Statistical analysis of hydrologic variables. Methods and applications / Статистический анализ гидрологических переменных. Методы и приложения

Characterizing and understanding the variability of hydroclimatological processes and measurements are essential for assessing the performance of water resources infrastructure and its management and for planning successful and efficient water resources projects. Spatial and temporal resolution of data are increasing with an expanding set of data sources, including remote and landbased instruments with real-time reporting. The analyzed data provide invaluable insights into the temporal and spatial dynamics of hydrological processes that represent the hydrological cycle. Historical data combined with future projections of anthropogenic and climate changes provide ample opportunities to evaluate trends and change points in the time series to develop realistic hydrologic designs and water and environmental systems management alternatives. The assessment of climate variability also relies on the evaluation of patterns and variations of historical hydroclimatological data. Hence a need exists for clear understanding and application of various data analysis methods, ranging from simple exploratory analysis to more comprehensive statistical methods.
This book aims to provide appropriate statistical methods for analyzing and modeling various parts of the hydrological cycle. Following this introductory chapter, the monograph contains 11 chapters, 2 through 12. Many chapters describe a key process in the hydrological cycle, such as precipitation, evaporation, infiltration and soil water, groundwater, and streamflow. Some chapters are devoted primarily to analyzing extreme events such as floods and low flows and droughts. Also, because watersheds and river basins often include built infrastructure and conveyances, Chapter 9 is dedicated to the hydrologic cycle that takes place in urban areas, such as precipitation and runoff, and stormwater collection and management. Most chapters emphasize the quantitative aspects of the movement of water. Chapter 10 considers the probabilistic and statistical issues related to the water quality component of the hydrologic cycle. Furthermore, because various components of the hydrologic cycle are interrelated, Chapter 11 considers the use of multivariate distributions in hydrology. Whenever possible, authors have provided examples and applications of techniques and models using real data, guidelines for data assessment, and discussion of model limitations <...>