TY - JOUR

T1 - A Physically-Based Model of Heterogeneous Hillslopes I. Runoff Production.

AU - Binley, Andrew M.

AU - Elgy, John

AU - Beven, Keith J.

PY - 1989

Y1 - 1989

N2 - A fully three-dimensional model of variably saturated flow on a hillslope has been used to explore the effects of different random patterns of saturated hydraulic conductivity on a 150 m by 100 m hillslope. Both surface and subsurface runoff production are simulated. The model's simulations suggest that peak discharges and runoff volumes are generally increased by the presence of heterogeneity, increasing with increasing variance and spatial dependence of the underlying random field. Simulations using different realizations with the same random field parameters show that for the case of soils showing no dependence, differences in runoff production between realizations are small at this scale of hillslope. The differences increase with increasing spatial dependence, particularly for the case of low-conductivity soils producing surface runoff.

AB - A fully three-dimensional model of variably saturated flow on a hillslope has been used to explore the effects of different random patterns of saturated hydraulic conductivity on a 150 m by 100 m hillslope. Both surface and subsurface runoff production are simulated. The model's simulations suggest that peak discharges and runoff volumes are generally increased by the presence of heterogeneity, increasing with increasing variance and spatial dependence of the underlying random field. Simulations using different realizations with the same random field parameters show that for the case of soils showing no dependence, differences in runoff production between realizations are small at this scale of hillslope. The differences increase with increasing spatial dependence, particularly for the case of low-conductivity soils producing surface runoff.

M3 - Journal article

VL - 25

SP - 1219

EP - 1226

JO - Water Resources Research

JF - Water Resources Research

SN - 0043-1397

IS - 6

ER -