Scale problem: A stepping stone in hydrology

3^rd International Conference on Hydrology & Meteorology

September 15-16, 2014 Hyderabad International Convention Centre, India

Mohammad Javad Abedini

Accepted Abstracts: Hydrol Current Res

Abstract :

This paper is intended to investigate the effects of surface storage elements on catchment response at a range of spatial scales and experimental settings. The spatial scales include small-scale laboratory experiments, small-scale field experiments and large-scale field experiments. Interaction of surface treatments, slope orientations, rainfall patterns and initial soil-water conditions on one hand and surface storage, and resulting effects on runoff response including timing of outflow hydrographs on the other hand, are considered at these spatial scales. From the analysis of runoff data, it is found that when there is no infiltration, depression effects can be detected in response, i.e., effects due to size of depressions and spatial location of different sizes. However, in light of lack of this information, one could not delineate and attribute such spatial effects to response. In the presence of infiltration, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to distinguish depression effects from infiltration effects on catchment response. As for the interaction between infiltration and surface storage, it becomes clear that one has to be very careful estimating effective infiltrability from apparent steady state response conditions. From modeling applications, the above field observations and subsequent assessments are verified and found to be quite consistent.