Surface Runoff Research Articles

Spatial Analysis of Surface Runoff Using SCS-CN Technique Integrated with GIS and Remote Sensing

Spatial Analysis of Surface Runoff Using SCS-CN Technique Integrated with GIS and Remote Sensing

A hydrologic signature approach to analysing wildfire impacts on overland flow

AbstractPost‐fire flooding and debris flows are often triggered by increased overland flow resulting from wildfire impacts on soil infiltration capacity and surface roughness. Increasing wildfire activity and intensification of precipitation with climate change make improving understanding of post‐fire overland flow a particularly pertinent task. Hydrologic signatures, which are metrics that summarize the hydrologic regime of watersheds using rainfall and runoff time series, can be calculated for large samples of watersheds relatively easily to understand post‐fire hydrologic processes. We demonstrate that signatures designed specifically for overland flow reflect changes to overland flow processes with wildfire that align with previous case studies on burned watersheds. For example, signatures suggest increases in infiltration‐excess overland flow and decrease in saturation‐excess overland flow in the first and second years after wildfire in the majority of watersheds examined. We show that climate, watershed and wildfire attributes can predict either post‐fire signatures of overland flow or changes in signature values with wildfire using machine learning. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), air temperature, amount of developed/undeveloped land, soil thickness and clay content were the most used predictors by well‐performing machine learning models. Signatures of overland flow provide a streamlined approach for characterizing and understanding post‐fire overland flow, which is beneficial for watershed managers who must rapidly assess and mitigate the risk of post‐fire hydrologic hazards after wildfire occurs.

An Overview of the Degradation and Removal of Pesticide Residues from Water and Agricultural Runoff using Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites

: A high percentage of the applied chemicals on farmlands find their way into the water bodies and groundwater through agricultural runoff and leaching/percolation. Therefore, multiple remediation techniques need to be employed to deter the menace of pesticide residue contamination. Therefore, this review aimed to compute the most suitable degradation conditions for the removal of pesticide residue from water and agricultural runoff using nanomaterials. The review touches on the aspect of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation methods using nanomaterials and the most prominent factors that affect the degradation process. Information from recently published articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings were carefully studied and analyzed. It was revealed that heterogeneous photocatalysis shows the capability of complete mineralization of organic pollutants under optimum experimental conditions. Moreover, it is crucial to consider experimental conditions that could be applicable in the field to achieve a better result. It has been observed that integrating nanoremediation with other degradation methods to create a hybrid technique may play a crucial role in removing pesticide residues from agricultural runoff. However, the detrimental effects of the nanomaterials if any on the environmental matrices need to be taken under consideration to avoid the menace similar to plastic pollution as a result of extensive production and application of nanomaterials.

Surface Runoff Estimation Using SCS-CN Method for Kurumballi Sub-watershed in Shivamogga District, Karnataka, India

SCS-curve number (CN) is one of the most well-liked and commonly applied methods for estimating surface runoff. The present study aims to calculate surface runoff using SCS-CN watershed-based calculation and geospatial technology in the Kurumballi sub-watershed Shivamogga District of Karnataka, India. The study area covers about an area of 47.67 sq. km. The union of land use/land cover classification with hydrological soil groups (HSG) yields the runoff estimation by the SCS-CN curve approach. This method calculates the runoff volume from the land surface flows into the river or streams. Moreover, the study area’s delineation of runoff potential zones was done using the thematic integration method. Different thematic layers were used, including lithology, geomorphology, soil, slope, land use and land cover, drainage, surface water bodies, groundwater contour, and isohyetal maps. Furthermore, associating it with the SCS-CN technique, the total surface runoff volume of the study area was estimated. The total surface runoff volume in the study area is 21065849.7 m3. To this study, thematic integration with the SCS-CN approach to estimate runoff for watersheds is valuable for improving water management and soil conservation.

Modeling flood characteristics in the Krueng Keureuto river basin in North Aceh regency using the Jams/J2000 application

Abstract Significant land use changes in the Krueng Keureuto River basin exacerbate flooding annually. Despite intensive flood studies, there’s no mapped information on past and future flood inundation. Flood discharge parameters rely on empirical formulas, overlooking climate factors and flood event data, crucial in flood analysis due to climate change. To comprehensively understand flood characteristics, this research employs the JAMS/J2000 application on climatological data (2010-2020), land use, soil type, and geological maps. Using HRU-Web, Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs) are derived for J2000 modeling, producing four runoff components: overland flow, interflow, fast groundwater, and slow groundwater. Notably, the highest overland flow, or flood runoff, was 23.21 mm on December 26, 2014, with 40.69 mm/day rainfall. Interflow peaked at 6.72 mm on October 8, 2011, with 18.10 mm/day rainfall. Fast groundwater reached 1.28 mm on November 30, 2019, with 13.18 mm/day rainfall, and slow groundwater peaked at 1.04 mm on November 13, 2020, with 48.87 mm/day rainfall. This study provides comprehensive insights into the complex dynamics of flood characteristics in the Krueng Keureuto River basin.

