Tracing Stormflow to Varying Source Areas in a Small, Forested Watershed in the Southeastern Piedmont

摘要

The existence and areal extent of subsurface stormflow was studied on a 60-acre forested watershed in the Georgia Piedmont. Between January 1967 and March 1968, 14,519 moisture readings were obtained from 42 sites on the watershed to a maximum depth of 20 feet below the soil surface. Hydrographs were separated into stormflow and baseflow by a standardized slope of 0.05 csm/hr. From 55 rain storms during the study period, 36 had stormflow volumes equal to channel precipitation, with no evidence of overland flow. The study was a unique analysis of the variability of the source area for stormflow on an entire watershed, proving that the variable source area concept is a valid representation of the rainfall-runoff relation. (Author)