Estimating the snowmelt runoff volume through hydrograph separation

Abstract

The development of predictive tools that enable synchronization of rain and snowmelt times is desired for efficient water supply management in the snowmelt-dominant basins. This study aims to separate the streamflow hydrograph into its components, such as base flow, rainwater, and snowmelt, to be used for the snowmelt simulation studies of the Upper Karasu Basin, Erzurum, Turkey. The region covers an area of 242 km2, where snow cover prevails for about 150 days in a year. The surface water flow component of the total runoff has been determined by using the chloride contents of surface water and groundwater end-members. The volumes of the rain and snowmelt water components in the surface water have been identified from the oxygen-18 contents of the rain, accumulated snow, and surface water. The hydrograph separation calculations have been performed daily by using the end-member contents of the total runoff during the snowmelt period between March 6, 2008, and June 15, 2008. The results show that the total runoff in the river during this period was composed of 9% groundwater, 73% snowmelt water, and 18% rain. The stream water's oxygen-18 isotope content indicates an effective mixing of snowmelt water and rainwater components during the surface flow process. This study also suggests that isotopic exchange is an important process that determines the snowmelt water's isotope content.

Keywords

• Snowmelt runoff model
• Upper Euphrates basin
• Hydrograph separation
• Stable isotopes

Kar erimesi hacminin hidrograf ayrımı yöntemi ile tahmini

Öz

Kar erimesinin baskın olduğu havzalarda verimli su temini yönetimi için yağmur ve kar erime sürelerinin senkronizasyonunu sağlayan tahmin araçlarının geliştirilmesi istenmektedir. Bu çalışma, Yukarı Karasu Havzası’ndaki (Erzurum) kar erimesi simülasyon çalışmalarında kullanılmak üzere akarsu hidrografını taban akışı, yağmur suyu ve kar erimesi gibi bileşenlerine ayırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bölge, yılda yaklaşık 150 gün kar örtüsünün hâkim olduğu 242 km2'lik bir alanı kaplamaktadır. Toplam akışın yüzey suyu akış bileşeni, yüzey suyu ve yeraltı suyu uç elemanlarının klorür içerikleri kullanılarak belirlenmiştir. Yüzey suyundaki yağmur ve eriyen kar suyu bileşenlerinin hacimleri, yağmurun, birikmiş karın ve yüzey suyunun oksijen-18 içeriklerinden belirlenmiştir. Hidrograf ayırma hesaplamaları, 6 Mart 2008 ile 15 Haziran 2008 tarihleri arasındaki kar erimesi döneminde toplam akışın uç bileşenlerinin izleyici içerikleri kullanılarak günlük bazda yapılmıştır. Sonuçlar, nehirdeki toplam akışın %9’unun yeraltı suyu, %73’ünün eriyen kar suyu ve %18’inin yağmur suyundan oluştuğunu göstermektedir. Akarsuyun oksijen-18 izotop içeriği akarsu akışı sırasında eriyen kar suyu ve yağmur suyu bileşenlerinin etkili bir şekilde karıştığını göstermektedir. Bu çalışma aynı zamanda izotop takasının kar erimesi suyunun izotop içeriğini belirleyen önemli süreç olduğuna işaret etmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kar erimesi akış modeli
• Yukarı Fırat havzası
• Hidrograf ayırma
• Kararlı izotoplar

Kaynakça

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