Resumo

MENDEZ-ANTONIO, Baldemar; SOTO-CORTES, Gabriel; RIVERA-TREJO, Fabián  e  CAETANO, Ernesto. Distributed hydrological modeling based on weather radar. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.1, pp.83-101. ISSN 2007-2422.

In Latin America, the modernization of weather systems encourage the use of distributed hydrological models for forecasting and early warning. In this sense, remote sensing instruments, such as radar and weather satellites, become more important as basic elements in the generation of data for hydrometeorological simulation. As a first step in this development process, radar is a key component for its ability to detect the spatial distribution of rainfall with an ideal resolution level for hydrological models. With this perspective, this paper presents the development of a hydrological simulation scheme based on the distributed model Modified Clark Unit Hydrograph, using radar data. In the paper the concepts underlying the model and illustrates its implementation, calibration and validation through a case study in an experimental catchment. The results show the ability of the radar-based distributed model to reproduce the runoff hydrograph in both volume and peak runoff value. The simulation shows that the lag time rainfall, compared against the peak runoff, opens a window of opportunity for decision-making and risk mitigation, safeguarding human lives and property. From the above it is concluded that distributed hydrological modelling based in radar has broad applicability in the implementation of early warning systems in addition to an adequate network of ground monitoring.

Palavras-chave : weather radar; rainfall-runoff models; distributed hydrological models; early warning systems.