Does the Budyko curve reflect a maximum-power state of hydrological systems? A backward analysis

Westhoff, M.; Zehe, E.; Archambeau, P.; Dewals, B.

doi:10.5194/hess-20-479-2016

Articles | Volume 20, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-479-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Catchment co-evolution: space–time patterns and functional...

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-479-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 1

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

28 Jan 2016

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 28 Jan 2016

Does the Budyko curve reflect a maximum-power state of hydrological systems? A backward analysis

M. Westhoff, E. Zehe, P. Archambeau, and B. Dewals

Viewed

Total article views: 7,449 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

HTML	PDF	XML	Total	Supplement	BibTeX	EndNote
5,668	1,531	250	7,449	645	223	257

HTML: 5,668
PDF: 1,531
XML: 250
Total: 7,449
Supplement: 645
BibTeX: 223
EndNote: 257

Views and downloads (calculated since 11 Aug 2015)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Aug 2015	115	100	8	223
Sep 2015	17	24	3	44
Oct 2015	26	20	1	47
Nov 2015	13	2	0	15
Dec 2015	4	9	0	13
Jan 2016	139	52	2	193
Feb 2016	259	124	10	393
Mar 2016	167	74	22	263
Apr 2016	91	36	5	132
May 2016	66	30	1	97
Jun 2016	54	12	2	68
Jul 2016	27	12	1	40
Aug 2016	17	3	1	21
Sep 2016	35	4	3	42
Oct 2016	28	7	4	39
Nov 2016	10	3	6	19
Dec 2016	16	4	0	20
Jan 2017	44	11	2	57
Feb 2017	19	4	2	25
Mar 2017	48	9	2	59
Apr 2017	79	15	3	97
May 2017	75	17	5	97
Jun 2017	64	12	2	78
Jul 2017	26	7	1	34
Aug 2017	17	6	1	24
Sep 2017	26	13	1	40
Oct 2017	32	16	2	50
Nov 2017	32	13	1	46
Dec 2017	32	10	0	42
Jan 2018	33	8	3	44
Feb 2018	32	4	2	38
Mar 2018	36	13	1	50
Apr 2018	46	11	1	58
May 2018	20	9	0	29
Jun 2018	37	4	0	41
Jul 2018	28	13	0	41
Aug 2018	19	7	0	26
Sep 2018	50	14	0	64
Oct 2018	47	11	5	63
Nov 2018	55	14	1	70
Dec 2018	44	14	0	58
Jan 2019	35	13	1	49
Feb 2019	36	6	0	42
Mar 2019	37	13	0	50
Apr 2019	48	9	0	57
May 2019	59	5	1	65
Jun 2019	45	14	2	61
Jul 2019	54	12	0	66
Aug 2019	48	7	0	55
Sep 2019	42	8	3	53
Oct 2019	42	6	1	49
Nov 2019	48	9	2	59
Dec 2019	38	6	1	45
Jan 2020	42	6	5	53
Feb 2020	43	5	0	48
Mar 2020	51	13	0	64
Apr 2020	66	4	1	71
May 2020	81	6	0	87
Jun 2020	64	6	1	71
Jul 2020	61	15	8	84
Aug 2020	69	11	7	87
Sep 2020	65	9	0	74
Oct 2020	40	8	0	48
Nov 2020	31	6	0	37
Dec 2020	64	11	3	78
Jan 2021	88	11	0	99
Feb 2021	63	3	0	66
Mar 2021	55	11	0	66
Apr 2021	59	7	1	67
May 2021	61	7	0	68
Jun 2021	61	8	0	69
Jul 2021	56	7	0	63
Aug 2021	42	8	1	51
Sep 2021	44	9	0	53
Oct 2021	44	26	0	70
Nov 2021	52	24	0	76
Dec 2021	56	14	1	71
Jan 2022	58	14	2	74
Feb 2022	36	4	1	41
Mar 2022	42	11	1	54
Apr 2022	37	5	1	43
May 2022	43	5	1	49
Jun 2022	40	8	2	50
Jul 2022	38	5	1	44
Aug 2022	51	8	1	60
Sep 2022	44	10	1	55
Oct 2022	42	5	0	47
Nov 2022	42	4	0	46
Dec 2022	48	6	0	54
Jan 2023	50	12	3	65
Feb 2023	52	6	1	59
Mar 2023	55	9	0	64
Apr 2023	39	2	1	42
May 2023	56	9	0	65
Jun 2023	64	7	2	73
Jul 2023	52	11	6	69
Aug 2023	43	5	3	51
Sep 2023	39	2	1	42
Oct 2023	50	8	2	60
Nov 2023	25	1	0	26
Dec 2023	21	4	2	27
Jan 2024	10	3	1	14
Feb 2024	13	5	1	19
Mar 2024	22	6	3	31
Apr 2024	27	6	4	37
May 2024	20	10	9	39
Jun 2024	33	9	2	44
Jul 2024	12	4	3	19
Aug 2024	32	4	2	38
Sep 2024	15	6	0	21
Oct 2024	15	2	0	17
Nov 2024	18	4	0	22
Dec 2024	26	3	3	32
Jan 2025	13	3	4	20
Feb 2025	29	5	0	34
Mar 2025	16	14	1	31
Apr 2025	15	8	2	25
May 2025	19	4	2	25
Jun 2025	34	9	3	46
Jul 2025	18	16	2	36
Aug 2025	26	10	1	37
Sep 2025	45	20	0	65
Oct 2025	36	15	2	53
Nov 2025	34	24	2	60
Dec 2025	29	26	11	66
Jan 2026	40	20	10	70
Feb 2026	62	14	3	79
Mar 2026	27	6	4	37

