminishing snowpack and earlier snowmelt will cause reductions in summer streamflow. Most regional-scale assessments of climate change impacts on streamflow use downscaled temperature and precipitation projections from general circulation models (GCMs) coupled with large-scale hydrologic models. Here we develop and apply an analytical hydrogeologic framework for characterizing summer streamflow sensitivity to a change in the timing and magnitude of recharge in a spatially explicit fashion. In particular, we incorporate the role of deep groundwater, which large-scale hydrologic models generally fail to capture, into streamflow sensitivity assessments. We validate our analytical streamflow sensitivities against two empirical measures of sensitivity derived using historical observations of temperature, precipitation, and streamflow from 217 watersheds. In general, empirically and analytically derived streamflow sensitivity values correspond. Although the selected watersheds cover a range of hydrologic regimes (e.g., rain-dominated, mixture of rain and snow, and snow-dominated), sensitivity validation was primarily driven by the snow-dominated watersheds, which are subjected to a wider range of change in recharge timing and magnitude as a result of increased temperature. Overall, two patterns emerge from this analysis: first, areas with high streamflow sensitivity also have higher summer streamflows as compared to low-sensitivity areas. Second, the level of sensitivity and spatial extent of highly sensitive areas diminishes over time as the summer progresses. Results of this analysis point to a robust, practical, and scalable approach that can help assess risk at the landscape scale, complement the downscaling approach, be applied to any climate scenario of interest, and provide a framework to assist land and water managers in adapting to an uncertain and potentially challenging future.

  18. Methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of peak streamflows for unregulated streams in Oklahoma

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lewis, Jason M.

    2010-01-01

    Peak-streamflow regression equations were determined for estimating flows with exceedance probabilities from 50 to 0.2 percent for the state of Oklahoma. These regression equations incorporate basin characteristics to estimate peak-streamflow magnitude and frequency throughout the state by use of a generalized least squares regression analysis. The most statistically significant independent variables required to estimate peak-streamflow magnitude and frequency for unregulated streams in Oklahoma are contributing drainage area, mean-annual precipitation, and main-channel slope. The regression equations are applicable for watershed basins with drainage areas less than 2,510 square miles that are not affected by regulation. The resulting regression equations had a standard model error ranging from 31 to 46 percent. Annual-maximum peak flows observed at 231 streamflow-gaging stations through water year 2008 were used for the regression analysis. Gage peak-streamflow estimates were used from previous work unless 2008 gaging-station data were available, in which new peak-streamflow estimates were calculated. The U.S. Geological Survey StreamStats web application was used to obtain the independent variables required for the peak-streamflow regression equations. Limitations on the use of the regression equations and the reliability of regression estimates for natural unregulated streams are described. Log-Pearson Type III analysis information, basin and climate characteristics, and the peak-streamflow frequency estimates for the 231 gaging stations in and near Oklahoma are listed. Methodologies are presented to estimate peak streamflows at ungaged sites by using estimates from gaging stations on unregulated streams. For ungaged sites on urban streams and streams regulated by small floodwater retarding structures, an adjustment of the statewide regression equations for natural unregulated streams can be used to estimate peak-streamflow magnitude and frequency.

  19. Wavelet-based variability of Yellow River discharge at 500-, 100-, and 50-year timescales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Lu; Miao, Chiyuan; Duan, Qingyun

    2017-04-01

    Water scarcity in the Yellow River, China, has become increasingly severe over the past half century. In this paper, wavelet transform analysis was used to detect the variability of observed and reconstructed streamflow in the Yellow River at 500-, 100-, and 50-year timescales. The periodicity of the streamflow series and the co-varying relationships between streamflow and atmospheric circulation indices / sunspot number were assessed via the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and the wavelet coherence transform (WTC). The CWT results showed intermittent oscillations in streamflow with increasing periodicities of 1-6 years at all timescales. Significant multidecadal and century-scale periodicities were identified in the 500-year streamflow series. The WTC results showed intermittent interannual covariance of streamflow with atmospheric circulation indices and sunspots. At the 50-year timescale, there were significant decadal oscillations between streamflow and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and bidecadal oscillations with the PDO. At the 100-year timescale, there were significant decadal oscillations between streamflow and Niño 3.4, the AO, and sunspots. At the 500-year timescale, streamflow in the middle reaches of the Yellow River showed prominent covariance with the AO with an approximately 32-year periodicity, and with sunspots with an approximately 80-year periodicity. Atmospheric circulation indices modulate streamflow by affecting temperature and precipitation. Sunspots impact streamflow variability by influencing atmospheric circulation, resulting in abundant precipitation. In general, for both the CWT and the WTC results, the periodicities were spatially continuous, with a few gradual changes from upstream to downstream resulting from the varied topography and runoff. At the temporal scale, the periodicities were generally continuous over short timescales and discontinuous over longer timescales.

  20. Wavelet-based Variability of Yellow River Discharge at 500-, 100-, and 50-Year Timescales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, L.

    2017-12-01

    Water scarcity in the Yellow River, China, has become increasingly severe over the past half century. In this paper, wavelet transform analysis was used to detect the variability of natural, observed, and reconstructed streamflow in the Yellow River at 500-, 100-, and 50-year timescales. The periodicity of the streamflow series and the co-varying relationships between streamflow and atmospheric circulation indices/sunspot number were assessed by means of continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and wavelet transform coherence (WTC) analyses. The CWT results showed intermittent oscillations in streamflow with increasing periodicities of 1-6 years at all timescales. Significant multidecadal and century-scale periodicities were identified in the 500-year streamflow series. The WTC results showed intermittent interannual covariance of streamflow with atmospheric circulation indices and sunspots. At the 50-year timescale, there were significant decadal oscillations between streamflow and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and bidecadal oscillations with the PDO. At the 100-year timescale, there were significant decadal oscillations between streamflow and Niño 3.4, the AO, and sunspots. At the 500-year timescale, streamflow in the middle reaches of the Yellow River showed prominent covariance with the AO with an approximately 32-year periodicity, and with sunspots with an approximately 80-year periodicity. Atmospheric circulation indices modulate streamflow by affecting temperature and precipitation. Sunspots impact streamflow variability by influencing atmospheric circulation, resulting in abundant precipitation. In general, for both the CWT and the WTC results, the periodicities were spatially continuous, with a few gradual changes from upstream to downstream resulting from the varied topography and runoff. At the temporal scale, the periodicities were generally continuous over short timescales and discontinuous over longer timescales.

  1. Short-term ensemble streamflow forecasting using operationally-produced single-valued streamflow forecasts - A Hydrologic Model Output Statistics (HMOS) approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Regonda, Satish Kumar; Seo, Dong-Jun; Lawrence, Bill; Brown, James D.; Demargne, Julie

    2013-08-01

    We present a statistical procedure for generating short-term ensemble streamflow forecasts from single-valued, or deterministic, streamflow forecasts produced operationally by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers (RFCs). The resulting ensemble streamflow forecast provides an estimate of the predictive uncertainty associated with the single-valued forecast to support risk-based decision making by the forecasters and by the users of the forecast products, such as emergency managers. Forced by single-valued quantitative precipitation and temperature forecasts (QPF, QTF), the single-valued streamflow forecasts are produced at a 6-h time step nominally out to 5 days into the future. The single-valued streamflow forecasts reflect various run-time modifications, or "manual data assimilation", applied by the human forecasters in an attempt to reduce error from various sources in the end-to-end forecast process. The proposed procedure generates ensemble traces of streamflow from a parsimonious approximation of the conditional multivariate probability distribution of future streamflow given the single-valued streamflow forecast, QPF, and the most recent streamflow observation. For parameter estimation and evaluation, we used a multiyear archive of the single-valued river stage forecast produced operationally by the NWS Arkansas-Red River Basin River Forecast Center (ABRFC) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a by-product of parameter estimation, the procedure provides a categorical assessment of the effective lead time of the operational hydrologic forecasts for different QPF and forecast flow conditions. To evaluate the procedure, we carried out hindcasting experiments in dependent and cross-validation modes. The results indicate that the short-term streamflow ensemble hindcasts generated from the procedure are generally reliable within the effective lead time of the single-valued forecasts and well capture the skill of the single-valued forecasts. For smaller basins, however, the effective lead time is significantly reduced by short basin memory and reduced skill in the single-valued QPF.

  2. Spatiotemporal patterns of precipitation inferred from streamflow observations across the Sierra Nevada mountain range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henn, Brian; Clark, Martyn P.; Kavetski, Dmitri; Newman, Andrew J.; Hughes, Mimi; McGurk, Bruce; Lundquist, Jessica D.

    2018-01-01

    Given uncertainty in precipitation gauge-based gridded datasets over complex terrain, we use multiple streamflow observations as an additional source of information about precipitation, in order to identify spatial and temporal differences between a gridded precipitation dataset and precipitation inferred from streamflow. We test whether gridded datasets capture across-crest and regional spatial patterns of variability, as well as year-to-year variability and trends in precipitation, in comparison to precipitation inferred from streamflow. We use a Bayesian model calibration routine with multiple lumped hydrologic model structures to infer the most likely basin-mean, water-year total precipitation for 56 basins with long-term (>30 year) streamflow records in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. We compare basin-mean precipitation derived from this approach with basin-mean precipitation from a precipitation gauge-based, 1/16° gridded dataset that has been used to simulate and evaluate trends in Western United States streamflow and snowpack over the 20th century. We find that the long-term average spatial patterns differ: in particular, there is less precipitation in the gridded dataset in higher-elevation basins whose aspect faces prevailing cool-season winds, as compared to precipitation inferred from streamflow. In a few years and basins, there is less gridded precipitation than there is observed streamflow. Lower-elevation, southern, and east-of-crest basins show better agreement between gridded and inferred precipitation. Implied actual evapotranspiration (calculated as precipitation minus streamflow) then also varies between the streamflow-based estimates and the gridded dataset. Absolute uncertainty in precipitation inferred from streamflow is substantial, but the signal of basin-to-basin and year-to-year differences are likely more robust. The findings suggest that considering streamflow when spatially distributing precipitation in complex terrain may improve its representation, particularly for basins whose orientations (e.g., windward-facing) are favored for orographic precipitation enhancement.

  3. Reconciling Streamflow Uncertainty Estimation and River Bed Morphology Dynamics. Insights from a Probabilistic Assessment of Streamflow Uncertainties Using a Reliability Diagram

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morlot, T.; Mathevet, T.; Perret, C.; Favre Pugin, A. C.

    2014-12-01

    Streamflow uncertainty estimation has recently received a large attention in the literature. A dynamic rating curve assessment method has been introduced (Morlot et al., 2014). This dynamic method allows to compute a rating curve for each gauging and a continuous streamflow time-series, while calculating streamflow uncertainties. Streamflow uncertainty takes into account many sources of uncertainty (water level, rating curve interpolation and extrapolation, gauging aging, etc.) and produces an estimated distribution of streamflow for each days. In order to caracterise streamflow uncertainty, a probabilistic framework has been applied on a large sample of hydrometric stations of the Division Technique Générale (DTG) of Électricité de France (EDF) hydrometric network (>250 stations) in France. A reliability diagram (Wilks, 1995) has been constructed for some stations, based on the streamflow distribution estimated for a given day and compared to a real streamflow observation estimated via a gauging. To build a reliability diagram, we computed the probability of an observed streamflow (gauging), given the streamflow distribution. Then, the reliability diagram allows to check that the distribution of probabilities of non-exceedance of the gaugings follows a uniform law (i.e., quantiles should be equipropables). Given the shape of the reliability diagram, the probabilistic calibration is caracterised (underdispersion, overdispersion, bias) (Thyer et al., 2009). In this paper, we present case studies where reliability diagrams have different statistical properties for different periods. Compared to our knowledge of river bed morphology dynamic of these hydrometric stations, we show how reliability diagram gives us invaluable information on river bed movements, like a continuous digging or backfilling of the hydraulic control due to erosion or sedimentation processes. Hence, the careful analysis of reliability diagrams allows to reconcile statistics and long-term river bed morphology processes. This knowledge improves our real-time management of hydrometric stations, given a better caracterisation of erosion/sedimentation processes and the stability of hydrometric station hydraulic control.

  4. Simulation of streamflow and estimation of recharge to the Edwards aquifer in the Hondo Creek, Verde Creek, and San Geronimo Creek watersheds, south-central Texas, 1951-2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ockerman, Darwin J.

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, constructed three watershed models using the Hydrological Simulation Program—FORTRAN (HSPF) to simulate streamflow and estimate recharge to the Edwards aquifer in the Hondo Creek, Verde Creek, and San Geronimo Creek watersheds in south-central Texas. The three models were calibrated and tested with available data collected during 1992–2003. Simulations of streamflow and recharge were done for 1951–2003. The approach to construct the models was to first calibrate the Hondo Creek model (with an hourly time step) using 1992–99 data and test the model using 2000–2003 data. The Hondo Creek model parameters then were applied to the Verde Creek and San Geronimo Creek watersheds to construct the Verde Creek and San Geronimo Creek models. The simulated streamflows for Hondo Creek are considered acceptable. Annual, monthly, and daily simulated streamflows adequately match measured values, but simulated hourly streamflows do not. The accuracy of streamflow simulations for Verde Creek is uncertain. For San Geronimo Creek, the match of measured and simulated annual and monthly streamflows is acceptable (or nearly so); but for daily and hourly streamflows, the calibration is relatively poor. Simulated average annual total streamflow for 1951–2003 to Hondo Creek, Verde Creek, and San Geronimo Creek is 45,400; 32,400; and 11,100 acre-feet, respectively. Simulated average annual streamflow at the respective watershed outlets is 13,000; 16,200; and 6,920 acre-feet. The difference between total streamflow and streamflow at the watershed outlet is streamflow lost to channel infiltration. Estimated average annual Edwards aquifer recharge for Hondo Creek, Verde Creek, and San Geronimo Creek watersheds for 1951–2003 is 37,900 acrefeet (5.04 inches), 26,000 acre-feet (3.36 inches), and 5,940 acre-feet (1.97 inches), respectively. Most of the recharge (about 77 percent for the three watersheds together) occurs as streamflow channel infiltration. Diffuse recharge (direct infiltration of rainfall to the aquifer) accounts for the remaining 23 percent of recharge. For the Hondo Creek watershed, the HSPF recharge estimates for 1992–2003 averaged about 22 percent less than those estimated by the Puente method, a method the U.S. Geological Survey has used to compute annual recharge to the Edwards aquifer since 1978. HSPF recharge estimates for the Verde Creek watershed average about 40 percent less than those estimated by the Puente method.

  5. The influence of north Pacific atmospheric circulation on streamflow in the west

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cayan, Daniel R.; Peterson, David H.

    1989-01-01

    The annual cycle and nonseasonal variability of streamflow over western North America and Hawaii is studied in terms of atmospheric forcing elements. This study uses several decades of monthly average streamflow beginning as early as the late 1800's over a network of 38 stations. In addition to a strong annual cycle in mean streamflow and its variance at most of the stations, there is also a distinct annual cycle in the autocorrelation of anomalies that is related to the interplay between the annual cycles of temperature and precipitation. Of particular importance to these lag effects is the well-known role of water stored as snow pack, which controls the delay between peak precipitation and peak flow and also introduces persistence into the nonseasonal streamflow anomalies, with time scales from 1 month to over 1 year. The degree to which streamflow is related to winter atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific and western North America is tested using correlations with time averaged, gridded sea level pressure (SLP), which begins in 1899. Streamflow fluctuations show significant large-scale correlations for the winter (December through February) mean SLP anomaly patterns over the North Pacific with maximum correlations ranging from 0.3 to about 0.6. For streams along the west coast corridor the circulation pattern associated with positive streamflow anomalies is low pressure centered off the coast to the west or northwest, indicative of increased winter storms and an anomalous westerly-to-southwesterly wind component. For streams in the interior positive streamflow anomalies are associated with a positive SLP anomaly stationed remotely over the central North Pacific, and with negative but generally weaker SLP anomalies locally. One important influence on streamflow variability is the strength of the Aleutian Low in winter. This is represented by the familiar Pacific-North America (PNA) index and also by an index defined herein the “CNP” (Central North Pacific). This index, beginning in 1899, is taken to be the average of the SLP anomaly south of the Aleutians and the western Gulf of Alaska. Correlations between PNA or CNP and regional anomalies reflect streamflow the alternations in strength and position of the mean North Pacific storm track entering North America as well as shifts in the trade winds over the subtropical North Pacific. Regions whose streamflow is best tuned to the PNA or CNP include coastal Alaska, the northwestern United States, and Hawaii; the latter two regions have the opposite sign anomaly as the former. The pattern of streamflow variations associated with El Niño is similar, but the El Niño signal also includes a tendency for greater than normal streamflow in the southwestern United States. These indices are significantly correlated with streamflow at one to two seasons in advance of the December–August period, which may allow modestly skillful forecasts. It is important to note that streamflow variability in some areas, such as British Columbia and California, does not respond consistently to these broad scale Pacific atmospheric circulation indices, but is related to regional atmospheric anomaly features over the eastern North Pacific. Spatially, streamflow anomalies are fairly well correlated over scales of several hundred kilometers. Inspection of the spatial anomalies of stream-flow in this study suggest an asymmetry in the spatial pattern of positive versus negative streamflow anomalies in the western United States: dry patterns have tended to be larger and more spatially coherent than wet patterns.

  6. Computer Programs for Obtaining and Analyzing Daily Mean Steamflow Data from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System Web Site

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Granato, Gregory E.

    2009-01-01

    Streamflow information is important for many planning and design activities including water-supply analysis, habitat protection, bridge and culvert design, calibration of surface and ground-water models, and water-quality assessments. Streamflow information is especially critical for water-quality assessments (Warn and Brew, 1980; Di Toro, 1984; Driscoll and others, 1989; Driscoll and others, 1990, a,b). Calculation of streamflow statistics for receiving waters is necessary to estimate the potential effects of point sources such as wastewater-treatment plants and nonpoint sources such as highway and urban-runoff discharges on receiving water. Streamflow statistics indicate the amount of flow that may be available for dilution and transport of contaminants (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1986; Driscoll and others, 1990, a,b). Streamflow statistics also may be used to indicate receiving-water quality because concentrations of water-quality constituents commonly vary naturally with streamflow. For example, concentrations of suspended sediment and sediment-associated constituents (such as nutrients, trace elements, and many organic compounds) commonly increase with increasing flows, and concentrations of many dissolved constituents commonly decrease with increasing flows in streams and rivers (O'Connor, 1976; Glysson, 1987; Vogel and others, 2003, 2005). Reliable, efficient and repeatable methods are needed to access and process streamflow information and data. For example, the Nation's highway infrastructure includes an innumerable number of stream crossings and stormwater-outfall points for which estimates of stream-discharge statistics may be needed. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow data-collection program is designed to provide streamflow data at gaged sites and to provide information that can be used to estimate streamflows at almost any point along any stream in the United States (Benson and Carter, 1973; Wahl and others, 1995; National Research Council, 2004). The USGS maintains the National Water Information System (NWIS), a distributed network of computers and file servers used to store and retrieve hydrologic data (Mathey, 1998; U.S. Geological Survey, 2008). NWISWeb is an online version of this database that includes water data from more than 24,000 streamflow-gaging stations throughout the United States (U.S. Geological Survey, 2002, 2008). Information from NWISWeb is commonly used to characterize streamflows at gaged sites and to help predict streamflows at ungaged sites. Five computer programs were developed for obtaining and analyzing streamflow from the National Water Information System (NWISWeb). The programs were developed as part of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, to develop a stochastic empirical loading and dilution model. The programs were developed because reliable, efficient, and repeatable methods are needed to access and process streamflow information and data. The first program is designed to facilitate the downloading and reformatting of NWISWeb streamflow data. The second program is designed to facilitate graphical analysis of streamflow data. The third program is designed to facilitate streamflow-record extension and augmentation to help develop long-term statistical estimates for sites with limited data. The fourth program is designed to facilitate statistical analysis of streamflow data. The fifth program is a preprocessor to create batch input files for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency DFLOW3 program for calculating low-flow statistics. These computer programs were developed to facilitate the analysis of daily mean streamflow data for planning-level water-quality analyses but also are useful for many other applications pertaining to streamflow data and statistics. These programs and the associated documentation are included on the CD-ROM accompanying this report. This report and the appendixes on the

  7. Trends in precipitation and streamflow and changes in stream morphology in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, 1939-99

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

    2000-01-01

    The Fountain Creek watershed, located in and along the eastern slope of the Front Range section of the southern Rocky Mountains, drains approximately 930 square miles of parts of Teller, El Paso, and Pueblo Counties in eastern Colorado. Streamflow in the watershed is dominated by spring snowmelt runoff and storm runoff during the summer monsoon season. Flooding during the 1990?s has resulted in increased streambank erosion. Property loss and damage associated with flooding and bank erosion has cost area residents, businesses, utilities, municipalities, and State and Federal agencies millions of dollars. Precipitation (4 stations) and streamflow (6 stations) data, aerial photographs, and channel reconnaissance were used to evaluate trends in precipitation and streamflow and changes in channel morphology. Trends were evaluated for pre-1977, post-1976, and period-of-record time periods. Analysis revealed the lack of trend in total annual and seasonal precipitation during the pre-1977 time period. In general, the analysis also revealed the lack of trend in seasonal precipitation for all except the spring season during the post-1976 time period. Trend analysis revealed a significant upward trend in long-term (period of record) total annual and spring precipitation data, apparently due to a change in total annual precipitation throughout the Fountain Creek watershed. During the pre-1977 time period, precipitation was generally below average; during the post- 1976 time period, total annual precipitation was generally above average. During the post- 1976 time period, an upward trend in total annual and spring precipitation was indicated at two stations. Because two of four stations evaluated had upward trends for the post-1976 period and storms that produce the most precipitation are isolated convection storms, it is plausible that other parts of the watershed had upward precipitation trends that could affect trends in streamflow. Also, because of the isolated nature of convection storms that hit some areas of the watershed and not others, it is difficult to draw strong conclusions on relations between streamflow and precipitation. Trends in annual instantaneous peak streamflow, 70th percentile, 90th percentile, maximum daily-mean streamflow (100th percentile), 7-, 14-, and 30-day high daily-mean stream- flow duration, minimum daily-mean streamflow (0th percentile), 10th percentile, 30th percentile, and 7-, 14-, 30-day low daily-mean streamflow duration were evaluated. In general, instantaneous peak streamflow has not changed significantly at most of the stations evaluated. Trend analysis revealed the lack of a significant upward trend in streamflow at all stations for the pre-1977 time period. Trend tests indicated a significant upward trend in high and low daily-mean streamflow statistics for the post-1976 period. Upward trends in high daily-mean streamflow statistics may be an indication that changes in land use within the watershed have increased the rate and magnitude of runoff. Upward trends in low daily-mean 2 Trends in Precipitation and Streamflow and Changes in Stream Morphology in the Fountain Creek Watershed, Colorado, 1939-99 streamflow statistics may be related to changes in water use and management. An analysis of the relation between streamflow and precipitation indicated that changes in water management have had a marked effect on streamflow. Observable change in channel morphology and changes in distribution and density of vegetation varied with magnitude, duration, and frequency of large streamflow events, and increases in the magnitude and duration of low streamflows. Although more subtle, low stream- flows were an important component of day-to-day channel erosion. Substantial changes in channel morphology were most often associated with infrequent large or catastrophic streamflow events that erode streambed and banks, alter stream course, and deposit large amounts of sediment in the flood plain.

  8. Streamflow prediction using multi-site rainfall obtained from hydroclimatic teleconnection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kashid, S. S.; Ghosh, Subimal; Maity, Rajib

    2010-12-01

    SummarySimultaneous variations in weather and climate over widely separated regions are commonly known as "hydroclimatic teleconnections". Rainfall and runoff patterns, over continents, are found to be significantly teleconnected, with large-scale circulation patterns, through such hydroclimatic teleconnections. Though such teleconnections exist in nature, it is very difficult to model them, due to their inherent complexity. Statistical techniques and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools gain popularity in modeling hydroclimatic teleconnection, based on their ability, in capturing the complicated relationship between the predictors (e.g. sea surface temperatures) and predictand (e.g., rainfall). Genetic Programming is such an AI tool, which is capable of capturing nonlinear relationship, between predictor and predictand, due to its flexible functional structure. In the present study, gridded multi-site weekly rainfall is predicted from El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices, Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation (EQUINOO) indices, Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) and lag rainfall at grid points, over the catchment, using Genetic Programming. The predicted rainfall is further used in a Genetic Programming model to predict streamflows. The model is applied for weekly forecasting of streamflow in Mahanadi River, India, and satisfactory performance is observed.

  9. State-discharge relations at dams on the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers in Illinois

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mades, Dean M.

    1981-01-01

    Stage-discharge relations were developed for the Brandon Road Dam on the Des Plainse River and the Dresden Island, Marseilles, Starved Rock, Peoria, and La Grange Dams on the Illinois River. At Brandon Road Dam, streamflow is regulated by the operation of tainter gates and headgates. Tainter gates are operated to regulate streamflow at the Dresden Island, Marseilles, and Starved Rock Dams. Peoria Dam and La Grange Dam comprise timber Chanoine wickets which are lowered to a horizontal position on the streambed when used for streamflow regulation. Both dams have concrete abutments housing butterfly valves that are also used for regulation. A total of 50 discharge measurements ranging from 49.0 to 2,450 cubic meter per second were used to determine discharge coefficients in equations expressing discharge as a function of headwater depth, tailwater depth, and gate opening. A stage-discharge relation for Chanoine wicket dams developed from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydraulic model study in 1937 and 1938 was verified with discharge measurements made downstream from the Peoria and La Grange Dams. (USGS)

  10. Documentation for the State Variables Package for the Groundwater-Management Process of MODFLOW-2005 (GWM-2005)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ahlfeld, David P.; Barlow, Paul M.; Baker, Kristine M.

    2011-01-01

    Many groundwater-management problems are concerned with the control of one or more variables that reflect the state of a groundwater-flow system or a coupled groundwater/surface-water system. These system state variables include the distribution of heads within an aquifer, streamflow rates within a hydraulically connected stream, and flow rates into or out of aquifer storage. This report documents the new State Variables Package for the Groundwater-Management Process of MODFLOW-2005 (GWM-2005). The new package provides a means to explicitly represent heads, streamflows, and changes in aquifer storage as state variables in a GWM-2005 simulation. The availability of these state variables makes it possible to include system state in the objective function and enhances existing capabilities for constructing constraint sets for a groundwater-management formulation. The new package can be used to address groundwater-management problems such as the determination of withdrawal strategies that meet water-supply demands while simultaneously maximizing heads or streamflows, or minimizing changes in aquifer storage. Four sample problems are provided to demonstrate use of the new package for typical groundwater-management applications.

  11. A history of annual streamflows from the 21 water-resource regions in the United States and Puerto Rico, 1951-83

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Graczyk, D.J.; Krug, W.R.; Gebert, W.A.

    1986-01-01

    Streamflow from the Upper and Lower Colorado (Regions 14 and 15) appear to be heavily affected by large storage reservoirs. Streamflow from the Upper Colorado (Region 14) shows a decreasing streamflow in 1963 and 1964, which may be due to filling of Lake Powell.

  12. A hydrogeologic framework for characterizing summer streamflow sensitivity to climate warming in the Pacific Northwest, USA

    Treesearch

    M. Safeeq; G.E. Grant; S.L. Lewis; M.G. Kramer; B. Staab

    2014-01-01

    Summer streamflows in the Pacific Northwest are largely derived from melting snow and groundwater discharge. As the climate warms, diminishing snowpack and earlier snowmelt will cause reductions in summer streamflow. Most regional-scale assessments of climate change impacts on streamflow use downscaled temperature and precipitation projections from general circulation...

  13. Streamflow responses to road building and harvesting: A comparison with the equivalent clearcut area procedure

    Treesearch

    John G. King

    1989-01-01

    lncreases in annual streamflow and peak streamflows were determined on four small watersheds following timber harvesting and road building. The measured hydrologic changes are compared to those predicted by a methodology commonly used in the Forest Service's Northern Region, the equivalent clearcut area procedure. lncreases in peak streamflows are discussed with...

  14. Trends and sensitivities of low streamflow extremes to discharge timing and magnitude in Pacific Northwest mountain streams

    Treesearch

    Patrick R. Kormos; Charlie Luce; Seth J. Wenger; Wouter R. Berghuijs

    2016-01-01

    Path analyses of historical streamflow data from the Pacific Northwest indicate that the precipitation amount has been the dominant control on the magnitude of low streamflow extremes compared to the air temperature-affected timing of snowmelt runoff. The relative sensitivities of low streamflow to precipitation and temperature changes have important...

  15. Combining satellite data and appropriate objective functions for improved spatial pattern performance of a distributed hydrologic model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demirel, Mehmet C.; Mai, Juliane; Mendiguren, Gorka; Koch, Julian; Samaniego, Luis; Stisen, Simon

    2018-02-01

    Satellite-based earth observations offer great opportunities to improve spatial model predictions by means of spatial-pattern-oriented model evaluations. In this study, observed spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration (AET) are utilised for spatial model calibration tailored to target the pattern performance of the model. The proposed calibration framework combines temporally aggregated observed spatial patterns with a new spatial performance metric and a flexible spatial parameterisation scheme. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM) is used to simulate streamflow and AET and has been selected due to its soil parameter distribution approach based on pedo-transfer functions and the build in multi-scale parameter regionalisation. In addition two new spatial parameter distribution options have been incorporated in the model in order to increase the flexibility of root fraction coefficient and potential evapotranspiration correction parameterisations, based on soil type and vegetation density. These parameterisations are utilised as they are most relevant for simulated AET patterns from the hydrologic model. Due to the fundamental challenges encountered when evaluating spatial pattern performance using standard metrics, we developed a simple but highly discriminative spatial metric, i.e. one comprised of three easily interpretable components measuring co-location, variation and distribution of the spatial data. The study shows that with flexible spatial model parameterisation used in combination with the appropriate objective functions, the simulated spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration become substantially more similar to the satellite-based estimates. Overall 26 parameters are identified for calibration through a sequential screening approach based on a combination of streamflow and spatial pattern metrics. The robustness of the calibrations is tested using an ensemble of nine calibrations based on different seed numbers using the shuffled complex evolution optimiser. The calibration results reveal a limited trade-off between streamflow dynamics and spatial patterns illustrating the benefit of combining separate observation types and objective functions. At the same time, the simulated spatial patterns of AET significantly improved when an objective function based on observed AET patterns and a novel spatial performance metric compared to traditional streamflow-only calibration were included. Since the overall water balance is usually a crucial goal in hydrologic modelling, spatial-pattern-oriented optimisation should always be accompanied by traditional discharge measurements. In such a multi-objective framework, the current study promotes the use of a novel bias-insensitive spatial pattern metric, which exploits the key information contained in the observed patterns while allowing the water balance to be informed by discharge observations.

