HR: 1330h
AN: H43A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Variability at multiple time scales and statistics of hydrologic extremes
AU: * Vico, G
EM: giulia.vico@duke.edu
AF: Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Durham, NC 27708 United States
AU: Porporato, A
EM: amilcare@duke.edu
AF: Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Durham, NC 27708 United States
AB: The theory of compound distributions has been used recently to investigate the so-called `superstatistics' of complex systems outside of equilibrium. We interpret hydrologic fluctuations as a result of nonlinear dynamical systems driven by hydro-climatic variability at different time scales (e.g., daily and interannual). We explore the role of such fluctuations assuming a clear separation of timescales, and focus on daily precipitation (in terms of both amount and frequency of rainfall) and on the subsequent generation of runoff and streamflow extremes. With the help of simplified stochastic models of rainfall and soil water balance, we discuss how the interactions of such two types of fluctuations can lead, in some conditions, to a scaling behavior in the statistics of extreme hydrologic events such as droughts, intense storms, and river discharge.
DE: 1800 HYDROLOGY
DE: 1854 Precipitation (3354)
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
DE: 1866 Soil moisture
DE: 1869 Stochastic processes
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly