Distribution probability functions for models applied to hydraulic works in urban areas: LOG-GUMBEL vs LOG-PEARSON IIIRaúl
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20868/ade.2025.5516Keywords:
Modelling, hydrological engineering, precipitation distribution functions, drainage in urban areasAbstract
Hydrometeorological models for hydraulic design rely on probability functions to model extreme rainfall. This study compares Log-Gumbel and Log-Pearson III functions using data from Almodóvar reservoir (Cádiz). Log-Gumbel, a variation of the Gumbel distribution, yields higher, safer estimates for long return periods (T), but is highly sensitive to data changes. Log-Pearson III, widely used and more stable, shows consistent results despite data variability. For designs with limited or variable data—common in hydraulic works—Log-Pearson III is preferred. However, for urban drainage where safety is prioritized over stability, Log-Gumbel offers a conservative alternative for high T values.
Downloads
References
1. Bobee, B.B., Robitaille, R. The use of the Pearson type 3 and log Pearson type 3 distributions revisited. Water Resour. Res. 1977, 13,427–443. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR013i002p00427
2. Chow, V.T., Maidment, D.R., Mays, L.W. Applied Hydrology, McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, USA, 1988.
3. Coronado-Hernández, Ó. E., Merlano-Sabalza, E., Díaz-Vergara, Z., Coronado-Hernández, J. R. Selection of hydrological probability distributions for extreme rainfall events in the regions of Colombia. Water, 12(5), 2020, 1397. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12051397
4. Gumbel, E.J. Les valeurs extrêmes des distributions statistiques. Ann. De L’institut Henri Poincaré 1935, 5, 115–158. Available online: http://www.numdam.org/item/AIHP_1935__5_2_115_0.pdf
5. Gumbel, E.J. The return period of flood flows. Ann. Math. Stat. 1941, 12, 163–190. Available online: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2235766
6. Heo, J.H., Salas, J.D. Estimation of quantiles and confidence intervals for the log-Gumbel distribution. Stoch. Hydrol. Hydraul. 1996, 10, 187–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01581463
7. Hossain, F., Jeyachandran, I., Pielke, R., Sr. Dam safety effects due to human alteration of extreme precipitation. Water Resour. Res., 2010, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.1029/2009WR007704
8. Huang, Y. P., Lee, C. H., Ting, C. S. Improved estimation of hydrologic data using the chi-square goodness-of-fit test. J. Chin. Inst. Eng., 31(3), 2008, 515-521. https://doi.org/10.1080/02533839.2008.9671406
9. Huynh, N.P., Thambirajah, J.A. Applications of the log Pearson type-3 distribution in hydrology. J. Hydrol. 1984, 73, 359–372.
10. International Commission of Large Dams. Definition of a Large Dam. Available online: https://www.icold-cigb.org/GB/dams/definition_of_a_large_dam.asp
11. Mailhot, A., Duchesne, S. Design criteria of urban drainage infrastructures under climate change. J. Water Resour. Plan. Manag. 2010, 136, 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000023
12. Maity, R. Statistical Methods in Hydrology and Hydroclimatology; Springer: Singapore, 2018; Volume 555. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5517-3
13. Ministerio Para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico. Gobierno de España. Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET). Available online: https://www.aemet.es/en/serviciosclimaticos
14. Montes-Pajuelo, R., Rodríguez-Pérez, Á. M., López, R., Rodríguez, C. A. Analysis of Probability Distributions for Modelling Extreme Rainfall Events and Detecting Climate Change: Insights from Mathematical and Statistical Methods. Mathematics, 2024, 12(7), 1093. https://doi.org/10.3390/math12071093
15. Pearson, K. Contributions to the mathematical theory of evolution. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. 1894, 185, 71–110. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1895.0010
16. R Core Team. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing; R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria, 2023. Available online: https://www.R-project.org
17. Rodríguez, C.A., Rodríguez-Pérez, Á.M., Mancera, J. J. C., Torres, J. A. H., Carmona, N. G., & Bahamonde, M. I. Applied methodology based on HEC-HMS for reservoir filling estimation due to soil erosion. Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics, 2022, 70(3), 341-356. https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2022-0020
18. Rodríguez, C.A., Rodríguez-Pérez, Á.M., López, R., Hernández-Torres, J.A., Caparrós-Mancera, J.J. Sensitivity Analysis in Mean Annual Sediment Yield Modeling with Respect to Rainfall Probability Distribution Functions. Land, 2023, 12, 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010035
19. Teng, F., Huang, W., Ginis, I. Hydrological modeling of storm runoff and snowmelt in Taunton River Basin by applications of HEC-HMS and PRMS models. Natural Hazards, 2018, 91(1), 179-199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3121-y
20. Watt, E., Marsalek, J. Critical review of the evolution of the design storm event concept. Can. J. Civ. Eng. 2013, 40, 105–113. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2011-0594
21. Wuensch, K.L. Chi-Square Tests. In International Encyclopedia of Statistical Science; Lovric, M., Ed.; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04898-2_173
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Autor / BY-NC

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Anales de Edificación does not charge authors for processing or publishing an article and provides immediate Open Access to its content. All content is available free of charge to the user or his institution. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search or link to the full text of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without prior permission from the publisher or author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
- Authors retain the copyright and grant to the journal the right to a Creative Commons attribution / Non-Commercial / Non-Derivative 4.0 International (CC BY NC ND) License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of authorship and non-commercial use.
- Authors may separately establish additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (for example, placing it in an institutional repository or publishing it in a book).
Unless otherwise indicated, all contents of the electronic edition are distributed under a Creative Commons license.









