Concept:
Direct Runoff: It is the part of runoff that enters the stream immediately after the precipitation. It includes surface runoff, prompt interflow, and precipitation on the channel surface. It is sometimes termed as direct storm runoff or storm runoff.
The volume of runoff = Area of catchment × Depth of rainfall
Precipitation: It is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the earth. Precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapour that falls under gravity from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail.
Infiltration Capacity: It is the rate at which water infiltrates into ground is called infiltration capacity. For consistency, in hydrological calculations, a constant value of infiltration rate for the entire storm duration is adopted.
Total infiltrated volume = Total rainfall – Runoff
Calculation:
Given that:
Rainfall intensity = 20 mm/hr = 0.02 m/hr
Watershed area = 1 km
2Total duration = 6 hour
Direct runoff = 30000 m
3Total rainfall = Rainfall intensity × Total duration area
Total rainfall = (0.02 × 6) × 1 × 10
6 = 1,20,000 m
3Precipitation not available for runoff means precipitation that is infiltrated.
Total infiltrated volume = Total rainfall – Runoff
Total infiltrated volume = 1,20,000 – 30,000 = 90,000 m
3For 1 km
2 watershed area,
∴ Infiltrated depth is 9 cm.