Abstract
Time of concentration (T c) is one of the frequently used parameters to characterize the response of a drainage basin to a rainfall event. Conceptually, it is the time runoff travels from the hydraulically most distant location in a basin to its outlet. T c was found to vary depending on river basin characteristics such as slope, soil infiltration, and flow path. In this study, we investigate if the drainage network type information can be used as an input to hydrological models, by estimating the time of concentration separately for different network types. Sixty-eight basins which have areas ranging from 24 to 965 km2 in arid and non-arid regions of the USA are compared and the effect of climate is also analyzed. It is found that the slope of the linear relationship between T c and the maximum hydraulic length of flow path shows different correlation coefficients ranging from 0.80 to 0.98 for different network types. It is observed that the slope of the regression line between T c and the maximum hydraulic length of flow path is the lowest for dendritic networks (slope of 0.26), while pinnate networks have the steepest slope of the regression line (slope of 0.59). This indicates that the drainage network type has a direct impact on the hydrological behavior of the basin and can represent a direct input in hydrological modeling.
Published Version
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