The use of rainfall disaggregation coefficients to obtain intensity-duration-frequency curves: estimation using pluviographic data versus national mean values

  • Wilk Sampaio de Almeida Efficient Use of Water in Agriculture Program. Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), 25003, Lleida, Spain. Water Efficiency Program in Agriculture. Higher Institute of Agronomy. University of Lisbon, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • Flávia Vilela Corrêa Departamento de Recursos Hídricos. Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos, s/n, Caixa Postal 3037, CEP: 37203-202, Lavras, MG, Brazil.
  • Alice Raquel Caminha Departamento de Recursos Hídricos. Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos, s/n, Caixa Postal 3037, CEP: 37203-202, Lavras, MG, Brazil.
  • Matheus Coutinho Freitas de Oliveira Departamento de Recursos Hídricos. Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos, s/n, Caixa Postal 3037, CEP: 37203-202, Lavras, MG, Brazil.
  • Daniel Fonseca de Carvalho Instituto de Tecnologia. Departamento de Engenharia. Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), BR 465, km 07, Campus da UFRRJ, CEP: 23897-000, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
  • Luiz Fernando Coutinho de Oliveira Departamento de Recursos Hídricos. Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos, s/n, Caixa Postal 3037, CEP: 37203-202, Lavras, MG, Brazil.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4136/ambi-agua.3061

Abstract

The lack of sub-daily rainfall data to obtain intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) relationships at a local scale is a common limitation in many countries. This study determines rainfall disaggregation coefficients using pluviographic data from several meteorological stations to adjust IDF curves for Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The adjusted IDF curves using the coefficients obtained show satisfactory adjustment with Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency values above 0.99 compared to the mean values proposed by Cetesb (1979). The root mean square error (RMSE) of the estimated rainfall intensities using the adjusted IDF relationships for different return periods and rainfall durations varied between 2.55 at the Eletrobrás station and 42.49 at the São Bento station. The disaggregation coefficients obtained for Rio de Janeiro state differ from the values proposed in the literature, which confirms the need to adjust values locally and for hydrologically homogeneous regions. This local and regional scale approach provides more accurate IDF curves.

Keywords: extreme rainfall, IDF relationship, Rio de Janeiro.


Published
13/05/2025
Issue
Vol. 20 (2025)
Section
Papers

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