Prediction of soil detachment rate by overland flow using root length characteristic: Nonlinear model development

Root length, as one of the most common characteristics of root, has an important role in controlling concentrated flow erosion. This study has explored the overall trends in reducing soil detachment rate as a function of the root length, based on the Hill curve model. In order to study the mechanical effects of root length on concentrated flow erosion rates, hydromulch was sprayed on soil surface and soil detachment rate was measured using a hydraulic flume. We found a nonlinear model for soil detachment rate as a function of root length (R2 = 0.81). Moreover, soil detachment rate was estimated well by the nonlinear models for ranges of flow shear stress (from 5.28 to 15.90 Pa) (p < 0.01) with R2 > 0.75. These results can be used to predict the soil erosion resistance to overland flow using root length characteristic.

Study on the Application of Environmentally Friendly Materials in the Construction of Sponge Cities in China and Their Impact on Rainwater Runoff

The concept of Sponge Cities has emerged as a pivotal response to the escalating urban water management challenges faced by cities globally, particularly in China. This innovative approach aims to create urban environments that mimic the natural water cycle’s absorptive and filtrative capacities, thus mitigating urban flooding, enhancing groundwater recharge, and improving water quality. Central to the realization of Sponge City objectives is the adoption of environmentally friendly materials designed to replace traditional urban infrastructure with permeable, sustainable alternatives. This paper provides a comprehensive review and critical analysis of the application of such materials within the Sponge City framework, assessing their effectiveness, integration challenges, and the multidisciplinary strategies required for successful implementation. Through a detailed discussion, this review highlights the potential of environmentally friendly materials in transforming urban landscapes into resilient, water-sensitive environments. It also delves into the necessity for robust policy support, public engagement, and education, alongside a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses urban planning, hydrology, environmental science, economics, and sociology, to address the complexity of urban water management challenges. This paper aims to shed light on the pathways towards amplifying the benefits of Sponge City initiatives, proposing strategies for broader implementation and suggesting future research directions to enhance urban resilience and sustainability.

Retention pond as an alternative to mitigating runoff and sustainable water source at Jember University

Retention pond as an alternative to mitigating runoff and sustainable water source at Jember University

Review of the development and research of permeable pavements

AbstractPermeable pavements, which not only increase rainwater infiltration and purify surface runoff water but also absorb noise and promote evaporative cooling, are an effective measure for alleviating urban flooding and the heat island effect. Moreover, permeable pavements have significant implications for the urban hydrological cycle and for human development that promotes ecosystem health. This paper reviews the development history of permeable pavements, evaluates the technical aspects and benefits thereof in the context of green city construction, and analyzes existing issues in the development of permeable pavements. This paper mainly discusses the current classifications of permeable pavements, the indicators used to evaluate permeable pavements, and construction techniques with a focus on two aspects: improving strength and removing blockages for planning, and three aspects: enhancing permeability, recycling resources, and preventing pollution for ecohydrological effects. Further, this paper discusses the benefits of permeable pavements and the commonly used methods for evaluating benefits. The main problems in the development and construction of permeable pavements include the limitations of permeable pavements, difficulty in evaluating their benefits, and restrictions on their applications. The following recommendations are proposed: improve the evaluation mechanism for permeable pavements, establish appropriate guidance for construction, scientifically and quantitatively analyse the feasibility of permeable pavement construction, evaluate the rationality of permeable pavement construction in various regions, and encourage the construction of permeable pavements in suitable areas. The importance of developing standards and technical specifications is also emphasized.

