Prediction of base flows from basin characteristics: a case study from Zimbabwe / Prévision de débits de base à partir de caractéristiques du bassin: une étude de cas au Zimbabwe
- 1 August 2004
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Hydrological Sciences Journal
- Vol. 49 (4)
- https://doi.org/10.1623/hysj.49.4.703.54428
Abstract
Abstract Base flows make up the flows of most rivers in Zimbabwe during the dry season. Prediction of base flows from basin characteristics is necessary for water resources planning of ungauged basins. Linear regression and artificial neural networks were used to predict the base flow index (BFI) from basin characteristics for 52 basins in Zimbabwe. Base flow index was positively related to mean annual precipitation (r = 0.71), basin slope (r = 0.76), and drainage density (r = 0.29), and negatively related to mean annual evapotranspiration (r = –0.74), and proportion of a basin with grasslands and wooded grasslands (r = –0.53). Differences in lithology did not significantly affect BFI. Linear regression and artificial neural networks were both suitable for predicting BFI values. The predicted BFI was used in turn to derive flow duration curves of the 52 basins and with R 2 being 0.89–0.99.Keywords
This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
- Basin hydrologic response relations to distributed physiographic descriptors and climateJournal of Hydrology, 2001
- Regionalization of lumped water balance model parameters based on multiple regressionJournal of Hydrology, 2001
- The classification of hydrologically homogeneous regionsHydrological Sciences Journal, 1999
- Relationships between dynamic response characteristics and physical descriptors of catchments in England and WalesJournal of Hydrology, 1998
- Relating baseflow to catchment properties in south-eastern AustraliaJournal of Hydrology, 1998
- Automated Base Flow Separation and Recession Analysis TechniquesGroundwater, 1995
- Statistical aspects of neural networksPublished by Springer Science and Business Media LLC ,1993
- The effect of irrigation on dambo hydrology: A case studyJournal of Hydrology, 1991
- Evaluation of automated techniques for baseflow and recession analysesWater Resources Research, 1990
- The influence of basin morphology on groundwater outflowWater Resources Research, 1988