A stochastic approach for the description of the water balance dynamics in a river basin

Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures ◭ ◮ ◭ ◮ Back Close Full Screen / Esc Papers published in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions are under open-access review for the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Abstract Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures ◭ ◮ ◭ ◮ Back Close Full Screen / Esc Abstract The present paper introduces an analytical approach for the description of the soil water balance dynamics over a schematic river basin. The model is based on a stochastic differential equation where the rainfall forcing is interpreted as an additive noise in the soil water balance. This equation can be solved assuming known the spatial distribu-5 tion of the soil moisture over the basin transforming the two dimensional problem in a one dimensional one. This assumption is particularly true in the case of humid and semihumid environments, where spatial redistribution of soil moisture becomes dominant producing a well defined pattern. The model allowed to derive the probability density function of the saturated portion of a basin and of its relative saturation. This 10 theory is based on the assumption that the water storage capacity varies across the basin following a parabolic distribution and the basin has homogeneous soil texture and vegetation cover. The methodology outlined the role played by the basin shape in the soil water balance dynamics.