CATCHEMENT RESPONSE MODELLING USING GEOMORPHOLOGY

Abstract

Quantitative understanding and prediction of the process of runoff generation and its transmission to the catchment outlet represents one of the most basic and challenging areas in scientific hydrology. Although a variety of methods are available (the unit hydrograph concept, the synthetic unit hydrograph, the Geomorphologic Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph etc.), attempts within the last three decades have been towards the development of physically based models for stream flows focussing on the 'problem of developing simple yet meaningful relationship between catchment characteristics and the model parameters. Such attempts have could have been only possible, by the conjunctive use of geomorphology and hydrology. These led to the development of geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph and also geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph. Further refinements, with a quest for simple models led to the birth of the Geomorphologic Non-linear Cascade Model. Taking one step ahead, in the present thesis, a multiple input, single output geomorphologic non-linear/linear cascade model has been formulated on the basis of review of literature. The same has been applied to the daily rainfall-runoff data of Narmada catchment upto Jamtara. Effect of spatial distribution of rainfall and infiltration on model parameters and the results have been studied. It is noticed that the model results are better for more number of rainfall inputs. Also model tends to behave in a linear fashion when the number of rainfall inputs to it are increased.