Development of intensity–duration–frequency curves for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This paper presents the derivation of the intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Such curves were obtained based on rainfall events measured in 28 meteorological stations distributed throughout the Kingdom. For 20–28 years period, 2027 rainfall storms of durations ranging from 10 min to 24 hours were collected and analyzed. Both Institute of Hydrology model (IH-Flood) and Excel-sheet program are used for developing IDF equations for every station. The method of least squares was used to get relationships for the parameters of the IDF formulas. The calculated goodness of fit shows strong correlations range between 0.99 and 0.98 for one of the parameters, and between 0.92 and 0.74 for the other parameters and thence indicating robust IDF formulas for practical use. Regionalization of the IDF parameters for the 13 distinct regions of the Kingdom has been developed. In addition, an average of IDF parameters is made over the Kingdom as a whole to be used in regions of no rainfall records. The resulting IDF curves are usually used for flood estimation in urban/rural watersheds. Using the resulting IDF curves is highly recommended for rigorous, efficient and safe design of hydraulic structures and flood protection works.

Keywords

• intensity–duration–frequency (idf) curves
• floods design storms
• kingdom of saudi arabia
• arid zone