ABSTRACT Hydrological signatures are indices that help to describe the behavior of catchments. These indices can also be used to transfer information from gauged to ungauged catchments. In this study, different approaches were evaluated to determine volumetric runoff coefficients in 18 small/medium experimental gauged catchments of the Iberian Peninsula and to fit runoff calculations based on precipitation data for gauged and ungauged catchments. Using data derived from 1962 events, rainfall-runoff relationships were characterized and compared in order to evaluate the various hydrological response patterns. Volumetric runoff coefficients and cumulative runoff and precipitation ratios of the events that generated runoff (Rcum) minimized the root mean square error. A linear fit for the estimation of Rcum in ungauged catchments was based on mean annual precipitation, rates of infiltration, the fraction of forest-land use, and the catchment channel length. Despite high catchment heterogeneity, Rcum resulted in a suitable parameter to evaluate hydrological variability in rural gauged and ungauged catchments. In 50% of the catchments, the precipitation accounted for less than 50% of the runoff variation. Annual precipitation, antecedent rainfall, and base flow did not have a high significance in rainfall-runoff relationships, which illustrates the heterogeneity of hydrological responses. Our results highlight the need for signature characterizations of small/medium rural catchments because they are the sources of runoff and sediment discharge into rivers, and it is more economical and efficient to take action to mitigate runoff in rural locations.

中文翻译：

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基于事件径流系数的伊比利亚半岛农村集水区水文特征

摘要 水文特征是有助于描述流域行为的指标。这些指数还可用于将信息从已测量流域传输到未测量流域。在这项研究中，评估了不同的方法，以确定伊比利亚半岛 18 个中小型实验测量集水区的体积径流系数，并根据测量和未测量集水区的降水数据拟合径流计算。使用源自 1962 年事件的数据，对降雨-径流关系进行了表征和比较，以评估各种水文响应模式。产生径流 (Rcum) 的事件的体积径流系数和累积径流和降水比率最小化了均方根误差。未测量流域中 Rcum 估计值的线性拟合基于年平均降水量、渗透率、林地利用比例和流域河道长度。尽管流域异质性很高，但 Rcum 产生了一个合适的参数来评估农村测量和未测量流域的水文变异性。在50%的流域中，降水对径流变化的贡献不足50%。年降水量、前期降雨量和基流在降雨-径流关系中没有很高的意义，这说明了水文响应的异质性。我们的结果强调了对中小型农村集水区进行特征描述的必要性，因为它们是径流和沉积物流入河流的来源，