Multivariate Partial Duration Series in Flood Risk Analysis

Abstract

Flood frequency and risk analysis play a crucial role in the design of many hydraulic structures and water resources systems. Traditionally only the annual flood peak discharges are considered in the flood risk assessment process. An alternative approach is the use of partial duration series. This approach has proved to be particularly suitable when short records are available. In this method not only the annual maxima are considered but all the peaks over a given threshold. When using this method it is very attractive to extend the results presented literature to include the flood volume and flood duration in the risk assessment process, instead of considering only the flood peak discharges. In this paper this extensions is attemptes and its merits are discussed. Data from twelve portuguese river basins are used to documet the appilicablity of multivariate partial duration series and its limitations.