Evaluation of a traditional method for peak flow discharge estimation for floods in the Wenchuan Earthquake area, Sichuan Province, China

Peak discharge of flood in small mountainous watershed is usually calculated using the Rainstorm-runoff calculation method in small watersheds in Sichuan Province (RRM). This study evaluated the RRM calculation using real-time monitored rainfall and hydrologic data from a small watershed in the Wenchuan Earthquake area of Sichuan Province, China. The results indicated that the discharge values given by the RRM are commonly overestimating the measured discharge. The overestimation rate was discussed and empirical equations were proposed for improving RRM estimations, based on the relationship between calculated and measured discharge values at different watershed scales (2, 30, and 40 km(2)), under different rainfall probabilities (0.97-0.5, 0.5-0.2, and 0.2-0.002), and for different rainfall durations (0-6, 6-24, and >24 h). The results of this study help contribute to the understanding of water floods formation and help provide more accurate estimations of peak flow discharge in small watersheds in the Wenchuan Earthquake area.