Evaluation of Permeable Pavement Systems (PPS) as Best Management Practices for Stormwater Runoff Control: A Review

Evaluation of Permeable Pavement Systems (PPS) as Best Management Practices for Stormwater Runoff Control: A Review

Toward Flash Flood Modeling Using Gradient Resolving Representative Hillslopes

AbstractIt is increasingly acknowledged that the acceleration of the global water cycle, largely driven by anthropogenic climate change, has a disproportionate impact on sub‐daily and small‐scale hydrological extreme events such as flash floods. These events occur thereby at local scales within minutes to hours, typically in response to high‐intensity rainfall events associated with convective storms. In the present work, we show that by employing physically based representative hillslope models that resolve the main gradients controlling overland flow hydrology and hydraulics, we can get reliable simulations of flash flood response in small data‐scarce catchments. To this end, we use climate reanalysis products and transfer soil parameters previously obtained for hydrological predictions in an experimental catchment in the same landscape. The inverted mass balance of flood reservoirs downstream is employed for model evaluation in these nearly ungauged basins. We show that our approach using representative hillslopes and climate data sets can provide reasonable uncalibrated estimates of the overland runoff response (flood magnitude, storm volume, and event runoff coefficients) in three of the four catchments considered. Given that flash floods typically occur at scales of a few km2 and in ungauged places, our results have implications for operational flash flood forecasting and open new avenues for using gradient resolving physically based models for the design of small and medium flood retention basins around the world.

Effects of surface inoculation of biological soil crusts on laminar overland flow resistance

AbstractNotwithstanding the recognized influence of Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs) on surface roughness and its implication for hydrological processes, limited information is currently available on the effect of BSCs on overland flow resistance. The objective of this paper was to investigate the applicability of a theoretically deduced flow resistance equation, based on a power‐velocity profile, using the experimental data set by Jafarpoor et al. (2022) and Sadeghi et al. (2023) for bare soil, which is a control condition, and three inoculated soils (cyanobacteria, bacteria, cyanobacteria+bacteria). In particular, the available data set was used to calibrate the relationship between the velocity profile parameter Γ and the flow Froude number. The developed analysis allowed for stating that (a) the Darcy‐Weisbach friction factor can be accurately estimated using the proposed theoretical approach, and (b) the available measurements do not allow for detecting a trend with the soil treatment.

Efficient adsorptive removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) using biomass derived magnetic activated carbon nanocomposite in synthetic and simulated agricultural runoff water

This study focused on evaluating the efficacy of a magnetic activated carbon material (CPAC@Fe3O4) derived from pods of copper pod tree in adsorbing the toxic herbicide, 2,4- (2,4-D) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized CPAC@Fe3O4 adsorbent, underwent various characterization techniques. FESEM images indicated a rough surface, incorporating iron oxide nanoparticles, while EDS analysis confirmed the presence of elements like Fe, O, and C. Notably, the CPAC@Fe3O4 exhibited high surface area (749.10 m2/g) and pore volume (0.5351 cm³/g), confirming its mesoporous nature. XRD investigations identified distinct signals associated with graphitic carbon and magnetite nanoparticles, while VSM analysis verified its magnetic properties with a high magnetic saturation value (2.72 emu/g). The adsorption process was exothermic, with a decrease in adsorption capacity at higher temperatures. Freundlich isotherm provided the best fit for the adsorption, and the pseudo-second-order equation effectively described the kinetics. Remarkably, the maximum adsorption capacity ranged from 246.43 to 261.03 mg/g, surpassing previously reported values. The ΔH° value (−8.67 kJ/mol) suggested a physisorption mechanism, and the negative ΔG° values established the spontaneous nature. Furthermore, the synthesized adsorbent demonstrated exceptional reusability, allowing for up to five cycles of adsorption-desorption operations. When applied to simulated agricultural runoff, CPAC@Fe3O4 showcased a significant adsorption capacity of 160.71 mg/g for 50 mg/L 2,4-D, using a 0.2 g/L dosage at pH 2. This study showcased the transformation of copper pod biomass into a valuable magnetic nanoadsorbent capable of efficiently eliminating the noxious 2,4-D pollutant from aqueous environments.

Hydrological changes in a plain basin in central Argentina following expansion of rainfed agriculture and climate change

