Determining Areal Precipitation in the Basin and Range Province of Southern Arizona - Sonoita Creek Basin

Abstract

A linear relationship between point precipitation and elevation in conjunction with a computer four-point interpolation technique was used to simulate areal rainfall over Sonoita Creek Basin, Arizona. The simulation's sensitivity and accuracy were checked against the official isohyetal map of Arizona (Univ. of Arizona, 1965) by changing the density of the interpolation nodes. The simulation was found to be in good agreement with the official map. The average areal-rainfall was calculated by integration. Cumulative rainfall amounts were assumed to be stochastically independent from one season to another. The seasonal precipitations of forty years (1932-1972) were subdivided into five groups. to check for binomial distribution. The binomial model fits the historical data adequately. The binomial model for cumulative seasonal areal-precipitation provides one way to compute the return period. This information will be necessary for decision-makers and hydrologists to predict the area's future water balance.