Simulation of storm velocity effects on flow from distributed channel networks

Programs have been designed to perform computer simulation experiments on the effects of storms traveling over drainage networks. The system of programs makes it possible to simulate the response of any channel network to storms with boundaries that are numerically specified by line segments. The excess runoff response function of discrete approximations of spatially distributed networks may be simulated for storms with any velocity and initial position. Storms are modeled as polygons surrounding areas of uniform intensity. An average flow velocity for each segment of the network can be specified independently by an input vector of transit times associated with network nodes. The computer time taken for each simulation of storm travel depends on the number of calculations performed in determining which network segments are overlapped by the storm. Results include hydrographs simulated for both actual fixed storms and for moving test storms that travel with specified speeds and directions over a binary tree model of a natural watershed with an assumed constant average internal flow rate.