AbstractThe characterization of long‐term streamflow in regions undergoing climatic change and agricultural expansion is relevant for achieving sustainable development goals and for assessing the vulnerability of water‐dependent populations and agricultural activities. The objective of this work was to characterize the temporal patterns of water yield in the plain basin of the Carcarañá River (33,063 km2), located in central Argentina and to analyse its relationship with a fast expansion of rainfed cultivation and climate change. The streamflow data for the period 1980–2020 were analysed in conjunction with climatic data (rainfall, reference evapotranspiration), satellite data (NDVI) and cropping statistics (sown area of summer crops) data. The annual water yield averaged ~10% of the rainfall and showed a clear upward trend throughout the study period, both in absolute terms and relative to rainfall (i.e., runoff coefficient), which was not explained by rainfall or reference evapotranspiration temporal patterns. Conversely, we found that the trend in water yield was positively associated with the agricultural area (p &lt; 0.05), which more than doubled during the study period (from 29% to 66%). Likewise, the mean NDVI of the basin, a proxy for primary productivity and vegetation transpiration, has decreased steadily over the last 20 years (p &lt; 0.05). The separation between base flow and quick flow suggested that both flows increased during the analysed period (p &lt; 0.05), though the latter would have been more relevant in explaining the trend observed in total flow. Taken together, our results suggest that agricultural expansion, rather than climate change, is the dominant factor explaining the hydrological changes observed in the study basin. Understanding the key role of land use in shaping the hydrology of a landscape is critical to developing policies and practices for more efficient and sustainable use of environmental resources.

Spring water monitoring in the Upper Harz Mountains: Precipitation, runoff and specific electrical conductivity

Due to extreme weather events and deforestation the physical and chemical characteristics of watersheds in mountain areas could exceed the known variations. Therefore, the spring water of the Innerste river in the Western Harz Mountains (Germany) was monitored from 2020 to 2023. The monitoring approach is simple and can be directly transferred to other watersheds of springs which are connected to the meteoric water cycle.The specific electrical conductivity (SEC) of the water is compared to daily precipitation data. The SEC values range between 50 and 100 μS/cm. In September 2020 and July 2022 the spring dried out. A hysteretic relationship between spring runoff and spring water mineralisation was found. The SEC values of the spring water are rising during dry periods or in winter seasons with a long ice cover in the catchment area. The highest SEC values are typical for long dry periods and flush events after the drying out of the spring. The relationship of SEC and major ions of the spring water (especially bicarbonate) indicates that biogeochemical processes within the soil zone and water-rock interactions in fractured shales and greywackes of the catchment area control the chemical composition of the spring water. Comparing the obtained results with data measured before the first observed drying out of the spring, no unexpected new values and correlations of runoff, SEC values and ion concentrations were found.

Varied root effects on soil detachment with growth time and hydrodynamic characteristics

AbstractPlant roots significantly reduce soil detachment by overland flow. However, there have been few studies on how plant growth time and hydrodynamic characteristics affect the erosion‐reducing potential of plant roots. This study cultivated ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) as representative of plants possessing fibrous roots and taproots, respectively, in silty soil from the Loess Plateau, China. Root‐soil composites were collected monthly from March to September 2021 and subjected to flow scouring in a hydraulic flume at a 15° slope using five different flow discharges (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.3 L s−1). The results of the study indicated that root length density, root surface area density and root mass density exhibited a significant increase during the early growth phase, followed by a slight decrease. All parameters of fibrous roots revealed greater values than those of taproots, except for root mass density. The reduction in soil detachment under varying flow shear stresses showed a significant increase during the early phases of growth, followed by a gradual decline. Notably, fibrous roots demonstrated a greater impact on soil detachment than taproots, and this discrepancy fluctuated over time. Moreover, the contributions of fibrous and taproots to reducing soil detachment decreased from 55.81% to 39.66% and from 38.21% to 20.99% with increasing flow shear stress, respectively. It indicated that the erosion‐reducing potential of plant roots was greater when subjected to low‐flow shear stress compared to high‐flow shear stress. This study can provide a scientific basis for understanding the erosion‐reducing potential of plant roots at different growing stages and under varying hydrodynamic characteristics.

Remote sensing evapotranspiration in ensemble-based framework to enhance cascade routing and re-infiltration concept in integrated hydrological model applied to support decision making

Integrated hydrological models (IHMs) help characterize the complexity of surface–groundwater interactions. The cascade routing and re-infiltration (CRR) concept, recently applied to a MODFLOW 6 IHM, improved conceptualization and simulation of overland flow processes. The CRR controls the transfer of rejected infiltration and groundwater exfiltration from upslope areas to adjacent downslope areas where that water can be evaporated, re-infiltrated back to subsurface, or discharged to streams as direct runoff. The partitioning between these three components is controlled by uncertain parameters that must be estimated. Thus, by quantifying and reducing those uncertainties, next to uncertainties of the other model parameters (e.g. hydraulic and storage parameters), the reliability of the CRR is improved and the IHM is better suited for decision support modelling, the two key objectives of this work. To this end, the remotely sensed MODIS-ET product was incorporated into the calibration process for complementing traditional hydraulic head and streamflow observations. A total of approximately 150,000 observations guided the calibration of a 13-year MODFLOW 6 IHM simulation of the Sardon catchment (Spain) with daily stress periods. The model input uncertainty was represented by grid-cell-scale parameterization, yielding approximately 500,000 unknown input parameters to be conditioned. The calibration was carried out through an iterative ensemble smoother. Incorporating the MODIS-ET data improved the CRR implementation, and reduced uncertainties associated with other model parameters. Additionally, it significantly reduced the uncertainty associated with net recharge, a critical flux for water management that cannot be directly measured and rather is commonly estimated by IHM simulations.

