Comparison of annual maximum series and partial duration series methods for modeling extreme hydrologic events .2. Regional modeling

Two regional estimation schemes, based on, respectively, partial duration series (PDS) and annual maximum series (AMS), are compared. The PDS model assumes a generalized Pareto (GP) distribution for modeling threshold exceedances corresponding to a generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution for annual maxima. First, the accuracy of PDS/GP and AMS/GEV regional index-flood T-year event estimators are compared using Monte Carlo simulations. For estimation in typical regions assuming a realistic degree of heterogeneity, the PDS/GP index-flood model is more efficient. The regional PDS and AMS procedures are subsequently applied to flood records from 48 catchments in New Zealand. To identify homogeneous groupings of catchments, a split-sample regionalization approach based on catchment characteristics is adopted. The defined groups are more homogeneous for PDS data than for AMS data; a two-way grouping based on annual average rainfall is sufficient to attain homogeneity for PDS, whereas a further partitioning is necessary for AMS. In determination of the regional parent distribution using L-moment ratio diagrams, PDS data, in contrast to AMS data, provide an unambiguous interpretation, supporting a GP distribution.