Entropy Parameter M in Modeling a Flow Duration Curve Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • 2017 by the authors. A flow duration curve (FDC) is widely used for predicting water supply, hydropower, environmental flow, sediment load, and pollutant load. Among different methods of constructing an FDC, the entropy-based method, developed recently, is appealing because of its several desirable characteristics, such as simplicity, flexibility, and statistical basis. This method contains a parameter, called entropy parameter M, which constitutes the basis for constructing the FDC. Since M is related to the ratio of the average streamflow to the maximum streamflow which, in turn, is related to the drainage area, it may be possible to determine M a priori and construct an FDC for ungauged basins. This paper, therefore, analyzed the characteristics of M in both space and time using streamflow data from 73 gauging stations in the Brazos River basin, Texas, USA. Results showed that the M values were impacted by reservoir operation and possibly climate change. The values were fluctuating, but relatively stable, after the operation of the reservoirs. Parameter M was found to change inversely with the ratio of average streamflow to the maximum streamflow. When there was an extreme event, there occurred a jump in the M value. Further, spatially, M had a larger value if the drainage area was small.

published proceedings

  • ENTROPY

altmetric score

  • 0.5

author list (cited authors)

  • Zhang, Y. u., Singh, V. P., & Byrd, A. R.

citation count

  • 5

complete list of authors

  • Zhang, Yu||Singh, Vijay P||Byrd, Aaron R

publication date

  • December 2017

publisher