Identification of prevailing storm runoff generation mechanisms in an intensively cultivated catchment

Title:

Identification of prevailing storm runoff generation mechanisms in an intensively cultivated catchment

Creator:

Zumr, David, Dostál, Tomáš, and Devátý, Jan

Identifier:

https://cdk.lib.cas.cz/client/handle/uuid:12566fa7-cbd8-437b-9d59-a128b41dc6a1
uuid:12566fa7-cbd8-437b-9d59-a128b41dc6a1
doi:10.1515/johh-2015-0022

Subject:

shallow subsurface runoff, surface runoff, rainfall-runoff, soil erosion, suspended solids transport, and agriculture watershed

Type:

model:article and TEXT

Format:

bez média and svazek

Description:

The fact that flash floods initiated in arable catchments are often accompanied by massive sediment and nutrient loads often leads to the assumption that surface runoff is the principle pathway by which runoff reaches watercourses. On the basis of an evaluation of several rainfall-runoff events in a representative agricultural catchment, we show that runoff from cultivated land may be generated in a way similar to that seen on forested slopes, where shallow subsurface runoff is the predominant pathway by which runoff makes its way to watercourses in most runoff events. To identify the predominant runoff pathway, we employed a combination of turbidity measurements and stream discharge data. Suspended sediment flux, a newly introduced index representing the ratio between precipitation duration and total sediment yield, and direction of the discharge-turbidity hysteresis loops were proposed as reflective indicators of the frequency of runoff via different pathways. In our study, most of the events initiated by rainstorms of various intensities and durations resulted in rapid increases in stream discharge. Although we observed temporal variability of topsoil properties attributable to seasonal weather changes and agricultural activities, e.g. bulk density and porosity, runoff generation was mainly driven by precipitation characteristics and the initial catchment saturation.

Language:

Slovak

Rights:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
policy:public

Coverage:

246-254

Source:

Journal of hydrology and hydromechanics | 2015 Volume:63 | Number:3

Harvested from:

CDK

Metadata only:

false