Baseflow estimation for a mining-impacted catchment using hydrograph
separation and hydrological regionalisation
Abstract
The development and application of automated baseflow separation
algorithms for describing individual discharge components still cover a
major part of modern hydrology. A key problem is the applicability of
baseflow separation methods in ungauged or anthropogenically impacted
catchments due to their complex conceptuali-ty. With increasing
anthropogenic impact, the dependence of calculated baseflow rates on
measured total runoff also increases. In this study, we suggest
statistical approaches for testing the suitability of different
hydrograph separation algorithms. For our main study site, the
mining-impacted Geisel catchment in the Central Ger-many, we calculated
a mean baseflow rate of 0.28 m³/s for the period from 1981 to 2017.
First, 14 different algorithms (graphical and statistical methods,
digital-filter-approaches, and one physically based algorithm) were
tested in seven catchments. The calculated baseflow rates for the Geisel
catchment showed questionable curves, in particular a high amplitude.
Thus, similarities between measured dis-charge and calculated baseflow
were demonstrated (quasi-parallelism), which were quantified with
correlation analyses on different time scales. Following this, a
pro-found analysis of the baseflow index (BFI) was carried out. Finally,
we applied a sta-tistical regionalisation approach to derive validated
baseflow information for the Geisel catchment using the calculated
baseflow indices and numerical catchment descriptors. As a result, the
questionable baseflow hydrographs of the Geisel could be corrected. This
promising method enables improved estimations of environmental flow
components, improved analyses of the hydrological processes to foster
the un-derstanding of anthropogenic impacts, and provides essential
information for water management in the Geisel catchment. Furthermore,
characteristic properties of long-term BFI values were revealed, which
can be used to develop new physically based hydrograph separation
procedures by including spatially distributed physical catchment
descriptors.