Flood Frequency Analysis by the Box-Cox Transformation

Abstract This study was conducted to pursue the normalization of frequency distribution by making an approach to the coefficient of skewness to nearly zero through the Box-Cox transformation, to get probable flood flows can be calculated by means of the transformation equation which has been derivated by Box-Cox transformation in the annual maximum series of the applied watersheds. It has been concluded that Box-Cox transfromation is proved to be more efficient than logarithmic, square root and SMEMAX transformation which is based on the trigonometric solution of a right triangle whose three verteces repesent the smallest, median and largest observed values of a population in making the coefficient of skewness nearer to zero. Consequently it is shown that probable flood flows according to the return period based on Box-Cox transformation are closer to the observed data as compared to other methods including SMEMAX transformation and fitted probability distributions such as the three parameter lognormal and the type I extremal distribution for the applied watersheds.