Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2025
12:44
Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
7.9K
Protocol for extracting flow hydrograph shape metrics for use in time-series flood hydrology analysis
Amir Mohammad Arash1, Kirstie Fryirs1, Timothy J Ralph1
1School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
Plos One
|January 10, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a Python workflow to analyze flow hydrograph shapes, classifying different flood types and calculating key metrics. This method enables consistent assessment of hydrological changes across large datasets.
Area of Science:
- Hydrology
- Environmental Science
- Geospatial Analysis
Background:
- Analyzing flow hydrographs is crucial for understanding hydrological changes at various scales.
- Manual analysis of numerous hydrographs is time-consuming and limits comprehensive assessment.
- A standardized protocol is needed for consistent derivation and validation of hydrograph metrics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present Python workflows for extracting and analyzing flow hydrographs from public gauging station records.
- To classify hydrographs based on morphologically-defined flow and flood types.
- To calculate diverse at-a-station and downstream hydrograph shape metrics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Python for automated hydrograph extraction from open-access gauging station data.
- Implemented a classification system for in-channel fresh, high flow, and overbank flood types.
- Calculated metrics such as kurtosis, skewness, peak stage, and various attenuation and celerity indices, incorporating GIS data.
Main Results:
- Developed a flexible workflow for quantifying hydrograph shape metrics from diverse temporal resolutions.
- Demonstrated the workflow's application using 117 gauging stations in coastal New South Wales, Australia.
- Generated a dataset of quantified metrics for tracking hydrological changes and characterizing regional hydrology.
Conclusions:
- The Python workflow provides a consistent and efficient method for analyzing large hydrograph datasets.
- The calculated metrics facilitate the tracking of flow and flood dynamics over time and across regions.
- This protocol serves as a valuable tool for change detection in hydrology and identifying areas for further modeling.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Rapidly Varying Flow
49
Rapidly varying flow (RVF) in open channels is characterized by abrupt changes in flow depth over a short distance, with the rate of depth change relative to distance often approaching unity. These flows are inherently complex due to their transient and multi-dimensional nature, making exact analysis difficult. However, approximate solutions using simplified models provide valuable insights into their behavior.Key Features of Rapidly Varying FlowRVF is commonly observed in scenarios involving...
49
01:18Streamlines, Streaklines, and Pathlines
897
A streamline represents the trajectory that is always tangent to the fluid's velocity vector at any given point. The velocity of a fluid particle is always directed along the streamline, ensuring the particle continuously follows the streamline's path. Streamlines are particularly useful for visualizing the overall direction of flow in a fluid system, and they provide an instantaneous representation of the flow's velocity field. In steady flow, where conditions do not change over...
897
01:17Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment
40
Flood risk assessment involves careful planning and analysis to ensure the safety of communities near water retention structures. Capacity contours are a vital tool in this process, as they illustrate the potential spread of water at specific levels in a given area. In the context of building a bund across a small valley, these contours play a critical role in evaluating the safety of nearby residential areas.In this example, the bund is intended to store stormwater in the valley. The engineers...
40
01:29Gradually Varying Flow
32
Gradually varying flow (GVF) in open channels describes situations where water depth changes slowly along the channel due to factors like non-uniform bed slope, channel shape variations, or obstructions. This flow type occurs when the depth adjusts gradually to balance gravitational forces, shear forces, and energy requirements, resulting in a low rate of depth change.Characteristics of Gradually Varying FlowGVF is commonly observed in natural streams, rivers, and canals, where flow depth...
32
01:18Uniform Depth Channel Flow: Problem Solving
56
To calculate the flow rate for a trapezoidal channel, first, identify the bottom width, side slope, and flow depth of the channel. The cross-sectional area (A) corresponding to the depth of flow (y), channel bottom width (B), and side slope (θ) is determined by:Next, calculate the wetted perimeter, which includes the bottom width and the sloped side lengths in contact with the water. Using the values of the cross-sectional area and the wetted perimeter, determine the hydraulic radius by...
56
01:21Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway
122
Scaled hydraulic models of dam spillways provide a practical way to replicate and study the intricate flow dynamics of these structures. Often built to a 1:15 ratio, these models allow for observing critical water behavior, such as velocity distribution, flow patterns, and energy dissipation.
122