Journal of Environmental Hydrology
ISSN 1058-3912


Electronic Journal of the International Association for Environmental Hydrology

JEH Volume 19 (2011), Paper 6    Posted March 29, 2011
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF TEMPORAL CYCLES AND SCALE OF RUNOFF IN THE SÃO FRANCISO RIVER, BRAZIL

Djane F. da Silva1
Josiclêda D. Galvíncio2
Henrique R.R. de Carvalho Almeida3

1Federal University of Ceará - UFC, Campus Cariri, Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil
2 Federal University of Pernambuco - UFPE, Varzea-Recife-Pernambuco, Brazil
3Federal University of Alagoas - UFAL, Maceio, Brazil

ABSTRACT
Understanding the mechanisms generating rainfall and runoff, its space-time variability, and its impacts, improves planning of agricultural activities and provides benefits to society at large. The objective of this paper is to use wavelet analysis to study the runoff in the Alto São Francisco sub-basin, examining the characteristics of inter-annual and seasonal variability, as well as determining the dominant temporal scales. Variability is dominated by a decadal scale, which is associated with other temporal scales. These include seasonal, inter-annual short, and inter-annual linked to the El Niño southern oscillation, which cause peaks of the runoff in the time series. Peak runoff cycles average 12 years, approximately coinciding with sunspot cycles.

Reference: Da Silva, D.F., J.D. Galvíncio, and H.R.R. de Carvalho Almeida. 2011. Possible causes of temporal cycles and scale of runoff in the São Franciso River, Brazil. Journal of Environmental Hydrology, Vol. 19, Paper 6.
CONTACT:
Josiclêda D. Galvíncio
Professor, Department of Geographical Sciences
University Federal of Pernambuco - UFPE
Varzea-Recife-Pernambuco, Brazil

E-mail: josicleda.galvincio@ufpe.br



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