Hydrological-morphometric characteristics of gully-balka systems in the central part of Russian Plain

Abstract

The interrelations of gully-balka systems morphometry and hydrological characteristics are analyzed. Runoff transformations were calculated, using morphometric parameters of drainage basins and observations at one of the typical gully-balka watersheds in the control part of the Russian Plain. The relation between mean-maximal runoff and stream's order of the upper links of the drainage network has been obtained: Q_n = Q₁Nⁿ, where Q_n - runoff of the nth order stream, Q₁ - runoff of the 1st order stream, n - empirical coefficient. "n" equals to 2,7 for mean-maximal runoffs, it differs in regions with different natural conditions and depends mainly on morphometry of basins of low orders. It changes also with time.