Interpreting characteristic drainage timescale variability across Kilombero Valley, Tanzania

Abstract

AbstractWe explore seasonal variability and spatiotemporal patterns in characteristic drainage timescale (K) estimated from river discharge records across the Kilombero Valley in central Tanzania. K values were determined using streamflow recession analysis with a Brutsaert–Nieber solution to the linearized Boussinesq equation. Estimated K values were variable, comparing between wet and dry seasons for the relatively small catchments draining upland positions. For the larger catchments draining through valley bottoms, K values were typically longer and more consistent across seasons. Variations in K were compared with long‐term averaged, Moderate‐resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐derived monthly evapotranspiration. Although the variations in K were potentially related to evapotranspiration, the influence of data quality and analysis procedure could not be discounted. As such, even though recession analysis offers a potential approach to explore aquifer release timescales and thereby gain insight to a region's hydrology to inform water resources management, care must be taken when interpreting spatiotemporal shifts in K in connection with process representation in regions like the Kilombero Valley. © 2014 The Authors. Hydrological Processes published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.