Estimating the Surface Runoff Volume of the Wadi Ghan Basin using SCS-CN Model and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63359/5wwmfe03Keywords:
Surface runoff, Wadi Hydrology, RS, GIS, SCS-CN, LibyaAbstract
This study aimed to analyse and estimate surface runoff in Wadi Ghan Dam using the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Remote Sensing (RS). Hydrological analysis was employed to delineate the watershed area of the basin. Landsat satellite imagery (Landsat 5–8) with a spatial resolution of 30 meters was used to produce a comprehensive land use map. The supervised classification results for the years 2003 and 2022 showed that the proportions of agricultural land, urban areas, barren soil, and rangelands changed from 3% to 6%, 4% to 7%, 4% to 13%, and 89% to 74%, respectively. Classification accuracy was evaluated using the Kappa coefficient for both 2003 and 2022, with overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient values of 78% and 73%, and 76% and 70%, respectively. Several rainfall events were studied to estimate the Curve Number (CN), which ranged between 68 and 98. The adjusted CN values under dry, normal, and wet conditions were found to be 57, 75.5, and 87.6, respectively. The total runoff volume generated by the studied storm events was approximately 25.5 million cubic meters, which was about 1% higher than the measured surface runoff volume. Statistical validation indicators showed a high level of consistency between the estimated and observed data, with values of 0.94 for R², 0.87 for NSE, and 917,609.4 m³ for RMSE. These results indicate the accuracy and reliability of the SCS-CN method in estimating surface runoff volume. Overall, this study represents a valuable contribution to understanding hydrological dynamics and improving water resource management in the study area, thereby enhancing water use efficiency and supporting environmental and economic sustainability in the region.
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