  16. Quantitative analysis of investment allocation over various resources of health care systems by using views of product lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, Guangfu; Williams, Peter

    2013-11-01

    Hospitals can be viewed as service enterprises, of which the primary function is to provide specific sets of diagnostic and therapeutic medical services to individual patients. Each patient has certain diagnosis and therapeutic attributes in common with some other patients. Thus, patients with similar medical attributes could be 'processed' in one 'product line' of medical services, and individual treatments for patients within one 'product line' can be regarded as incurring identical consumption of health care resources. This article presents a theoretical framing for resource planning and investment allocation of various resources from a macro perspective of costs that demonstrates the need to plan capacity at the disaggregated resource level. The result of a balanced line ('optimal') is compared with an alternative scheme of 'the same ratio composing of resources' under the same monetary constraints. Thus, it is demonstrated that planning at the disaggregated level affords much better use of resources than achieved in common practice of budget control by simple percentage increase/decrease in distributing a financial vote.

  17. To what extent clay mineralogy affects soil aggregation? Consequences for soil organic matter stabilization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez-Ugalde, O.; Barré, P.; Hubert, F.; Virto, I.; Chenu, C.; Ferrage, E.; Caner, L.

    2012-12-01

    Aggregation is a key process for soil functioning as it influences C storage, vulnerability to erosion and water holding capacity. While the influence of soil organic C on aggregation has been documented, much less is known about the role of soil mineralogy. Soils usually contain a mixture of clay minerals with contrasted surface properties, which should result on different abilities of clay minerals to aggregation. We took advantage of the intrinsic mineral heterogeneity of a temperate Luvisol to compare the role of clay minerals (illite, smectite, kaolinite, and mixed-layer illite-smectite) in aggregation. In a first step, grassland and tilled soil samples were fractionated in water in aggregate-size classes according to the hierarchical model of aggregation (Tisdall and Oades, 1982). Clay mineralogy and organic C in the aggregate-size classes were analyzed. The results showed that interstratified minerals containing swelling phases accumulated in aggregated fractions (>2 μm) compared to free clay fractions (<2 μm) in the two land-uses. The accumulation increased from large macro-aggregates (>500 μm) to micro-aggregates (50-250 μm). C concentration and C/N ratio followed the opposite trend. These results constitute a clay mineral-based evidence for the hierarchical model of aggregation, which postulates an increasing importance of the reactivity of clay minerals in the formation of micro-aggregates compared to larger aggregates. In the latter aggregates, formation relies on the physical enmeshment of particles by fungal hyphae, and root and microbial exudates. In a second step, micro-aggregates from the tilled soil samples were submitted to increasingly disaggregating treatments by sonication to evaluate the link between their water stability and clay mineralogy. Micro-aggregates with increasing stability showed an increase of interstratified minerals containing swelling phases and C concentration for low intensities of disaggregation (from 0 to 5 J mL-1). This suggests that swelling phases promote their stability. Swelling phases and organic C decreased for greater intensities of disaggregation. These results and the SEM images taken at different disaggregation intensities indicate that when increasing disaggregation intensity above 5 J mL-1, the recovered material consists on sand particles covered by physical coatings of illite and kaolinite. Our results show that different clay minerals have different contribution to soil aggregation. Swelling phases are especially important for water-stable aggregates formation, whereas illite and kaolinite can either contribute to aggregation or been coated to sand grains in "mineral aggregates", without porosity and organic C protection capability. In conclusion, soils with large proportion of swelling clay minerals have greater potential for carbon storage by occlusion in aggregates and greater resistance to erosion. Tisdall JM, Oades JM (1982) Organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils. J Soil Sci 62: 141-163.

  18. The Economic Impact of Higher Education Institutions in Ireland: Evidence from Disaggregated Input-Output Tables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Qiantao; Larkin, Charles; Lucey, Brian M.

    2017-01-01

    While there has been a long history of modelling the economic impact of higher education institutions (HEIs), little research has been undertaken in the context of Ireland. This paper provides, for the first time, a disaggregated input-output table for Ireland's higher education sector. The picture painted overall is a higher education sector that…

  19. Fusion antibody for Alzheimer's disease with bidirectional transport across the blood-brain barrier and abeta fibril disaggregation.

    PubMed

    Boado, Ruben J; Zhang, Yufeng; Zhang, Yun; Xia, Chun-Fang; Pardridge, William M

    2007-01-01

    Delivery of monoclonal antibody therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier is an obstacle to the diagnosis or therapy of CNS disease with antibody drugs. The immune therapy of Alzheimer's disease attempts to disaggregate the amyloid plaque of Alzheimer's disease with an anti-Abeta monoclonal antibody. The present work is based on a three-step model of immune therapy of Alzheimer's disease: (1) influx of the anti-Abeta monoclonal antibody across the blood-brain barrier in the blood to brain direction, (2) binding and disaggregation of Abeta fibrils in brain, and (3) efflux of the anti-Abeta monoclonal antibody across the blood-brain barrier in the brain to blood direction. This is accomplished with the genetic engineering of a trifunctional fusion antibody that binds (1) the human insulin receptor, which mediates the influx from blood to brain across the blood-brain barrier, (2) the Abeta fibril to disaggregate amyloid plaque, and (3) the Fc receptor, which mediates the efflux from brain to blood across the blood-brain barrier. This fusion protein is a new antibody-based therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease that is specifically engineered to cross the human blood-brain barrier in both directions.

  20. Computing daily mean streamflow at ungaged locations in Iowa by using the Flow Anywhere and Flow Duration Curve Transfer statistical methods

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Linhart, S. Mike; Nania, Jon F.; Sanders, Curtis L.; Archfield, Stacey A.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains approximately 148 real-time streamgages in Iowa for which daily mean streamflow information is available, but daily mean streamflow data commonly are needed at locations where no streamgages are present. Therefore, the USGS conducted a study as part of a larger project in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to develop methods to estimate daily mean streamflow at locations in ungaged watersheds in Iowa by using two regression-based statistical methods. The regression equations for the statistical methods were developed from historical daily mean streamflow and basin characteristics from streamgages within the study area, which includes the entire State of Iowa and adjacent areas within a 50-mile buffer of Iowa in neighboring states. Results of this study can be used with other techniques to determine the best method for application in Iowa and can be used to produce a Web-based geographic information system tool to compute streamflow estimates automatically. The Flow Anywhere statistical method is a variation of the drainage-area-ratio method, which transfers same-day streamflow information from a reference streamgage to another location by using the daily mean streamflow at the reference streamgage and the drainage-area ratio of the two locations. The Flow Anywhere method modifies the drainage-area-ratio method in order to regionalize the equations for Iowa and determine the best reference streamgage from which to transfer same-day streamflow information to an ungaged location. Data used for the Flow Anywhere method were retrieved for 123 continuous-record streamgages located in Iowa and within a 50-mile buffer of Iowa. The final regression equations were computed by using either left-censored regression techniques with a low limit threshold set at 0.1 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) and the daily mean streamflow for the 15th day of every other month, or by using an ordinary-least-squares multiple linear regression method and the daily mean streamflow for the 15th day of every other month. The Flow Duration Curve Transfer method was used to estimate unregulated daily mean streamflow from the physical and climatic characteristics of gaged basins. For the Flow Duration Curve Transfer method, daily mean streamflow quantiles at the ungaged site were estimated with the parameter-based regression model, which results in a continuous daily flow-duration curve (the relation between exceedance probability and streamflow for each day of observed streamflow) at the ungaged site. By the use of a reference streamgage, the Flow Duration Curve Transfer is converted to a time series. Data used in the Flow Duration Curve Transfer method were retrieved for 113 continuous-record streamgages in Iowa and within a 50-mile buffer of Iowa. The final statewide regression equations for Iowa were computed by using a weighted-least-squares multiple linear regression method and were computed for the 0.01-, 0.05-, 0.10-, 0.15-, 0.20-, 0.30-, 0.40-, 0.50-, 0.60-, 0.70-, 0.80-, 0.85-, 0.90-, and 0.95-exceedance probability statistics determined from the daily mean streamflow with a reporting limit set at 0.1 ft3/s. The final statewide regression equation for Iowa computed by using left-censored regression techniques was computed for the 0.99-exceedance probability statistic determined from the daily mean streamflow with a low limit threshold and a reporting limit set at 0.1 ft3/s. For the Flow Anywhere method, results of the validation study conducted by using six streamgages show that differences between the root-mean-square error and the mean absolute error ranged from 1,016 to 138 ft3/s, with the larger value signifying a greater occurrence of outliers between observed and estimated streamflows. Root-mean-square-error values ranged from 1,690 to 237 ft3/s. Values of the percent root-mean-square error ranged from 115 percent to 26.2 percent. The logarithm (base 10) streamflow percent root-mean-square error ranged from 13.0 to 5.3 percent. Root-mean-square-error observations standard-deviation-ratio values ranged from 0.80 to 0.40. Percent-bias values ranged from 25.4 to 4.0 percent. Untransformed streamflow Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values ranged from 0.84 to 0.35. The logarithm (base 10) streamflow Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values ranged from 0.86 to 0.56. For the streamgage with the best agreement between observed and estimated streamflow, higher streamflows appear to be underestimated. For the streamgage with the worst agreement between observed and estimated streamflow, low flows appear to be overestimated whereas higher flows seem to be underestimated. Estimated cumulative streamflows for the period October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2009, are underestimated by -25.8 and -7.4 percent for the closest and poorest comparisons, respectively. For the Flow Duration Curve Transfer method, results of the validation study conducted by using the same six streamgages show that differences between the root-mean-square error and the mean absolute error ranged from 437 to 93.9 ft3/s, with the larger value signifying a greater occurrence of outliers between observed and estimated streamflows. Root-mean-square-error values ranged from 906 to 169 ft3/s. Values of the percent root-mean-square-error ranged from 67.0 to 25.6 percent. The logarithm (base 10) streamflow percent root-mean-square error ranged from 12.5 to 4.4 percent. Root-mean-square-error observations standard-deviation-ratio values ranged from 0.79 to 0.40. Percent-bias values ranged from 22.7 to 0.94 percent. Untransformed streamflow Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values ranged from 0.84 to 0.38. The logarithm (base 10) streamflow Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values ranged from 0.89 to 0.48. For the streamgage with the closest agreement between observed and estimated streamflow, there is relatively good agreement between observed and estimated streamflows. For the streamgage with the poorest agreement between observed and estimated streamflow, streamflows appear to be substantially underestimated for much of the time period. Estimated cumulative streamflow for the period October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2009, are underestimated by -9.3 and -22.7 percent for the closest and poorest comparisons, respectively.

  1. Recent tree die-off has little effect on streamflow in contrast to expected increases from historical studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biederman, Joel A.; Somor, Andrew J.; Harpold, Adrian A.; Gutmann, Ethan D.; Breshears, David D.; Troch, Peter A.; Gochis, David J.; Scott, Russell L.; Meddens, Arjan J. H.; Brooks, Paul D.

    2015-12-01

    Recent bark beetle epidemics have caused regional-scale tree mortality in many snowmelt-dominated headwater catchments of western North America. Initial expectations of increased streamflow have not been supported by observations, and the basin-scale response of annual streamflow is largely unknown. Here we quantified annual streamflow responses during the decade following tree die-off in eight infested catchments in the Colorado River headwaters and one nearby control catchment. We employed three alternative empirical methods: (i) double-mass comparison between impacted and control catchments, (ii) runoff ratio comparison before and after die-off, and (iii) time-trend analysis using climate-driven linear models. In contrast to streamflow increases predicted by historical paired catchment studies and recent modeling, we did not detect streamflow changes in most basins following die-off, while one basin consistently showed decreased streamflow. The three analysis methods produced generally consistent results, with time-trend analysis showing precipitation was the strongest predictor of streamflow variability (R2 = 74-96%). Time-trend analysis revealed post-die-off streamflow decreased in three catchments by 11-29%, with no change in the other five catchments. Although counter to initial expectations, these results are consistent with increased transpiration by surviving vegetation and the growing body of literature documenting increased snow sublimation and evaporation from the subcanopy following die-off in water-limited, snow-dominated forests. The observations presented here challenge the widespread expectation that streamflow will increase following beetle-induced forest die-off and highlight the need to better understand the processes driving hydrologic response to forest disturbance.

  2. Effect of Tree-to-Shrub Type Conversion in Lower Montane Forests of the Sierra Nevada (USA) on Streamflow

    PubMed Central

    Tague, Christina L.; Moritz, Max A.

    2016-01-01

    Higher global temperatures and increased levels of disturbance are contributing to greater tree mortality in many forest ecosystems. These same drivers can also limit forest regeneration, leading to vegetation type conversion. For the Sierra Nevada of California, little is known about how type conversion may affect streamflow, a critical source of water supply for urban, agriculture and environmental purposes. In this paper, we examined the effects of tree-to-shrub type conversion, in combination with climate change, on streamflow in two lower montane forest watersheds in the Sierra Nevada. A spatially distributed ecohydrologic model was used to simulate changes in streamflow, evaporation, and transpiration following type conversion, with an explicit focus on the role of vegetation size and aspect. Model results indicated that streamflow may show negligible change or small decreases following type conversion when the difference between tree and shrub leaf areas is small, partly due to the higher stomatal conductivity and the deep rooting depth of shrubs. In contrast, streamflow may increase when post-conversion shrubs have a small leaf area relative to trees. Model estimates also suggested that vegetation change could have a greater impact on streamflow magnitude than the direct hydrologic impacts of increased temperatures. Temperature increases, however, may have a greater impact on streamflow timing. Tree-to-shrub type conversion increased streamflow only marginally during dry years (annual precipitation < 800 mm), with most streamflow change observed during wetter years. These modeling results underscore the importance of accounting for changes in vegetation communities to accurately characterize future hydrologic regimes for the Sierra Nevada. PMID:27575592

  3. Effect of Tree-to-Shrub Type Conversion in Lower Montane Forests of the Sierra Nevada (USA) on Streamflow.

    PubMed

    Bart, Ryan R; Tague, Christina L; Moritz, Max A

    2016-01-01

    Higher global temperatures and increased levels of disturbance are contributing to greater tree mortality in many forest ecosystems. These same drivers can also limit forest regeneration, leading to vegetation type conversion. For the Sierra Nevada of California, little is known about how type conversion may affect streamflow, a critical source of water supply for urban, agriculture and environmental purposes. In this paper, we examined the effects of tree-to-shrub type conversion, in combination with climate change, on streamflow in two lower montane forest watersheds in the Sierra Nevada. A spatially distributed ecohydrologic model was used to simulate changes in streamflow, evaporation, and transpiration following type conversion, with an explicit focus on the role of vegetation size and aspect. Model results indicated that streamflow may show negligible change or small decreases following type conversion when the difference between tree and shrub leaf areas is small, partly due to the higher stomatal conductivity and the deep rooting depth of shrubs. In contrast, streamflow may increase when post-conversion shrubs have a small leaf area relative to trees. Model estimates also suggested that vegetation change could have a greater impact on streamflow magnitude than the direct hydrologic impacts of increased temperatures. Temperature increases, however, may have a greater impact on streamflow timing. Tree-to-shrub type conversion increased streamflow only marginally during dry years (annual precipitation < 800 mm), with most streamflow change observed during wetter years. These modeling results underscore the importance of accounting for changes in vegetation communities to accurately characterize future hydrologic regimes for the Sierra Nevada.

  4. Streamflow depletion by wells--Understanding and managing the effects of groundwater pumping on streamflow

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barlow, Paul M.; Leake, Stanley A.

    2012-11-02

    Groundwater is an important source of water for many human needs, including public supply, agriculture, and industry. With the development of any natural resource, however, adverse consequences may be associated with its use. One of the primary concerns related to the development of groundwater resources is the effect of groundwater pumping on streamflow. Groundwater and surface-water systems are connected, and groundwater discharge is often a substantial component of the total flow of a stream. Groundwater pumping reduces the amount of groundwater that flows to streams and, in some cases, can draw streamflow into the underlying groundwater system. Streamflow reductions (or depletions) caused by pumping have become an important water-resource management issue because of the negative impacts that reduced flows can have on aquatic ecosystems, the availability of surface water, and the quality and aesthetic value of streams and rivers. Scientific research over the past seven decades has made important contributions to the basic understanding of the processes and factors that affect streamflow depletion by wells. Moreover, advances in methods for simulating groundwater systems with computer models provide powerful tools for estimating the rates, locations, and timing of streamflow depletion in response to groundwater pumping and for evaluating alternative approaches for managing streamflow depletion. The primary objective of this report is to summarize these scientific insights and to describe the various field methods and modeling approaches that can be used to understand and manage streamflow depletion. A secondary objective is to highlight several misconceptions concerning streamflow depletion and to explain why these misconceptions are incorrect.

  5. Assessing the Added Value of Dynamical Downscaling in the Context of Hydrologic Implication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, M.; IM, E. S.; Lee, M. H.

    2017-12-01

    There is a scientific consensus that high-resolution climate simulations downscaled by Regional Climate Models (RCMs) can provide valuable refined information over the target region. However, a significant body of hydrologic impact assessment has been performing using the climate information provided by Global Climate Models (GCMs) in spite of a fundamental spatial scale gap. It is probably based on the assumption that the substantial biases and spatial scale gap from GCMs raw data can be simply removed by applying the statistical bias correction and spatial disaggregation. Indeed, many previous studies argue that the benefit of dynamical downscaling using RCMs is minimal when linking climate data with the hydrological model, from the comparison of the impact between bias-corrected GCMs and bias-corrected RCMs on hydrologic simulations. It may be true for long-term averaged climatological pattern, but it is not necessarily the case when looking into variability across various temporal spectrum. In this study, we investigate the added value of dynamical downscaling focusing on the performance in capturing climate variability. For doing this, we evaluate the performance of the distributed hydrological model over the Korean river basin using the raw output from GCM and RCM, and bias-corrected output from GCM and RCM. The impacts of climate input data on streamflow simulation are comprehensively analyzed. [Acknowledgements]This research is supported by the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA) grant funded by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Grant 17AWMP-B083066-04).

  6. On the Value of Climate Elasticity Indices to Assess the Impact of Climate Change on Streamflow Projection using an ensemble of bias corrected CMIP5 dataset

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demirel, Mehmet; Moradkhani, Hamid

    2015-04-01

    Changes in two climate elasticity indices, i.e. temperature and precipitation elasticity of streamflow, were investigated using an ensemble of bias corrected CMIP5 dataset as forcing to two hydrologic models. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) and the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) hydrologic models, were calibrated at 1/16 degree resolution and the simulated streamflow was routed to the basin outlet of interest. We estimated precipitation and temperature elasticity of streamflow from: (1) observed streamflow; (2) simulated streamflow by VIC and SAC-SMA models using observed climate for the current climate (1963-2003); (3) simulated streamflow using simulated climate from 10 GCM - CMIP5 dataset for the future climate (2010-2099) including two concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and two downscaled climate products (BCSD and MACA). The streamflow sensitivity to long-term (e.g., 30-year) average annual changes in temperature and precipitation is estimated for three periods i.e. 2010-40, 2040-70 and 2070-99. We compared the results of the three cases to reflect on the value of precipitation and temperature indices to assess the climate change impacts on Columbia River streamflow. Moreover, these three cases for two models are used to assess the effects of different uncertainty sources (model forcing, model structure and different pathways) on the two climate elasticity indices.

  7. Physiographic and land cover attributes of the Puget Lowland and the active streamflow gaging network, Puget Sound Basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Konrad, Christopher; Sevier, Maria

    2014-01-01

    Geospatial information for the active streamflow gaging network in the Puget Sound Basin was compiled to support regional monitoring of stormwater effects to small streams. The compilation includes drainage area boundaries and physiographic and land use attributes that affect hydrologic processes. Three types of boundaries were used to tabulate attributes: Puget Sound Watershed Characterization analysis units (AU); the drainage area of active streamflow gages; and the catchments of Regional Stream Monitoring Program (RSMP) sites. The active streamflow gaging network generally includes sites that represent the ranges of attributes for lowland AUs, although there are few sites with low elevations (less than 60 meters), low precipitation (less than 1 meter year), or high stream density (greater than 5 kilometers per square kilometers). The active streamflow gaging network can serve to provide streamflow information in some AUs and RSMP sites, particularly where the streamflow gage measures streamflow generated from a part of the AU or that drains to the RSMP site, and that part of the AU or RSMP site is a significant fraction of the drainage area of the streamgage. The maximum fraction of each AU or RSMP catchment upstream of a streamflow gage and the maximum fraction of any one gaged basin in an AU or RSMP along with corresponding codes are provided in the attribute tables.

  8. Macroinvertebrate community change associated with the severity of streamflow alteration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carlisle, Daren M.; Eng, Kenny; Nelson, S.M.

    2014-01-01

    Natural streamflows play a critical role in stream ecosystems, yet quantitative relations between streamflow alteration and stream health have been elusive. One reason for this difficulty is that neither streamflow alteration nor ecological responses are measured relative to their natural expectations. We assessed macroinvertebrate community condition in 25 mountain streams representing a large gradient of streamflow alteration, which we quantified as the departure of observed flows from natural expectations. Observed flows were obtained from US Geological Survey streamgaging stations and discharge records from dams and diversion structures. During low-flow conditions in September, samples of macroinvertebrate communities were collected at each site, in addition to measures of physical habitat, water chemistry and organic matter. In general, streamflows were artificially high during summer and artificially low throughout the rest of the year. Biological condition, as measured by richness of sensitive taxa (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) and taxonomic completeness (O/E), was strongly and negatively related to the severity of depleted flows in winter. Analyses of macroinvertebrate traits suggest that taxa losses may have been caused by thermal modification associated with streamflow alteration. Our study yielded quantitative relations between the severity of streamflow alteration and the degree of biological impairment and suggests that water management that reduces streamflows during winter months is likely to have negative effects on downstream benthic communities in Utah mountain streams. 

  9. StreamStats in North Carolina: a water-resources Web application

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Weaver, J. Curtis; Terziotti, Silvia; Kolb, Katharine R.; Wagner, Chad R.

    2012-01-01

    A statewide StreamStats application for North Carolina was developed in cooperation with the North Carolina Department of Transportation following completion of a pilot application for the upper French Broad River basin in western North Carolina (Wagner and others, 2009). StreamStats for North Carolina, available at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/north_carolina.html, is a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in consultation with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (Esri) to provide access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management (Ries and others, 2008). The StreamStats application provides an accurate and consistent process that allows users to easily obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and descriptive information for USGS data-collection sites and user-selected ungaged sites. In the North Carolina application, users can compute 47 basin characteristics and peak-flow frequency statistics (Weaver and others, 2009; Robbins and Pope, 1996) for a delineated drainage basin. Selected streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for data-collection sites have been compiled from published reports and also are immediately accessible by querying individual sites from the web interface. Examples of basin characteristics that can be computed in StreamStats include drainage area, stream slope, mean annual precipitation, and percentage of forested area (Ries and others, 2008). Examples of streamflow statistics that were previously available only through published documents include peak-flow frequency, flow-duration, and precipitation data. These data are valuable for making decisions related to bridge design, floodplain delineation, water-supply permitting, and sustainable stream quality and ecology. The StreamStats application also allows users to identify stream reaches upstream and downstream from user-selected sites and obtain information for locations along streams where activities occur that may affect streamflow conditions. This functionality can be accessed through a map-based interface with the user’s Web browser, or individual functions can be requested remotely through Web services (Ries and others, 2008).

  10. Regional patterns of postwildfire streamflow response in the Western United States: The importance of scale-specific connectivity

    Treesearch

    Dennis W. Hallema; Ge Sun; Kevin D. Bladon; Steven P. Norman; Peter V. Caldwell; Yongqiang Liu; Steven G. McNulty

    2017-01-01

    Wildfires can impact streamflow by modifying net precipitation, infiltration, evapotranspiration, snowmelt, and hillslope run‐off pathways. Regional differences in fire trends and postwildfire streamflow responses across the conterminous United States have spurred concerns about the impact on streamflow in forests that serve as water resource areas. This is notably the...

  11. Streamstats: U.S. Geological Survey Web Application for Streamflow Statistics for Connecticut

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ahearn, Elizabeth A.; Ries, Kernell G.; Steeves, Peter A.

    2006-01-01

    Introduction An important mission of the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to provide information on streamflow in the Nation's rivers. Streamflow statistics are used by water managers, engineers, scientists, and others to protect people and property during floods and droughts, and to manage land, water, and biological resources. Common uses for streamflow statistics include dam, bridge, and culvert design; water-supply planning and management; water-use appropriations and permitting; wastewater and industrial discharge permitting; hydropower-facility design and regulation; and flood-plain mapping for establishing flood-insurance rates and land-use zones. In an effort to improve access to published streamflow statistics, and to make the process of computing streamflow statistics for ungaged stream sites easier, more accurate, and more consistent, the USGS and the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) developed StreamStats (Ries and others, 2004). StreamStats is a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Web application for serving previously published streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for USGS data-collection stations, and computing streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for ungaged stream sites. The USGS, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, has implemented StreamStats for Connecticut.

  12. Two Topics in Seasonal Streamflow Forecasting: Soil Moisture Initialization Error and Precipitation Downscaling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koster, Randal; Walker, Greg; Mahanama, Sarith; Reichle, Rolf

    2012-01-01

    Continental-scale offline simulations with a land surface model are used to address two important issues in the forecasting of large-scale seasonal streamflow: (i) the extent to which errors in soil moisture initialization degrade streamflow forecasts, and (ii) the extent to which the downscaling of seasonal precipitation forecasts, if it could be done accurately, would improve streamflow forecasts. The reduction in streamflow forecast skill (with forecasted streamflow measured against observations) associated with adding noise to a soil moisture field is found to be, to first order, proportional to the average reduction in the accuracy of the soil moisture field itself. This result has implications for streamflow forecast improvement under satellite-based soil moisture measurement programs. In the second and more idealized ("perfect model") analysis, precipitation downscaling is found to have an impact on large-scale streamflow forecasts only if two conditions are met: (i) evaporation variance is significant relative to the precipitation variance, and (ii) the subgrid spatial variance of precipitation is adequately large. In the large-scale continental region studied (the conterminous United States), these two conditions are met in only a somewhat limited area.

  13. Evaluation of drainage-area ratio method used to estimate streamflow for the Red River of the North Basin, North Dakota and Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Emerson, Douglas G.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Dahl, Ann L.

    2005-01-01

    The drainage-area ratio method commonly is used to estimate streamflow for sites where no streamflow data were collected. To evaluate the validity of the drainage-area ratio method and to determine if an improved method could be developed to estimate streamflow, a multiple-regression technique was used to determine if drainage area, main channel slope, and precipitation were significant variables for estimating streamflow in the Red River of the North Basin. A separate regression analysis was performed for streamflow for each of three seasons-- winter, spring, and summer. Drainage area and summer precipitation were the most significant variables. However, the regression equations generally overestimated streamflows for North Dakota stations and underestimated streamflows for Minnesota stations. To correct the bias in the residuals for the two groups of stations, indicator variables were included to allow both the intercept and the coefficient for the logarithm of drainage area to depend on the group. Drainage area was the only significant variable in the revised regression equations. The exponents for the drainage-area ratio were 0.85 for the winter season, 0.91 for the spring season, and 1.02 for the summer season.

  14. Multi-decadal Decline of Southeast United States Streamflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tootle, G. A.; Lakshmi, V.; Therrell, M.; Huffaker, R.; Elliott, E. A.

    2017-12-01

    Unprecedented population growth combined with environmental and energy demands have led to water conflict in the Southeastern United States. The states of Florida, Georgia and Alabama have recently engaged in litigation on minimum in-stream flows to maintain ecosystems, fisheries and energy demands while satisfying a growing thirst in metropolitan Atlanta. A study of Southeastern United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) streamflow identified a declining pattern of flow over the past 25 years with increased dry periods being observed in the last decade. When evaluating calendar year streamflow for (56) unimpaired streamflow stations, a robust period of streamflow in the 1970's was followed by a consistent decline in streamflow from 1990 to present. In evaluating 20-year, 10-year and 5-year time periods of annual streamflow volume, the past decade reveals historic lows for each of these periods. When evaluating the influence of high frequency (e.g., El Nino-Southern Oscillation - ENSO) and low frequency (e.g., Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation - AMO) climatic phenomenon, the shift of the AMO from a cold phase to a warm phase in the 1990's combined with multiple La Nina events may be associated with the streamflow decline.

  15. Adjusting Wavelet-based Multiresolution Analysis Boundary Conditions for Robust Long-term Streamflow Forecasting Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maslova, I.; Ticlavilca, A. M.; McKee, M.

    2012-12-01

    There has been an increased interest in wavelet-based streamflow forecasting models in recent years. Often overlooked in this approach are the circularity assumptions of the wavelet transform. We propose a novel technique for minimizing the wavelet decomposition boundary condition effect to produce long-term, up to 12 months ahead, forecasts of streamflow. A simulation study is performed to evaluate the effects of different wavelet boundary rules using synthetic and real streamflow data. A hybrid wavelet-multivariate relevance vector machine model is developed for forecasting the streamflow in real-time for Yellowstone River, Uinta Basin, Utah, USA. The inputs of the model utilize only the past monthly streamflow records. They are decomposed into components formulated in terms of wavelet multiresolution analysis. It is shown that the model model accuracy can be increased by using the wavelet boundary rule introduced in this study. This long-term streamflow modeling and forecasting methodology would enable better decision-making and managing water availability risk.