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 11 Aug 2015)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Aug 2015	115	100	8	223
Sep 2015	17	24	3	44
Oct 2015	26	20	1	47
Nov 2015	13	2	0	15
Dec 2015	4	9	0	13
Jan 2016	139	52	2	193
Feb 2016	259	124	10	393
Mar 2016	167	74	22	263
Apr 2016	91	36	5	132
May 2016	66	30	1	97
Jun 2016	54	12	2	68
Jul 2016	27	12	1	40
Aug 2016	17	3	1	21
Sep 2016	35	4	3	42
Oct 2016	28	7	4	39
Nov 2016	10	3	6	19
Dec 2016	16	4	0	20
Jan 2017	44	11	2	57
Feb 2017	19	4	2	25
Mar 2017	48	9	2	59
Apr 2017	79	15	3	97
May 2017	75	17	5	97
Jun 2017	64	12	2	78
Jul 2017	26	7	1	34
Aug 2017	17	6	1	24
Sep 2017	26	13	1	40
Oct 2017	32	16	2	50
Nov 2017	32	13	1	46
Dec 2017	32	10	0	42
Jan 2018	33	8	3	44
Feb 2018	32	4	2	38
Mar 2018	36	13	1	50
Apr 2018	46	11	1	58
May 2018	20	9	0	29
Jun 2018	37	4	0	41
Jul 2018	28	13	0	41
Aug 2018	19	7	0	26
Sep 2018	50	14	0	64
Oct 2018	47	11	5	63
Nov 2018	55	14	1	70
Dec 2018	44	14	0	58
Jan 2019	35	13	1	49
Feb 2019	36	6	0	42
Mar 2019	37	13	0	50
Apr 2019	48	9	0	57
May 2019	59	5	1	65
Jun 2019	45	14	2	61
Jul 2019	54	12	0	66
Aug 2019	48	7	0	55
Sep 2019	42	8	3	53
Oct 2019	42	6	1	49
Nov 2019	48	9	2	59
Dec 2019	38	6	1	45
Jan 2020	42	6	5	53
Feb 2020	43	5	0	48
Mar 2020	51	13	0	64
Apr 2020	66	4	1	71
May 2020	81	6	0	87
Jun 2020	64	6	1	71
Jul 2020	61	15	8	84
Aug 2020	69	11	7	87
Sep 2020	65	9	0	74
Oct 2020	40	8	0	48
Nov 2020	31	6	0	37
Dec 2020	64	11	3	78
Jan 2021	88	11	0	99
Feb 2021	63	3	0	66
Mar 2021	55	11	0	66
Apr 2021	59	7	1	67
May 2021	61	7	0	68
Jun 2021	61	8	0	69
Jul 2021	56	7	0	63
Aug 2021	42	8	1	51
Sep 2021	44	9	0	53
Oct 2021	44	26	0	70
Nov 2021	52	24	0	76
Dec 2021	56	14	1	71
Jan 2022	58	14	2	74
Feb 2022	36	4	1	41
Mar 2022	42	11	1	54
Apr 2022	37	5	1	43
May 2022	43	5	1	49
Jun 2022	40	8	2	50
Jul 2022	38	5	1	44
Aug 2022	51	8	1	60
Sep 2022	44	10	1	55
Oct 2022	42	5	0	47
Nov 2022	42	4	0	46
Dec 2022	48	6	0	54
Jan 2023	50	12	3	65
Feb 2023	52	6	1	59
Mar 2023	55	9	0	64
Apr 2023	39	2	1	42
May 2023	56	9	0	65
Jun 2023	64	7	2	73
Jul 2023	52	11	6	69
Aug 2023	43	5	3	51
Sep 2023	39	2	1	42
Oct 2023	50	8	2	60
Nov 2023	25	1	0	26
Dec 2023	21	4	2	27
Jan 2024	10	3	1	14
Feb 2024	13	5	1	19
Mar 2024	22	6	3	31
Apr 2024	27	6	4	37
May 2024	20	10	9	39
Jun 2024	33	9	2	44
Jul 2024	12	4	3	19
Aug 2024	32	4	2	38
Sep 2024	15	6	0	21
Oct 2024	15	2	0	17
Nov 2024	18	4	0	22
Dec 2024	26	3	3	32
Jan 2025	13	3	4	20
Feb 2025	29	5	0	34
Mar 2025	16	14	1	31
Apr 2025	15	8	2	25
May 2025	19	4	2	25
Jun 2025	34	9	3	46
Jul 2025	18	16	2	36
Aug 2025	26	10	1	37
Sep 2025	45	20	0	65
Oct 2025	36	15	2	53
Nov 2025	34	24	2	60
Dec 2025	29	26	11	66
Jan 2026	40	20	10	70
Feb 2026	62	14	3	79
Mar 2026	27	6	4	37

Latest update: 21 Mar 2026

Download

The requested paper has a corresponding corrigendum published. Please read the corrigendum first before downloading the article.

Article (223 KB)
Full-text XML

Short summary

We derived mathematical formulations of relations between relative wetness and gradients driving run-off and evaporation for a one-box model such that, when conductances are optimized with the maximum power principle, the model leads exactly to a point on the Budyko curve. With dry spells and dynamics in actual evaporation added, the model compared well with catchment observations without calibrating any parameter. The maximum-power principle may thus be used to derive the Budyko curve.