Spatial and temporal characteristics of runoff processes on a Puerto Rican watershed representative of the humid Montane Tropics

166 Pages·1999·5.9 MB·English

by  Swett, Robert, 1954-

SPATIALANDTEMPORALCHARACTERISTICSOFRUNOFFPROCESSES
ONAPUERTORICANWATERSHEDREPRESENTATIVEOFTHEHUMID
MONTANETROPICS
By
ROBERTA.SWETT
ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL
OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF
DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA
1999
TothememoryofDr.LeonardZobler.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Firstandforemost,mygratitudeisextendedtoGodforblessings
bestowedandstrengthimparted.
Iwishtoexpressappreciationtomysupervisorycommittee. Dr.Gustavo
Antonini,mychair,forhissupportandguidance,andfortheinvaluablelessons
garneredunderhistutelage. Specialthanksareaccordedmycochair,Dr.Peter
Waylen,whosekeenintellectisexceededonlybythegenerousandgivingspirit
hedisplayedasheshepherdedmethroughtheprocess. Drs.JoannMossa,
KenCampbell,andPaulZwickwereconstantsourcesofencouragementand
theyprovidedmewithdeepinsightsintothefieldsofhydrologicaland
informationsciences. IthankDr.Caviedes,chairoftheGeographyDepartment,
forhisgenerosity. Dr.LeonardZoblerisdearlymissedandhiscontributionsto
mylifeextendwellbeyondthisdissertation.
IthanktheUS.GeologicalSurveyinPuertoRicoandZaidaAquinoin
particularforgraciouslyprovidingthenecessaryhydrologicdatatocompletethis
work. IappreciatethegenerosityofDr.MatthewLarsenwhoansweredmymany
questionsandtookmetovisitresearchsitesmaintainedbytheGeological
SurveyintheLuquilloExperimentalForest. Dr.ArielLugooftheU.S.Forest
ServicefacilitatedmyvisittoPuertoRicoand,withFrederickScatena,provided
valuableinformationandaccesstobibliographicresourcesattheInternational
InstituteofTropicalForestryinPuertoRico. MythanksgotoDr.KeithBevenof
LancasterUniversity,Lancaster,UK,forprovidingaccesstohishydrological
model,TOPMODEL. Thefollowingentitiesprovidedfundingandresources,
whichgreatlyfacilitatedthework:theGeographyDepartment,theCenterfor
LatinAmericanStudiesandtheGraduateSchoolattheUniversityofFlorida,
andtheU.S.AgencyforInternationalDevelopment.
MysincereappreciationtotheadministrativestaffoftheGeography
Department,JuliaWilliams,DesireePrice,andCarolynHall,fortheirhelpand
goodwill. Thanksandappreciationareowedtomyfellowstudentsandco-
workers,DavidFannandDrs.PaulBox,ReneLedesma,andCharlesSidman.
Theirsupport,guidance,andfellowshiphavebeenasourceoftremendous
comfort.
Tomyfamily,therockthatsustainedmeduringmyjourney,Iwishto
expressmydeepandheartfeltgratitude. Antonieta,mywife,isafontof
understanding,wisdom,patience,andlove. Iamblessedandenhanced
becauseofher. Mychildren,Miguel,Elizabeth,andChristopher,arecontinual
sourcesofjoyanddelight. Theirspiritrejuvenatesandstrengthensmine. My
parents,togetherwithmybrothersandsisters,laidthefoundationforany
successImayenjoy,andIthankthem.
IV
1
TABLEOFCONTENTS
page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
in
TABLEOFCONTENTS v
LISTOFTABLES viii
LISTOFFIGURES ix
ABSTRACT
xii
CHAPTERS
1. INTRODUCTION 1
Background 1
Objectives 3
StructureofPresentation 5
2. LITERATUREREVIEW 7
ConceptualFramework 7
TheHistoricalContextofHillslopeHydrology 8
RunoffGeneratingMechanisms 1
SubsurfaceFlow 13
PreferentialFlow 15
TranslatoryFlow 15
GroundwaterRidging 16
PrincipalControlsofHydrologicBehavior 16
EffectivePrecipitation 18
BaseflowAnalysisandHydrographSeparationTechniques 21
3. SITEDESCRIPTIONANDCHARACTERIZATION 28
TheCaribbeanRegion 28
PuertoRico 30
v
CharacteristicsofRioIcacosBasinandNortheasternInterior
PuertoRico 33
RioIcacosBasin 35
LandUse/LandCover 36
GeologyandSoils 36
HydrologicControlsandProcesses 38
Precipitationandrunoff 40
Interception,throughfall,andstemflow 43
Evapotranspirationandtemperature 43
Soilwaterandgroundwater 45
HypothesizedRunoffGeneratingMechanismsOperativein
RioIcacosBasin 47
4. TOPOGRAPHY-BASEDHYDROLOGICMODEL 48
TOPMODELTheory 49
ModelStructure 53
5. RESEARCHMETHODS 58
DataProcessing 59
GISCoverages 59
PrecipitationandDischarge 61
DataLimitations 61
StormEvents 62
HydrographSeparation 62
DeterminationofNetPrecipitation 66
SelectionofIndividualPrecipitationandDischargeEvents 70
StatisticalAnalysisofStormEventDescriptors 72
TopographicAnalysis 75
