Maximum discharge and probable rainfall at Aiuruoca basin, Minas Gerais State

  • Leandro Campos Pinto Universidade de Lavras (UFLA)
  • Pedro Luiz Terra Lima Universidade de Lavras (UFLA)
  • Zélio Resende de Souza University of Lavras
Keywords: probability distribution, Log-Normal, Gamma distribution, water resources planning

Abstract

Research on rainfall and annual daily maximum discharge rates is essential to support decisions during the design of hydraulic structures. This study tested the adequacy of probability functions to predict the probable rainfall and discharge rates of the Aiuruoca River Basin in Minas Gerais State in Brazil. This basin is very important as starting point of the Rio Grande Basin that eventually discharges into the Parana River in the southern region of Brazil at the border with Argentina. It was found that the log-normal two parameters probability function provided the best fit to historical monthly rainfall series. For example, in the month of January, there is a 75% probability that 201 mm of rainfall will occur. This is the month with the highest volume of rainfall in the region. On another hand, for flow rate, the best fit was provided by the log-normal distribution with three parameters.

Author Biographies

Leandro Campos Pinto, Universidade de Lavras (UFLA)
Graduated in Agricultural engineering - University of Lavras Master of water resources in agricultural systems Doctoral Student, Department of Soil Science, University of Lavras
Pedro Luiz Terra Lima, Universidade de Lavras (UFLA)
Graduated in Agricultural engineering - University of Lavras Master of water resources in agricultural systems Doctoral Student, Department of Soil Science, University of Lavras
Zélio Resende de Souza, University of Lavras
Graduated in Agronomy - University of Lavras Master Student, Department of Soil Science, University of Lavras
Published
22/06/2014
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 2 (2014)
Section
Papers

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