Abstract
Hydrological processes in river basins of similar size and morphology may differ significantly due to different climatic conditions. This paper presents a comparative analysis of hydrological characteristics of two river basins located in different climatic zones: the Wisłok River Basin in the south-eastern Poland and the Chaohe River Basin in the northern China. The criteria of their choice were similarities in the basin area, main river length and topography. The results show that climate plays a key role in shaping fluvial conditions within the two basins. It is concluded that: 1) precipitation in the Wisłok River Basin is more evenly distributed in the yearly cycle, while in the Chaohe River Basin it is highly concentrated in the few summer months; 2) spring snowmelt significantly contributes to runoff in the Wisłok River Basin, while its role in the Chaohe River Basin is negligible; 3) in the Wisłok River Basin, besides the peak flow in spring, there is also a period of high water in summer resulting from precipitation, while in the Chaohe River Basin there is only one high water period in summer; 4) the Wisłok River Basin shows relatively higher stability in terms of the magnitude of intra- and inter-seasonal discharges; 5) during the multi-year observation period, a decrease in both precipitation and runoff was recorded in the two river basins.
Highlights
Comparative analysis is a relatively new, yet important approach in hydrological studies
Its main assumptions were defined within the Third International Hydrological Programme (IHP, 1981; 1985)
On that basis Woo and Liu (1994) provided a case study on mountain hydrology of Canada and China, which indicated that mountain regions have sparse data networks and their hydrological activities reflect large spatial and temporal variations caused by a set of processes, many of which have not been fully examined
Summary
Comparative analysis is a relatively new, yet important approach in hydrological studies. Woo and Liu (1994) pointed out that over the years each country has evolved different methodological approaches, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. On that basis Woo and Liu (1994) provided a case study on mountain hydrology of Canada and China, which indicated that mountain regions have sparse data networks and their hydrological activities reflect large spatial and temporal variations caused by a set of processes, many of which have not been fully examined. Kovács (1984) considered morphology of terrain and climate as decisive factors characterizing regional hydrology and proposed a coordinating matrix for comparative hydrology of watersheds in different climatic zones. The comparative study carried out by Sun et al (2002) suggested that
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