In a drainage basin, gauging stations at different positions record flood hydrographs whose shape (time-to-peak, peak discharge, and hydrograph duration/attenuation) depends on factors like distance from the basin outlet, contributing drainage area, and travel time of runoff to that station — stations draining smaller, more proximal sub-basins typically show sharper, earlier-peaking hydrographs, while stations further downstream integrating larger areas show more delayed, attenuated (broader) hydrographs.