A Polynomial Method Approximating S-Curve with Limited Availability of Reliable Rainfall Data

Abstract

A methodology named the step response separation (SRS) method for deriving S-curves solely from the data for basin runoff and the associated instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) is presented. The SRS method extends the root selection (RS) method to generate a clearly separated S-curve from runoff incorporated in mathematical procedure utilizing the step response function. Significant improvements in performance are observed in separating the S-curve with rainfall. A procedure to evaluate the hydrologic stability provides ways to minimize the oscillation of the S-curve associated with the determination of infiltration and baseflow. The applicability of the SRS method to runoff reproduction is examined by comparison with observed basin runoff based on the RS method. The SRS method applied to storm events for the Nenagh basin resulted in acceptable S-curves and showed its general applicability to optimization for rainfall-runoff modeling.

Keywords

• S-curve
• step response separation (SRS) method
• root selection (RS) method
• instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH)
• unit hydrograph (UH)
• hydrologic stability