Spatio-temporal variability of behavioral patterns in hydrology in meso-scale basins of the Rhineland Palatinate (1972-2002)

• Published in: Climatic change Vol. 93; no. 1-2; pp. 223 - 242
• Main Authors: Hellebrand, H, Bos, R. van den, Hoffmann, L, Juilleret, J, Krein, A, Pfister, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-03-2009; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmospheric Sciences; Basins; Behavior; Climate change; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Data analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Environmental assessment; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Freshwater; Hydrology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Lithology; Meteorology; Precipitation; Rain; River basins; Runoff; Trends; Visual aids; Water in the atmosphere (humidity, clouds, evaporation, precipitation); Rhineland-Palatinate Germany; Central Europe; Europe; Germany; Antecedent Rainfall; Kendall Test; Winter Rainfall; Rhine Valley; Exploratory Data Analysis; 1970-1980; time variations; hydrology; Precipitation intensity; atmospheric precipitation; river discharge; climate variability; River basins; Hydroclimatology; Dynamical climatology; Mesoscale; 1990-2000; Data visualization; spatial variations; statistical analysis; 1980-1990
• ISSN: 0165-0009; 1573-1480
• DOI: 10.1007/s10584-008-9509-7

Changes in spatio-temporal rainfall patterns have an effect on the hydrological behavior of river basins, the magnitude of the effects depending among others on the physiographic basin characteristics. To assess climate and discharge fluctuations, a visualization tool was developed as a contribution to exploratory data analysis. The tool combined statistical tests of hydro-climatological variables with physiographic basin characteristics. Test results agree with previous studies and suggested a relationship between rainfall, discharge and mean date of the annual maximum discharge on the one the hand and lithology, altitude and west to east positioning of the basins on the other hand. The visualization tool capable of combining the statistical test results with the geologic and topographic configuration of the study area and allowed a reflection on the hydro-climatological as well as spatio-temporal behavior of meso-scale basins by means of exploratory data analysis.