  16. Modeled effects of climate change and plant invasion on watershed function across a steep tropical rainfall gradient

    Treesearch

    Ayron M. Strauch; Christian P. Giardina; Richard A. MacKenzie; Chris Heider; Tom W. Giambelluca; Ed Salminen; Gregory L. Bruland

    2017-01-01

    Climate change is anticipated to affect freshwater resources, but baseline data on the functioning of tropical watersheds is lacking, limiting efforts that seek to predict how watershed processes, water supply, and streamflow respond to anticipated changes in climate and vegetation change, and to management. To address this data gap, we applied the distributed...

  17. Toward improved health: disaggregating Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander data.

    PubMed Central

    Srinivasan, S; Guillermo, T

    2000-01-01

    The 2000 census, with its option for respondents to mark 1 or more race categories, is the first US census to recognize the multiethnic nature of all US populations but especially Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders. If Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders have for the most part been "invisible" in policy debates regarding such matters as health care and immigration, it has been largely because of a paucity of data stemming from the lack of disaggregated data on this heterogeneous group of peoples. Studies at all levels should adhere to these disaggregated classifications. Also, in addition to oversampling procedures, there should be greater regional/local funding for studies in regions where Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations are substantial. PMID:11076241

  18. Marginal Economic Value of Streamflow: A Case Study for the Colorado River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Thomas C.; Harding, Benjamin L.; Payton, Elizabeth A.

    1990-12-01

    The marginal economic value of streamflow leaving forested areas in the Colorado River Basin was estimated by determining the impact on water use of a small change in streamflow and then applying economic value estimates to the water use changes. The effect on water use of a change in streamflow was estimated with a network flow model that simulated salinity levels and the routing of flow to consumptive uses and hydroelectric dams throughout the Basin. The results show that, under current water management institutions, the marginal value of streamflow in the Colorado River Basin is largely determined by nonconsumptive water uses, principally energy production, rather than by consumptive agricultural or municipal uses. The analysis demonstrates the importance of a systems framework in estimating the marginal value of streamflow.

  19. Low Streamflow Forcasting using Minimum Relative Entropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, H.; Singh, V. P.

    2013-12-01

    Minimum relative entropy spectral analysis is derived in this study, and applied to forecast streamflow time series. Proposed method extends the autocorrelation in the manner that the relative entropy of underlying process is minimized so that time series data can be forecasted. Different prior estimation, such as uniform, exponential and Gaussian assumption, is taken to estimate the spectral density depending on the autocorrelation structure. Seasonal and nonseasonal low streamflow series obtained from Colorado River (Texas) under draught condition is successfully forecasted using proposed method. Minimum relative entropy determines spectral of low streamflow series with higher resolution than conventional method. Forecasted streamflow is compared to the prediction using Burg's maximum entropy spectral analysis (MESA) and Configurational entropy. The advantage and disadvantage of each method in forecasting low streamflow is discussed.

  20. Determination of streamflow of the Arkansas River near Bentley in south-central Kansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Charles A.

    2012-01-01

    The Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources, requires that the streamflow of the Arkansas River just upstream from Bentley in south-central Kansas be measured or calculated before groundwater can be pumped from the well field. When the daily streamflow of the Arkansas River near Bentley is less than 165 cubic feet per second (ft3/s), pumping must be curtailed. Daily streamflow near Bentley was calculated by determining the relations between streamflow data from two reference streamgages with a concurrent record of 24 years, one located 17.2 miles (mi) upstream and one located 10.9 mi downstream, and streamflow at a temporary gage located just upstream from Bentley (Arkansas River near Bentley, Kansas). Flow-duration curves for the two reference streamgages indicate that during 1988?2011, the mean daily streamflow was less than 165 ft3/s 30 to 35 percent of the time. During extreme low-flow (drought) conditions, the reach of the Arkansas River between Hutchinson and Maize can lose flow to the adjacent alluvial aquifer, with streamflow losses as much as 1.6 cubic feet per second per mile. Three models were developed to calculate the streamflow of the Arkansas River near Bentley, Kansas. The model chosen depends on the data available and on whether the reach of the Arkansas River between Hutchinson and Maize is gaining or losing groundwater from or to the adjacent alluvial aquifer. The first model was a pair of equations developed from linear regressions of the relation between daily streamflow data from the Bentley streamgage and daily streamflow data from either the Arkansas River near Hutchinson, Kansas, station (station number 07143330) or the Arkansas River near Maize, Kansas, station (station number 07143375). The standard error of the Hutchinson-only equation was 22.8 ft3/s, and the standard error of the Maize-only equation was 22.3 ft3/s. The single-station model would be used if only one streamgage was available. In the second model, the flow gradient between the streamflow near Hutchinson and the streamflow near Maize was used to calculate the streamflow at the Bentley streamgage. This equation resulted in a standard error of 26.7 ft3/s. In the third model, a multiple regression analysis between both the daily streamflow of the Arkansas River near Hutchinson, Kansas, and the daily streamflow of the Arkansas River near Maize, Kansas, was used to calculate the streamflow at the Bentley streamgage. The multiple regression equation had a standard error of 21.2 ft3/s, which was the smallest of the standard errors for all the models. An analysis of the number of low-flow days and the number of days when the reach between Hutchinson and Maize loses flow to the adjacent alluvial aquifer indicates that the long-term trend is toward fewer days of losing conditions. This trend may indicate a long-term increase in water levels in the alluvial aquifer, which could be caused by one or more of several conditions, including an increase in rainfall, a decrease in pumping, a decrease in temperature, and an increase in streamflow upstream from the Hutchinson-to-Maize reach of the Arkansas River.

  1. Estimated flow-duration curves for selected ungaged sites in Kansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Studley, S.E.

    2001-01-01

    Flow-duration curves for 1968-98 were estimated for 32 ungaged sites in the Missouri, Smoky Hill-Saline, Solomon, Marais des Cygnes, Walnut, Verdigris, and Neosho River Basins in Kansas. Also included from a previous report are estimated flow-duration curves for 16 ungaged sites in the Cimarron and lower Arkansas River Basins in Kansas. The method of estimation used six unique factors of flow duration: (1) mean streamflow and percentage duration of mean streamflow, (2) ratio of 1-percent-duration streamflow to mean streamflow, (3) ratio of 0.1-percent-duration streamflow to 1-percent-duration streamflow, (4) ratio of 50-percent-duration streamflow to mean streamflow, (5) percentage duration of appreciable streamflow (0.10 cubic foot per second), and (6) average slope of the flow-duration curve. These factors were previously developed from a regionalized study of flow-duration curves using streamflow data for 1921-76 from streamflow-gaging stations with drainage areas of 100 to 3,000 square miles. The method was tested on a currently (2001) measured, continuous-record streamflow-gaging station on Salt Creek near Lyndon, Kansas, with a drainage area of 111 square miles and was found to adequately estimate the computed flow-duration curve for the station. The method also was tested on a currently (2001) measured, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging station on Soldier Creek near Circleville, Kansas, with a drainage area of 49.3 square miles. The results of the test on Soldier Creek near Circleville indicated that the method could adequately estimate flow-duration curves for sites with drainage areas of less than 100 square miles. The low-flow parts of the estimated flow-duration curves were verified or revised using 137 base-flow discharge measurements made during 1999-2000 at the 32 ungaged sites that were correlated with base-flow measurements and flow-duration analyses performed at nearby, long-term, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations (index stations). The method did not adequately estimate the flow-duration curves for two sites in the western one-third of the State because of substantial changes in farming practices (terracing and intensive ground-water withdrawal) that were not accounted for in the two previous studies (Furness, 1959; Jordan, 1983). For these two sites, there was enough historic, continuous-streamflow record available to perform record-extension techniques correlated to their respective index stations for the development of the estimated flow-duration curves. The estimated flow-duration curves at the ungaged sites can be used for projecting future flow frequencies for assessment of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) or other water-quality constituents, water-availability studies, and for basin-characteristic studies.

  2. Testing the ability of a semidistributed hydrological model to simulate contributing area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mengistu, S. G.; Spence, C.

    2016-06-01

    A dry climate, the prevalence of small depressions, and the lack of a well-developed drainage network are characteristics of environments with extremely variable contributing areas to runoff. These types of regions arguably present the greatest challenge to properly understanding catchment streamflow generation processes. Previous studies have shown that contributing area dynamics are important for streamflow response, but the nature of the relationship between the two is not typically understood. Furthermore, it is not often tested how well hydrological models simulate contributing area. In this study, the ability of a semidistributed hydrological model, the PDMROF configuration of Environment Canada's MESH model, was tested to determine if it could simulate contributing area. The study focused on the St. Denis Creek watershed in central Saskatchewan, Canada, which with its considerable topographic depressions, exhibits wide variation in contributing area, making it ideal for this type of investigation. MESH-PDMROF was able to replicate contributing area derived independently from satellite imagery. Daily model simulations revealed a hysteretic relationship between contributing area and streamflow not apparent from the less frequent remote sensing observations. This exercise revealed that contributing area extent can be simulated by a semi-distributed hydrological model with a scheme that assumes storage capacity distribution can be represented with a probability function. However, further investigation is needed to determine if it can adequately represent the complex relationship between streamflow and contributing area that is such a key signature of catchment behavior.

  3. Statistical Comparisons of watershed scale response to climate change in selected basins across the United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Risley, John; Moradkhani, Hamid; Hay, Lauren E.; Markstrom, Steve

    2011-01-01

    In an earlier global climate-change study, air temperature and precipitation data for the entire twenty-first century simulated from five general circulation models were used as input to precalibrated watershed models for 14 selected basins across the United States. Simulated daily streamflow and energy output from the watershed models were used to compute a range of statistics. With a side-by-side comparison of the statistical analyses for the 14 basins, regional climatic and hydrologic trends over the twenty-first century could be qualitatively identified. Low-flow statistics (95% exceedance, 7-day mean annual minimum, and summer mean monthly streamflow) decreased for almost all basins. Annual maximum daily streamflow also decreased in all the basins, except for all four basins in California and the Pacific Northwest. An analysis of the supply of available energy and water for the basins indicated that ratios of evaporation to precipitation and potential evapotranspiration to precipitation for most of the basins will increase. Probability density functions (PDFs) were developed to assess the uncertainty and multimodality in the impact of climate change on mean annual streamflow variability. Kolmogorov?Smirnov tests showed significant differences between the beginning and ending twenty-first-century PDFs for most of the basins, with the exception of four basins that are located in the western United States. Almost none of the basin PDFs were normally distributed, and two basins in the upper Midwest had PDFs that were extremely dispersed and skewed.

  4. Cool-Season Moisture Delivery and Multi-Basin Streamflow Anomalies in the Western United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malevich, Steven B.

    Widespread droughts can have a significant impact on western United States streamflow, but the causes of these events are not fully understood. This dissertation examines streamflow from multiple western US basins and establishes the robust, leading modes of variability in interannual streamflow throughout the past century. I show that approximately 50% of this variability is associated with spatially widespread streamflow anomalies that are statistically independent from streamflow's response to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO-teleconnection accounts for approximately 25% of the interannual variability in streamflow, across this network. These atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the most spatially widespread variability are associated with the Aleutian low and the persistent coastal atmospheric ridge in the Pacific Northwest. I use a watershed segmentation algorithm to explicitly track the position and intensity of these features and compare their variability to the multi-basin streamflow variability. Results show that latitudinal shifts in the coastal atmospheric ridge are more strongly associated with streamflow's north-south dipole response to ENSO variability while more spatially widespread anomalies in streamflow most strongly relate to seasonal changes in the coastal ridge intensity. This likely reflects persistent coastal ridge blocking of cool-season precipitation into western US river basins. I utilize the 35 model runs of the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble (CESMLE) to determine whether the model ensemble simulates the anomalously strong coastal ridges and extreme widespread wintertime precipitation anomalies found in the observation record. Though there is considerable bias in the CESMLE, the CESMLE runs simulate extremely widespread dry precipitation anomalies with a frequency of approximately one extreme event per century during the historical simulations (1920 - 2005). These extremely widespread dry events correspond significantly with anomalously intense coastal atmospheric ridges. The results from these three papers connect widespread interannual streamflow anomalies in the western US--and especially extremely widespread streamflow droughts--with semi-permanent atmospheric ridge anomalies near the coastal Pacific Northwest. This is important to western US water managers because these widespread events appear to have been a robust feature of the past century. The semi-permanent atmospheric features associated with these widespread dry streamflow anomalies are projected to change position significantly in the next century as a response to global climate change. This may change widespread streamflow anomaly characteristic in the western US, though my results do not show evidence of these changes within the instrument record of last century.

  5. Vulnerability of Oregon Hydrologic Landscapes and Streamflow to Climate Change - 5/20/2014

    EPA Science Inventory

    Hydrologic classification systems can provide a basis for broadscale assessments of the hydrologic functions of landscapes and watersheds and their responses to stressors. Such assessments could be particularly useful in determining hydrologic vulnerability from climate change. A...

  6. GRACE storage-runoff hystereses reveal the dynamics of regional watersheds

    EPA Science Inventory

    Watersheds function as integrated systems where climate and geology govern the movement of water. In situ instrumentation can provide local-scale insights into the non-linear relationship between streamflow and water stored in a watershed as snow, soil moisture, and groundwater. ...

  7. Daily Streamflow Predictions in an Ungauged Watershed in Northern California Using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS): Calibration Challenges when nearby Gauged Watersheds are Hydrologically Dissimilar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhakal, A. S.; Adera, S.

    2017-12-01

    Accurate daily streamflow prediction in ungauged watersheds with sparse information is challenging. The ability of a hydrologic model calibrated using nearby gauged watersheds to predict streamflow accurately depends on hydrologic similarities between the gauged and ungauged watersheds. This study examines daily streamflow predictions using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the largely ungauged San Antonio Creek watershed, a 96 km2 sub-watershed of the Alameda Creek watershed in Northern California. The process-based PRMS model is being used to improve the accuracy of recent San Antonio Creek streamflow predictions generated by two empirical methods. Although San Antonio Creek watershed is largely ungauged, daily streamflow data exists for hydrologic years (HY) 1913 - 1930. PRMS was calibrated for HY 1913 - 1930 using streamflow data, modern-day land use and PRISM precipitation distribution, and gauged precipitation and temperature data from a nearby watershed. The PRMS model was then used to generate daily streamflows for HY 1996-2013, during which the watershed was ungauged, and hydrologic responses were compared to two nearby gauged sub-watersheds of Alameda Creek. Finally, the PRMS-predicted daily flows between HY 1996-2013 were compared to the two empirically-predicted streamflow time series: (1) the reservoir mass balance method and (2) correlation of historical streamflows from 80 - 100 years ago between San Antonio Creek and a nearby sub-watershed located in Alameda Creek. While the mass balance approach using reservoir storage and transfers is helpful for estimating inflows to the reservoir, large discrepancies in daily streamflow estimation can arise. Similarly, correlation-based predicted daily flows which rely on a relationship from flows collected 80-100 years ago may not represent current watershed hydrologic conditions. This study aims to develop a method of streamflow prediction in the San Antonio Creek watershed by examining PRMS's model outputs as well as empirically generated flow data for their use in water resources management decisions. PRMS is also being used to better understand the streamflow patterns in the San Antonio Creek watershed for a variety of antecedent soil moisture conditions as the creek is generally dry between late Spring and early Fall.

  8. Updated techniques for estimating monthly streamflow-duration characteristics at ungaged and partial-record sites in central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hess, Glen W.

    2002-01-01

    Techniques for estimating monthly streamflow-duration characteristics at ungaged and partial-record sites in central Nevada have been updated. These techniques were developed using streamflow records at six continuous-record sites, basin physical and climatic characteristics, and concurrent streamflow measurements at four partial-record sites. Two methods, the basin-characteristic method and the concurrent-measurement method, were developed to provide estimating techniques for selected streamflow characteristics at ungaged and partial-record sites in central Nevada. In the first method, logarithmic-regression analyses were used to relate monthly mean streamflows (from all months and by month) from continuous-record gaging sites of various percent exceedence levels or monthly mean streamflows (by month) to selected basin physical and climatic variables at ungaged sites. Analyses indicate that the total drainage area and percent of drainage area at altitudes greater than 10,000 feet are the most significant variables. For the equations developed from all months of monthly mean streamflow, the coefficient of determination averaged 0.84 and the standard error of estimate of the relations for the ungaged sites averaged 72 percent. For the equations derived from monthly means by month, the coefficient of determination averaged 0.72 and the standard error of estimate of the relations averaged 78 percent. If standard errors are compared, the relations developed in this study appear generally to be less accurate than those developed in a previous study. However, the new relations are based on additional data and the slight increase in error may be due to the wider range of streamflow for a longer period of record, 1995-2000. In the second method, streamflow measurements at partial-record sites were correlated with concurrent streamflows at nearby gaged sites by the use of linear-regression techniques. Statistical measures of results using the second method typically indicated greater accuracy than for the first method. However, to make estimates for individual months, the concurrent-measurement method requires several years additional streamflow data at more partial-record sites. Thus, exceedence values for individual months are not yet available due to the low number of concurrent-streamflow-measurement data available. Reliability, limitations, and applications of both estimating methods are described herein.

  9. Marginal economic value of streamflow: A case study for the Colorado River Basin

    Treesearch

    Thomas C. Brown; Benjamin L. Harding; Elizabeth A. Payton

    1990-01-01

    The marginal economic value of streamflow leaving forested areas in the Colorado River Basin was estimated by determining the impact on water use of a small change in streamflow and then applying economic value estimates to the water use changes. The effect on water use of a change in streamflow was estimated with a network flow model that simulated salinity levels and...

  10. Temporal and spatial changes of rainfall and streamflow in the Upper Tekezē-Atbara river basin, Ethiopia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gebremicael, Tesfay G.; Mohamed, Yasir A.; Zaag, Pieter v.; Hagos, Eyasu Y.

    2017-04-01

    The Upper Tekezē-Atbara river sub-basin, part of the Nile Basin, is characterized by high temporal and spatial variability of rainfall and streamflow. In spite of its importance for sustainable water use and food security, the changing patterns of streamflow and its association with climate change is not well understood. This study aims to improve the understanding of the linkages between rainfall and streamflow trends and identify possible drivers of streamflow variabilities in the basin. Trend analyses and change-point detections of rainfall and streamflow were analysed using Mann-Kendall and Pettitt tests, respectively, using data records for 21 rainfall and 9 streamflow stations. The nature of changes and linkages between rainfall and streamflow were carefully examined for monthly, seasonal and annual flows, as well as indicators of hydrologic alteration (IHA). The trend and change-point analyses found that 19 of the tested 21 rainfall stations did not show statistically significant changes. In contrast, trend analyses on the streamflow showed both significant increasing and decreasing patterns. A decreasing trend in the dry season (October to February), short season (March to May), main rainy season (June to September) and annual totals is dominant in six out of the nine stations. Only one out of nine gauging stations experienced significant increasing flow in the dry and short rainy seasons, attributed to the construction of Tekezē hydropower dam upstream this station in 2009. Overall, streamflow trends and change-point timings were found to be inconsistent among the stations. Changes in streamflow without significant change in rainfall suggests factors other than rainfall drive the change. Most likely the observed changes in streamflow regimes could be due to changes in catchment characteristics of the basin. Further studies are needed to verify and quantify the hydrological changes shown in statistical tests by identifying the physical mechanisms behind those changes. The findings from this study are useful as a prerequisite for studying the effects of catchment management dynamics on the hydrological variabilities in the basin.

  11. Variational assimilation of streamflow into operational distributed hydrologic models: effect of spatiotemporal adjustment scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, H.; Seo, D.-J.; Liu, Y.; Koren, V.; McKee, P.; Corby, R.

    2012-01-01

    State updating of distributed rainfall-runoff models via streamflow assimilation is subject to overfitting because large dimensionality of the state space of the model may render the assimilation problem seriously under-determined. To examine the issue in the context of operational hydrology, we carry out a set of real-world experiments in which streamflow data is assimilated into gridded Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) and kinematic-wave routing models of the US National Weather Service (NWS) Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (RDHM) with the variational data assimilation technique. Study basins include four basins in Oklahoma and five basins in Texas. To assess the sensitivity of data assimilation performance to dimensionality reduction in the control vector, we used nine different spatiotemporal adjustment scales, where state variables are adjusted in a lumped, semi-distributed, or distributed fashion and biases in precipitation and potential evaporation (PE) are adjusted hourly, 6-hourly, or kept time-invariant. For each adjustment scale, three different streamflow assimilation scenarios are explored, where streamflow observations at basin interior points, at the basin outlet, or at both interior points and the outlet are assimilated. The streamflow assimilation experiments with nine different basins show that the optimum spatiotemporal adjustment scale varies from one basin to another and may be different for streamflow analysis and prediction in all of the three streamflow assimilation scenarios. The most preferred adjustment scale for seven out of nine basins is found to be the distributed, hourly scale, despite the fact that several independent validation results at this adjustment scale indicated the occurrence of overfitting. Basins with highly correlated interior and outlet flows tend to be less sensitive to the adjustment scale and could benefit more from streamflow assimilation. In comparison to outlet flow assimilation, interior flow assimilation at any adjustment scale produces streamflow predictions with a spatial correlation structure more consistent with that of streamflow observations. We also describe diagnosing the complexity of the assimilation problem using the spatial correlation information associated with the streamflow process, and discuss the effect of timing errors in a simulated hydrograph on the performance of the data assimilation procedure.

  12. Disaggregating measurement uncertainty from population variability and Bayesian treatment of uncensored results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Strom, Daniel J.; Joyce, Kevin E.; Maclellan, Jay A.

    2012-04-17

    In making low-level radioactivity measurements of populations, it is commonly observed that a substantial portion of net results are negative. Furthermore, the observed variance of the measurement results arises from a combination of measurement uncertainty and population variability. This paper presents a method for disaggregating measurement uncertainty from population variability to produce a probability density function (PDF) of possibly true results. To do this, simple, justifiable, and reasonable assumptions are made about the relationship of the measurements to the measurands (the 'true values'). The measurements are assumed to be unbiased, that is, that their average value is the average ofmore » the measurands. Using traditional estimates of each measurement's uncertainty to disaggregate population variability from measurement uncertainty, a PDF of measurands for the population is produced. Then, using Bayes's theorem, the same assumptions, and all the data from the population of individuals, a prior PDF is computed for each individual's measurand. These PDFs are non-negative, and their average is equal to the average of the measurement results for the population. The uncertainty in these Bayesian posterior PDFs is all Berkson with no remaining classical component. The methods are applied to baseline bioassay data from the Hanford site. The data include 90Sr urinalysis measurements on 128 people, 137Cs in vivo measurements on 5,337 people, and 239Pu urinalysis measurements on 3,270 people. The method produces excellent results for the 90Sr and 137Cs measurements, since there are nonzero concentrations of these global fallout radionuclides in people who have not been occupationally exposed. The method does not work for the 239Pu measurements in non-occupationally exposed people because the population average is essentially zero.« less

  13. The Climate-Agriculture-Modeling and Decision Tool (CAMDT) for Climate Risk Management in Agriculture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ines, A. V. M.; Han, E.; Baethgen, W.

    2017-12-01

    Advances in seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) during the past decades have brought great potential to improve agricultural climate risk managements associated with inter-annual climate variability. In spite of popular uses of crop simulation models in addressing climate risk problems, the models cannot readily take seasonal climate predictions issued in the format of tercile probabilities of most likely rainfall categories (i.e, below-, near- and above-normal). When a skillful SCF is linked with the crop simulation models, the informative climate information can be further translated into actionable agronomic terms and thus better support strategic and tactical decisions. In other words, crop modeling connected with a given SCF allows to simulate "what-if" scenarios with different crop choices or management practices and better inform the decision makers. In this paper, we present a decision support tool, called CAMDT (Climate Agriculture Modeling and Decision Tool), which seamlessly integrates probabilistic SCFs to DSSAT-CSM-Rice model to guide decision-makers in adopting appropriate crop and agricultural water management practices for given climatic conditions. The CAMDT has a functionality to disaggregate a probabilistic SCF into daily weather realizations (either a parametric or non-parametric disaggregation method) and to run DSSAT-CSM-Rice with the disaggregated weather realizations. The convenient graphical user-interface allows easy implementation of several "what-if" scenarios for non-technical users and visualize the results of the scenario runs. In addition, the CAMDT also translates crop model outputs to economic terms once the user provides expected crop price and cost. The CAMDT is a practical tool for real-world applications, specifically for agricultural climate risk management in the Bicol region, Philippines, having a great flexibility for being adapted to other crops or regions in the world. CAMDT GitHub: https://github.com/Agro-Climate/CAMDT

  14. A stochastical event-based continuous time step rainfall generator based on Poisson rectangular pulse and microcanonical random cascade models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pohle, Ina; Niebisch, Michael; Zha, Tingting; Schümberg, Sabine; Müller, Hannes; Maurer, Thomas; Hinz, Christoph

    2017-04-01

    Rainfall variability within a storm is of major importance for fast hydrological processes, e.g. surface runoff, erosion and solute dissipation from surface soils. To investigate and simulate the impacts of within-storm variabilities on these processes, long time series of rainfall with high resolution are required. Yet, observed precipitation records of hourly or higher resolution are in most cases available only for a small number of stations and only for a few years. To obtain long time series of alternating rainfall events and interstorm periods while conserving the statistics of observed rainfall events, the Poisson model can be used. Multiplicative microcanonical random cascades have been widely applied to disaggregate rainfall time series from coarse to fine temporal resolution. We present a new coupling approach of the Poisson rectangular pulse model and the multiplicative microcanonical random cascade model that preserves the characteristics of rainfall events as well as inter-storm periods. In the first step, a Poisson rectangular pulse model is applied to generate discrete rainfall events (duration and mean intensity) and inter-storm periods (duration). The rainfall events are subsequently disaggregated to high-resolution time series (user-specified, e.g. 10 min resolution) by a multiplicative microcanonical random cascade model. One of the challenges of coupling these models is to parameterize the cascade model for the event durations generated by the Poisson model. In fact, the cascade model is best suited to downscale rainfall data with constant time step such as daily precipitation data. Without starting from a fixed time step duration (e.g. daily), the disaggregation of events requires some modifications of the multiplicative microcanonical random cascade model proposed by Olsson (1998): Firstly, the parameterization of the cascade model for events of different durations requires continuous functions for the probabilities of the multiplicative weights, which we implemented through sigmoid functions. Secondly, the branching of the first and last box is constrained to preserve the rainfall event durations generated by the Poisson rectangular pulse model. The event-based continuous time step rainfall generator has been developed and tested using 10 min and hourly rainfall data of four stations in North-Eastern Germany. The model performs well in comparison to observed rainfall in terms of event durations and mean event intensities as well as wet spell and dry spell durations. It is currently being tested using data from other stations across Germany and in different climate zones. Furthermore, the rainfall event generator is being applied in modelling approaches aimed at understanding the impact of rainfall variability on hydrological processes. Reference Olsson, J.: Evaluation of a scaling cascade model for temporal rainfall disaggregation, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 2, 19.30

  15. Diverse multi-decadal changes in streamflow within a rapidly urbanizing region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diem, Jeremy E.; Hill, T. Chee; Milligan, Richard A.

    2018-01-01

    The impact of urbanization on streamflow depends on a variety of factors (e.g., climate, initial land cover, inter-basin transfers, water withdrawals, wastewater effluent, etc.). The purpose of this study is to examine trends in streamflow from 1986 to 2015 in a range of watersheds within the rapidly urbanizing Atlanta, GA metropolitan area. This study compares eight watersheds over three decades, while minimizing the influence of inter-annual precipitation variability. Population and land-cover data were used to analyze changes over approximately twenty years within the watersheds. Precipitation totals for the watersheds were estimated using precipitation totals at nearby weather stations. Multiple streamflow variables, such as annual streamflow, frequencies of high-flow days (HFDs), flashiness, and precipitation-adjusted streamflow, for the eight streams were calculated using daily streamflow data. Variables were tested for significant trends from 1986 to 2015 and significant differences between 1986-2000 and 2001-2015. Flashiness increased for all streams without municipal water withdrawals, and the four watersheds with the largest increase in developed land had significant increases in flashiness. Significant positive trends in precipitation-adjusted mean annual streamflow and HFDs occurred for the two watersheds (Big Creek and Suwanee Creek) that experienced the largest increases in development, and these were the only watersheds that went from majority forest land in 1986 to majority developed land in 2015. With a disproportionate increase in HFD occurrence during summer, Big Creek and Suwannee Creek also had a reduction in intra-annual variability of HFD occurrence. Watersheds that were already substantially developed at the beginning of the period and did not have wastewater discharge had declining streamflow. The most urbanized watershed (Peachtree Creek) had a significant decrease in streamflow, and a possible cause of the decrease was increasing groundwater infiltration into sewers. The impacts of urbanization on streamflow within the metropolitan area have undoubtedly been felt by a wide of range of communities.

  16. Estimation of daily mean streamflow for ungaged stream locations in the Delaware River Basin, water years 1960–2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stuckey, Marla H.

    2016-06-09

    The ability to characterize baseline streamflow conditions, compare them with current conditions, and assess effects of human activities on streamflow is fundamental to water-management programs addressing water allocation, human-health issues, recreation needs, and establishment of ecological flow criteria. The U.S. Geological Survey, through the National Water Census, has developed the Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET) to estimate baseline (minimally altered) and altered (affected by regulation, diversion, mining, or other anthropogenic activities) and altered streamflow at a daily time step for ungaged stream locations in the Delaware River Basin for water years 1960–2010. Daily mean baseline streamflow is estimated by using the QPPQ method to equate streamflow expressed as a percentile from the flow-duration curve (FDC) for a particular day at an ungaged stream location with the percentile from a FDC for the same day at a hydrologically similar gaged location where streamflow is measured. Parameter-based regression equations were developed for 22 exceedance probabilities from the FDC for ungaged stream locations in the Delaware River Basin. Water use data from 2010 is used to adjust the baseline daily mean streamflow generated from the QPPQ method at ungaged stream locations in the Delaware River Basin to reflect current, or altered, conditions. To evaluate the effectiveness of the overall QPPQ method contained within DRB-SET, a comparison of observed and estimated daily mean streamflows was performed for 109 reference streamgages in and near the Delaware River Basin. The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values were computed as a measure of goodness of fit. The NSE values (using log10 streamflow values) ranged from 0.22 to 0.98 (median of 0.90) for 45 streamgages in the Upper Delaware River Basin and from -0.37 to 0.98 (median of 0.79) for 41 streamgages in the Lower Delaware River Basin.

