Rainfall Runoff Hydrograph Prediction Using Dynamic Wave Based Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph

A method to predict runoff based on the instantaneous unit hydrograph and dynamic wave approximation is proposed. The method is capable of generating IUH of a watershed without the need of observed rainfall and runoff data, and only topography and surface roughness of a watershed are needed. IUHs were generated using a dynamic wave model and S-hydrograph method, and IUH generated was a function of both watershed and rainfall properties. The ordinate of IUH depends on the rainfall intensities, and the peak value of IUH was proportional to the rainfall intensity while the time to peak of the IUH was inversely proportional to the rainfall intensity.  Corresponding IUHs for different rainfall intensities were used to generate runoff hydrographs. Since the IUH is generated using a dynamic wave model, it can be a tool to physically simulate the rainfall-runoff processes. Also, nonlinear rainfall-runoff relationship can be taken into account by expressing IUH as a function of rainfall excess intensity. Several test results in ideal basins and in a real watershed show that the proposed method has a good capability in predicting runoff, while several limitations remain.

Keywords: rainfall-runoff, instantaneous unit hydrograph, dynamic wave model