Surface runoff (also known as overland flow or terrestrial runoff) is the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface, in contrast to channel runoff (or stream flow). It occurs when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in …

Jun 8, 2019 · When water "runs off" the land surface, that’s runoff! Due to gravity, the water you wash your car with runs down the driveway as you work, and rain runs downhill. Runoff is an important component of the water cycle.

Oct 19, 2023 · Runoff occurs when there is more water than land can absorb. The excess liquid flows across the surface of the land and into nearby creeks, streams, or ponds. Runoff can come from both natural processes and human activity. The most familiar type of …

Jun 6, 2018 · Runoff may be classified according to speed of appearance after rainfall or melting snow as direct runoff or base runoff, and according to source as surface runoff, storm interflow, or groundwater runoff.

Runoff is the flow of water across the earth, and is a major component in the hydrological cycle. Runoff that flows over land before reaching a watercourse is referred to as surface runoff or overland flow. Once in a watercourse, runoff is referred to as streamflow, channel runoff, or river runoff. Urban runoff is surface runoff created by ...

May 16, 2023 · There are two main types of runoff: surface runoff and subsurface runoff. Surface runoff occurs when water flows over the surface of the ground, while subsurface runoff occurs when water moves through the soil.

Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle.

runoff, in hydrology, quantity of water discharged in surface streams. Runoff includes not only the waters that travel over the land surface and through channels to reach a stream but also interflow, the water that infiltrates the soil surface and travels by means of gravity toward a stream channel (always above the main groundwater level) and ...

Dec 28, 2024 · Runoff, the movement of water over the Earth’s surface, is a fundamental process with far-reaching implications. It is a complex interplay of precipitation, infiltration, evaporation, and terrain, influenced by natural and human factors.

The three types of processes that have been suggested as sources of storm runoff (Horton-type surface runoff, saturated overland flow, and rapid subsurface throughflow) all occurred on the plot. The nonuniformity of the processes supports the partial- and variable-source area concepts. Subsurface storm runoff occurred in a saturated layer above ...