  17. Compilation of streamflow statistics calculated from daily mean streamflow data collected during water years 1901–2015 for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Granato, Gregory E.; Ries, Kernell G.; Steeves, Peter A.

    2017-10-16

    Streamflow statistics are needed by decision makers for many planning, management, and design activities. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) StreamStats Web application provides convenient access to streamflow statistics for many streamgages by accessing the underlying StreamStatsDB database. In 2016, non-interpretive streamflow statistics were compiled for streamgages located throughout the Nation and stored in StreamStatsDB for use with StreamStats and other applications. Two previously published USGS computer programs that were designed to help calculate streamflow statistics were updated to better support StreamStats as part of this effort. These programs are named “GNWISQ” (Get National Water Information System Streamflow (Q) files), updated to version 1.1.1, and “QSTATS” (Streamflow (Q) Statistics), updated to version 1.1.2.Statistics for 20,438 streamgages that had 1 or more complete years of record during water years 1901 through 2015 were calculated from daily mean streamflow data; 19,415 of these streamgages were within the conterminous United States. About 89 percent of the 20,438 streamgages had 3 or more years of record, and about 65 percent had 10 or more years of record. Drainage areas of the 20,438 streamgages ranged from 0.01 to 1,144,500 square miles. The magnitude of annual average streamflow yields (streamflow per square mile) for these streamgages varied by almost six orders of magnitude, from 0.000029 to 34 cubic feet per second per square mile. About 64 percent of these streamgages did not have any zero-flow days during their available period of record. The 18,122 streamgages with 3 or more years of record were included in the StreamStatsDB compilation so they would be available via the StreamStats interface for user-selected streamgages. All the statistics are available in a USGS ScienceBase data release.

  18. Scale effects on information theory-based measures applied to streamflow patterns in two rural watersheds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Feng; Pachepsky, Yakov A.; Guber, Andrey K.; McPherson, Brian J.; Hill, Robert L.

    2012-01-01

    SummaryUnderstanding streamflow patterns in space and time is important for improving flood and drought forecasting, water resources management, and predictions of ecological changes. Objectives of this work include (a) to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of streamflow using information theory-based measures at two thoroughly-monitored agricultural watersheds located in different hydroclimatic zones with similar land use, and (b) to elucidate and quantify temporal and spatial scale effects on those measures. We selected two USDA experimental watersheds to serve as case study examples, including the Little River experimental watershed (LREW) in Tifton, Georgia and the Sleepers River experimental watershed (SREW) in North Danville, Vermont. Both watersheds possess several nested sub-watersheds and more than 30 years of continuous data records of precipitation and streamflow. Information content measures (metric entropy and mean information gain) and complexity measures (effective measure complexity and fluctuation complexity) were computed based on the binary encoding of 5-year streamflow and precipitation time series data. We quantified patterns of streamflow using probabilities of joint or sequential appearances of the binary symbol sequences. Results of our analysis illustrate that information content measures of streamflow time series are much smaller than those for precipitation data, and the streamflow data also exhibit higher complexity, suggesting that the watersheds effectively act as filters of the precipitation information that leads to the observed additional complexity in streamflow measures. Correlation coefficients between the information-theory-based measures and time intervals are close to 0.9, demonstrating the significance of temporal scale effects on streamflow patterns. Moderate spatial scale effects on streamflow patterns are observed with absolute values of correlation coefficients between the measures and sub-watershed area varying from 0.2 to 0.6 in the two watersheds. We conclude that temporal effects must be evaluated and accounted for when the information theory-based methods are used for performance evaluation and comparison of hydrological models.

  19. Interactive effects of water diversion and climate change for juvenile chinook salmon in the lemhi river basin (USA.).

    PubMed

    Walters, Annika W; Bartz, Krista K; McClure, Michelle M

    2013-12-01

    The combined effects of water diversion and climate change are a major conservation challenge for freshwater ecosystems. In the Lemhi Basin, Idaho (U.S.A.), water diversion causes changes in streamflow, and climate change will further affect streamflow and temperature. Shifts in streamflow and temperature regimes can affect juvenile salmon growth, movement, and survival. We examined the potential effects of water diversion and climate change on juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), a species listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). To examine the effects for juvenile survival, we created a model relating 19 years of juvenile survival data to streamflow and temperature and found spring streamflow and summer temperature were good predictors of juvenile survival. We used these models to project juvenile survival for 15 diversion and climate-change scenarios. Projected survival was 42-58% lower when streamflows were diverted than when streamflows were undiverted. For diverted streamflows, 2040 climate-change scenarios (ECHO-G and CGCM3.1 T47) resulted in an additional 11-39% decrease in survival. We also created models relating habitat carrying capacity to streamflow and made projections for diversion and climate-change scenarios. Habitat carrying capacity estimated for diverted streamflows was 17-58% lower than for undiverted streamflows. Climate-change scenarios resulted in additional decreases in carrying capacity for the dry (ECHO-G) climate model. Our results indicate climate change will likely pose an additional stressor that should be considered when evaluating the effects of anthropogenic actions on salmon population status. Thus, this type of analysis will be especially important for evaluating effects of specific actions on a particular species. Efectos Interactivos de la Desviación del Agua y el Cambio Climático en Individuos Juveniles de Salmón Chinook en la Cuenca del Río Lemhi (E.U.A.). Conservation Biology © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology No claim to original US government works.

  20. Short circuit: Disaggregation of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels in HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using men who have sex with men.

    PubMed

    Carrico, Adam W; Rodriguez, Violeta J; Jones, Deborah L; Kumar, Mahendra

    2018-01-01

    This study examined if methamphetamine use alone (METH + HIV-) and methamphetamine use in combination with HIV (METH + HIV+) were associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation as well as insulin resistance relative to a nonmethamphetamine-using, HIV-negative comparison group (METH-HIV-). Using an intact groups design, serum levels of HPA axis hormones in 46 METH + HIV- and 127 METH + HIV+ men who have sex with men (MSM) were compared to 136 METH-HIV- men. There were no group differences in prevailing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or cortisol levels, but the association between ACTH and cortisol was moderated by METH + HIV+ group (β = -0.19, p < .05). Compared to METH-HIV- men, METH + HIV+ MSM displayed 10% higher log 10 cortisol levels per standard deviation lower ACTH. Both groups of methamphetamine-using MSM had lower insulin resistance and greater syndemic burden (i.e., sleep disturbance, severe depression, childhood trauma, and polysubstance use disorder) compared to METH-HIV- men. However, the disaggregated functional relationship between ACTH and cortisol in METH + HIV+ MSM was independent of these factors. Further research is needed to characterize the bio-behavioral pathways that explain dysregulated HPA axis functioning in HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using MSM. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. A Streamflow Statistics (StreamStats) Web Application for Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koltun, G.F.; Kula, Stephanie P.; Puskas, Barry M.

    2006-01-01

    A StreamStats Web application was developed for Ohio that implements equations for estimating a variety of streamflow statistics including the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year peak streamflows, mean annual streamflow, mean monthly streamflows, harmonic mean streamflow, and 25th-, 50th-, and 75th-percentile streamflows. StreamStats is a Web-based geographic information system application designed to facilitate the estimation of streamflow statistics at ungaged locations on streams. StreamStats can also serve precomputed streamflow statistics determined from streamflow-gaging station data. The basic structure, use, and limitations of StreamStats are described in this report. To facilitate the level of automation required for Ohio's StreamStats application, the technique used by Koltun (2003)1 for computing main-channel slope was replaced with a new computationally robust technique. The new channel-slope characteristic, referred to as SL10-85, differed from the National Hydrography Data based channel slope values (SL) reported by Koltun (2003)1 by an average of -28.3 percent, with the median change being -13.2 percent. In spite of the differences, the two slope measures are strongly correlated. The change in channel slope values resulting from the change in computational method necessitated revision of the full-model equations for flood-peak discharges originally presented by Koltun (2003)1. Average standard errors of prediction for the revised full-model equations presented in this report increased by a small amount over those reported by Koltun (2003)1, with increases ranging from 0.7 to 0.9 percent. Mean percentage changes in the revised regression and weighted flood-frequency estimates relative to regression and weighted estimates reported by Koltun (2003)1 were small, ranging from -0.72 to -0.25 percent and -0.22 to 0.07 percent, respectively.

  2. Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers, Montana, 1928-2002

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chase, Katherine J.

    2013-01-01

    Major floods in 1996 and 1997 on the Yellowstone River in Montana intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cumulative-effects study on the main stem of the Yellowstone River. The cumulative-effects study is intended to provide a basis for future management decisions in the watershed. Streamflow statistics, such as flow-frequency and flow-duration data calculated for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions, are a necessary component of the cumulative effects study. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calculated streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers for the 1928–2002 study period. Unregulated streamflow represents flow conditions that might have occurred during the 1928–2002 study period if there had been no water-resources development in the Yellowstone River Basin. Regulated streamflow represents estimates of flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if the level of water-resources development existing in 2002 was in place during the entire study period. Peak-flow frequency estimates for regulated and unregulated streamflow were developed using methods described in Bulletin 17B. High-flow frequency and low-flow frequency data were developed for regulated and unregulated streamflows from the annual series of highest and lowest (respectively) mean flows for specified n-day consecutive periods within the calendar year. Flow-duration data, and monthly and annual streamflow characteristics, also were calculated for the unregulated and regulated streamflows.

  3. Quantifying streamflow change caused by forest disturbance at a large spatial scale: A single watershed study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Xiaohua; Zhang, Mingfang

    2010-12-01

    Climatic variability and forest disturbance are commonly recognized as two major drivers influencing streamflow change in large-scale forested watersheds. The greatest challenge in evaluating quantitative hydrological effects of forest disturbance is the removal of climatic effect on hydrology. In this paper, a method was designed to quantify respective contributions of large-scale forest disturbance and climatic variability on streamflow using the Willow River watershed (2860 km2) located in the central part of British Columbia, Canada. Long-term (>50 years) data on hydrology, climate, and timber harvesting history represented by equivalent clear-cutting area (ECA) were available to discern climatic and forestry influences on streamflow by three steps. First, effective precipitation, an integrated climatic index, was generated by subtracting evapotranspiration from precipitation. Second, modified double mass curves were developed by plotting accumulated annual streamflow against annual effective precipitation, which presented a much clearer picture of the cumulative effects of forest disturbance on streamflow following removal of climatic influence. The average annual streamflow changes that were attributed to forest disturbances and climatic variability were then estimated to be +58.7 and -72.4 mm, respectively. The positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing) values in streamflow change indicated opposite change directions, which suggest an offsetting effect between forest disturbance and climatic variability in the study watershed. Finally, a multivariate Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was generated to establish quantitative relationships between accumulated annual streamflow deviation attributed to forest disturbances and annual ECA. The model was then used to project streamflow change under various timber harvesting scenarios. The methodology can be effectively applied to any large-scale single watershed where long-term data (>50 years) are available.

  4. Treating pre-instrumental data as "missing" data: using a tree-ring-based paleoclimate record and imputations to reconstruct streamflow in the Missouri River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ho, M. W.; Lall, U.; Cook, E. R.

    2015-12-01

    Advances in paleoclimatology in the past few decades have provided opportunities to expand the temporal perspective of the hydrological and climatological variability across the world. The North American region is particularly fortunate in this respect where a relatively dense network of high resolution paleoclimate proxy records have been assembled. One such network is the annually-resolved Living Blended Drought Atlas (LBDA): a paleoclimate reconstruction of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) that covers North America on a 0.5° × 0.5° grid based on tree-ring chronologies. However, the use of the LBDA to assess North American streamflow variability requires a model by which streamflow may be reconstructed. Paleoclimate reconstructions have typically used models that first seek to quantify the relationship between the paleoclimate variable and the environmental variable of interest before extrapolating the relationship back in time. In contrast, the pre-instrumental streamflow is here considered as "missing" data. A method of imputing the "missing" streamflow data, prior to the instrumental record, is applied through multiple imputation using chained equations for streamflow in the Missouri River Basin. In this method, the distribution of the instrumental streamflow and LBDA is used to estimate sets of plausible values for the "missing" streamflow data resulting in a ~600 year-long streamflow reconstruction. Past research into external climate forcings, oceanic-atmospheric variability and its teleconnections, and assessments of rare multi-centennial instrumental records demonstrate that large temporal oscillations in hydrological conditions are unlikely to be captured in most instrumental records. The reconstruction of multi-centennial records of streamflow will enable comprehensive assessments of current and future water resource infrastructure and operations under the existing scope of natural climate variability.

  5. Impacts of changes in climate and land use/land cover under IPCC RCP scenarios on streamflow in the Hoeya River Basin, Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jinsoo; Choi, Jisun; Choi, Chuluong; Park, Soyoung

    2013-05-01

    This study examined the separate and combined impacts of future changes in climate and land use/land cover (LULC) on streamflow in the Hoeya River Basin, South Korea, using the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). First, a LULC change model was developed using RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 storylines and logistic regression. Three scenarios (climate change only, LULC change only, and climate and LULC change combined) were established, and the streamflow in future periods under these scenarios was simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. Each scenario showed distinct seasonal variations in streamflow. Under climate change only, streamflow increased in spring and winter but decreased in summer and autumn, whereas LULC change increased high flow during wet periods but decreased low flow in dry periods. Although the LULC change had less effect than climate change on the changes in streamflow, the effect of LULC change on streamflow was significant. The result for the combined scenario was similar to that of the climate change only scenario, but with larger seasonal changes in streamflow. Although the effects of LULC change were smaller than those caused by climate change, LULC changes may heighten the problems of increased seasonal variability in streamflow caused by climate change. The results obtained in this study provide further insight into the availability of future streamflow and can aid in water resource management planning in the study area. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Free internet datasets for streamflow modelling using SWAT in the Johor river basin, Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, M. L.

    2014-02-01

    Streamflow modelling is a mathematical computational approach that represents terrestrial hydrology cycle digitally and is used for water resources assessment. However, such modelling endeavours require a large amount of data. Generally, governmental departments produce and maintain these data sets which make it difficult to obtain this data due to bureaucratic constraints. In some countries, the availability and quality of geospatial and climate datasets remain a critical issue due to many factors such as lacking of ground station, expertise, technology, financial support and war time. To overcome this problem, this research used public domain datasets from the Internet as "input" to a streamflow model. The intention is simulate daily and monthly streamflow of the Johor River Basin in Malaysia. The model used is the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). As input free data including a digital elevation model (DEM), land use information, soil and climate data were used. The model was validated by in-situ streamflow information obtained from Rantau Panjang station for the year 2006. The coefficient of determination and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency were 0.35/0.02 for daily simulated streamflow and 0.92/0.21 for monthly simulated streamflow, respectively. The results show that free data can provide a better simulation at a monthly scale compared to a daily basis in a tropical region. A sensitivity analysis and calibration procedure should be conducted in order to maximize the "goodness-of-fit" between simulated and observed streamflow. The application of Internet datasets promises an acceptable performance of streamflow modelling. This research demonstrates that public domain data is suitable for streamflow modelling in a tropical river basin within acceptable accuracy.

  7. Predicting streamflow regime metrics for ungauged streamsin Colorado, Washington, and Oregon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanborn, Stephen C.; Bledsoe, Brian P.

    2006-06-01

    Streamflow prediction in ungauged basins provides essential information for water resources planning and management and ecohydrological studies yet remains a fundamental challenge to the hydrological sciences. A methodology is presented for stratifying streamflow regimes of gauged locations, classifying the regimes of ungauged streams, and developing models for predicting a suite of ecologically pertinent streamflow metrics for these streams. Eighty-four streamflow metrics characterizing various flow regime attributes were computed along with physical and climatic drainage basin characteristics for 150 streams with little or no streamflow modification in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. The diverse hydroclimatology of the study area necessitates flow regime stratification and geographically independent clusters were identified and used to develop separate predictive models for each flow regime type. Multiple regression models for flow magnitude, timing, and rate of change metrics were quite accurate with many adjusted R2 values exceeding 0.80, while models describing streamflow variability did not perform as well. Separate stratification schemes for high, low, and average flows did not considerably improve models for metrics describing those particular aspects of the regime over a scheme based on the entire flow regime. Models for streams identified as 'snowmelt' type were improved if sites in Colorado and the Pacific Northwest were separated to better stratify the processes driving streamflow in these regions thus revealing limitations of geographically independent streamflow clusters. This study demonstrates that a broad suite of ecologically relevant streamflow characteristics can be accurately modeled across large heterogeneous regions using this framework. Applications of the resulting models include stratifying biomonitoring sites and quantifying linkages between specific aspects of flow regimes and aquatic community structure. In particular, the results bode well for modeling ecological processes related to high-flow magnitude, timing, and rate of change such as the recruitment of fish and riparian vegetation across large regions.

  8. Analysis of Future Streamflow Regimes under Global Change Scenarios in Central Chile for Ecosystem Sustainability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henriquez Dole, L. E.; Gironas, J. A.; Vicuna, S.

    2015-12-01

    Given the critical role of the streamflow regime for ecosystem sustainability, modeling long term effects of climate change and land use change on streamflow is important to predict possible impacts in stream ecosystems. Because flow duration curves are largely used to characterize the streamflow regime and define indices of ecosystem health, they were used to represent and analyze in this study the stream regime in the Maipo River Basin in Central Chile. Water and Environmental Assessment and Planning (WEAP) model and the Plant Growth Model (PGM) were used to simulate water distribution, consumption in rural areas and stream flows on a weekly basis. Historical data (1990-2014), future land use scenarios (2030/2050) and climate change scenarios were included in the process. Historical data show a declining trend in flows mainly by unprecedented climatic conditions, increasing interest among users on future streamflow scenarios. In the future, under an expected decline in water availability coupled with changes in crop water demand, water users will be forced to adapt by changing water allocation rules. Such adaptation actions would in turns affect the streamflow regime. Future scenarios for streamflow regime show dramatic changes in water availability and temporal distribution. Annual weekly mean flows can reduce in 19% in the worst scenario and increase in 3.3% in the best of them, and variability in streamflow increases nearly 90% in all scenarios under evaluation. The occurrence of maximum and minimum monthly flows changes, as June instead of July becomes the driest month, and December instead of January becomes the month with maximum flows. Overall, results show that under future scenarios streamflow is affected and altered by water allocation rules to satisfy water demands, and thus decisions will need to consider the streamflow regime (and habitat) in order to be sustainable.

  9. A New Data Set of Educational Attainment in the World, 1950-2010. NBER Working Paper No. 15902

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barro, Robert J.; Lee, Jong-Wha

    2010-01-01

    Our panel data set on educational attainment has been updated for 146 countries from 1950 to 2010. The data are disaggregated by sex and by 5-year age intervals. We have improved the accuracy of estimation by using information from consistent census data, disaggregated by age group, along with new estimates of mortality rates and completion rates…

  10. Converged photonic data storage and switch platform for exascale disaggregated data centers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pitwon, R.; Wang, K.; Worrall, A.

    2017-02-01

    We report on a converged optically enabled Ethernet storage, switch and compute platform, which could support future disaggregated data center architectures. The platform includes optically enabled Ethernet switch controllers, an advanced electro-optical midplane and optically interchangeable generic end node devices. We demonstrate system level performance using optically enabled Ethernet disk drives and micro-servers across optical links of varied lengths.

  11. The National Streamflow Statistics Program: A Computer Program for Estimating Streamflow Statistics for Ungaged Sites

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ries(compiler), Kernell G.; With sections by Atkins, J. B.; Hummel, P.R.; Gray, Matthew J.; Dusenbury, R.; Jennings, M.E.; Kirby, W.H.; Riggs, H.C.; Sauer, V.B.; Thomas, W.O.

    2007-01-01

    The National Streamflow Statistics (NSS) Program is a computer program that should be useful to engineers, hydrologists, and others for planning, management, and design applications. NSS compiles all current U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) regional regression equations for estimating streamflow statistics at ungaged sites in an easy-to-use interface that operates on computers with Microsoft Windows operating systems. NSS expands on the functionality of the USGS National Flood Frequency Program, and replaces it. The regression equations included in NSS are used to transfer streamflow statistics from gaged to ungaged sites through the use of watershed and climatic characteristics as explanatory or predictor variables. Generally, the equations were developed on a statewide or metropolitan-area basis as part of cooperative study programs. Equations are available for estimating rural and urban flood-frequency statistics, such as the 1 00-year flood, for every state, for Puerto Rico, and for the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. Equations are available for estimating other statistics, such as the mean annual flow, monthly mean flows, flow-duration percentiles, and low-flow frequencies (such as the 7-day, 0-year low flow) for less than half of the states. All equations available for estimating streamflow statistics other than flood-frequency statistics assume rural (non-regulated, non-urbanized) conditions. The NSS output provides indicators of the accuracy of the estimated streamflow statistics. The indicators may include any combination of the standard error of estimate, the standard error of prediction, the equivalent years of record, or 90 percent prediction intervals, depending on what was provided by the authors of the equations. The program includes several other features that can be used only for flood-frequency estimation. These include the ability to generate flood-frequency plots, and plots of typical flood hydrographs for selected recurrence intervals, estimates of the probable maximum flood, extrapolation of the 500-year flood when an equation for estimating it is not available, and weighting techniques to improve flood-frequency estimates for gaging stations and ungaged sites on gaged streams. This report describes the regionalization techniques used to develop the equations in NSS and provides guidance on the applicability and limitations of the techniques. The report also includes a users manual and a summary of equations available for estimating basin lagtime, which is needed by the program to generate flood hydrographs. The NSS software and accompanying database, and the documentation for the regression equations included in NSS, are available on the Web at http://water.usgs.gov/software/.

  12. Stochastic optimal operation of reservoirs based on copula functions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, Xiao-hui; Tan, Qiao-feng; Wang, Xu; Wang, Hao; Wen, Xin; Wang, Chao; Zhang, Jing-wen

    2018-02-01

    Stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) has been widely used to derive operating policies for reservoirs considering streamflow uncertainties. In SDP, there is a need to calculate the transition probability matrix more accurately and efficiently in order to improve the economic benefit of reservoir operation. In this study, we proposed a stochastic optimization model for hydropower generation reservoirs, in which 1) the transition probability matrix was calculated based on copula functions; and 2) the value function of the last period was calculated by stepwise iteration. Firstly, the marginal distribution of stochastic inflow in each period was built and the joint distributions of adjacent periods were obtained using the three members of the Archimedean copulas, based on which the conditional probability formula was derived. Then, the value in the last period was calculated by a simple recursive equation with the proposed stepwise iteration method and the value function was fitted with a linear regression model. These improvements were incorporated into the classic SDP and applied to the case study in Ertan reservoir, China. The results show that the transition probability matrix can be more easily and accurately obtained by the proposed copula function based method than conventional methods based on the observed or synthetic streamflow series, and the reservoir operation benefit can also be increased.

  13. Peak data for U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations, Texas network and computer program to estimate peak-streamflow frequency

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Slade, R.M.; Asquith, W.H.

    1996-01-01

    About 23,000 annual peak streamflows and about 400 historical peak streamflows exist for about 950 stations in the surface-water data-collection network of Texas. These data are presented on a computer diskette along with the corresponding dates, gage heights, and information concerning the basin, and nature or cause for the flood. Also on the computer diskette is a U.S. Geological Survey computer program that estimates peak-streamflow frequency based on annual and historical peak streamflow. The program estimates peak streamflow for 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year recurrence intervals and is based on guidelines established by the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data. Explanations are presented for installing the program, and an example is presented with discussion of its options.

  14. Variable Streamflow Contributions in Nested Subwatersheds of a US Midwestern Urban Watershed

    DOE PAGES

    Wei, Liang; Hubbart, Jason A.; Zhou, Hang

    2017-09-09

    Quantification of runoff is critical to estimate and control water pollution in urban regions, but variation in impervious area and land-use type can complicate the quantification of runoff. We quantified the streamflow contributions of subwatersheds and the historical changes in streamflow in a flood prone urbanizing watershed in US Midwest to guide the establishment of a future pollution-control plan. Streamflow data from five nested hydrological stations enabled accurate estimations of streamflow contribution from five subwatersheds with variable impervious areas (from 0.5% to 26.6%). We corrected the impact of Missouri river backwatering at the most downstream station by comparing its streamflowmore » with an upstream station using double-mass analysis combined with Bernaola-Galvan Heuristic Segmentation approach. We also compared the streamflow of the urbanizing watershed with seven surrounding rural watersheds to estimate the cumulative impact of urbanization on the streamflow regime. The two most urbanized subwatersheds contributed >365 mm streamflow in 2012 with 657 mm precipitation, which was more than fourfold greater than the two least urbanized subwatersheds. Runoff occurred almost exclusively over the most urbanized subwatersheds during the dry period. The frequent floods occurred and the same amount of precipitation produced ~100 mm more streamflow in 2008–2014 than 1967–1980 in the urbanizing watershed; such phenomena did not occur in surrounding rural watersheds. Our approaches provide comprehensive information for planning on runoff control and pollutant reduction in urban watersheds.« less

  15. Improving Hydrological Simulations by Incorporating GRACE Data for Parameter Calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, P.

    2017-12-01

    Hydrological model parameters are commonly calibrated by observed streamflow data. This calibration strategy is questioned when the modeled hydrological variables of interest are not limited to streamflow. Well-performed streamflow simulations do not guarantee the reliable reproduction of other hydrological variables. One of the reasons is that hydrological model parameters are not reasonably identified. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite-derived total water storage change (TWSC) data provide an opportunity to constrain hydrological model parameterizations in combination with streamflow observations. We constructed a multi-objective calibration scheme based on GRACE-derived TWSC and streamflow observations, with the aim of improving the parameterizations of hydrological models. The multi-objective calibration scheme was compared with the traditional single-objective calibration scheme, which is based only on streamflow observations. Two monthly hydrological models were employed on 22 Chinese catchments with different hydroclimatic conditions. The model evaluation was performed using observed streamflows, GRACE-derived TWSC, and evapotranspiraiton (ET) estimates from flux towers and from the water balance approach. Results showed that the multi-objective calibration provided more reliable TWSC and ET simulations without significant deterioration in the accuracy of streamflow simulations than the single-objective calibration. In addition, the improvements of TWSC and ET simulations were more significant in relatively dry catchments than in relatively wet catchments. This study highlights the importance of including additional constraints besides streamflow observations in the parameter estimation to improve the performances of hydrological models.

  16. Hydrological effects of cropland and climatic changes in arid and semi-arid river basins: A case study from the Yellow River basin, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Huazhen; Zhang, Qiang; Singh, Vijay P.; Shi, Peijun; Sun, Peng

    2017-06-01

    The Yellow River basin is a typical semi-arid river basin in northern China. Serious water shortages have negative impacts on regional socioeconomic development. Recent years have witnessed changes in streamflow processes due to increasing human activities, such as agricultural activities and construction of dams and water reservoirs, and climatic changes, e.g. precipitation and temperature. This study attempts to investigate factors potentially driving changes in different streamflow components defined by different quantiles. The data used were daily streamflow data for the 1959-2005 period from 5 hydrological stations, daily precipitation and temperature data from 77 meteorological stations and data pertaining to cropland and large reservoirs. Results indicate a general decrease in streamflow across the Yellow River basin. Moreover significant decreasing streamflow has been observed in the middle and lower Yellow River basin with change points during the mid-1980s till the mid-1990s. The changes of cropland affect the streamflow components and also the cumulative effects on streamflow variations. Recent years have witnessed moderate cropland variations which result in moderate streamflow changes. Further, precipitation also plays a critical role in changes of streamflow components and human activities, i.e. cropland changes, temperature changes and building of water reservoirs, tend to have increasing impacts on hydrological processes across the Yellow River basin. This study provides a theoretical framework for the study of the hydrological effects of human activities and climatic changes on basins over the globe.

  17. Variable Streamflow Contributions in Nested Subwatersheds of a US Midwestern Urban Watershed

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wei, Liang; Hubbart, Jason A.; Zhou, Hang

    Quantification of runoff is critical to estimate and control water pollution in urban regions, but variation in impervious area and land-use type can complicate the quantification of runoff. We quantified the streamflow contributions of subwatersheds and the historical changes in streamflow in a flood prone urbanizing watershed in US Midwest to guide the establishment of a future pollution-control plan. Streamflow data from five nested hydrological stations enabled accurate estimations of streamflow contribution from five subwatersheds with variable impervious areas (from 0.5% to 26.6%). We corrected the impact of Missouri river backwatering at the most downstream station by comparing its streamflowmore » with an upstream station using double-mass analysis combined with Bernaola-Galvan Heuristic Segmentation approach. We also compared the streamflow of the urbanizing watershed with seven surrounding rural watersheds to estimate the cumulative impact of urbanization on the streamflow regime. The two most urbanized subwatersheds contributed >365 mm streamflow in 2012 with 657 mm precipitation, which was more than fourfold greater than the two least urbanized subwatersheds. Runoff occurred almost exclusively over the most urbanized subwatersheds during the dry period. The frequent floods occurred and the same amount of precipitation produced ~100 mm more streamflow in 2008–2014 than 1967–1980 in the urbanizing watershed; such phenomena did not occur in surrounding rural watersheds. Our approaches provide comprehensive information for planning on runoff control and pollutant reduction in urban watersheds.« less

  18. Development of a precipitation-runoff model to simulate unregulated streamflow in the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chase, K.J.

