FLOW REGIMES SPATIAL VARIABILITY
HORVÁTH Cs. , St. BUIMAGA-IARINCA, G. ROŞIAN , Oana-Antonia POP
ABSTRACT. Flow regimes spatial variability. This study investigates the spatial
distribution of annual flow regimes within the Tur River basin, using 29-year
records (1979-2007) of mean monthly flow, for 7 gauging stations. A
multivariate, statistical classification of regime “shape” and “magnitude” is
used to group annual regimes. The classification revealed two “shape” classes
with different timing of major flow peaks and three “magnitude” classes. These
results suggest regime “shape” is controlled by the seasonal distribution and
nature of hydroclimatic inputs. As such, a framework can be provided around
which to test hypotheses, making regional classification an important tool for
hydrological research, particularly over large and complex geographical domains.
Keywords river flow; regimes; hydroclimatology; clusters; classification.