PUB in practice: case studies - Runoff Prediction in Ungauged Basins: Synthesis across Processes, Places and Scales - page 319

Figure 11.52. Location and
characteristics of the 11 poorly
gauged catchments (noted C1 to
C11) and of the Roujan (G1)
experimental catchment.

Area (km 2 )

Catchments
C1

Geology (Main type) Land use (Main type)

0.33
0.60
0.10
0.50
0.20
0.34
0.20
0.40
0.40
0.40
0.30
0.91

Molasse and limestone Vineyard

C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
C7
C8
C9
C10
C11
G1

Limestone Row-crops

Schist Forest

Schist Vineyard

Limestone Vineyard

FRANCE Molasse Vineyard

Molasse Vineyard

Limestone Vineyard

Vineyard

Limestone

Limestone Scrubland

Scrubland Limestone

Limestone Vineyard

Montpellier

C3

G1

C8

C1

C4

C6

C2
C5

N

C9 C7

C10

C11

km

0 40

Herault region
River
Natural stream
Catchment

To w n

et al., 2008 ; Seibert and Beven, 2009 ; Chapter 3 here),
which is a major research challenge because of the current
lack of tools to quickly diagnose the dominant processes
of catchments for use in conceptual model development
and prediction (Sivapalan, 2005 ). To establish these sig-
natures, one promising method consists of developing
innovative measurement strategies and associated frame-
work analysis. This strategy may lead to development of a
more complex modelling approach able to mitigate hydro-
logical issues.
The aim of this study is to propose a framework to
define hydrological signatures of ephemeral streams on
small poorly gauged agricultural catchments. The method-
ology is based on the use of new soft monitoring tech-
niques for rainfall and runoff measurements, and then
the calculation of hydrological signatures for the compari-
son of

Measurements were conducted on 11 small catchments
located in the Hérault region of southern France.

Description of the study area
The 11 catchments were chosen based on their headwater
position and diversity of geological and landscape charac-
teristics ( Figure 11.52 ). Mediterranean climate character-
ises the region: the average annual rainfall is 650 mm/yr,
with a temporal bimodal distribution in two major rainy
periods in spring and in autumn separated by a prolonged
dry season. Most rainfall events show high intensities and
short durations. The survey period was September 2008 -

September 2009. In addition to these catchments, the
gauged Roujan catchment (G1) was examined. Research
experiments have been conducted on this site since 1992
and have shown that the response to rainfall is dominated
by Hortonian overland flows. the hydrological behaviour of catchments.