    2011-01-01

    This report documents the development of a precipitation-runoff model for the South Fork Flathead River Basin, Mont. The Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System model, developed in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, can be used to simulate daily mean unregulated streamflow upstream and downstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir for water-resources planning. Two input files are required to run the model. The time-series data file contains daily precipitation data and daily minimum and maximum air-temperature data from climate stations in and near the South Fork Flathead River Basin. The parameter file contains values of parameters that describe the basin topography, the flow network, the distribution of the precipitation and temperature data, and the hydrologic characteristics of the basin soils and vegetation. A primary-parameter file was created for simulating streamflow during the study period (water years 1967-2005). The model was calibrated for water years 1991-2005 using the primary-parameter file. This calibration was further refined using snow-covered area data for water years 2001-05. The model then was tested for water years 1967-90. Calibration targets included mean monthly and daily mean unregulated streamflow upstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir, mean monthly unregulated streamflow downstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir, basin mean monthly solar radiation and potential evapotranspiration, and daily snapshots of basin snow-covered area. Simulated streamflow generally was in better agreement with observed streamflow at the upstream gage than at the downstream gage. Upstream from the reservoir, simulated mean annual streamflow was within 0.0 percent of observed mean annual streamflow for the calibration period and was about 2 percent higher than observed mean annual streamflow for the test period. Simulated mean April-July streamflow upstream from the reservoir was about 1 percent lower than observed streamflow for the calibration period and about 4 percent higher than observed for the test period. Downstream from the reservoir, simulated mean annual streamflow was 17 percent lower than observed streamflow for the calibration period and 12 percent lower than observed streamflow for the test period. Simulated mean April-July streamflow downstream from the reservoir was 13 percent lower than observed streamflow for the calibration period and 6 percent lower than observed streamflow for the test period. Calibrating to solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration, and snow-covered area improved the model representation of evapotranspiration, snow accumulation, and snowmelt processes. Simulated basin mean monthly solar radiation values for both the calibration and test periods were within 9 percent of observed values except during the month of December (28 percent different). Simulated basin potential evapotranspiration values for both the calibration and test periods were within 10 percent of observed values except during the months of January (100 percent different) and February (13 percent different). The larger percent errors in simulated potential evaporation occurred in the winter months when observed potential evapotranspiration values were very small; in January the observed value was 0.000 inches and in February the observed value was 0.009 inches. Simulated start of melting of the snowpack occurred at about the same time as observed start of melting. The simulated snowpack accumulated to 90-100 percent snow-covered area 1 to 3 months earlier than observed snowpack. This overestimated snowpack during the winter corresponded to underestimated streamflow during the same period. In addition to the primary-parameter file, four other parameter files were created: for a "recent" period (1991-2005), a historical period (1967-90), a "wet" period (1989-97), and a "dry" period (1998-2005). For each data file of projected precipitation and air temperature, a single parameter file can be used to simulate a s

  19. Propagation of stage measurement uncertainties to streamflow time series

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horner, Ivan; Le Coz, Jérôme; Renard, Benjamin; Branger, Flora; McMillan, Hilary

    2016-04-01

    Streamflow uncertainties due to stage measurements errors are generally overlooked in the promising probabilistic approaches that have emerged in the last decade. We introduce an original error model for propagating stage uncertainties through a stage-discharge rating curve within a Bayesian probabilistic framework. The method takes into account both rating curve (parametric errors and structural errors) and stage uncertainty (systematic and non-systematic errors). Practical ways to estimate the different types of stage errors are also presented: (1) non-systematic errors due to instrument resolution and precision and non-stationary waves and (2) systematic errors due to gauge calibration against the staff gauge. The method is illustrated at a site where the rating-curve-derived streamflow can be compared with an accurate streamflow reference. The agreement between the two time series is overall satisfying. Moreover, the quantification of uncertainty is also satisfying since the streamflow reference is compatible with the streamflow uncertainty intervals derived from the rating curve and the stage uncertainties. Illustrations from other sites are also presented. Results are much contrasted depending on the site features. In some cases, streamflow uncertainty is mainly due to stage measurement errors. The results also show the importance of discriminating systematic and non-systematic stage errors, especially for long term flow averages. Perspectives for improving and validating the streamflow uncertainty estimates are eventually discussed.

  20. Development of an Asset Value Map for Disaster Risk Assessment in China by Spatial Disaggregation Using Ancillary Remote Sensing Data.

    PubMed

    Wu, Jidong; Li, Ying; Li, Ning; Shi, Peijun

    2018-01-01

    The extent of economic losses due to a natural hazard and disaster depends largely on the spatial distribution of asset values in relation to the hazard intensity distribution within the affected area. Given that statistical data on asset value are collected by administrative units in China, generating spatially explicit asset exposure maps remains a key challenge for rapid postdisaster economic loss assessment. The goal of this study is to introduce a top-down (or downscaling) approach to disaggregate administrative-unit level asset value to grid-cell level. To do so, finding the highly correlated "surrogate" indicators is the key. A combination of three data sets-nighttime light grid, LandScan population grid, and road density grid, is used as ancillary asset density distribution information for spatializing the asset value. As a result, a high spatial resolution asset value map of China for 2015 is generated. The spatial data set contains aggregated economic value at risk at 30 arc-second spatial resolution. Accuracy of the spatial disaggregation reflects redistribution errors introduced by the disaggregation process as well as errors from the original ancillary data sets. The overall accuracy of the results proves to be promising. The example of using the developed disaggregated asset value map in exposure assessment of watersheds demonstrates that the data set offers immense analytical flexibility for overlay analysis according to the hazard extent. This product will help current efforts to analyze spatial characteristics of exposure and to uncover the contributions of both physical and social drivers of natural hazard and disaster across space and time. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

  1. Assessing streamflow sensitivity to variations in glacier mass balance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    O'Neel, Shad; Hood, Eran; Arendt, Anthony; Sass, Louis

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to evaluate relationships among seasonal and annual glacier mass balances, glacier runoff and streamflow in two glacierized basins in different climate settings. We use long-term glacier mass balance and streamflow datasets from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Alaska Benchmark Glacier Program to compare and contrast glacier-streamflow interactions in a maritime climate (Wolverine Glacier) with those in a continental climate (Gulkana Glacier). Our overall goal is to improve our understanding of how glacier mass balance processes impact streamflow, ultimately improving our conceptual understanding of the future evolution of glacier runoff in continental and maritime climates.

  2. Hydrologic landscape classification evaluates streamflow vulnerability to climate change in Oregon, USA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Classification can allow assessments of the hydrologic functions of landscapes and their responses to stressors. Here we demonstrate the use of a hydrologic landscape (HL) approach to assess vulnerability to potential future climate change at statewide and basin scales. The HL ...

  3. Application of ANN and fuzzy logic algorithms for streamflow modelling of Savitri catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kothari, Mahesh; Gharde, K. D.

    2015-07-01

    The streamflow prediction is an essentially important aspect of any watershed modelling. The black box models (soft computing techniques) have proven to be an efficient alternative to physical (traditional) methods for simulating streamflow and sediment yield of the catchments. The present study focusses on development of models using ANN and fuzzy logic (FL) algorithm for predicting the streamflow for catchment of Savitri River Basin. The input vector to these models were daily rainfall, mean daily evaporation, mean daily temperature and lag streamflow used. In the present study, 20 years (1992-2011) rainfall and other hydrological data were considered, of which 13 years (1992-2004) was for training and rest 7 years (2005-2011) for validation of the models. The mode performance was evaluated by R, RMSE, EV, CE, and MAD statistical parameters. It was found that, ANN model performance improved with increasing input vectors. The results with fuzzy logic models predict the streamflow with single input as rainfall better in comparison to multiple input vectors. While comparing both ANN and FL algorithms for prediction of streamflow, ANN model performance is quite superior.

  4. Identification of symmetric and asymmetric responses in seasonal streamflow globally to ENSO phase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Donghoon; Ward, Philip J.; Block, Paul

    2018-04-01

    The phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has large-ranging effects on streamflow and hydrologic conditions globally. While many studies have evaluated this relationship through correlation analysis between annual streamflow and ENSO indices, an assessment of potential asymmetric relationships between ENSO and streamflow is lacking. Here, we evaluate seasonal variations in streamflow by ENSO phase to identify asymmetric (AR) and symmetric (SR) spatial pattern responses globally and further corroborate with local precipitation and hydrological condition. The AR and SR patterns between seasonal precipitation and streamflow are identified at many locations for the first time. Our results identify strong SR patterns in particular regions including northwestern and southern US, northeastern and southeastern South America, northeastern and southern Africa, southwestern Europe, and central-south Russia. The seasonally lagged anomalous streamflow patterns are also identified and attributed to snowmelt, soil moisture, and/or cumulative hydrological processes across river basins. These findings may be useful in water resources management and natural hazards planning by better characterizing the propensity of flood or drought conditions by ENSO phase.

  5. Soil Moisture Initialization Error and Subgrid Variability of Precipitation in Seasonal Streamflow Forecasting

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koster, Randal D.; Walker, Gregory K.; Mahanama, Sarith P.; Reichle, Rolf H.

    2013-01-01

    Offline simulations over the conterminous United States (CONUS) with a land surface model are used to address two issues relevant to the forecasting of large-scale seasonal streamflow: (i) the extent to which errors in soil moisture initialization degrade streamflow forecasts, and (ii) the extent to which a realistic increase in the spatial resolution of forecasted precipitation would improve streamflow forecasts. The addition of error to a soil moisture initialization field is found to lead to a nearly proportional reduction in streamflow forecast skill. The linearity of the response allows the determination of a lower bound for the increase in streamflow forecast skill achievable through improved soil moisture estimation, e.g., through satellite-based soil moisture measurements. An increase in the resolution of precipitation is found to have an impact on large-scale streamflow forecasts only when evaporation variance is significant relative to the precipitation variance. This condition is met only in the western half of the CONUS domain. Taken together, the two studies demonstrate the utility of a continental-scale land surface modeling system as a tool for addressing the science of hydrological prediction.

  6. Effects of streamflows on stream-channel morphology in the eastern Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska, 1988–2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schaepe, Nathaniel J.; Alexander, Jason S.; Folz-Donahue, Kiernan

    2016-03-09

    Changes in channel metrics generally corresponded to changes in streamflow conditions, but other than changes in incipient flood-plain area, these changes were small and were not measured in all three segments simultaneously. Increases in total channel width (except in segment 1) and incipient flood-plain area between 1993 and 1999 corresponded to increases in streamflow. Channel narrowing (except in segment 1) between 1999 and 2003 corresponded to lower summer streamflows and extended durations of very low summer streamflow. Although the pattern of low summer streamflow and extended durations of very low summer streamflow continued during the 2004–6 period and at the beginning of the 2007–10 period, no further narrowing was measured. Consistent tributary summer inflows help to explain the resistance of segments 2 and 3 to further narrowing. Because segment 1 is already much narrower than segments 2 and 3, its average current velocity is likely to be swifter and, therefore, competent to offset further effects of the processes that led to its narrowness.

  7. Substantial proportion of global streamflow less than three months old

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jasechko, Scott; Kirchner, James W.; Welker, Jeffrey M.; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.

    2016-02-01

    Biogeochemical cycles, contaminant transport and chemical weathering are regulated by the speed at which precipitation travels through landscapes and reaches streams. Streamflow is a mixture of young and old precipitation, but the global proportions of these young and old components are not known. Here we analyse seasonal cycles of oxygen isotope ratios in rain, snow and streamflow compiled from 254 watersheds around the world, and calculate the fraction of streamflow that is derived from precipitation that fell within the past two or three months. This young streamflow accounts for about a third of global river discharge, and comprises at least 5% of discharge in about 90% of the catchments we investigated. We conclude that, although typical catchments have mean transit times of years or even decades, they nonetheless can rapidly transmit substantial fractions of soluble contaminant inputs to streams. Young streamflow is less prevalent in steeper landscapes, which suggests they are characterized by deeper vertical infiltration. Because young streamflow is derived from less than 0.1% of global groundwater storage, we conclude that this thin veneer of aquifer storage will have a disproportionate influence on stream water quality.

  8. Identifying streamflow shifts induced by wildfires in mountain basins under summer precipitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spade, D. M.; Moreno, H. A.; Gourley, J. J.

    2016-12-01

    High severity wildfires drastically alter the hydrologic response in headwater catchments, as a consequence of reductions in vegetation cover and modifications of soil hydraulic properties. These changes lead to an increased probability of flash-floods in steep-slope mountain watersheds. This study investigates the changes in hydrologic response for post-fire conditions at two burned basins in Colorado as observed from time series of streamflow, precipitation and remotely sensed vegetation density. We examine the event and seasonal hydrologic shifts as a function of vegetation cover which is measured by the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). First, we compare flow duration curves of 15-min streamflows pre and post fire. Subsequently, we study the event scale changes induced by wildfire as measured by the runoff coefficient (RC), response time (RT) and peak flow (Qpk). At the seasonal scale we explore the yearly evolution of runoff coefficient and peak flow and their relationship with a normalized EVI (NEVI) to identify a recovery hysteresis pathway. Our findings support the idea that for similar burned areas relative to total basin surface, forested watersheds evidence the largest streamflow changes. Flow duration curves depict significant post-fire increases in the high-range streamflows (low probability of exceedence) on the order of 1900% in forested and 500% in shrubland dominated basins with respect to pre-fire conditions. For a similar-precipitation and antecedent soil moisture, burned watersheds significantly showed a decrease in response time and increase in runoff coefficient relative to pre-fire for two isolated hydrologic events. At the seasonal scale, the expected increase in NEVI translates into increases in RC and Qpk with a hysteresis effect driven by vegetation recovery, precipitation volumes and antecedent soil moisture. This study provides new insights to understand the physical processes triggered by fire that influence watershed responses and increase flash-flooding risks.

  9. Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Extreme Streamflow and Reservoir Operation for Nuuanu Watershed, Oahu, Hawaii

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leta, O. T.; El-Kadi, A. I.; Dulaiova, H.

    2016-12-01

    Extreme events, such as flooding and drought, are expected to occur at increased frequencies worldwide due to climate change influencing the water cycle. This is particularly critical for tropical islands where the local freshwater resources are very sensitive to climate. This study examined the impact of climate change on extreme streamflow, reservoir water volume and outflow for the Nuuanu watershed, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. Based on the sensitive parameters screened by the Latin Hypercube-One-factor-At-a-Time (LH-OAT) method, SWAT was calibrated and validated to daily streamflow using the SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Program (SWAT-CUP) at three streamflow gauging stations. Results showed that SWAT adequately reproduced the observed daily streamflow hydrographs at all stations. This was verified with Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency that resulted in acceptable values of 0.58 to 0.88, whereby more than 90% of observations were bracketed within 95% model prediction uncertainty interval for both calibration and validation periods, signifying the potential applicability of SWAT for future prediction. The climate change impact on extreme flows, reservoir water volume and outflow was assessed under the Representative Concentration Pathways of 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. We found wide changes in extreme peak and low flows ranging from -44% to 20% and -50% to -2%, respectively, compared to baseline. Consequently, the amount of water stored in Nuuanu reservoir will be decreased up to 27% while the corresponding outflow rates are expected to decrease up to 37% relative to the baseline. In addition, the stored water and extreme flows are highly sensitive to rainfall change when compared to temperature and solar radiation changes. It is concluded that the decrease in extreme low and peak flows can have serious consequences, such as flooding, drought, with detrimental effects on riparian ecological functioning. This study's results are expected to aid in reservoir operation as well as in identifying appropriate climate change adaptation strategies.

  10. Practical implementation of a particle filter data assimilation approach to estimate initial hydrologic conditions and initialize medium-range streamflow forecasts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, Elizabeth; Wood, Andy; Nijssen, Bart; Mendoza, Pablo; Newman, Andy; Nowak, Kenneth; Arnold, Jeffrey

    2017-04-01

    In an automated forecast system, hydrologic data assimilation (DA) performs the valuable function of correcting raw simulated watershed model states to better represent external observations, including measurements of streamflow, snow, soil moisture, and the like. Yet the incorporation of automated DA into operational forecasting systems has been a long-standing challenge due to the complexities of the hydrologic system, which include numerous lags between state and output variations. To help demonstrate that such methods can succeed in operational automated implementations, we present results from the real-time application of an ensemble particle filter (PF) for short-range (7 day lead) ensemble flow forecasts in western US river basins. We use the System for Hydromet Applications, Research and Prediction (SHARP), developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in collaboration with the University of Washington, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. SHARP is a fully automated platform for short-term to seasonal hydrologic forecasting applications, incorporating uncertainty in initial hydrologic conditions (IHCs) and in hydrometeorological predictions through ensemble methods. In this implementation, IHC uncertainty is estimated by propagating an ensemble of 100 temperature and precipitation time series through conceptual and physically-oriented models. The resulting ensemble of derived IHCs exhibits a broad range of possible soil moisture and snow water equivalent (SWE) states. The PF selects and/or weights and resamples the IHCs that are most consistent with external streamflow observations, and uses the particles to initialize a streamflow forecast ensemble driven by ensemble precipitation and temperature forecasts downscaled from the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS). We apply this method in real-time for several basins in the western US that are important for water resources management, and perform a hindcast experiment to evaluate the utility of PF-based data assimilation on streamflow forecasts skill. This presentation describes findings, including a comparison of sequential and non-sequential particle weighting methods.

  11. Floods of Selected Streams in Arkansas, Spring 2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Funkhouser, Jaysson E.; Eng, Ken

    2009-01-01

    Floods can cause loss of life and extensive destruction to property. Monitoring floods and understanding the reasons for their occurrence are the responsibility of many Federal agencies. The National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Geological Survey are among the most visible of these agencies. Together, these three agencies collect and analyze floodflow information to better understand the variety of mechanisms that cause floods, and how the characteristics and frequencies of floods vary with time and location. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has monitored and assessed the quantity of streamflow in our Nation's streams since the agency's inception in 1879. Because of ongoing collection and assessment of streamflow data, the USGS can provide information about a range of surface-water issues including the suitability of water for public supply and irrigation and the effects of agriculture and urbanization on streamflow. As part of its streamflow-data collection activities, the USGS measured streamflow in multiple streams during extreme flood events in Arkansas in the spring of 2008. The analysis of streamflow information collected during flood events such as these provides a scientific basis for decision making related to resource management and restoration. Additionally, this information can be used by water-resource managers to better define flood-hazard areas and to design bridges, culverts, dams, levees, and other structures. Water levels (stage) and streamflow (discharge) currently are being monitored in near real-time at approximately 150 locations in Arkansas. The streamflow-gaging stations measure and record hydrologic data at 15-minute or hourly intervals; the data then are transmitted through satellites to the USGS database and displayed on the internet every 1 to 4 hours. Streamflow-gaging stations in Arkansas are part of a network of over 7,500 active streamflow-gaging stations operated by the USGS throughout the United States in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local government agencies. In Arkansas, the major supporters of the streamflow-gaging network are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, and Arkansas Geological Survey. Many other Federal, State, and local government entities provide additional support for streamflow-gaging stations. It is the combined support of the USGS and all funding partners that make it possible to maintain an adequate streamflow-gaging network in Arkansas. Data collected over the years at streamflow-gaging stations can be used to characterize the relative magnitude of flood events and their statistical frequency of occurrence. These analyses provide water-resource managers with accurate and reliable hydrologic information based on present and historical flow conditions. Continued collection of streamflow data, with consideration of changes in land use, agricultural practices, and climate change, will help scientists to more accurately characterize the magnitude of extreme floods in the future.

  12. Flooding in the Northeastern United States, 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Suro, Thomas P.; Roland, Mark A.; Kiah, Richard G.

    2015-12-31

    The annual exceedance probability (AEP) for 327 streamgages in the Northeastern United States were computed using annual peak streamflow data through 2011 and are included in this report. The 2011 peak streamflow for 129 of those streamgages was estimated to have an AEP of less than or equal to 1 percent. Almost 100 of these peak streamflows were a result of the flooding associated with Hurricane Irene in late August 2011. More extreme than the 1-percent AEP, is the 0.2-percent AEP. The USGS recorded peak streamflows at 31 streamgages that equaled or exceeded the estimated 0.2-percent AEP during 2011. Collectively, the USGS recorded peak streamflows having estimated AEPs of less than 1 percent in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont and new period-of-record peak streamflows were recorded at more than 180 streamgages resulting from the floods of 2011.

  13. Stochastic Watershed Models for Risk Based Decision Making

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vogel, R. M.

    2017-12-01

    Over half a century ago, the Harvard Water Program introduced the field of operational or synthetic hydrology providing stochastic streamflow models (SSMs), which could generate ensembles of synthetic streamflow traces useful for hydrologic risk management. The application of SSMs, based on streamflow observations alone, revolutionized water resources planning activities, yet has fallen out of favor due, in part, to their inability to account for the now nearly ubiquitous anthropogenic influences on streamflow. This commentary advances the modern equivalent of SSMs, termed `stochastic watershed models' (SWMs) useful as input to nearly all modern risk based water resource decision making approaches. SWMs are deterministic watershed models implemented using stochastic meteorological series, model parameters and model errors, to generate ensembles of streamflow traces that represent the variability in possible future streamflows. SWMs combine deterministic watershed models, which are ideally suited to accounting for anthropogenic influences, with recent developments in uncertainty analysis and principles of stochastic simulation

  14. Regression Equations for Monthly and Annual Mean and Selected Percentile Streamflows for Ungaged Rivers in Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dudley, Robert W.

    2015-12-03

    The largest average errors of prediction are associated with regression equations for the lowest streamflows derived for months during which the lowest streamflows of the year occur (such as the 5 and 1 monthly percentiles for August and September). The regression equations have been derived on the basis of streamflow and basin characteristics data for unregulated, rural drainage basins without substantial streamflow or drainage modifications (for example, diversions and (or) regulation by dams or reservoirs, tile drainage, irrigation, channelization, and impervious paved surfaces), therefore using the equations for regulated or urbanized basins with substantial streamflow or drainage modifications will yield results of unknown error. Input basin characteristics derived using techniques or datasets other than those documented in this report or using values outside the ranges used to develop these regression equations also will yield results of unknown error.

  15. The importance of warm season warming to western U.S. streamflow changes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Das, T.; Pierce, D.W.; Cayan, D.R.; Vano, J.A.; Lettenmaier, D.P.

    2011-01-01

    Warm season climate warming will be a key driver of annual streamflow changes in four major river basins of the western U.S., as shown by hydrological model simulations using fixed precipitation and idealized seasonal temperature changes based on climate projections with SRES A2 forcing. Warm season (April-September) warming reduces streamflow throughout the year; streamflow declines both immediately and in the subsequent cool season. Cool season (October-March) warming, by contrast, increases streamflow immediately, partially compensating for streamflow reductions during the subsequent warm season. A uniform warm season warming of 3C drives a wide range of annual flow declines across the basins: 13.3%, 7.2%, 1.8%, and 3.6% in the Colorado, Columbia, Northern and Southern Sierra basins, respectively. The same warming applied during the cool season gives annual declines of only 3.5%, 1.7%, 2.1%, and 3.1%, respectively. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

  16. Vulnerability of stream community composition and function to projected thermal warming and hydrologic change across ecoregions in the western United States.

    PubMed

    Pyne, Matthew I; Poff, N LeRoy

    2017-01-01

    Shifts in biodiversity and ecological processes in stream ecosystems in response to rapid climate change will depend on how numerically and functionally dominant aquatic insect species respond to changes in stream temperature and hydrology. Across 253 minimally perturbed streams in eight ecoregions in the western USA, we modeled the distribution of 88 individual insect taxa in relation to existing combinations of maximum summer temperature, mean annual streamflow, and their interaction. We used a heat map approach along with downscaled general circulation model (GCM) projections of warming and streamflow change to estimate site-specific extirpation likelihood for each taxon, allowing estimation of whole-community change in streams across these ecoregions. Conservative climate change projections indicate a 30-40% loss of taxa in warmer, drier ecoregions and 10-20% loss in cooler, wetter ecoregions where taxa are relatively buffered from projected warming and hydrologic change. Differential vulnerability of taxa with key functional foraging roles in processing basal resources suggests that climate change has the potential to modify stream trophic structure and function (e.g., alter rates of detrital decomposition and algal consumption), particularly in warmer and drier ecoregions. We show that streamflow change is equally as important as warming in projected risk to stream community composition and that the relative threat posed by these two fundamental drivers varies across ecoregions according to projected gradients of temperature and hydrologic change. Results also suggest that direct human modification of streams through actions such as water abstraction is likely to further exacerbate loss of taxa and ecosystem alteration, especially in drying climates. Management actions to mitigate climate change impacts on stream ecosystems or to proactively adapt to them will require regional calibration, due to geographic variation in insect sensitivity and in exposure to projected thermal warming and hydrologic change. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Equity in health care financing in Palestine: the value-added of the disaggregate approach.

    PubMed

    Abu-Zaineh, Mohammad; Mataria, Awad; Luchini, Stéphane; Moatti, Jean-Paul

    2008-06-01

    This paper analyzes the redistributive effect and progressivity associated with the current health care financing schemes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, using data from the first Palestinian Household Health Expenditure Survey conducted in 2004. The paper goes beyond the commonly used "aggregate summary index approach" to apply a more detailed "disaggregate approach". Such an approach is borrowed from the general economic literature on taxation, and examines redistributive and vertical effects over specific parts of the income distribution, using the dominance criterion. In addition, the paper employs a bootstrap method to test for the statistical significance of the inequality measures. While both the aggregate and disaggregate approaches confirm the pro-rich and regressive character of out-of-pocket payments, the aggregate approach does not ascertain the potential progressive feature of any of the available insurance schemes. The disaggregate approach, however, significantly reveals a progressive aspect, for over half of the population, of the government health insurance scheme, and demonstrates that the regressivity of the out-of-pocket payments is most pronounced among the worst-off classes of the population. Recommendations are advanced to improve the performance of the government insurance schemes to enhance its capacity in limiting inequalities in health care financing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

  18. Analysis of the streamflow-gaging station network in Ohio for effectiveness in providing regional streamflow information

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Straub, D.E.

    1998-01-01

    The streamflow-gaging station network in Ohio was evaluated for its effectiveness in providing regional streamflow information. The analysis involved application of the principles of generalized least squares regression between streamflow and climatic and basin characteristics. Regression equations were developed for three flow characteristics: (1) the instantaneous peak flow with a 100-year recurrence interval (P100), (2) the mean annual flow (Qa), and (3) the 7-day, 10-year low flow (7Q10). All active and discontinued gaging stations with 5 or more years of unregulated-streamflow data with respect to each flow characteristic were used to develop the regression equations. The gaging-station network was evaluated for the current (1996) condition of the network and estimated conditions of various network strategies if an additional 5 and 20 years of streamflow data were collected. Any active or discontinued gaging station with (1) less than 5 years of unregulated-streamflow record, (2) previously defined basin and climatic characteristics, and (3) the potential for collection of more unregulated-streamflow record were included in the network strategies involving the additional 5 and 20 years of data. The network analysis involved use of the regression equations, in combination with location, period of record, and cost of operation, to determine the contribution of the data for each gaging station to regional streamflow information. The contribution of each gaging station was based on a cost-weighted reduction of the mean square error (average sampling-error variance) associated with each regional estimating equation. All gaging stations included in the network analysis were then ranked according to their contribution to the regional information for each flow characteristic. The predictive ability of the regression equations developed from the gaging station network could be improved for all three flow characteristics with the collection of additional streamflow data. The addition of new gaging stations to the network would result in an even greater improvement of the accuracy of the regional regression equations. Typically, continued data collection at stations with unregulated streamflow for all flow conditions that had less than 11 years of record with drainage areas smaller than 200 square miles contributed the largest cost-weighted reduction to the average sampling-error variance of the regional estimating equations. The results of the network analyses can be used to prioritize the continued operation of active gaging stations or the reactivation of discontinued gaging stations if the objective is to maximize the regional information content in the streamflow-gaging station network.

  19. Regime Behavior in Paleo-Reconstructed Streamflow: Attributions to Atmospheric Dynamics, Synoptic Circulation and Large-Scale Climate Teleconnection Patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ravindranath, A.; Devineni, N.

    2017-12-01

    Studies have shown that streamflow behavior and dynamics have a significant link with climate and climate variability. Patterns of persistent regime behavior from extended streamflow records in many watersheds justify investigating large-scale climate mechanisms as potential drivers of hydrologic regime behavior and streamflow variability. Understanding such streamflow-climate relationships is crucial to forecasting/simulation systems and the planning and management of water resources. In this study, hidden Markov models are used with reconstructed streamflow to detect regime-like behaviors - the hidden states - and state transition phenomena. Individual extreme events and their spatial variability across the basin are then verified with the identified states. Wavelet analysis is performed to examine the signals over time in the streamflow records. Joint analyses of the climatic data in the 20th century and the identified states are undertaken to better understand the hydroclimatic connections within the basin as well as important teleconnections that influence water supply. Compositing techniques are used to identify atmospheric circulation patterns associated with identified states of streamflow. The grouping of such synoptic patterns and their frequency are then examined. Sliding time-window correlation analysis and cross-wavelet spectral analysis are performed to establish the synchronicity of basin flows to the identified synoptic and teleconnection patterns. The Missouri River Basin (MRB) is examined in this study, both as a means of better understanding the synoptic climate controls in this important watershed and as a case study for the techniques developed here. Initial wavelet analyses of reconstructed streamflow at major gauges in the MRB show multidecadal cycles in regime behavior.

  20. Climate, water use, and land surface transformation in an irrigation intensive watershed - streamflow responses from 1950 through 2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dale, Joseph; Zou, Chris B.; Andrews, William J.; Long, James M.; Liang, Ye; Qiao, Lei

    2015-01-01

    Climatic variability and land surface change have a wide range of effects on streamflow and are often difficult to separate. We analyzed long-term records of climate, land use and land cover, and re-constructed the water budget based on precipitation, groundwater levels, and water use from 1950 through 2010 in the Cimarron–Skeleton watershed and a portion of the Cimarron–Eagle Chief watershed in Oklahoma, an irrigation-intensive agricultural watershed in the Southern Great Plains, USA. Our results show that intensive irrigation through alluvial aquifer withdrawal modifies climatic feedback and alters streamflow response to precipitation. Increase in consumptive water use was associated with decreases in annual streamflow, while returning croplands to non-irrigated grasslands was associated with increases in streamflow. Along with groundwater withdrawal, anthropogenic-induced factors and activities contributed nearly half to the observed variability of annual streamflow. Streamflow was more responsive to precipitation during the period of intensive irrigation between 1965 and 1984 than the period of relatively lower water use between 1985 and 2010. The Cimarron River is transitioning from a historically flashy river to one that is more stable with a lower frequency of both high and low flow pulses, a higher baseflow, and an increased median flow due in part to the return of cropland to grassland. These results demonstrated the interrelationship among climate, land use, groundwater withdrawal and streamflow regime and the potential to design agricultural production systems and adjust irrigation to mitigate impact of increasing climate variability on streamflow in irrigation intensive agricultural watershed.

