Abstract
A regional flood frequency model is developed for estimating recurrence intervals of extreme floods. The regionalization procedure developed in this paper differs notably from the U.S. Geological Survey index flood method (Dalrymple, 1960) in that a large quantile, rather than the mean annual flood, is used as the “index flood.” Based on a result from extreme value theory, exceedances of the specified quantile are modeled by a generalized Pareto distribution. The generalized Pareto distribution has two parameters: a scale parameter and a shape parameter. It is assumed that the shape parameter does not vary from basin to basin, implying that annual peak distributions for all basins have the same upper‐tail thickness. The scale parameter, on the other hand, not only varies from basin to basin, but may also depend on covariate information, such as drainage area or indicator functions for basin geology. Likelihood‐based inference procedures are developed for the regional flood frequency model. The model is applied to extreme floods of the Central Appalachian region of the United States.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
