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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 ...
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What is runoff in water cycle?
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What is runoff & how does it work?
- Type of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, etc.)
- Rainfall intensity.
- Rainfall amount.
- Rainfall duration.
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.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nov 21, 2023 · The definition of runoff is the movement of water over or through land to join an established waterbody. There are three types of runoff: surface runoff (water flows...
- 4 min
- One example of runoff is during a torrential rainstorm. The rain falls so fast, the soil does not have enough time to absorb all of it. Thus, water...
- The runoff process consists of water forming spontaneous channels so that gravity pushes the water down a slope into a stream/river, pond/lake or t...
- During the water cycle, runoff occurs when water pools on top of the land due to soil infiltration and flows down a slope to reach a storm drain or...
- River runoff occurs when water falls so quickly that the river bank can no longer hold water. Thus, water spills over the river bank, flooding adja...
- Before runoff occurs in the water cycle, the soil absorbs as much water as possible. Water seeps into cracks of porous rocks above and below ground...
- Type of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, etc.)
- Rainfall intensity.
- Rainfall amount.
- Rainfall duration.
In this section we will define runoff and introduce some important terms used when discussing the rainfall-runoff process. We will discuss the runoff from both rain and snowmelt and how it relates to the overall hydrologic forecasting process.
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 the soil.