  1. Identifying a base network of federally funded streamgaging stations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ries, Kernell G.; Kolva, J.R.; Stewart, D.W.

    2004-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed a preliminary analysis to identify streamgaging stations needed in a base network that would satisfy five primary Federal goals for collecting streamflow information. The five goals are (1) determining streamflow at interstate and international borders and at locations mandated by court decrees, (2) determining the streamflow component of water budgets for the major river basins of the Nation, (3) providing real-time streamflow information to the U.S. National Weather Service to support flood-forecasting activities, (4) providing streamflow information at locations of monitoring stations included in USGS national water-quality networks, and (5) providing streamflow information necessary for regionalization of streamflow characteristics and assessing potential long-term trends in streamflow associated with changes in climate. The analysis was done using a Geographic Information System. USGS headquarters staff made initial selections of stations that satisfied at least one of the five goals, and then staff in each of the 48 USGS district offices reviewed the selections, making suggestions for additions or changes based on detailed local knowledge of the streams in the area. The analysis indicated that 4,242 streamgaging stations are needed in the base network to meet the 5 Federal goals for streamflow information. Of these, 2,692 stations (63.5 percent) are currently operated by the USGS, 277 stations (6.5 percent) are currently operated by other agencies, 865 (20.4 percent) are discontinued USGS stations that need to be reactivated, and 408 (9.6 percent) are locations where new stations are needed. Copyright ASCE 2004.

  2. Site-specific estimation of peak-streamflow frequency using generalized least-squares regression for natural basins in Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Slade, R.M.

    1999-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, has developed a computer program to estimate peak-streamflow frequency for ungaged sites in natural basins in Texas. Peak-streamflow frequency refers to the peak streamflows for recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. Peak-streamflow frequency estimates are needed by planners, managers, and design engineers for flood-plain management; for objective assessment of flood risk; for cost-effective design of roads and bridges; and also for the desin of culverts, dams, levees, and other flood-control structures. The program estimates peak-streamflow frequency using a site-specific approach and a multivariate generalized least-squares linear regression. A site-specific approach differs from a traditional regional regression approach by developing unique equations to estimate peak-streamflow frequency specifically for the ungaged site. The stations included in the regression are selected using an informal cluster analysis that compares the basin characteristics of the ungaged site to the basin characteristics of all the stations in the data base. The program provides several choices for selecting the stations. Selecting the stations using cluster analysis ensures that the stations included in the regression will have the most pertinent information about flooding characteristics of the ungaged site and therefore provide the basis for potentially improved peak-streamflow frequency estimation. An evaluation of the site-specific approach in estimating peak-streamflow frequency for gaged sites indicates that the site-specific approach is at least as accurate as a traditional regional regression approach.

  3. Effect of monthly areal rainfall uncertainty on streamflow simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ndiritu, J. G.; Mkhize, N.

    2017-08-01

    Areal rainfall is mostly obtained from point rainfall measurements that are sparsely located and several studies have shown that this results in large areal rainfall uncertainties at the daily time step. However, water resources assessment is often carried out a monthly time step and streamflow simulation is usually an essential component of this assessment. This study set out to quantify monthly areal rainfall uncertainties and assess their effect on streamflow simulation. This was achieved by; i) quantifying areal rainfall uncertainties and using these to generate stochastic monthly areal rainfalls, and ii) finding out how the quality of monthly streamflow simulation and streamflow variability change if stochastic areal rainfalls are used instead of historic areal rainfalls. Tests on monthly rainfall uncertainty were carried out using data from two South African catchments while streamflow simulation was confined to one of them. A non-parametric model that had been applied at a daily time step was used for stochastic areal rainfall generation and the Pitman catchment model calibrated using the SCE-UA optimizer was used for streamflow simulation. 100 randomly-initialised calibration-validation runs using 100 stochastic areal rainfalls were compared with 100 runs obtained using the single historic areal rainfall series. By using 4 rain gauges alternately to obtain areal rainfall, the resulting differences in areal rainfall averaged to 20% of the mean monthly areal rainfall and rainfall uncertainty was therefore highly significant. Pitman model simulations obtained coefficient of efficiencies averaging 0.66 and 0.64 in calibration and validation using historic rainfalls while the respective values using stochastic areal rainfalls were 0.59 and 0.57. Average bias was less than 5% in all cases. The streamflow ranges using historic rainfalls averaged to 29% of the mean naturalised flow in calibration and validation and the respective average ranges using stochastic monthly rainfalls were 86 and 90% of the mean naturalised streamflow. In calibration, 33% of the naturalised flow located within the streamflow ranges with historic rainfall simulations and using stochastic rainfalls increased this to 66%. In validation the respective percentages of naturalised flows located within the simulated streamflow ranges were 32 and 72% respectively. The analysis reveals that monthly areal rainfall uncertainty is significant and incorporating it into streamflow simulation would add validity to the results.

  4. Future streamflow droughts in glacierized catchments: the impact of dynamic glacier modelling and changing thresholds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Tiel, Marit; Van Loon, Anne; Wanders, Niko; Vis, Marc; Teuling, Ryan; Stahl, Kerstin

    2017-04-01

    In glacierized catchments, snowpack and glaciers function as an important storage of water and hydrographs of highly glacierized catchments in mid- and high latitudes thus show a clear seasonality with low flows in winter and high flows in summer. Due to the ongoing climate change we expect this type of storage capacity to decrease with resultant consequences for the discharge regime. In this study we focus on streamflow droughts, here defined as below average water availability specifically in the high flow season, and which methods are most suitable to characterize future streamflow droughts as regimes change. Two glacierized catchments, Nigardsbreen (Norway) and Wolverine (Alaska), are used as case study and streamflow droughts are compared between two periods, 1975-2004 and 2071-2100. Streamflow is simulated with the HBV light model, calibrated on observed discharge and seasonal glacier mass balances, for two climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 & RCP 8.5). In studies on future streamflow drought often the same variable threshold of the past has been applied to the future, but in regions where a regime shift is expected this method gives severe "droughts" in the historic high-flow period. We applied the new alternative transient variable threshold, a threshold that adapts to the changing hydrological regime and is thus better able to cope with this issue, but has never been thoroughly tested in glacierized catchments. As the glacier area representation in the hydrological modelling can also influence the modelled discharge and the derived streamflow droughts, we evaluated in this study both the difference between the historical variable threshold (HVT) and transient variable threshold (TVT) and two different glacier area conceptualisations (constant area (C) and dynamical area (D)), resulting in four scenarios: HVT-C, HVT-D, TVT-C and TVT-D. Results show a drastic decrease in the number of droughts in the HVT-C scenario due to increased glacier melt. The deficit volume is expected to be up to almost eight times larger in the future compared to the historical period (Wolverine, +674%) in the HVT-D scenario, caused by the regime shift. Using the TVT the drought characteristics between the C and D scenarios and between future and historic droughts are more similar. However, when using the TVT, causing factors of future droughts, anomalies in temperature and/or precipitation, can be analysed. This study highlights the different conclusions that may be drawn on future streamflow droughts in glacierized catchments depending on methodological choices. They could be used to answer different questions: the TVT for analysing drought processes in the future, the HVT to assess changes between historical and future periods, the constant area conceptualisation to analyse the effect of short term climate variability and the dynamical glacier area to model realistic future discharges in glacierized catchments.

  5. Estimation of unaltered daily mean streamflow at ungaged streams of New York, excluding Long Island, water years 1961-2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gazoorian, Christopher L.

    2015-01-01

    A graphical user interface, with an integrated spreadsheet summary report, has been developed to estimate and display the daily mean streamflows and statistics and to evaluate different water management or water withdrawal scenarios with the estimated monthly data. This package of regression equations, U.S. Geological Survey streamgage data, and spreadsheet application produces an interactive tool to estimate an unaltered daily streamflow hydrograph and streamflow statistics at ungaged sites in New York. Among other uses, the New York Streamflow Estimation Tool can assist water managers with permitting water withdrawals, implementing habitat protection, estimating contaminant loads, or determining the potential affect from chemical spills.

  6. Cost-effectiveness of the stream-gaging program in New Jersey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schopp, R.D.; Ulery, R.L.

    1984-01-01

    The results of a study of the cost-effectiveness of the stream-gaging program in New Jersey are documented. This study is part of a 5-year nationwide analysis undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey to define and document the most cost-effective means of furnishing streamflow information. This report identifies the principal uses of the data and relates those uses to funding sources, applies, at selected stations, alternative less costly methods (that is flow routing, regression analysis) for furnishing the data, and defines a strategy for operating the program which minimizes uncertainty in the streamflow data for specific operating budgets. Uncertainty in streamflow data is primarily a function of the percentage of missing record and the frequency of discharge measurements. In this report, 101 continuous stream gages and 73 crest-stage or stage-only gages are analyzed. A minimum budget of $548,000 is required to operate the present stream-gaging program in New Jersey with an average standard error of 27.6 percent. The maximum budget analyzed was $650,000, which resulted in an average standard error of 17.8 percent. The 1983 budget of $569,000 resulted in a standard error of 24.9 percent under present operating policy. (USGS)

  7. Streamflow variability and optimal capacity of run-of-river hydropower plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basso, S.; Botter, G.

    2012-10-01

    The identification of the capacity of a run-of-river plant which allows for the optimal utilization of the available water resources is a challenging task, mainly because of the inherent temporal variability of river flows. This paper proposes an analytical framework to describe the energy production and the economic profitability of small run-of-river power plants on the basis of the underlying streamflow regime. We provide analytical expressions for the capacity which maximize the produced energy as a function of the underlying flow duration curve and minimum environmental flow requirements downstream of the plant intake. Similar analytical expressions are derived for the capacity which maximize the economic return deriving from construction and operation of a new plant. The analytical approach is applied to a minihydro plant recently proposed in a small Alpine catchment in northeastern Italy, evidencing the potential of the method as a flexible and simple design tool for practical application. The analytical model provides useful insight on the major hydrologic and economic controls (e.g., streamflow variability, energy price, costs) on the optimal plant capacity and helps in identifying policy strategies to reduce the current gap between the economic and energy optimizations of run-of-river plants.

  8. Assessment of regional variation in streamflow responses to urbanization and the persistence of physiography.

    PubMed

    Hopkins, Kristina G; Morse, Nathaniel B; Bain, Daniel J; Bettez, Neil D; Grimm, Nancy B; Morse, Jennifer L; Palta, Monica M; Shuster, William D; Bratt, Anika R; Suchy, Amanda K

    2015-03-03

    Aquatic ecosystems are sensitive to the modification of hydrologic regimes, experiencing declines in stream health as the streamflow regime is altered during urbanization. This study uses streamflow records to quantify the type and magnitude of hydrologic changes across urbanization gradients in nine U.S. cities (Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, Detroit, MI, Raleigh, NC, St. Paul, MN, Pittsburgh, PA, Phoenix, AZ, and Portland, OR) in two physiographic settings. Results indicate similar development trajectories among urbanization gradients, but heterogeneity in the type and magnitude of hydrologic responses to this apparently uniform urban pattern. Similar urban patterns did not confer similar hydrologic function. Study watersheds in landscapes with level slopes and high soil permeability had less frequent high-flow events, longer high-flow durations, lower flashiness response, and lower flow maxima compared to similarly developed watersheds in landscape with steep slopes and low soil permeability. Our results suggest that physical characteristics associated with level topography and high water-storage capacity buffer the severity of hydrologic changes associated with urbanization. Urbanization overlain upon a diverse set of physical templates creates multiple pathways toward hydrologic impairment; therefore, we caution against the use of the urban homogenization framework in examining geophysically dominated processes.

  9. Simulated Effects of Year 2030 Water-Use and Land-Use Changes on Streamflow near the Interstate-495 Corridor, Assabet and Upper Charles River Basins, Eastern Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carlson, Carl S.; Desimone, Leslie A.; Weiskel, Peter K.

    2008-01-01

    Continued population growth and land development for commercial, industrial, and residential uses have created concerns regarding the future supply of potable water and the quantity of ground water discharging to streams in the area of Interstate 495 in eastern Massachusetts. Two ground-water models developed in 2002-2004 for the Assabet and Upper Charles River Basins were used to simulate water supply and land-use scenarios relevant for the entire Interstate-495 corridor. Future population growth, water demands, and commercial and residential growth were projected for year 2030 by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. To assess the effects of future development on subbasin streamflows, seven scenarios were simulated by using existing computer-based ground-water-flow models with the data projected for year 2030. The scenarios incorporate three categories of projected 2030 water- and land-use data: (1) 2030 water use, (2) 2030 land use, and (3) a combination of 2030 water use and 2030 land use. Hydrologic, land-use, and water-use data from 1997 through 2001 for the Assabet River Basin study and 1989 through 1998 for the Upper Charles River Basin study were used to represent current conditions - referred to as 'basecase' conditions - in each basin to which each 2030 scenario was compared. The effects of projected 2030 land- and water-use change on streamflows in the Assabet River Basin depended upon the time of year, the hydrologic position of the subbasin in the larger basin, and the relative areas of new commercial and residential development projected for a subbasin. Effects of water use and land use on streamflow were evaluated by comparing average monthly nonstorm streamflow (base flow) for March and September simulated by using the models. The greatest decreases in streamflow (up to 76 percent in one subbasin), compared to the basecase, occurred in September, when streamflows are naturally at their lowest level. By contrast, simulated March streamflows decreased less than 6.5 percent from basecase streamflows in all subbasins for all scenarios. The simulations showed similar effects in the Upper Charles River Basin, but increased water use contributed to decreased simulated streamflow in most subbasins. Simulated changes in March streamflows for 2030 in the Upper Charles River Basin were within +- 6 percent of the basecase for all scenarios and subbasins. Percentage decreases in simulated September streamflows for 2030 were greater than in March but less than the September decreases that resulted for some subbasins in the Assabet River Basin. Only two subbasins of the Upper Charles River Basin had projected decreases greater than 5 percent. In the Mill River subbasin, the decrease was 11 percent, and in the Mine Brook subbasin, 6.6 percent. Changes in water use and wastewater return flow generally were found to have the greatest effect in the summer months when streamflow and aquifer recharge rates are low and water use is high. September increases in main-stem streamflow of both basins were due mainly to increased discharge of treated effluent from wastewater-treatment facilities on the main-stem rivers. In the Assabet River Basin, wastewater-treatment-facility discharge became a smaller proportion of total streamflow with distance downstream. In contrast, wastewater-treatment facility discharge in the Upper Charles River Basin became a greater proportion of streamflow with distance downstream. The effects of sewer-line extension and low-impact development on streamflows in two different subbasins of the Assabet River Basin also were simulated. The result of extending sewer lines with a corresponding decrease in septic-system return flow caused September streamflows to decrease as much as 15 percent in the Fort Pond Brook subbasin. The effect of low-impact development was simulated in the Hop Brook subbasin in areas projected for commercial development. In this simulation, the greater the area where low-i

  10. Temporal Differences in the Hydrologic Regime of the Lower Platte River, Nebraska, 1895-2006

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ginting, Daniel; Zelt, Ronald B.; Linard, Joshua I.

    2008-01-01

    In cooperation with the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District for a collaborative study of the cumulative effects of water and channel management practices on stream and riparian ecology, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) compiled, analyzed, and summarized hydrologic information from long-term gaging stations on the lower Platte River to determine any significant temporal differences among six discrete periods during 1895-2006 and to interpret any significant changes in relation to changes in climatic conditions or other factors. A subset of 171 examined hydrologic indices (HIs) were selected for use as indices that (1) included most of the variance in the larger set of indices, (2) retained utility as indicators of the streamflow regime, and (3) provided information at spatial and temporal scale(s) that were most indicative of streamflow regime(s). The study included the most downstream station within the central Platte River segment that flowed to the confluence with the Loup River and all four active streamflow-gaging stations (2006) on the lower Platte River main stem extending from the confluence of the Loup River and Platte River to the confluence of the Platte River and Missouri River south of Omaha. The drainage areas of the five streamflow-gaging stations covered four (of eight) climate divisions in Nebraska?division 2 (north central), 3 (northeast), 5 (central), and 6 (east central). Historical climate data and daily streamflow records from 1895 through 2006 at the five streamflow-gaging stations were divided into six 11-water-year periods: 1895?1905, 1934?44, 1951?61, 1966?76, 1985?95, and 1996?2006. Analysis of monthly climate variables?precipitation and Palmer Hydrological Drought Index?was used to determine the degree of hydroclimatic association between streamflow and climate. Except for the 1895?1905 period, data gaps in the streamflow record were filled by data estimation techniques, and 171 hydrologic indices were calculated using the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process software developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. A subset of 27 nonredundant indices (of the 171 indices) was selected using principal component analysis. Indices that described monthly streamflow?mean, maximum, minimum, skewness, and coefficients of variation?also were used. Comparison of these selected indices allowed determination of temporal differences among the six 11-water-year periods for each gaging station. The lower Platte River basin was affected by moderate to severe drought conditions in the 1934?44 period. The widespread drought was preceded by mildly to moderately wet conditions in the 1895?1906 period, followed by incipient drought to incipiently wet conditions in the 1951?61 periods and mildly wet conditions in 1966?76 period, moderately wet conditions in the 1985?1995 period, and incipient drought to mildly wet conditions in the 1996?2006 period. Monthly streamflow of the Platte River from Duncan through Louisville, Nebraska, correlated significantly with the monthly Palmer Hydrological Drought Index. Temporal differences in median values of monthly-mean and monthly-maximum streamflow measured at Duncan, North Bend, and Ashland stations between the two moderately wet periods (1895?1905 and 1985?95) indicated that streamflow storage reservoirs and regulation some time after 1906 significantly reduced monthly streamflow magnitude and amplitude?the difference between the highest and lowest median values of monthly mean streamflow. Effects of storage reservoirs on the median values of monthly-minimum streamflow were less obvious. Temporal differences among the other five periods, from 1934 through 2006 when streamflow was affected by storage and regulation, indicated the predominant effects of contrasting climate conditions on median values of monthly mean, maximum, and minimum streamflow. Significant temporal differences in monthly streamflow values were evident mainly between the two periods of greatly

  11. User’s guide for the Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stuckey, Marla H.; Ulrich, James E.

    2016-06-09

    IntroductionThe Delaware River Basin Streamflow Estimator Tool (DRB-SET) is a tool for the simulation of streamflow at a daily time step for an ungaged stream location in the Delaware River Basin. DRB-SET was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and funded through WaterSMART as part of the National Water Census, a USGS research program on national water availability and use that develops new water accounting tools and assesses water availability at the regional and national scales. DRB-SET relates probability exceedances at a gaged location to those at an ungaged stream location. Once the ungaged stream location has been identified by the user, an appropriate streamgage is automatically selected in DRB-SET using streamflow correlation (map correlation method). Alternately, the user can manually select a different streamgage or use the closest streamgage. A report file is generated documenting the reference streamgage and ungaged stream location information, basin characteristics, any warnings, baseline (minimally altered) and altered (affected by regulation, diversion, mining, or other anthropogenic activities) daily mean streamflow, and the mean and median streamflow. The estimated daily flows for the ungaged stream location can be easily exported as a text file that can be used as input into a statistical software package to determine additional streamflow statistics, such as flow duration exceedance or streamflow frequency statistics.

  12. Estimating ice-affected streamflow by extended Kalman filtering

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holtschlag, D.J.; Grewal, M.S.

    1998-01-01

    An extended Kalman filter was developed to automate the real-time estimation of ice-affected streamflow on the basis of routine measurements of stream stage and air temperature and on the relation between stage and streamflow during open-water (ice-free) conditions. The filter accommodates three dynamic modes of ice effects: sudden formation/ablation, stable ice conditions, and eventual elimination. The utility of the filter was evaluated by applying it to historical data from two long-term streamflow-gauging stations, St. John River at Dickey, Maine and Platte River at North Bend, Nebr. Results indicate that the filter was stable and that parameters converged for both stations, producing streamflow estimates that are highly correlated with published values. For the Maine station, logarithms of estimated streamflows are within 8% of the logarithms of published values 87.2% of the time during periods of ice effects and within 15% 96.6% of the time. Similarly, for the Nebraska station, logarithms of estimated streamflows are within 8% of the logarithms of published values 90.7% of the time and within 15% 97.7% of the time. In addition, the correlation between temporal updates and published streamflows on days of direct measurements at the Maine station was 0.777 and 0.998 for ice-affected and open-water periods, respectively; for the Nebraska station, corresponding correlations were 0.864 and 0.997.

  13. Streamflow, water-temperature, and specific-conductance data for selected streams draining into Lake Fryxell, lower Taylor Valley, Victoria Land, Antarctica, 1990-92

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Von Guerard, Paul; McKnight, Diane M.; Harnish, R.A.; Gartner, J.W.; Andrews, E.D.

    1995-01-01

    During the 1990-91 and 1991-92 field seasons in Antarctica, streamflow, water-temperature, and specific-conductance data were collected on the major streams draining into Lake Fryxell. Lake Fryxell is a permanently ice-covered, closed-basin lake with 13 tributary streams. Continuous streamflow data were collected at eight sites, and periodic streamflow measurements were made at three sites. Continuous water-temperature and specific- conductance data were collected at seven sites, and periodic water-temperature and specific-conductance data were collected at all sites. Streamflow for all streams measured ranged from 0 to 0.651 cubic meter per second. Water temperatures for all streams measured ranged from 0 to 14.3 degrees Celsius. Specific conductance for all streams measured ranged from 11 to 491 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. It is probable that stream- flow in the Lake Fryxell Basin during 1990-92 was greater than average. Examination of the 22-year streamflow record in the Onyx River in the Wright Valley revealed that in 1990 streamflow began earlier than for any previous year recorded and that the peak streamflow of record was exceeded. Similar high-flow conditions occurred during the 1991-92 field season. Thus, the data collected on streams draining into Lake Fryxell during 1990-92 are representative of greater than average stream- flow conditions.

  14. WRF-Hydro Simulated Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Streamflow Extremes over the CONUS during 1993-2016 and Possible Connections with Climate Variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dugger, A. L.; Zhang, Y.; Gochis, D.; Yu, W.; McCreight, J. L.; Karsten, L.; Rafieeinasab, A.; Sampson, K. M.; Salas, F.; Read, L.; Pan, L.; Yates, D. N.; Cosgrove, B.; Clark, E. P.

    2017-12-01

    Streamflow extremes (lows and peaks) tend to have disproportionately higher impacts on the human and natural systems compared to mean streamflow. Examining and understanding the spatiotemporal distributions of streamflow extremes is of significant interests to both the research community and the water resources management. In this work, the output from the 24-year (1993 through 2016) retrospective runs of the National Water Model (NWM) version of WRF-Hydro will be analyzed for streamflow extremes over the CONUS domain. The CONUS domain was configured at 1-km resolution for land surface grid and 250-m resolution for terrain routing. The WRF-Hydro runs were forced by the regridded and downscaled NLDAS2 data. The analyses focus on daily mean streamflow values over the full water year and within the summer and winter seasons. Connections between NWM streamflow and other hydrologic variables (e.g. snowpack, soil moisture/saturation and ET) with variations in large-scale climate phenomena, e.g., El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and North American monsoon are examined. The CONUS domain has a diverse environment and is characterized by complex terrain, heterogeneous land surfaces and ecosystems, and numerous hydrological basins. The potential dependence of streamflow extremes on regional terrain character, climatic conditions, and ecologic zones will also be investigated.

  15. Hydrogeological framework, numerical simulation of groundwater flow, and effects of projected water use and drought for the Beaver-North Canadian River alluvial aquifer, northwestern Oklahoma

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ryter, Derek W.; Correll, Jessica S.

    2016-01-14

    A hypothetical severe drought was simulated by using aquifer recharge flow rates during the drought year of 2011 for a period of 10 years. All other flows including evapotranspiration and groundwater pumping were set at estimated 2011 rates. The hypothetical drought caused a decrease in water in aquifer storage by about 7 percent in Reach I and 7 percent in Reach II. Another analysis of the effects of hypothetical drought estimated the effects of drought on streamflow and lake storage. The hypothetical drought was simulated by decreasing recharge by 75 percent for a selected 10-year period (1994–2004) during the 1980–2011 simulation. In Reach I, the amounts of water stored in Canton Lake and streamflow at the Seiling, Okla., streamflow-gaging station were analyzed. Streamflow at the Seiling station decreased by a mean of 75 percent and was still diminished by 10 percent after 2011. In Reach II, the effect of drought on the streamflow at the Yukon, Okla., streamflow-gaging station was examined. The greatest mean streamflow decrease was approximately 60 percent during the simulated drought, and after 2011, the mean decrease in streamflow was still about 5 percent. Canton Lake storage decreased by as much as 83 percent during the simulated drought and did not recover by 2011.

  16. Simulated Water-Management Alternatives Using the Modular Modeling System for the Methow River Basin, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Konrad, Christopher P.

    2004-01-01

    A precipitation-runoff model for the Methow River Basin was used to simulate six alternatives: (1) baseline of current flow, (2) line irrigation canals to limit seepage losses, (3) increase surface-water diversions through unlined canals for aquifer recharge, (4) convert from surface-water to ground-water resources to supply water for irrigation, and (5) reduce tree density in forested headwater catchments, and (6) natural flow. Daily streamflow from October 1, 1959, to September 30, 2001 (water years 1960?2001) was simulated. Lining irrigation canals (alternative 2) increased flows in the Chewuch, Twisp, and the Methow (upstream and at Twisp) Rivers during September because of lower diversion rates, but not in the Methow River near Pateros. Increasing diversions for aquifer recharge (alternative 3) increased streamflow from September into January, but reduced streamflow earlier in the summer. Conversion of surface-water diversions to ground-water wells (alternative 4) resulted in the largest increase in September streamflow of any alternative, but also marginally lower January flows (at most -8 percent in the 90-percent exceedence value). Forest-cover reduction (alternative 5) produced large increases in streamflow during high-flow periods in May and June and earlier onset of high flows and small increases in January streamflows. September streamflows were largely unaffected by alternative 5. Natural streamflow (alternative 6) was higher in September and lower in January than the baseline alternative.

  17. Covariability of Climate and Streamflow in the Upper Rio Grande from Interannual to Interdecadal Timescales

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pascolini-Campbell, M.; Seager, Richard; Pinson, Ariane; Cook, Benjamin I.

    2017-01-01

    Study region: The Upper Rio Grande (URG) flows from its headwaters in Colorado, U.S., and provides an important source of water to millions of people in the U.S. states of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and also Mexico. Study focus: We reassess the explanatory power of the relationship of sea surface temperatures (SST) on URG streamflow variability on interannual to interdecadal timescales. We find a significant amount of the variance of spring-summer URG streamflow cannot be fully explained by SST. New hydrological insights: We find that the interdecadal teleconnection between SST and streamflow is more clear than on interannual timescales. The highest ranked years tend to be clustered during positive phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). During the periods of decadal high flow (1900-1920, and 1979-1995), Pacific SST resembles a positive PDO pattern and the Atlantic a negative Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) pattern; an interbasin pattern shown in prior studies to be conducive to high precipitation and streamflow. To account for the part of streamflow variance not explained by SST, we analyze atmospheric Reanalysis data for the months preceding the highest spring-summer streamflow events. A variety of atmospheric configurations are found to precede the highest flow years through anomalous moisture convergence. This lack of consistency suggests that, on interannual timescales, weather and not climate can dominate the generation of high streamflow events.

  18. Simulated effects of proposed reservoir-development alternatives on streamflow quantity in the White River, Colorado and Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kuhn, Gerhard; Ellis, S.R.

    1984-01-01

    Numerous reservoirs have been proposed for the White River basin in Colorado and Utah, primarily to provide water for oil-shale development. A multireservoir-flow model was used to simulate the effects of streamflow withdrawal at four of the proposed reservoirs using historical streamflow data from the 1932-81 water years. The proposed reservoirs considered in the study were Avery, Powell Park, Taylor Draw, and White River Reservoirs; construction of Taylor Draw Dam was completed during the study. Annual streamflow depletions from the White River ranging from about 93,000 to 226,000 acre-feet were simulated for the 50 year period. Simulated streamflow throughout the year generally became smaller and more constant as streamflow throughout the year generally became smaller and more constant as streamflow depletion increased. Minimum streamflow requirements would not have been met for a maximum of 13 years and water-use requirements associated with the proposed reservoirs would not have been met for a maximum of 3 years. The current water-use pattern, which depletes about 40,000 acre-feet per year and is dominated by irrigation of hay meadows and pastureland, was maintained in the simulation. Relations between reservoir active capacity and yield applicable to the White River also were developed. These relations show that reservoir storage of about 400,000 acre-feet is the maximum practicable for the White River. (USGS)

  19. Evaluation of statistical and rainfall-runoff models for predicting historical daily streamflow time series in the Des Moines and Iowa River watersheds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Farmer, William H.; Knight, Rodney R.; Eash, David A.; Kasey J. Hutchinson,; Linhart, S. Mike; Christiansen, Daniel E.; Archfield, Stacey A.; Over, Thomas M.; Kiang, Julie E.

