Runoff Mechanisms

16 important questions on Runoff Mechanisms

How to calculate the demand limit in the Budyko framework?

E/Ep=1

Name four reasons to care about runoff processes?


1. Understanding of local hydrology
2. Influences characteristics of streamflow response
3. Development of computer models
4. Connection with other landsurface processes

What does rising limb mean in a hydrograph?

The rapid increase resulting from rainfall causing surface runoff and then later throughflow.
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What is the peak flow in a hydrograph?

The time when the river reaches its highest flow.

What is the recession limb in a hydrograph?

The time it takes to go from the peak flow to the base flow.

What is the base flow in a hydrograph?

The portion of streamflow that is presumed  to have entered the watershed in previous events and to be derived from persistent, slowly varying sources.

What is the Runoff coefficient?

A dimensionless coefficient relating the amount of runoff to the amount of precipitation received.

When is the runoff coefficient high?

Areas with low infiltration and high runoff (pavement, steep gradient).

When is the runoff coefficient low?

For permeable, well vegetated areas (forest, flat land).

What is channel precipitation?

The rain that falls directly on the stream to become incorporated in channel flow.

How much can channel precipitation contribute?

Up to 5% on total event flow and 40% of peak flow for a small watershed.

What is Hortonian overland flow?

When the rainfall intensity is larger than the infiltration capacity.

What is Dunne overland flow?

Rain falls on an already saturated surface and therefore runs off to
the stream.


What is transmissivity [L2/T]

A measure of the ability of an aquifer  transmit water.

What is mixing analysis?


The concentration in the stream water is a mixture of the different end-members.

Where are flow duration curves used for?

To depict the temporal variability of streamflow.

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