Assessment of the Role of Snowmelt in a Flood Event in a Gauged Catchment

Mateo-Lazaro, Jesús (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Castillo-Mateo, Jorge ; Sanchez-Navarro, José Ángel (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Fuertes-Rodriguez, Víctor ; Garcia-Gil, Alejandro (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Edo-Romero, Vanesa

Resumen: An actual event that happened in the Roncal valley (Spain) is investigated and the results are compared between models with and without snowmelt. A distributed rainfall model is generated with the specific data recorded by the rain gauges of the catchment during the episode. To describe the process of water routing in the hydrological cycle of the basin, a model is used based on combinations of parallel linear reservoirs (PLR model), distribution by the basin, and tip-out into its drainage network configured using a digital terrain model (DTM). This PLR model allows simulation of the different actual reservoirs of the basin, including the snow and the contribution due to its melting which, in the model, depends on the temperature. The PLR model also allows for a water budget of the episode where, in addition to the effective rainfall contribution, the water that comes from the thaw is taken into account. The PLR model also allows determination of the amount of water that exists in the basin before and after the episode, data of great interest. When comparing the simulations with and without taking into account the thawing process, it is evident that the intervention of the snow reservoir has been decisive in causing a flood to occur.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/w11030506

Año: 2019

Publicado en: WATER 11, 3 (2019), 506 [16 pp.]
ISSN: 2073-4441

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.108 - Water Science and Technology (Q2) - Biochemistry (Q3) - Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes (Q4)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FEDER/Research Group-Analysis of Continental Sedimentary Basins

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Geodinámica Externa (Dpto. Ciencias de la Tierra)