    2015-08-24

    Daily records of streamflow are essential to understanding hydrologic systems and managing the interactions between human and natural systems. Many watersheds and locations lack streamgages to provide accurate and reliable records of daily streamflow. In such ungaged watersheds, statistical tools and rainfall-runoff models are used to estimate daily streamflow. Previous work compared 19 different techniques for predicting daily streamflow records in the southeastern United States. Here, five of the better-performing methods are compared in a different hydroclimatic region of the United States, in Iowa. The methods fall into three classes: (1) drainage-area ratio methods, (2) nonlinear spatial interpolations using flow duration curves, and (3) mechanistic rainfall-runoff models. The first two classes are each applied with nearest-neighbor and map-correlated index streamgages. Using a threefold validation and robust rank-based evaluation, the methods are assessed for overall goodness of fit of the hydrograph of daily streamflow, the ability to reproduce a daily, no-fail storage-yield curve, and the ability to reproduce key streamflow statistics. As in the Southeast study, a nonlinear spatial interpolation of daily streamflow using flow duration curves is found to be a method with the best predictive accuracy. Comparisons with previous work in Iowa show that the accuracy of mechanistic models with at-site calibration is substantially degraded in the ungaged framework.

  20. Techniques for estimating monthly mean streamflow at gaged sites and monthly streamflow duration characteristics at ungaged sites in central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hess, G.W.; Bohman, L.R.

    1996-01-01

    Techniques for estimating monthly mean streamflow at gaged sites and monthly streamflow duration characteristics at ungaged sites in central Nevada were developed using streamflow records at six gaged sites and basin physical and climatic characteristics. Streamflow data at gaged sites were related by regression techniques to concurrent flows at nearby gaging stations so that monthly mean streamflows for periods of missing or no record can be estimated for gaged sites in central Nevada. The standard error of estimate for relations at these sites ranged from 12 to 196 percent. Also, monthly streamflow data for selected percent exceedence levels were used in regression analyses with basin and climatic variables to determine relations for ungaged basins for annual and monthly percent exceedence levels. Analyses indicate that the drainage area and percent of drainage area at altitudes greater than 10,000 feet are the most significant variables. For the annual percent exceedence, the standard error of estimate of the relations for ungaged sites ranged from 51 to 96 percent and standard error of prediction for ungaged sites ranged from 96 to 249 percent. For the monthly percent exceedence values, the standard error of estimate of the relations ranged from 31 to 168 percent, and the standard error of prediction ranged from 115 to 3,124 percent. Reliability and limitations of the estimating methods are described.

  1. Comparison of TOPMODEL streamflow simulations using NEXRAD-based and measured rainfall data, McTier Creek watershed, South Carolina

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Feaster, Toby D.; Westcott, Nancy E.; Hudson, Robert J.M.; Conrads, Paul; Bradley, Paul M.

    2012-01-01

    Rainfall is an important forcing function in most watershed models. As part of a previous investigation to assess interactions among hydrologic, geochemical, and ecological processes that affect fish-tissue mercury concentrations in the Edisto River Basin, the topography-based hydrological model (TOPMODEL) was applied in the McTier Creek watershed in Aiken County, South Carolina. Measured rainfall data from six National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative (COOP) stations surrounding the McTier Creek watershed were used to calibrate the McTier Creek TOPMODEL. Since the 1990s, the next generation weather radar (NEXRAD) has provided rainfall estimates at a finer spatial and temporal resolution than the NWS COOP network. For this investigation, NEXRAD-based rainfall data were generated at the NWS COOP stations and compared with measured rainfall data for the period June 13, 2007, to September 30, 2009. Likewise, these NEXRAD-based rainfall data were used with TOPMODEL to simulate streamflow in the McTier Creek watershed and then compared with the simulations made using measured rainfall data. NEXRAD-based rainfall data for non-zero rainfall days were lower than measured rainfall data at all six NWS COOP locations. The total number of concurrent days for which both measured and NEXRAD-based data were available at the COOP stations ranged from 501 to 833, the number of non-zero days ranged from 139 to 209, and the total difference in rainfall ranged from -1.3 to -21.6 inches. With the calibrated TOPMODEL, simulations using NEXRAD-based rainfall data and those using measured rainfall data produce similar results with respect to matching the timing and shape of the hydrographs. Comparison of the bias, which is the mean of the residuals between observed and simulated streamflow, however, reveals that simulations using NEXRAD-based rainfall tended to underpredict streamflow overall. Given that the total NEXRAD-based rainfall data for the simulation period is lower than the total measured rainfall at the NWS COOP locations, this bias would be expected. Therefore, to better assess the use of NEXRAD-based rainfall estimates as compared to NWS COOP rainfall data on the hydrologic simulations, TOPMODEL was recalibrated and updated simulations were made using the NEXRAD-based rainfall data. Comparisons of observed and simulated streamflow show that the TOPMODEL results using measured rainfall data and NEXRAD-based rainfall are comparable. Nonetheless, TOPMODEL simulations using NEXRAD-based rainfall still tended to underpredict total streamflow volume, although the magnitude of differences were similar to the simulations using measured rainfall. The McTier Creek watershed was subdivided into 12 subwatersheds and NEXRAD-based rainfall data were generated for each subwatershed. Simulations of streamflow were generated for each subwatershed using NEXRAD-based rainfall and compared with subwatershed simulations using measured rainfall data, which unlike the NEXRAD-based rainfall were the same data for all subwatersheds (derived from a weighted average of the six NWS COOP stations surrounding the basin). For the two simulations, subwatershed streamflow were summed and compared to streamflow simulations at two U.S. Geological Survey streamgages. The percentage differences at the gage near Monetta, South Carolina, were the same for simulations using measured rainfall data and NEXRAD-based rainfall. At the gage near New Holland, South Carolina, the percentage differences using the NEXRAD-based rainfall were twice as much as those using the measured rainfall. Single-mass curve comparisons showed an increase in the total volume of rainfall from north to south. Similar comparisons of the measured rainfall at the NWS COOP stations showed similar percentage differences, but the NEXRAD-based rainfall variations occurred over a much smaller distance than the measured rainfall. Nonetheless, it was concluded that in some cases, using NEXRAD-based rainfall data in TOPMODEL streamflow simulations may provide an effective alternative to using measured rainfall data. For this investigation, however, TOPMODEL streamflow simulations using NEXRAD-based rainfall data for both calibration and simulations did not show significant improvements with respect to matching observed streamflow over simulations generated using measured rainfall data.

  2. Interaction between stream temperature, streamflow, and groundwater exchanges in alpine streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Constantz, James E.

    1998-01-01

    Four alpine streams were monitored to continuously collect stream temperature and streamflow for periods ranging from a week to a year. In a small stream in the Colorado Rockies, diurnal variations in both stream temperature and streamflow were significantly greater in losing reaches than in gaining reaches, with minimum streamflow losses occurring early in the day and maximum losses occurring early in the evening. Using measured stream temperature changes, diurnal streambed infiltration rates were predicted to increase as much as 35% during the day (based on a heat and water transport groundwater model), while the measured increase in streamflow loss was 40%. For two large streams in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, annual stream temperature variations ranged from 0° to 25°C. In summer months, diurnal stream temperature variations were 30–40% of annual stream temperature variations, owing to reduced streamflows and increased atmospheric heating. Previous reports document that one Sierra stream site generally gains groundwater during low flows, while the second Sierra stream site may lose water during low flows. For August the diurnal streamflow variation was 11% at the gaining stream site and 30% at the losing stream site. On the basis of measured diurnal stream temperature variations, streambed infiltration rates were predicted to vary diurnally as much as 20% at the losing stream site. Analysis of results suggests that evapotranspiration losses determined diurnal streamflow variations in the gaining reaches, while in the losing reaches, evapotranspiration losses were compounded by diurnal variations in streambed infiltration. Diurnal variations in stream temperature were reduced in the gaining reaches as a result of discharging groundwater of relatively constant temperature. For the Sierra sites, comparison of results with those from a small tributary demonstrated that stream temperature patterns were useful in delineating discharges of bank storage following dam releases. Direct coupling may have occurred between streamflow and stream temperature for losing stream reaches, such that reduced streamflows facilitated increased afternoon stream temperatures and increased afternoon stream temperatures induced increased streambed losses, leading to even greater increases in both stream temperature and streamflow losses.

  3. June and August median streamflows estimated for ungaged streams in southern Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lombard, Pamela J.

    2010-01-01

    Methods for estimating June and August median streamflows were developed for ungaged, unregulated streams in southern Maine. The methods apply to streams with drainage areas ranging in size from 0.4 to 74 square miles, with percentage of basin underlain by a sand and gravel aquifer ranging from 0 to 84 percent, and with distance from the centroid of the basin to a Gulf of Maine line paralleling the coast ranging from 14 to 94 miles. Equations were developed with data from 4 long-term continuous-record streamgage stations and 27 partial-record streamgage stations. Estimates of median streamflows at the continuous-record and partial-record stations are presented. A mathematical technique for estimating standard low-flow statistics, such as June and August median streamflows, at partial-record streamgage stations was applied by relating base-flow measurements at these stations to concurrent daily streamflows at nearby long-term (at least 10 years of record) continuous-record streamgage stations (index stations). Weighted least-squares regression analysis (WLS) was used to relate estimates of June and August median streamflows at streamgage stations to basin characteristics at these same stations to develop equations that can be used to estimate June and August median streamflows on ungaged streams. WLS accounts for different periods of record at the gaging stations. Three basin characteristics-drainage area, percentage of basin underlain by a sand and gravel aquifer, and distance from the centroid of the basin to a Gulf of Maine line paralleling the coast-are used in the final regression equation to estimate June and August median streamflows for ungaged streams. The three-variable equation to estimate June median streamflow has an average standard error of prediction from -35 to 54 percent. The three-variable equation to estimate August median streamflow has an average standard error of prediction from -45 to 83 percent. Simpler one-variable equations that use only drainage area to estimate June and August median streamflows were developed for use when less accuracy is acceptable. These equations have average standard errors of prediction from -46 to 87 percent and from -57 to 133 percent, respectively.

  4. Impact of Fire on Streamflow in Southern California Watersheds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bart, R. R.; Hope, A. S.

    2007-12-01

    Post-fire streamflow dynamics in Southern California have primarily been studied using small watershed experiments. These studies have concluded that increases in streamflow are a consequence of an increase in soil hydrophobicity, along with a decrease in transpiration rates associated with less vegetation. Extrapolation of the results from these studies to large watersheds (>50 km2) has been limited because large watersheds may not burn completely and other processes may emerge at these scales. In this study, six paired watersheds were used to test the hypothesis that there is an increase in streamflow following fire in large California watersheds (54-632 km2). The percentage of area burned in these watersheds ranged from 23 to 100%. The effects of fires on streamflow were examined at annual, seasonal, and monthly time-steps for the five years following fire. In addition, this study attempted to address fundamental regression assumptions that are commonly ignored, and create uncertainty bounds for evaluating the changes in streamflow before and after fire. Results of this experiment indicate that differences in pre and post-fire streamflows, at all time scales and in all the test catchments, were generally within the 95% uncertainty bounds of the regression equation. It is uncertain whether the apparent lack of significant difference between the pre and post-fire streamflow reflects no actual change in streamflow or is a consequence of the errors and uncertainties in the streamflow data. Furthermore, persistent drought in the years following fire made it challenging to interpret differences in pre and post-fire flows using the paired watershed methodology. The effects of hydrophobicity on post-fire streamflow may have been reduced by a limited number of storm flow events during these drought years. Under these dry conditions, soil moisture was the dominant control over transpirational losses, minimizing the effects of a reduction in vegetation cover. These results indicate that the consequences of fires are likely to vary depending on the post-fire meteorological conditions. The study addresses the challenges of using non-experimental watersheds for paired watershed studies.

  5. A multiple wavelet coherency method for temporal streamflow-precipitation-temperature relationships in 17 small catchments on the Loess Plateau, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Y.; Liu, B.

    2017-12-01

    Climate change and human activities are two critical factors causing the dramatical variations of streamflow in the Yellow River Basin of China during the last several decades. More and more attention has been paid to the temporal relationships of streamflow with precipitation and temperature recently. The objective of the current study was to explore the contributions of precipitation and temperature to the temporal variations of streamflow on the Loess Plateau using a multiple wavelet coherency method. Annual streamflow during 1961-2013 for 17 small catchments were collected from the Yellow River Conservancy Commission and annual precipitation and temperature for each catchment were derived from the meteorological data at the national weather stations across the Loess Plateau through the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System. An abrupt decrease was observed in the annual streamflow around year 2000 for any of the 17 catchments investigated, which was believed to be related with the extensive Grain for Green Project. According to bivariate wavelet coherences, however, annual streamflow showed strong temporal variations with annual precipitation at 8 out of the 17 catchments, where the percentage area of significant coherency (PASC) exceeded 50%. Especially in Weihe and Yiluohe catchments, the corresponding PASC were close to 100%, suggesting that annual precipitation change accounted for almost all the temporal streamflow variations. Compared to annual precipitation, the temporal correlation of temperature with streamflow was relatively small, as implied in the lower mean wavelet coherence (MWC) and PASC. Moreover, including temperature in addition to precipitation in the multiple wavelet coherency analysis failed to increase either MWC or PASC in any of the 17 catchments except for Qingjianhe and Qiushuihe catchments. It was indicated that for most catchments on the Loess Plateau, annual temperature was not significantly different from the red noise in explaining the additional variation in streamflow. In view of the small PASC values resulted for most catchments, there existed other environmental and/or anthropogenic factors responsible for the temporal variations of streamflow.

  6. CrowdWater - Can people observe what models need?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Meerveld, I. H. J.; Seibert, J.; Vis, M.; Etter, S.; Strobl, B.

    2017-12-01

    CrowdWater (www.crowdwater.ch) is a citizen science project that explores the usefulness of crowd-sourced data for hydrological model calibration and prediction. Hydrological models are usually calibrated based on observed streamflow data but it is likely easier for people to estimate relative stream water levels, such as the water level above or below a rock, than streamflow. Relative stream water levels may, therefore, be a more suitable variable for citizen science projects than streamflow. In order to test this assumption, we held surveys near seven different sized rivers in Switzerland and asked more than 450 volunteers to estimate the water level class based on a picture with a virtual staff gauge. The results show that people can generally estimate the relative water level well, although there were also a few outliers. We also asked the volunteers to estimate streamflow based on the stick method. The median estimated streamflow was close to the observed streamflow but the spread in the streamflow estimates was large and there were very large outliers, suggesting that crowd-based streamflow data is highly uncertain. In order to determine the potential value of water level class data for model calibration, we converted streamflow time series for 100 catchments in the US to stream level class time series and used these to calibrate the HBV model. The model was then validated using the streamflow data. The results of this modeling exercise show that stream level class data are useful for constraining a simple runoff model. Time series of only two stream level classes, e.g. above or below a rock in the stream, were already informative, especially when the class boundary was chosen towards the highest stream levels. There was hardly any improvement in model performance when more than five water level classes were used. This suggests that if crowd-sourced stream level observations are available for otherwise ungauged catchments, these data can be used to constrain a simple runoff model and to generate simulated streamflow time series from the level observations.

  7. Traveltime of the Rio Grande in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico, Water Years 2003-05

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langman, Jeff B.

    2008-01-01

    The quality of water in the Rio Grande is becoming increasingly important as more surface water is proposed for diversion from the river for potable and nonpotable uses. In cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, the U.S. Geological Survey examined traveltime of the Rio Grande in the Middle Rio Grande Basin to evaluate the potential travel of a conservative solute entrained in the river's streamflow. A flow-pulse analysis was performed to determine traveltimes of a wide range of streamflows in the Rio Grande, to develop traveltime curves for estimating the possible traveltime of a conservative solute in the Rio Grande between Cochiti Dam and Albuquerque, and to evaluate streamflow velocities and dispersion and storage characteristics of the Rio Grande in the entire Middle Rio Grande Basin. A flow-pulse analysis was applied to 12 pulse events recorded during the 2003-05 water years for streamflow-gaging stations between Cochiti Dam and the city of San Acacia. Pulse streamflows ranged from 495 to 5,190 cubic feet per second (ft3/s). Three points of each pulse were tracked as the pulse passed a station - rising-limb leading edge, plateau leading edge, and plateau trailing edge. Most pulses indicated longer traveltimes for each successive point in the pulse. Dispersion and spreading of the pulses decreased with increased streamflow. Decreasing traveltimes were not always consistent with increasing streamflow, particularly for flows less than 1,750 ft3/s, and the relation of traveltime and original pulse streamflow at Cochiti indicated a nonlinear component. Average streamflow velocities decreased by greater than 30 percent from San Felipe to San Acacia. The expected trend of increasing dispersion with downstream travel was not always visible because of other influences on streamflow. With downstream flow, distributions of the pulses became more skewed to the descending limbs, indicating possible short-term storage of a part of the pulses.

  8. Effects of urban development in the Puget Lowland, Washington, on interannual streamflow patterns: Consequences for channel form and streambed disturbance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Konrad, Christopher P.; Booth, Derek B.; Burges, Stephen J.

    2005-01-01

    Recovery and protection of streams in urban areas depend on a comprehensive understanding of how human activities affect stream ecosystems. The hydrologic effects of urban development and the consequences for stream channel form and streambed stability were examined in 16 streams in the Puget Lowland, Washington, using three streamflow metrics that integrate storm‐scale effects of urban development over annual to decadal timescales: the fraction of time that streamflow exceeds the mean streamflow (TQmean), the coefficient of variation of annual maximum streamflow (CVAMF), and the fraction of time that streamflow exceeds the 0.5‐year flood (T0.5). Urban streams had low interannual variability in annual maximum streamflow and brief duration of frequent high flows, as indicated by significant correlations between road density and both CVAMFand T0.5. The broader distribution of streamflow indicated by TQmean may be affected by urban development, but differences in TQmean between streams are also likely a result of other physiographic factors. The increase in the magnitude of frequent high flows due to urban development but not their cumulative duration has important consequences for channel form and bed stability in gravel bed streams because geomorphic equilibrium depends on moderate duration streamflow (e.g., exceeded 10% of the time). Streams with low values of TQmean and T0.5 are narrower than expected from hydraulic geometry. Dimensionless boundary shear stress (t*) for the 0.5‐year flood was inversely related to T0.5 among the streams, indicating frequent and extensive bed disturbance in streams with low values of T0.5. Although stream channels expand and the size of bed material increases in response to urban streamflow patterns, these adjustments may be insufficient to reestablish the disturbance regime in urban streams because of the differential increase in the magnitude of frequent high flows causing disturbance relative to any changes in longer duration, moderate flows that establish a stable channel.

  9. Variability and predictability of the streamflows in Coastal and Andean Ecuador

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quishpe-Vásquez, César; Córdoba-Machado, Samir; Palomino-Lemus, Reiner; García-Valdecasas-Ojeda, Matilde; Raquel Gámiz-Fortis, Sonia; Castro-Díez, Yolanda; Jesús Esteban-Parra, María

    2017-04-01

    The main objective of this study is to examine the variability and the predictability in available water resources in Coastal and Andean Ecuador. For this aim, we use the streamflow data from a network of hydrological stations, provided by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Ecuador (IHNAMI), distributed over the Ecuadorian territory and strategically located in the watersheds of its main rivers. A number of 20 stations with a continuous period of daily data covering a period of 42 years (1973-2015) were selected. To analyze the spatio-temporal variability of streamflow in Ecuador, principal component analysis (PCA) along with a study of trends have been applied to the streamflow data at monthly time scales. The significance and magnitude of trends have been analyzed using Man-Kendall test and Sen slope. Moreover, to analyze the predictability of the streamflow, the spatio-temporal effects of the ENSO phenomenon on the country have been evaluated through a correlation analysis using different lags between different El Niño indices (Niño 1+2, Niño Modoki, Trans-Niño and Niño 3.4) and the seasonal streamflow. The results show two main regions that differ in terms of variability. We found that the variations in water resources have a close relationship between the magnitude and the seasonal distribution of the streamflow and the ENSO. However, each index shows a different impact on the streamflow depending on the season and the region. In general, the higher correlations between the ENSO indices and the streamflow are observed in the stations closer to the coast. KEY WORDS: Ecuador streamflow; trends; PCA; variability; predictability; ENSO. Acknowledgements: This work has been financed by the projects P11-RNM-7941 (Junta de Andalucía-Spain) and CGL2013-48539-R (MINECO-Spain, FEDER).

  10. Estimates of monthly streamflow characteristics at selected sites in the upper Missouri River basin, Montana, base period water years 1937-86

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parrett, Charles; Johnson, D.R.; Hull, J.A.

    1989-01-01

    Estimates of streamflow characteristics (monthly mean flow that is exceeded 90, 80, 50, and 20 percent of the time for all years of record and mean monthly flow) were made and are presented in tabular form for 312 sites in the Missouri River basin in Montana. Short-term gaged records were extended to the base period of water years 1937-86, and were used to estimate monthly streamflow characteristics at 100 sites. Data from 47 gaged sites were used in regression analysis relating the streamflow characteristics to basin characteristics and to active-channel width. The basin-characteristics equations, with standard errors of 35% to 97%, were used to estimate streamflow characteristics at 179 ungaged sites. The channel-width equations, with standard errors of 36% to 103%, were used to estimate characteristics at 138 ungaged sites. Streamflow measurements were correlated with concurrent streamflows at nearby gaged sites to estimate streamflow characteristics at 139 ungaged sites. In a test using 20 pairs of gages, the standard errors ranged from 31% to 111%. At 139 ungaged sites, the estimates from two or more of the methods were weighted and combined in accordance with the variance of individual methods. When estimates from three methods were combined the standard errors ranged from 24% to 63 %. A drainage-area-ratio adjustment method was used to estimate monthly streamflow characteristics at seven ungaged sites. The reliability of the drainage-area-ratio adjustment method was estimated to be about equal to that of the basin-characteristics method. The estimate were checked for reliability. Estimates of monthly streamflow characteristics from gaged records were considered to be most reliable, and estimates at sites with actual flow record from 1937-86 were considered to be completely reliable (zero error). Weighted-average estimates were considered to be the most reliable estimates made at ungaged sites. (USGS)

  11. Multi-site Stochastic Simulation of Daily Streamflow with Markov Chain and KNN Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mathai, J.; Mujumdar, P.

    2017-12-01

    A key focus of this study is to develop a method which is physically consistent with the hydrologic processes that can capture short-term characteristics of daily hydrograph as well as the correlation of streamflow in temporal and spatial domains. In complex water resource systems, flow fluctuations at small time intervals require that discretisation be done at small time scales such as daily scales. Also, simultaneous generation of synthetic flows at different sites in the same basin are required. We propose a method to equip water managers with a streamflow generator within a stochastic streamflow simulation framework. The motivation for the proposed method is to generate sequences that extend beyond the variability represented in the historical record of streamflow time series. The method has two steps: In step 1, daily flow is generated independently at each station by a two-state Markov chain, with rising limb increments randomly sampled from a Gamma distribution and the falling limb modelled as exponential recession and in step 2, the streamflow generated in step 1 is input to a nonparametric K-nearest neighbor (KNN) time series bootstrap resampler. The KNN model, being data driven, does not require assumptions on the dependence structure of the time series. A major limitation of KNN based streamflow generators is that they do not produce new values, but merely reshuffle the historical data to generate realistic streamflow sequences. However, daily flow generated using the Markov chain approach is capable of generating a rich variety of streamflow sequences. Furthermore, the rising and falling limbs of daily hydrograph represent different physical processes, and hence they need to be modelled individually. Thus, our method combines the strengths of the two approaches. We show the utility of the method and improvement over the traditional KNN by simulating daily streamflow sequences at 7 locations in the Godavari River basin in India.

  12. Long-term variation analysis of a tropical river's annual streamflow regime over a 50-year period

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seyam, Mohammed; Othman, Faridah

    2015-07-01

    Studying the long-term changes of streamflow is an important tool for enhancing water resource and river system planning, design, and management. The aim of this work is to identify the long-term variations in annual streamflow regime over a 50-year period from 1961 to 2010 in the Selangor River, which is one of the main tropical rivers in Malaysia. Initially, the data underwent preliminary independence, normality, and homogeneity testing using the Pearson correlation coefficient and Shapiro-Wilk and Pettitt's tests, respectively. The work includes a study and analysis of the changes through nine variables describing the annual streamflow and variations in the yearly duration of high and low streamflows. The analyses were conducted via two time scales: yearly and sub-periodic. The sub-periods were obtained by segmenting the 50 years into seven sub-periods by two techniques, namely the change-point test and direct method. Even though analysis revealed nearly negligible changes in mean annual flow over the study period, the maximum annual flow generally increased while the minimum annual flow significantly decreased with respect to time. It was also observed that the variables describing the dispersion in streamflow continually increased with respect to time. An obvious increase was detected in the yearly duration of danger level of streamflow, a slight increase was noted in the yearly duration of warning and alert levels, and a slight decrease in the yearly duration of low streamflow was found. The perceived changes validate the existence of long-term changes in annual streamflow regime, which increase the probability of floods and droughts occurring in future. In light of the results, attention should be drawn to developing water resource management and flood protection plans in order to avert the harmful effects potentially resulting from the expected changes in annual streamflow regime.

  13. Linkages between ENSO/PDO signals and precipitation, streamflow in China during the last 100 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouyang, R.; Liu, W.; Fu, G.; Liu, C.; Hu, L.; Wang, H.

    2014-09-01

    This paper investigates the single and combined impacts of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on precipitation and streamflow in China over the last century. Results indicate that the precipitation and streamflow overall decrease during El Niño/PDO warm phase periods and increase during La Niña/PDO cool phase periods in the majority of China, although there are regional and seasonal differences. Precipitation and streamflow in the Yellow River basin, Yangtze River basin and Pearl River basin are more significantly influenced by El Niño and La Niña events than is precipitation and streamflow in the Songhua River basin, especially in October and November. Moreover, significant influence of ENSO on streamflow in the Yangtze River mainly occurs in summer and autumn while in the Pearl River influence primarily occurs in the winter and spring. The precipitation and streamflow are relatively greater in the warm PDO phase in the Songhua River basin and several parts of the Yellow River basin and relatively less in the Pearl River basin and most parts of Northwest China compared to those in the cool PDO phase, though there is little significance detected by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. When considering the combined influence of ENSO and PDO, the responses of precipitation/streamflow are shown to be opposite in northern China and southern China, with ENSO-related precipitation/streamflow enhanced in northern China and decreased in southern China during the warm PDO phases, and enhanced in southern China and decreased in northern China during the cool PDO phases. It is hoped that this study will be beneficial for understanding the precipitation/streamflow responses to the changing climate and will correspondingly provide valuable reference for water resources prediction and management across China.

  14. Geologic and climatic controls on streamflow generation processes in a complex eogenetic karst basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vibhava, F.; Graham, W. D.; Maxwell, R. M.

    2012-12-01

    Streamflow at any given location and time is representative of surface and subsurface contributions from various sources. The ability to fully identify the factors controlling these contributions is key to successfully understanding the transport of contaminants through the system. In this study we developed a fully integrated 3D surface water-groundwater-land surface model, PARFLOW, to evaluate geologic and climatic controls on streamflow generation processes in a complex eogenetic karst basin in North Central Florida. In addition to traditional model evaluation criterion, such as comparing field observations to model simulated streamflow and groundwater elevations, we quantitatively evaluated the model's predictions of surface-groundwater interactions over space and time using a suite of binary end-member mixing models that were developed using observed specific conductivity differences among surface and groundwater sources throughout the domain. Analysis of model predictions showed that geologic heterogeneity exerts a strong control on both streamflow generation processes and land atmospheric fluxes in this watershed. In the upper basin, where the karst aquifer is overlain by a thick confining layer, approximately 92% of streamflow is "young" event flow, produced by near stream rainfall. Throughout the upper basin the confining layer produces a persistent high surficial water table which results in high evapotranspiration, low groundwater recharge and thus negligible "inter-event" streamflow. In the lower basin, where the karst aquifer is unconfined, deeper water tables result in less evapotranspiration. Thus, over 80% of the streamflow is "old" subsurface flow produced by diffuse infiltration through the epikarst throughout the lower basin, and all surface contributions to streamflow originate in the upper confined basin. Climatic variability provides a secondary control on surface-subsurface and land-atmosphere fluxes, producing significant seasonal and interannual variability in these processes. Spatial and temporal patterns of evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge and streamflow generation processes reveal potential hot spots and hot moments for surface and groundwater contamination in this basin.

  15. Artificial Neural Network Models for Long Lead Streamflow Forecasts using Climate Information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, J.; Devineni, N.

    2007-12-01

    Information on season ahead stream flow forecasts is very beneficial for the operation and management of water supply systems. Daily streamflow conditions at any particular reservoir primarily depend on atmospheric and land surface conditions including the soil moisture and snow pack. On the other hand recent studies suggest that developing long lead streamflow forecasts (3 months ahead) typically depends on exogenous climatic conditions particularly Sea Surface Temperature conditions (SST) in the tropical oceans. Examples of some oceanic variables are El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Identification of such conditions that influence the moisture transport into a given basin poses many challenges given the nonlinear dependency between the predictors (SST) and predictand (stream flows). In this study, we apply both linear and nonlinear dependency measures to identify the predictors that influence the winter flows into the Neuse basin. The predictor identification approach here adopted uses simple correlation coefficients to spearman rank correlation measures for detecting nonlinear dependency. All these dependency measures are employed with a lag 3 time series of the high flow season (January - February - March) using 75 years (1928-2002) of stream flows recorded in to the Falls Lake, Neuse River Basin. Developing streamflow forecasts contingent on these exogenous predictors will play an important role towards improved water supply planning and management. Recently, the soft computing techniques, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) have provided an alternative method to solve complex problems efficiently. ANNs are data driven models which trains on the examples given to it. The ANNs functions as universal approximators and are non linear in nature. This paper presents a study aiming towards using climatic predictors for 3 month lead time streamflow forecast. ANN models representing the physical process of the system are developed between the identified predictors and the predictand. Predictors used are the scores of Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The models were tested and validated. The feed- forward multi-layer perceptron (MLP) type neural networks trained using the back-propagation algorithms are employed in the current study. The performance of the ANN-model forecasts are evaluated using various performance evaluation measures such as correlation coefficient, root mean square error (RMSE). The preliminary results shows that ANNs are efficient to forecast long lead time streamflows using climatic predictors.