6. RESULTSANDDISCUSSION 82
RecessionCurveAnalysis 82
DescriptionofStormEvents 85
StatisticalAnalysis 87
MaximumPrecipitationIntensityVersusPeakInstantaneous
RunoffRate 87
QuickflowVersusBasinWetness 93
DiscussionofStatisticalAnalysis 102
TopographicAnalysis 109
TOPMODELParameterDetermination 117
EventSimulation 120
DiscussionofTOPMODELSimulations 125
VI
7. SUMMARYANDCONCLUSIONS 133
LISTOFREFERENCES 139
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 150
VII
LISTOFTABLES
Table page
5-
5-1. Name,parameter,identifier,andperiodofrecordfor15-minute
6- intervalprecipitationanddischargestationslocatedinthevicinity
ofRioIcacosbasin 61
5-2. Stormparametersderivedforeachevent 72
3. Cross-sectionalareaandchannelvelocitycalculationsforarangeof
dischargesrecordedattheoutletofRioIcacos 81
1. Stormdescriptorsusedintheanalysisof35eventsthatoccurred
onRioIcacosbasin:1993-1997 86
6.2. Regressionresultsoflogpeakinstantaneousrunoffrateversuslog
maximumprecipitationintensityforRioIcacosbasin 93
6-3. PearsonProduct-MomentCorrelationsforquickflowproportion,mean
baseflow,antecedentbaseflow,andgrossprecipitationforRioIcacos
basin 100
6-4. PearsonProduct-MomentCorrelationsforquickflowproportion,
meanbaseflow,antecedentbaseflow,andgrossprecipitation
forGeebungCreek 100
6-5. Regressionresultsofquickflowproportionversuslogmeanbaseflow
andloggrossprecipitationforRioIcacosbasin 102
6-6. ComparisonofaveragemonthlyprecipitationandrunoffattheRio
IcacosandGuababasinoutletsduringwetanddryperiods:
11/1993-9/1997 114
viii
2-
LISTOFFIGURES
3-
Figure page
1. Principalrunoffgeneratingmechanisms 12
1. LocationofRioIcacosbasinineasternPuertoRico 29
33--2. Locationsofmeteorologicalstations,dischargegages,andU.S.Army
CorpsofEngineersstudysitesinthevicinityoftheRioIcacosbasin 34
4-
3-3. LandcoverintheRioIcacosbasinandGuabasubcatchment 37
3-4. SoiltypesintheRioIcacosbasinandGuabasubcatchment 39
3-5. RioIcacosbasin:meanmonthlyprecipitationandrunoff:
1983-1995;meanmonthlyrunoff:1945-1997 42
6. Probabilitiesassociatedwithprecipitationintensityfornortheast
PuertoRico 44
1. TOPMODELprogramstructure 54
6-1. Determinationofthequickflowterminationpointusingbaseflow
recessioncurvesfromRioIcacosbasinandQuebradaBlanca 84
6-2. Boxplotshowingthedistributionofmaximumprecipitationintensity
valuesrecordedatGuabaduring35stormevents 89
6-3. Histogramshowingthedistributionofmaximumprecipitationintensity
valuesrecordedatGuabaduring35stormevents 89
6-4. Boxplotshowingthedistributionofpeakinstantaneousrunoffrates
recordedforRioIcacosduring35stormevents 91
6-5. Histogramshowingthedistributionofpeakinstantaneousrunoffrates
recordedforRioIcacosduring35stormevents 91
6-6. Log-Logregressionplotofpeakinstantaneousrunoffrateversus
maximumprecipitationintensityforRioIcacosbasin 92
IX
6-7. Log-Logregressionplotofpeakinstantaneousrunoffrateversus
maximumprecipitationintensityforGeebungCreek 92
6-8. Boxplotshowingthedistributionofmeanbaseflowvalues
recordedforRioIcacosduring35stormevents 95
6-9. Histogramshowingthedistributionofmeanbaseflowvalues
recordedforRioIcacosduring35stormevents 95
6-10.Boxplotshowingthedistributionofantecedentbaseflowrecorded
forRioIcacospriorto35stormevents 96
6-11.Histogramshowingthedistributionofantecedentbaseflowrecorded
forRioIcacospriorto35stormevents 96
6-12.Boxplotandhistogramshowingthedistributionofthequickflow
proportionrecordedforRioIcacosduring35stormevents 97
6-13.Boxplotshowingthedistributionofgrossprecipitationvalues
recordedatGuabaduring35stormevents 98
6-14.Histogramshowingthedistributionofgrossprecipitationvalues
recordedatGuabaduring35stormevents 98
6-15.Regressionplotsofquickflowversusmeanbaseflowandgross
precipitationforRioIcacosbasinandGeebungCreek 101
6-16.Comparsionofthewaterlevelriseintwofloodplainwellswith
thestreamlevelriseduringastormevent 106
6-17.SixtydaymovingaverageofdailyrunoffforRioIcacos:1992-1997 108
6-18.Regressionplotofquickflowproportionversusmeanbaseflowfor
11 stormeventsthatoccurredduringadryhydrologicperiodonthe
RioIcacosbasin 110
6-19.MeanmonthlyprecipitationandrunoffrecordedattheRioIcacos
andGuababasinoutletsfrom11/1993to9/1997 Ill
6-20.AveragemonthlyprecipitationandrunoffrecordedattheRioIcacos
andGuababasinoutletsduringwetanddryperiods:
11/1993-9/1997 113
x