SYNTHESIS OF DISTRIBUTED INPUTS FOR HYDROGRAPH PREDICTIONS

A surface flow model based on kinematic wave theory is applied to a flow system derived from the geomorphic properties of the watershed in question. This model facilitates the inclusion of conventional hydraulic methods for computations and avoids one of the major sources of error in watershed modeling: the lumping of input (rainfall excess). Input can be introduced as a distributed variable. The hydrograph synthesis process is evaluated by an objective function based on observed hydrograph peak flow. An example is used to illustrate the modeling process and its application. This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. Published in 1968 by the American Geophysical Union.