TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of spatial variations of microtopography and infiltration on surface runoff and field scale hydrological connectivity
AU - Appels, Willemijn M.
AU - Bogaart, Patrick W.
AU - van der Zee, Sjoerd E.A.T.M.
PY - 2011/2
Y1 - 2011/2
N2 - Surface runoff on agricultural fields arises when rainfall exceeds infiltration. Excess water ponding in and flowing through local microtopography increases the hydrological connectivity of fields. In turn, an increased level of hydrological connectivity leads to a higher surface runoff flux at the field boundaries. We investigated the functional hydrological connectivity of synthetical elevation fields with varying statistical properties. For this purpose, we developed an object-oriented ponding and redistribution model to which Philip's infiltration model was coupled. The connectivity behaviour is determined by the presence of depressions with a large area and spatial organization of microtopography in rills or channels. The presence of microdepressions suppresses the effect of the spatial variation of infiltration properties. Connectivity behaviour of a field with a varying spatial distribution of infiltration properties can be predicted by transforming the unique connectivity function that was defined for a designated microtopography.
AB - Surface runoff on agricultural fields arises when rainfall exceeds infiltration. Excess water ponding in and flowing through local microtopography increases the hydrological connectivity of fields. In turn, an increased level of hydrological connectivity leads to a higher surface runoff flux at the field boundaries. We investigated the functional hydrological connectivity of synthetical elevation fields with varying statistical properties. For this purpose, we developed an object-oriented ponding and redistribution model to which Philip's infiltration model was coupled. The connectivity behaviour is determined by the presence of depressions with a large area and spatial organization of microtopography in rills or channels. The presence of microdepressions suppresses the effect of the spatial variation of infiltration properties. Connectivity behaviour of a field with a varying spatial distribution of infiltration properties can be predicted by transforming the unique connectivity function that was defined for a designated microtopography.
KW - Connectivity
KW - Infiltration
KW - Microtopography
KW - Numerical experiments
KW - Surface runoff
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78751625994&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.advwatres.2010.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.advwatres.2010.12.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:78751625994
SN - 0309-1708
VL - 34
SP - 303
EP - 313
JO - Advances in Water Resources
JF - Advances in Water Resources
IS - 2
ER -