Exploring Seasonality Indices for Low-Flow Analysis on Tibagi Watershed (Brazil)
This study investigated the seasonality of low-flow discharges in the Tibagi watershed, Paraná, Brazil, through the analysis of three indices: Seasonality Ratio (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mro...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Hydrology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/12/1/19 |
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| Summary: | This study investigated the seasonality of low-flow discharges in the Tibagi watershed, Paraná, Brazil, through the analysis of three indices: Seasonality Ratio (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>R</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), Seasonality Index (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>I</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and Seasonality Histogram (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>H</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The indices were computed and compared using previously calculated low-flow discharge data (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>Q</mi><mn>95</mn></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>) and physiographic information on sub-watersheds. A ‘Seasonality Calendar’ was developed, illustrating the period and intensity of low-flow discharge occurrences in the watershed. The results indicate that, despite the watershed not presenting a strong seasonality, there is a tendency for low-flow discharges to concentrate in certain months, notably in August, September, and October. Spatial analysis reveals varied patterns with a certain trend of increased seasonality intensity (parameter <i>r</i>) towards downstream (north) and as the watershed area increases. These indices emerge as valuable tools for water resource management, aiding decision-making for allocation and hydrological regionalization, such as optimizing granting water resource distribution during dry seasons based on the identified low-flow patterns and establishing different reference low-flow values throughout the year. |
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| ISSN: | 2306-5338 |