Following the Curve?
- Mike Kirkby,
- Artemi Cerda
Abstract
Output from a runoff generation models is compared here with information
from field measurements, making use of 11 years data from rainfall and
runoff events at the Sierra de Enguera Soil Erosion Experimental Station
in Eastern Spain.. The model presented simulates overland storm flow on
a sloping rough and unvegetated surface, representing an area of 320x320
m. Green-Ampt infiltration constants are randomly assigned to each cell
in a 128x128 grid, and rectangular storms applied at a range of total
amounts and intensities to simulate runoff at each transect across the
area. A simple algebraic expression is developed to estimate total
runoff and storage in terms of storm size and duration, and plot length,
with parameters that reflect infiltration behaviour, and this expression
is compared with the SCS curve number approach. Output of these
simulations is compared with measured storm runoff data on bare runoff
plots at the Sierra de Enguera experimental Station in SE Spain and
gives further support to the proposed expression for storm runoff.