Regional frequency analysis: an approach based on L-moments

Extreme environmental events, such as floods, droughts, rainstorms, and high winds, have severe consequences for human society. How frequently an event of a given magnitude may be expected to occur is of great importance. Planning for weather-related emergencies, design of civil engineering structures, reservoir management, pollution control, and insurance risk calculations, all rely on knowledge of the frequency of these extreme events. Estimation of these frequencies is difficult because extreme events are by definition rare and the data record is often short. Regional frequency analysis resolves this problem by "trading space for time"; data from several sites are used in estimating event frequencies at any one site. L-moments are a recent development within statistics. They form the basis of an elegant mathematical theory in their own right and can be used to facilitate the estimation process in regional frequency analysis. L-moments methods are demonstrably superior to those that have been used previously and are now being adopted by many organizations worldwide. This book is the first complete account of the L-moment approach to regional frequency analysis. It brings together results that previously were scattered among academic journals and also includes much new material. Regional Frequency Analysis comprehensively describes the theoretical background to the subject, is rich in practical advice for users, and contains detailed examples that illustrate the approach. This book will be of great value to hydrologists, atmospheric scientists, and civil engineers concerned with environmental extremes.