Author(s): Ricardo De Aragao; Eduardo Eneas De Figueiredo; Vajapeyam S. Srinivasan
Linked Author(s): Vajapeyam S. Srinivasan
Keywords: Physically-based model; Rainfall-Runoff-erosion modeling
Abstract: The runoff-erosion rates may affect the sustainability of eco-systems, principally in regions where the human activities are intense. Therefore, it is important to evaluate these processes in such areas, particularly in the Japaratuba river basin (1700 km 2), in the Northeast region of Brazil, which has been deforested for agricultural practices (mainly sugar cane), mining, extraction of crude petroleum, and cattle-raising. Although the importance of this basin to the state, very few, if any, attempts have been made to evaluate the influence of deforestation on the runoff and sediment yield in the region. Physically based distributed models are particularly useful in this context as they are capable of taking into account various aspects of catchment heterogeneity (rainfall, soils, land uses) that affect basin responses. This paper aims at evaluating the runoff and soil erosion processes through the application of the event-oriented physically-based model KINEROS2 to the Japarabuta-Mirim river basin (136km 2), a representative sub-basin of the Japaratuba River. The results showed that the model could be calibrated well and, considering that the catchment size is slightly greater than the one suggested as ideal for the model, the model was effective in simulating the observed runoff hydrographs.
Year: 2010