HOE2/Master1 HCE, 2017-18

Engineering hydrology - Tutorial (TD) # 1:

Statistical description of data – Application to the hydrological regime

General objectives of the tutorial:

- To learn and understand descriptive statistics
- To learn and understand the concepts of interannual module, monthly discharge coefficients and
hydrological regime
- To learn the concept of anomaly
- To become familiar with descriptive statistics and plotting in Excel
- To become familiar with descriptive statistics and plotting in R

1 - Discharge data analysis with Excel

Available data: Mean daily discharge [m3/s] of the Lütschine measured at Grindelwald
(Switzerland), from 1910 to 2010 – cf. Luetschine_19102010.xls.
1.1 Plot the data and compute its main statistical descriptors: mean, median, minimum,
maximum, range, standard deviation and variance, coefficient of variation, interquartile
(Q25%-Q75%) range. Comment the obtained results.
1.2 Compute the mean annual discharge [m3/s] over 1910-2010 and over 3 different sub-
periods: 1910-1929, 1950-1969 and 1990-2009. Compute and plot the annual discharge
anomalies, using both the 1910-2010 and each sub-period interannual modules as
reference. Comment the obtained results.
1.3 Compute the mean monthly discharge [m3/s] over the 3 considered sub-periods, as well as
its main statistical descriptors. For each considered period, draw the hydrological regime as
a box plot. Comment the obtained results.
NB : Hints for drawing a box-plot in Excel can be found at: https://support.office.com/en-
us/article/Create-a-box-plot-10204530-8cdf-40fe-a711-2eb9785e510f).
1.4 Compute and plot the monthly discharge coefficients over the 3 considered sub-periods.
Comment the obtained results: what is the type of hydrological regime of the Lütschine at
Grindelwald and does it vary over time?

I. Zin – October 2017

2 – Homework : precipitation, temperature and discharge data analysis with R
Available data: Mean daily discharge [m3/s] measured at Grindelwald (Switzerland), as well as
daily precipitation amount [mm] and mean daily temperature [°C] measured at Interlaken (near
Grindelwald), from 1900 to 2015 – cf. PTQ_19002015.csv.
2.1 Import the data series into R.
2.2 Plot the three data series and compute their main statistical descriptors: mean, median,
minimum, maximum, range, standard deviation and variance, coefficient of variation, 25th and
75th quartiles. Comment the obtained results.
2.3 Compute the mean monthly and the mean annual values for the 3 considered variables, as
well as their main statistical descriptors over the whole period and over 1984-2013. Comment
the obtained results.
2.4 Compute the maximum daily, monthly and annual values for the 3 considered variables, as
well as their main statistical descriptors, over the whole period and over 1984-2013. Comment
the obtained results.
2.5 Compute and plot the precipitation, temperature and discharge regimes over the 1984-2013
period. How are they related?
2.6 Compute and plot the precipitation, temperature and discharge regimes over the 1924-1953,
1954-1983 and 1984-2013 periods. Comment their evolution.
This homework has to be done for Wed 8th of November. No report is due, but we strongly
encourage you to try to do the homework before we upload the correction in Chamilo.

I. Zin – October 2017