Regional estimation of short duration rainfall extremes

The present study proposes a method for estimating the distribution of short-duration (e.g., 1 hour) extreme rainfalls at sites where data for the time interval of interest do not exist, but rainfall data for longer-duration (e.g., 1 day) are available (partially-gaged sites). The proposed method is based on the recently developed “scale-invariance” (or “scaling”) theory. In this study, the scaling concept implies that statistical properties of the extreme rainfall processes for different temporal scales are related to each other by a scale-changing operator involving only the scale ratio. Further, it is assumed that these hydrologic series possess a simple scaling behaviour. The suggested methodology has been applied to extreme rainfall data from a network of 14 recording raingages in Quebec (Canada). The Generalised Extreme Value (GEV) distribution was used to estimate the rainfall quantiles. Results of the numerical application have indicated that for partially-gaged sites the proposed scaling method is able to provide extreme rainfall estimates which are comparable with those based on available at-site rainfall data.