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- Title
A regional flow type classification for South African perennial rivers.
- Authors
Rivers-Moore, N. A.; Schulze, R. E.; Davis, N. S.
- Abstract
Flow classification provides a statistically robust method of defining an expected range of variability for flow metrics describing frequency, magnitude, duration and timing of events. Here, we characterised reference mean daily flows for 1950-1999 for all 5838 quinary catchments of South Africa based on 150 metrics. Using a two-tiered approach, where sub-catchments were classified into similar flow types using principal components and cluster analyses, we defined 6 to 12 flow types for each of 8 hydrological regions reflecting rainfall seasonality. Redundancy between variables was 87% on average, so that site variability could be accounted for using 8-28 metrics. In general, flow volume metrics accounted for Axis 1 variability, while coefficients of dispersion had 1.8 times less leverage in Axis 2. With the incorporation into a spatial product and an associated database, this study provides a basis for defining statistically robust reference flow conditions for multiple flow metrics, against which current observed flows at specific sites may be compared.
- Subjects
SOUTH Africa; PRINCIPAL components analysis; RIVERS; CLASSIFICATION; WATERSHEDS
- Publication
Water SA, 2020, Vol 46, Issue 3, p383
- ISSN
0378-4738
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.17159/wsa/2020.v46.i3.8648