Eco-roofs: influence of shape and material variations on surface temperature, rainwater volume and quality

ABSTRACT To mitigate climate change it’s of utmost importance to generate, develop, and improve green technologies. Technologies that link civil construction, architecture, and sustainability are largely necessary for this goal. Green roofs constitute technologies with high potential to contribute to the increase of the resilience of cities in the face of climate change. Since this technology is versatile and still requires many studies, we tested three different types of situations and considered three subprojects: 1 – how the arrangement of fiber cement coverings can affect runoff control and water quality, the differences between the temperature in three types of tiles and the spontaneous growth in each of them; 2 – how nasturtiums, once used as cover, influence water quality and thermal comfort; 3 – the viability of seed germination on roofs with substrate. In subproject 1 it was concluded that spontaneous growth did not occur during the experiment period and that the arrangement of the tiles influences the ability to reduce surface runoff. In 2 we observed that the plants require frequent watering, and that nasturtium does not develop abundantly in thin layers of substrate but contributes to thermal comfort inside buildings. There was an average reduction of 6.8% in the temperature values on the substrates in Subproject 2 due to the presence of vegetation, while for the surface temperature, the values were, on average, 11.7% lower for the prototypes with vegetation cover. In subproject 3 we concluded that seed sowing directly on substrate roofs does not present satisfactory results for developing green roofs.

Runoff microbiome quality assessment of a city center rainwater harvesting zone shows a differentiation of pathogen loads according to human mobility patterns

The hygienic quality of urban surfaces can be impaired by multiple sources of microbiological contaminants. These surfaces can trigger the development of multiple bacterial taxa and favor their spread during rain events through the circulation of runoff waters. These runoff waters are commonly directed toward sewer networks, stormwater infiltration systems or detention tanks prior a release into natural water ways. With water scarcity becoming a major worldwide issue, these runoffs are representing an alternative supply for some usage like street cleaning and plant watering. Microbiological hazards associated with these urban runoffs, and surveillance guidelines must be defined to favor these uses. Runoff microbiological quality from a recently implemented city center rainwater harvesting zone was evaluated through classical fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) assays, quantitative PCR and DNA meta-barcoding analyses. The incidence of socio-urbanistic patterns on the organization of these urban microbiomes were investigated. FIB and DNA from Human-specific Bacteroidales and pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus were detected from most runoffs and showed broad distribution patterns. 16S rRNA DNA meta-barcoding profilings further identified core recurrent taxa of health concerns like Acinetobacter, Mycobacterium, Aeromonas and Pseudomonas, and divided these communities according to two main groups of socio-urbanistic patterns. One of these was highly impacted by heavy traffic, and showed recurrent correlation networks involving bacterial hydrocarbon degraders harboring significant virulence properties. The tpm-based meta-barcoding approach identified some of these taxa at the species level for more than 30 genera. Among these, recurrent pathogens were recorded such as P. aeruginosa, P. paraeruginosa, and Aeromonas caviae. P. aeruginosa and A. caviae tpm reads were found evenly distributed over the study site but those of P. paraeruginosa were higher among sub-catchments impacted by heavy traffic. Health risks associated with these runoff P. paraeruginosa emerging pathogens were high and associated with strong cytotoxicity on A549 lung cells. Recurrent detections of pathogens in runoff waters highlight the need of a microbiological surveillance prior allowing their use. Good microbiological quality can be obtained for certain typologies of sub-catchments with good hygienic practices but not all. A reorganization of Human mobility and behaviors would likely trigger changes in these bacterial diversity patterns and reduce the occurrences of the most hazardous groups.

Floating Wetland Project: A One Health Action Addressing Agricultural Nutrient Runoff in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Floating Wetland Project: A One Health Action Addressing Agricultural Nutrient Runoff in Niagara-on-the-Lake