Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Runoff Generation

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

  • 427 Accesses

Synonyms

Effective snowmelt generation; Excess precipitation generation; Glacial melt runoff generation; Infiltration excess generation; Overland flow generation; Saturation excess generation; Surface runoff generation

Definition

Runoff. It is a major component of the hydrologic cycle and is generated when water from precipitation or snow and glacial melt flows over the land. It is often referred to as the surface runoff. It is the water that is not absorbed by the soil.

Introduction

Runoff is the portion of precipitation or snow and glacial melt that flows across the landscape until it reaches streams, rivers, and, ultimately, oceans. Surface runoff generation depends on rainfall or snowmelt characteristics (amount, duration, intensity, and time distribution) and landscape characteristics (vegetation, land use, topography, soil texture and structure, and antecedent soil moisture conditions).

Conditions of runoff generation

Runoff during non- or partially frozen ground conditions...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • Betson, R. P., 1964. What is watershed runoff? Journal of Geophysical Research, 69(8), 1541–1552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beven, K. J., 2001. Rainfall-runoff modelling: the primer. New York, NY: J. Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunne, T., and Black, R. D., 1970. Partial area contributions to storm runoff in a small New England watershed. Water Resources Research, 6(5), 1296–1311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewlett, J. D., and Hibbert, A. R., 1967. Factors affecting the response of small watersheds to precipitation in humid areas. In: International Symposium on Forest Hydrological Processes. Pergamon, New York, NY, pp. 275–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horton, R. E., 1933. The role of infiltration in the hydrologic cycle. Transactions of the Americal Geophysical Union, 14, 446–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansson, P., Hock, R., and Schneider, T., 2003. The concept of glacier storage: a review. Journal of Hydrology, 282, 116–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuchment, L. S., Gelfan, A. N., and Demidov, V. N., 2000. A distributed model of runoff generation in the permafrost regions. Journal of Hydrology, 240, 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, P., and Singh, V. P., 2001. Snow and Glacier Hydrology. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokolov, B. L., 1975. Naleds and River Runoff. Leningrad, Russian: Hydrometeorological Publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tindall, J. A., and Kunkel, J. R., 1999. Unsaturated Zone Hydrology for Scientists and Engineers, Chapter 11. New Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woo, M-K., 1990. Permafrost hydrology. In: Prowse, T. D., Ommanney, C. S. L. (Eds.), Northern Hydrology: Canadian Perspectives, NHRI Science Rep. No. 1. National Hydrology Research Institute, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, pp. 63–76.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 230 Ag. Eng. Building, 460 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Anita M. Thompson

  2. Geological Engineering, College of Engineering and Mines, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755800, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-5800, USA

    Debasmita Misra

  3. Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 903 Koyukuk Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99775-7320, USA

    Ronald P. Daanen

Authors
  1. Anita M. Thompson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Debasmita Misra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ronald P. Daanen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anita M. Thompson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Vijay P. Singh

  2. New Delhi, India

    Pratap Singh

  3. University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA

    Umesh K. Haritashya

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this entry

Cite this entry

Thompson, A.M., Misra, D., Daanen, R.P. (2011). Runoff Generation. In: Singh, V.P., Singh, P., Haritashya, U.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_457

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation