Potential error in hydrologic field data collected from small semi-arid watersheds

摘要

The potential contributions of 39 error sources in hydrologic field data collected from small, semi-arid watersheds were estimated and used to test the sensitivity of derived forms of observed hydrologic data. Estimates of the potential contributions of each source were based primarily on existing literature but also on errors encountered in the Santa Rita data base, sensitivity analyses, experimentation, and established mathematical relationships. The study suggests that potential errors in measured and derived precipitation variables are generally slight (less than 10 percent) and that the potential errors in measured and derived runoff and sediment variables are generally moderate (between 10 and 50 percent). Sediment data was found to be the least accurate type of hydrologic field data.