Regional Patterns of Baseflow Variability in Mexican Subwatersheds

Author: Salas-Aguilar Víctor   Macedo-Cruz Antonia   Paz Fernando   Palacios Enrique   Ortiz Carlos   Quevedo Abel  

Publisher: MDPI

E-ISSN: 2073-4441|8|3|98-98

ISSN: 2073-4441

Source: Water, Vol.8, Iss.3, 2016-03, pp. : 98-98

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Abstract

One of the challenges faced by subwatershed hydrology is the discovery of patterns associated with climate and landscape variability with the available data. This study has three objectives: (1) to evaluate the annual recession curves; (2) to relate the recession parameter (RP) with physiographic characteristics of 21 Mexican subwatersheds in different climate regions; and (3) to formulate a Baseflow (BF) model based on a top-down approach. The RP was calibrated utilizing the largest magnitude curves. The RP was related to topographical, climate and soil variables. A non-linear model was employed to separate the baseflow which considers RP as a recharge rate. Our results show that RP increases with longitude and decreases with latitude. RP displayed a sustained non-linear behavior determined by precipitation rate and evapotranspiration ( P E ) over years and subwatersheds. The model was fit to a parameter concurrent with invariance and space-time symmetry conditions. The dispersion of our model was associated with the product of ( P E ) by the aquifer’s transmissivity. We put forward a generalized baseflow model, which made the discrimination of baseflow from direct flow in subwatersheds possible. The proposed model involves the recharge-storage-discharge relation and could be implemented in basins where there are no suitable ground-based data.