Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Variability of Rainfall in a Mountainous Basin in the Himalayan Region

The average distribution of precipitation provides essential input for understanding the hydrological process. The role of complex topography in mountainous basins makes the spatial distribution of precipitation different than the plain areas. Besides the rugged topography, the Himalayan basins also face the problem of limited physical accessibility and data availability. In this study, seasonal and annual distribution of rainfall with elevation and distance from the lower most station (Akhnoor) has been studied for the Chenab basin (western Himalayas). The study basin covers all the three ranges i.e. outer, middle and greater Himalayas. The rainfall stations are grouped into windward and leeward categories. The trends of spatial distribution of rainfall are discussed in detail. Attempts are also made to investigate the impact of reduced network on the mean annual rainfall of the Chenab basin. A reduction in rain gauges from 42 to 19 has resulted in an increase in the estimate of mean annual rainfall by 14% with respect to the estimate obtained using 42 stations network. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006