  16. The Global Streamflow Indices and Metadata archive (G-SIM): A compilation of global streamflow time series indices and meta-data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Do, Hong; Gudmundsson, Lukas; Leonard, Michael; Westra, Seth; Senerivatne, Sonia

    2017-04-01

    In-situ observations of daily streamflow with global coverage are a crucial asset for understanding large-scale freshwater resources which are an essential component of the Earth system and a prerequisite for societal development. Here we present the Global Streamflow Indices and Metadata archive (G-SIM), a collection indices derived from more than 20,000 daily streamflow time series across the globe. These indices are designed to support global assessments of change in wet and dry extremes, and have been compiled from 12 free-to-access online databases (seven national databases and five international collections). The G-SIM archive also includes significant metadata to help support detailed understanding of streamflow dynamics, with the inclusion of drainage area shapefile and many essential catchment properties such as land cover type, soil and topographic characteristics. The automated procedure in data handling and quality control of the project makes G-SIM a reproducible, extendible archive and can be utilised for many purposes in large-scale hydrology. Some potential applications include the identification of observational trends in hydrological extremes, the assessment of climate change impacts on streamflow regimes, and the validation of global hydrological models.

  17. Methods to estimate historical daily streamflow for ungaged stream locations in Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lorenz, David L.; Ziegeweid, Jeffrey R.

    2016-03-14

    Effective and responsible management of water resources relies on a thorough understanding of the quantity and quality of available water; however, streamgages cannot be installed at every location where streamflow information is needed. Therefore, methods for estimating streamflow at ungaged stream locations need to be developed. This report presents a statewide study to develop methods to estimate the structure of historical daily streamflow at ungaged stream locations in Minnesota. Historical daily mean streamflow at ungaged locations in Minnesota can be estimated by transferring streamflow data at streamgages to the ungaged location using the QPPQ method. The QPPQ method uses flow-duration curves at an index streamgage, relying on the assumption that exceedance probabilities are equivalent between the index streamgage and the ungaged location, and estimates the flow at the ungaged location using the estimated flow-duration curve. Flow-duration curves at ungaged locations can be estimated using recently developed regression equations that have been incorporated into StreamStats (http://streamstats.usgs.gov/), which is a U.S. Geological Survey Web-based interactive mapping tool that can be used to obtain streamflow statistics, drainage-basin characteristics, and other information for user-selected locations on streams.

  18. Pathway Towards Fluency: Using 'disaggregate instruction' to promote science literacy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Bryan A.; Ryoo, Kihyun; Rodriguez, Jamie

    2010-07-01

    This study examines the impact of Disaggregate Instruction on students' science learning. Disaggregate Instruction is the idea that science teaching and learning can be separated into conceptual and discursive components. Using randomly assigned experimental and control groups, 49 fifth-grade students received web-based science lessons on photosynthesis using our experimental approach. We supplemented quantitative statistical comparisons of students' performance on pre- and post-test questions (multiple choice and short answer) with a qualitative analysis of students' post-test interviews. The results revealed that students in the experimental group outscored their control group counterparts across all measures. In addition, students taught using the experimental method demonstrated an improved ability to write using scientific language as well as an improved ability to provide oral explanations using scientific language. This study has important implications for how science educators can prepare teachers to teach diverse student populations.

  19. Physical Properties of Human Whole Salivary Mucin:A Dynamic Light Scattering Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahajan, Manish; Kumar, Vijay; Saraswat, Mayank; Yadav, Savita; Shukla, N. K.; Singh, T. P.

    2008-04-01

    Human salivary mucin, a primary mucous membrane coating glycoprotein forms the first line of defense against adverse environments, attributed to the complex formation between mucin subunits and non mucin species. Aim of the study was to emphasize the effect of pH, denaturants (guanidinum hydrochloride, urea) and detergents (CHAPS, TRITON X -100, SDS on human whole salivary mucin. Hydrodynamic size distribution was measured using DLS. It was observed that aggregation was due to increase in hydrophobic interactions, believed to be accomplished by unfolding of the protein core. Whereas, the detergents which solubilize the proteins by decreasing hydrophobicity lead to disaggregation of mucin into smaller fragments. Mucin subjected to tobacco extract and upon subsequent addition of nicotine was found to have a disaggregating effect on it, suggesting nicotine may be one of the factors responsible for the disaggregating effect of tobacco on mucin, an important carcinogenetic mechanism.

  20. How does spatial variability of climate affect catchment streamflow predictions?

    EPA Science Inventory

    Spatial variability of climate can negatively affect catchment streamflow predictions if it is not explicitly accounted for in hydrologic models. In this paper, we examine the changes in streamflow predictability when a hydrologic model is run with spatially variable (distribute...

  1. Spatial and temporal disaggregation of transport-related carbon dioxide emissions in Bogota - Colombia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hernandez-Gonzalez, L. A.; Jimenez Pizarro, R.; Néstor Y. Rojas, N. Y.

    2011-12-01

    As a result of rapid urbanization during the last 60 years, 75% of the Colombian population now lives in cities. Urban areas are net sources of greenhouse gases (GHG) and contribute significantly to national GHG emission inventories. The development of scientifically-sound GHG mitigation strategies require accurate GHG source and sink estimations. Disaggregated inventories are effective mitigation decision-making tools. The disaggregation process renders detailed information on the distribution of emissions by transport mode, and the resulting a priori emissions map allows for optimal definition of sites for GHG flux monitoring, either by eddy covariance or inverse modeling techniques. Fossil fuel use in transportation is a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Bogota. We present estimates of CO2 emissions from road traffic in Bogota using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reference method, and a spatial and temporal disaggregation method. Aggregated CO2 emissions from mobile sources were estimated from monthly and annual fossil fuel (gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas - CNG) consumption statistics, and estimations of bio-ethanol and bio-diesel use. Although bio-fuel CO2 emissions are considered balanced over annual (or multi-annual) agricultural cycles, we included them since CO2 generated by their combustion would be measurable by a net flux monitoring system. For the disaggregation methodology, we used information on Bogota's road network classification, mean travel speed and trip length for each vehicle category and road type. The CO2 emission factors were taken from recent in-road measurements for gasoline- and CNG-powered vehicles and also estimated from COPERT IV. We estimated emission factors for diesel from surveys on average trip length and fuel consumption. Using IPCC's reference method, we estimate Bogota's total transport-related CO2 emissions for 2008 (reference year) at 4.8 Tg CO2. The disaggregation method estimation is 16% lower, mainly due to uncertainty in activity factors. With only 4% of Bogota's fleet, diesel use accounts for 42% of the CO2 emissions. The emissions are almost evenly shared between public (9% of the fleet) and private transport. Peak emissions occur at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. with maximum values over a densely industrialized area at the northwest of Bogota. This investigation allowed estimating the relative contribution of fuel and vehicle categories to spatially- and temporally-resolved CO2 emissions. Fuel consumption time series indicate a near-stabilization trend on energy consumption for transportation, which is unexpected taking into account the sustained economic and vehicle fleet growth in Bogota. The comparison of the disaggregation methodology with the IPCC methodology contributes to the analysis of possible error sources on activity factor estimations. This information is very useful for uncertainty estimation and adjustment of primary air pollutant emissions inventories.

  2. Variation of froude number with discharge for large-gradient steams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wahl, Kenneth L.; ,

    1993-01-01

    Under chemical-control conditions, the Froude number (f) for a cross-section can be approximated as a function of the ratio R2/ 3/d 1/2 , where R is the hydraulic radius and d is the average depth. For cross sections where the ratio increases with increasing depth, F can also increase with depth Current-meter measurement data for 433 streamflow gaging stations in Colorado were reviewed, and 62 stations were identified at which F increases with depth of flow. Data for four streamflow gaging stations are presented. In some cases, F approaches 1 as the discharge approaches the magnitude of the median annual peak discharge. The data also indicate that few actual current meter measurement have been made at the large discharges where velocities can be supercritical.

  3. A multi-site reconstruction algorithm for bottom-up vulnerability assessment of water resource systems to changing streamflow conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nazemi, A.; Zaerpour, M.

    2016-12-01

    Current paradigm for assessing the vulnerability of water resource systems to changing streamflow conditions often involves a cascade application of climate and hydrological models to project the future states of streamflow regime, entering to a given water resource system. It is widely warned, however, that the overall uncertainty in this "top-down" modeling enterprise can be large due to the limitations in representing natural and anthropogenic processes that affect future streamflow variability and change. To address this, various types of stress-tests are suggested to assess the vulnerability of water resources systems under a wide range of possible changes in streamflow conditions. The scope of such "bottom-up" assessments can go well beyond top-down projections and therefore provide a basis for monitoring different response modes, under which water resource systems become vulnerable. Despite methodological differences, all bottom-up assessments are equipped with a systematic sampling procedure, with which different possibilities for future climate and/or streamflow conditions can be realized. Regardless of recent developments, currently available streamflow sampling algorithms are still limited, particularly in regional contexts, for which accurate representation of spatiotemporal dependencies in streamflow regime are of major importance. In this presentation, we introduce a new development that enables handling temporal and spatial dependencies in regional streamflow regimes through a unified stochastic reconstruction algorithm. We demonstrate the application of this algorithm accross various Canadian regions. By considering a real-world regional water resources system, we show how the new multi-site reconstruction algorithm can extend the practical utility of bottom-up vulnerability assessment and improve quantifying the associated risk in natural and anthropogenic water systems under unknown future conditions.

  4. Missouri StreamStats—A water-resources web application

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ellis, Jarrett T.

    2018-01-31

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains and operates more than 8,200 continuous streamgages nationwide. Types of data that may be collected, computed, and stored for streamgages include streamgage height (water-surface elevation), streamflow, and water quality. The streamflow data allow scientists and engineers to calculate streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent annual exceedance probability flood (also known as the 100-year flood), the mean flow, and the 7-day, 10-year low flow, which are used by managers to make informed water resource management decisions, at each streamgage location. Researchers, regulators, and managers also commonly need physical characteristics (basin characteristics) that describe the unique properties of a basin. Common uses for streamflow statistics and basin characteristics include hydraulic design, water-supply management, water-use appropriations, and flood-plain mapping for establishing flood-insurance rates and land-use zones. The USGS periodically publishes reports that update the values of basin characteristics and streamflow statistics at selected gaged locations (locations with streamgages), but these studies usually only update a subset of streamgages, making data retrieval difficult. Additionally, streamflow statistics and basin characteristics are most often needed at ungaged locations (locations without streamgages) for which published streamflow statistics and basin characteristics do not exist. Missouri StreamStats is a web-based geographic information system that was created by the USGS in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to provide users with access to an assortment of tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management. StreamStats allows users to easily obtain the most recent published streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for streamgage locations and to automatically calculate selected basin characteristics and estimate streamflow statistics at ungaged locations.

  5. Effects of uncertainties in hydrological modelling. A case study of a mountainous catchment in Southern Norway

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Engeland, Kolbjørn; Steinsland, Ingelin; Johansen, Stian Solvang; Petersen-Øverleir, Asgeir; Kolberg, Sjur

    2016-05-01

    In this study, we explore the effect of uncertainty and poor observation quality on hydrological model calibration and predictions. The Osali catchment in Western Norway was selected as case study and an elevation distributed HBV-model was used. We systematically evaluated the effect of accounting for uncertainty in parameters, precipitation input, temperature input and streamflow observations. For precipitation and temperature we accounted for the interpolation uncertainty, and for streamflow we accounted for rating curve uncertainty. Further, the effects of poorer quality of precipitation input and streamflow observations were explored. Less information about precipitation was obtained by excluding the nearest precipitation station from the analysis, while reduced information about the streamflow was obtained by omitting the highest and lowest streamflow observations when estimating the rating curve. The results showed that including uncertainty in the precipitation and temperature inputs has a negligible effect on the posterior distribution of parameters and for the Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) efficiency for the predicted flows, while the reliability and the continuous rank probability score (CRPS) improves. Less information in precipitation input resulted in a shift in the water balance parameter Pcorr, a model producing smoother streamflow predictions, giving poorer NS and CRPS, but higher reliability. The effect of calibrating the hydrological model using streamflow observations based on different rating curves is mainly seen as variability in the water balance parameter Pcorr. When evaluating predictions, the best evaluation scores were not achieved for the rating curve used for calibration, but for rating curves giving smoother streamflow observations. Less information in streamflow influenced the water balance parameter Pcorr, and increased the spread in evaluation scores by giving both better and worse scores.

  6. Causes of systematic over- or underestimation of low streamflows by use of index-streamgage approaches in the United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eng, K.; Kiang, J.E.; Chen, Y.-Y.; Carlisle, D.M.; Granato, G.E.

    2011-01-01

    Low-flow characteristics can be estimated by multiple linear regressions or the index-streamgage approach. The latter transfers streamflow information from a hydrologically similar, continuously gaged basin ('index streamgage') to one with a very limited streamflow record, but often results in biased estimates. The application of the index-streamgage approach can be generalized into three steps: (1) selection of streamflow information of interest, (2) definition of hydrologic similarity and selection of index streamgage, and (3) application of an information-transfer approach. Here, we explore the effects of (1) the range of streamflow values, (2) the areal density of streamgages, and (3) index-streamgage selection criteria on the bias of three information-transfer approaches on estimates of the 7-day, 10-year minimum streamflow (Q7, 10). The three information-transfer approaches considered are maintenance of variance extension, base-flow correlation, and ratio of measured to concurrent gaged streamflow (Q-ratio invariance). Our results for 1120 streamgages throughout the United States suggest that only a small portion of the total bias in estimated streamflow values is explained by the areal density of the streamgages and the hydrologic similarity between the two basins. However, restricting the range of streamflow values used in the index-streamgage approach reduces the bias of estimated Q7, 10 values substantially. Importantly, estimated Q7, 10 values are heavily biased when the observed Q7, 10 values are near zero. Results of the analysis also showed that Q7, 10 estimates from two of the three index-streamgage approaches have lower root-mean-square error values than estimates derived from multiple regressions for the large regions considered in this study.

  7. Streamflow measurements, basin characteristics, and streamflow statistics for low-flow partial-record stations operated in Massachusetts from 1989 through 1996

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ries, Kernell G.

    1999-01-01

    A network of 148 low-flow partial-record stations was operated on streams in Massachusetts during the summers of 1989 through 1996. Streamflow measurements (including historical measurements), measured basin characteristics, and estimated streamflow statistics are provided in the report for each low-flow partial-record station. Also included for each station are location information, streamflow-gaging stations for which flows were correlated to those at the low-flowpartial-record station, years of operation, and remarks indicating human influences of stream-flowsat the station. Three or four streamflow measurements were made each year for three years during times of low flow to obtain nine or ten measurements for each station. Measured flows at the low-flow partial-record stations were correlated with same-day mean flows at a nearby gaging station to estimate streamflow statistics for the low-flow partial-record stations. The estimated streamflow statistics include the 99-, 98-, 97-, 95-, 93-, 90-, 85-, 80-, 75-, 70-, 65-, 60-, 55-, and 50-percent duration flows; the 7-day, 10- and 2-year low flows; and the August median flow. Characteristics of the drainage basins for the stations that theoretically relate to the response of the station to climatic variations were measured from digital map data by use of an automated geographic information system procedure. Basin characteristics measured include drainage area; total stream length; mean basin slope; area of surficial stratified drift; area of wetlands; area of water bodies; and mean, maximum, and minimum basin elevation.Station descriptions and calculated streamflow statistics are also included in the report for the 50 continuous gaging stations used in correlations with the low-flow partial-record stations.

  8. Data Assimilation using observed streamflow and remotely-sensed soil moisture for improving sub-seasonal-to-seasonal forecasting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arumugam, S.; Mazrooei, A.; Lakshmi, V.; Wood, A.

    2017-12-01

    Subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) forecasts of soil moisture and streamflow provides critical information for water and agricultural systems to support short-term planning and mangement. This study evaluates the role of observed streamflow and remotely-sensed soil moisture from SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) mission in improving S2S streamflow and soil moisture forecasting using data assimilation (DA). We first show the ability to forecast soil moisture at monthly-to-seaasonal time scale by forcing climate forecasts with NASA's Land Information System and then compares the developed soil moisture forecast with the SMAP data over the Southeast US. Our analyses show significant skill in forecasting real-time soil moisture over 1-3 months using climate information. We also show that the developed soil moisture forecasts capture the observed severe drought conditions (2007-2008) over the Southeast US. Following that, we consider both SMAP data and observed streamflow for improving S2S streamflow and soil moisture forecasts for a pilot study area, Tar River basin, in NC. Towards this, we consider variational assimilation (VAR) of gauge-measured daily streamflow data in improving initial hydrologic conditions of Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model. The utility of data assimilation is then assessed in improving S2S forecasts of streamflow and soil moisture through a retrospective analyses. Furthermore, the optimal frequency of data assimilation and optimal analysis window (number of past observations to use) are also assessed in order to achieve the maximum improvement in S2S forecasts of streamflow and soil moisture. Potential utility of updating initial conditions using DA and providing skillful forcings are also discussed.

  9. An investigation of the role of winter and spring precipitation as drivers of streamflow in the Missouri River Headwaters using tree-ring reconstructions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frederick, S. E.; Woodhouse, C. A.; Martin, J. T.; Pederson, G. T.

    2017-12-01

    The Missouri River supplies water to over 3 million basin residents and is a driving force for the nation's agricultural and energy sectors. However, with changing climate and declining snowpack in western North America, seasonal water yields are becoming less predictable, revealing a gap in our understanding of regional hydroclimate and drivers of streamflow within the basin. By analyzing the relationship between seasonal precipitation and streamflow in the Missouri River Headwaters sub-basin, this study seeks to expand our knowledge based on the instrumental record alone. Here we present the first annually-resolved tree-ring reconstruction of spring precipitation for the Missouri River Headwaters. This reconstruction along with existing tree-ring reconstructions of April 1 snow-water equivalence (SWE) (Pederson et al. 2011) and natural streamflow (Martin, J.T. & Pederson, G.T., personal communication, June 2017) are used to test the feasibility of detecting a variable influence of winter and spring precipitation on streamflow over past centuries, and relative to the modern period. Initial analyses indicate that April 1 SWE is a significant control on streamflow, however, the April 1 SWE record does not fully account for anomalies observed in the streamflow record. This study therefore seeks to determine whether spring precipitation can account for some of this asynchronous variability observed between the April 1 SWE and streamflow records. Aside from improved understanding of the relationship between hydroclimate and streamflow in the headwaters of the Missouri River, our findings offer insights relating to changing contributions from snowmelt and spring precipitation, and long-term hydrologic variability and trends relevant to water resource management and planning efforts.

  10. Calculation of streamflow statistics for Ontario and the Great Lakes states

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Piggott, Andrew R.; Neff, Brian P.

    2005-01-01

    Basic, flow-duration, and n-day frequency statistics were calculated for 779 current and historical streamflow gages in Ontario and 3,157 streamflow gages in the Great Lakes states with length-of-record daily mean streamflow data ending on December 31, 2000 and September 30, 2001, respectively. The statistics were determined using the U.S. Geological Survey’s SWSTAT and IOWDM, ANNIE, and LIBANNE software and Linux shell and PERL programming that enabled the mass processing of the data and calculation of the statistics. Verification exercises were performed to assess the accuracy of the processing and calculations. The statistics and descriptions, longitudes and latitudes, and drainage areas for each of the streamflow gages are summarized in ASCII text files and ESRI shapefiles.

  11. CEREF: A hybrid data-driven model for forecasting annual streamflow from a socio-hydrological system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hongbo; Singh, Vijay P.; Wang, Bin; Yu, Yinghao

    2016-09-01

    Hydrological forecasting is complicated by flow regime alterations in a coupled socio-hydrologic system, encountering increasingly non-stationary, nonlinear and irregular changes, which make decision support difficult for future water resources management. Currently, many hybrid data-driven models, based on the decomposition-prediction-reconstruction principle, have been developed to improve the ability to make predictions of annual streamflow. However, there exist many problems that require further investigation, the chief among which is the direction of trend components decomposed from annual streamflow series and is always difficult to ascertain. In this paper, a hybrid data-driven model was proposed to capture this issue, which combined empirical mode decomposition (EMD), radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN), and external forces (EF) variable, also called the CEREF model. The hybrid model employed EMD for decomposition and RBFNN for intrinsic mode function (IMF) forecasting, and determined future trend component directions by regression with EF as basin water demand representing the social component in the socio-hydrologic system. The Wuding River basin was considered for the case study, and two standard statistical measures, root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE), were used to evaluate the performance of CEREF model and compare with other models: the autoregressive (AR), RBFNN and EMD-RBFNN. Results indicated that the CEREF model had lower RMSE and MAE statistics, 42.8% and 7.6%, respectively, than did other models, and provided a superior alternative for forecasting annual runoff in the Wuding River basin. Moreover, the CEREF model can enlarge the effective intervals of streamflow forecasting compared to the EMD-RBFNN model by introducing the water demand planned by the government department to improve long-term prediction accuracy. In addition, we considered the high-frequency component, a frequent subject of concern in EMD-based forecasting, and results showed that removing high-frequency component is an effective measure to improve forecasting precision and is suggested for use with the CEREF model for better performance. Finally, the study concluded that the CEREF model can be used to forecast non-stationary annual streamflow change as a co-evolution of hydrologic and social systems with better accuracy. Also, the modification about removing high-frequency can further improve the performance of the CEREF model. It should be noted that the CEREF model is beneficial for data-driven hydrologic forecasting in complex socio-hydrologic systems, and as a simple data-driven socio-hydrologic forecasting model, deserves more attention.

  12. ESTIMATING STREAMFLOW AND ASSOCIATED HYDRAULIC GEOMETRY, THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION, USA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Methods to estimate streamflow and channel hydraulic geometry were developed for ungaged streams in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Observed mean annual streamflow and associated hydraulic geometry data from 75 gaging stations located in the Appalachian Plateau, the Ridge and Valley, an...

  13. ECOLOGICALLY-RELEVANT QUANTIFICATION OF STREAMFLOW REGIMES IN WESTERN STREAMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report describes the rationale for and application of a protocol for estimation of ecologically-relevant streamflow metrics that quantify streamflow regime for ungaged sites subject to a range of human impact. The analysis presented here is focused on sites sampled by the U....

  14. Annual peak streamflow and ancillary data for small watersheds in central and western Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Harwell, Glenn R.; Asquith, William H.

    2011-01-01

    Estimates of annual peak-streamflow frequency are needed for flood-plain management, assessment of flood risk, and design of structures, such as roads, bridges, culverts, dams, and levees. Regional regression equations have been developed and are used extensively to estimate annual peak-streamflow frequency for ungaged sites in natural (unregulated and rural or nonurbanized) watersheds in Texas (Asquith and Slade, 1997; Asquith and Thompson, 2008; Asquith and Roussel, 2009). The most recent regional regression equations were developed by using data from 638 Texas streamflow-gaging stations throughout the State with eight or more years of data by using drainage area, channel slope, and mean annual precipitation as predictor variables (Asquith and Roussel, 2009). However, because of a lack of sufficient historical streamflow data from small, rural watersheds in certain parts of the State (central and western), substantial uncertainity exists when using the regional regression equations for the purpose of estimating annual peak-streamflow frequency.

  15. Streamflow gain and loss of selected streams in northern Arkansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Freiwald, David A.

    1987-01-01

    This map shows streamflow gain and loss measurements (seepage runs) on the Crooked, Osage, and Spavinaw Creeks, and Illinois, Kings, Mulberry, Spring, and Strawberry Rivers during the low-flow conditions from September 1982 to October 1984. Data indicated that streamflow gains and losses resulted from differences in lithology of the predominately carbonate rocks and from the presence of faults. The Kings and Strawberry Rivers and Osage Creek were gaining streams throughout their length, however wastewater discharges precluded an accurate determination on Osage Creek. Crooked and Spavinaw Creeks and the Illinois, Spring, and Mulberry Rivers generally were gaining streams throughout most of their lengths although short losing reaches were identified. The largest gains in streamflow generally occurred were Mississippian formation predominated near the streams. Faults that intersected the stream channels primarily were responsible for streamflow losses. The specific conductance of water increased in the stream reaches that had the most significant streamflow gains. The specific conductance of water in tributaries was generally higher than that in larger streams. (Author 's abstract)

  16. Validation of streamflow measurements made with acoustic doppler current profilers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oberg, K.; Mueller, D.S.

    2007-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey and other international agencies have collaborated to conduct laboratory and field validations of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements of streamflow. Laboratory validations made in a large towing basin show that the mean differences between tow cart velocity and ADCP bottom-track and water-track velocities were -0.51 and -1.10%, respectively. Field validations of commercially available ADCPs were conducted by comparing streamflow measurements made with ADCPs to reference streamflow measurements obtained from concurrent mechanical current-meter measurements, stable rating curves, salt-dilution measurements, or acoustic velocity meters. Data from 1,032 transects, comprising 100 discharge measurements, were analyzed from 22 sites in the United States, Canada, Sweden, and The Netherlands. Results of these analyses show that broadband ADCP streamflow measurements are unbiased when compared to the reference discharges regardless of the water mode used for making the measurement. Measurement duration is more important than the number of transects for reducing the uncertainty of the ADCP streamflow measurement. ?? 2007 ASCE.

  17. Optimizing Industrial Consumer Demand Response Through Disaggregation, Hour-Ahead Pricing, and Momentary Autonomous Control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdulaal, Ahmed

    The work in this study addresses the current limitations of the price-driven demand response (DR) approach. Mainly, the dependability on consumers to respond in an energy aware conduct, the response timeliness, the difficulty of applying DR in a busy industrial environment, and the problem of load synchronization are of utmost concern. In order to conduct a simulation study, realistic price simulation model and consumers' building load models are created using real data. DR action is optimized using an autonomous control method, which eliminates the dependency on frequent consumer engagement. Since load scheduling and long-term planning approaches are infeasible in the industrial environment, the proposed method utilizes instantaneous DR in response to hour-ahead price signals (RTP-HA). Preliminary simulation results concluded savings at the consumer-side at the cost of increased supplier-side burden due to the aggregate effect of the universal DR policies. Therefore, a consumer disaggregation strategy is briefly discussed. Finally, a refined discrete-continuous control system is presented, which utilizes multi-objective Pareto optimization, evolutionary programming, utility functions, and bidirectional loads. Demonstrated through a virtual testbed fit with real data, the new system achieves momentary optimized DR in real-time while maximizing the consumer's wellbeing.

  18. StreamStats, version 4

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ries, Kernell G.; Newson, Jeremy K.; Smith, Martyn J.; Guthrie, John D.; Steeves, Peter A.; Haluska, Tana L.; Kolb, Katharine R.; Thompson, Ryan F.; Santoro, Richard D.; Vraga, Hans W.

    2017-10-30

    IntroductionStreamStats version 4, available at https://streamstats.usgs.gov, is a map-based web application that provides an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management, and engineering purposes. Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the primary purpose of StreamStats is to provide estimates of streamflow statistics for user-selected ungaged sites on streams and for USGS streamgages, which are locations where streamflow data are collected.Streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent flood, the mean flow, and the 7-day 10-year low flow, are used by engineers, land managers, biologists, and many others to help guide decisions in their everyday work. For example, estimates of the 1-percent flood (which is exceeded, on average, once in 100 years and has a 1-percent chance of exceedance in any year) are used to create flood-plain maps that form the basis for setting insurance rates and land-use zoning. This and other streamflow statistics also are used for dam, bridge, and culvert design; water-supply planning and management; permitting of water withdrawals and wastewater and industrial discharges; hydropower facility design and regulation; and setting of minimum allowed streamflows to protect freshwater ecosystems. Streamflow statistics can be computed from available data at USGS streamgages depending on the type of data collected at the stations. Most often, however, streamflow statistics are needed at ungaged sites, where no streamflow data are available to determine the statistics.

  19. Tennessee StreamStats: A Web-Enabled Geographic Information System Application for Automating the Retrieval and Calculation of Streamflow Statistics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ladd, David E.; Law, George S.

    2007-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides streamflow and other stream-related information needed to protect people and property from floods, to plan and manage water resources, and to protect water quality in the streams. Streamflow statistics provided by the USGS, such as the 100-year flood and the 7-day 10-year low flow, frequently are used by engineers, land managers, biologists, and many others to help guide decisions in their everyday work. In addition to streamflow statistics, resource managers often need to know the physical and climatic characteristics (basin characteristics) of the drainage basins for locations of interest to help them understand the mechanisms that control water availability and water quality at these locations. StreamStats is a Web-enabled geographic information system (GIS) application that makes it easy for users to obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and other information for USGS data-collection stations and for ungaged sites of interest. If a user selects the location of a data-collection station, StreamStats will provide previously published information for the station from a database. If a user selects a location where no data are available (an ungaged site), StreamStats will run a GIS program to delineate a drainage basin boundary, measure basin characteristics, and estimate streamflow statistics based on USGS streamflow prediction methods. A user can download a GIS feature class of the drainage basin boundary with attributes including the measured basin characteristics and streamflow estimates.

  20. A nonparametric stochastic method for generating daily climate-adjusted streamflows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stagge, J. H.; Moglen, G. E.

    2013-10-01

    A daily stochastic streamflow generation model is presented, which successfully replicates statistics of the historical streamflow record and can produce climate-adjusted daily time series. A monthly climate model relates general circulation model (GCM)-scale climate indicators to discrete climate-streamflow states, which in turn control parameters in a daily streamflow generation model. Daily flow is generated by a two-state (increasing/decreasing) Markov chain, with rising limb increments randomly sampled from a Weibull distribution and the falling limb modeled as exponential recession. When applied to the Potomac River, a 38,000 km2 basin in the Mid-Atlantic United States, the model reproduces the daily, monthly, and annual distribution and dynamics of the historical streamflow record, including extreme low flows. This method can be used as part of water resources planning, vulnerability, and adaptation studies and offers the advantage of a parsimonious model, requiring only a sufficiently long historical streamflow record and large-scale climate data. Simulation of Potomac streamflows subject to the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1b, A2, and B1 emission scenarios predict a slight increase in mean annual flows over the next century, with the majority of this increase occurring during the winter and early spring. Conversely, mean summer flows are projected to decrease due to climate change, caused by a shift to shorter, more sporadic rain events. Date of the minimum annual flow is projected to shift 2-5 days earlier by the 2070-2099 period.

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