Abstract
After a few decades (1970-2000) of intensive research efforts developing physically-based and spatially distributed hydrological models (in an attempt to advance the accuracy of hydrologic predictions), we see a revival in the literature of the old debate of where does water go when it rains or the search for a unifying theory of catchment hydrology. Central in this debate are questions such as what flow path water takes and how long it resides in the catchment. Hydrologic theory has not evolved sufficiently to answer these basic questions. At the same time, knowledge on how the landscape is structured, both geomorphologically (shape of the land surface) and pedologically (soil properties and pattern) is not fully explored in both models and hydrological theory. The hydrologic response of a catchment is driven by precipitation and solar radiation (the climate), but controlled by the geological, topographic, hydraulic, pedologic and ecological properties of the hillslopes and the channel network that drains them. Advances in our understanding of how landscapes control the hydrological response will require establishing relationships between the rainfall-solute-runoff processes and landscape characteristics. The paper examines the effect of the geometric properties of hillslopes on the residence time of water in landscapes by means of similarity analysis.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | EOS Supplement, Fall Maating of the American Geophysical Union, Washington, 5-9 December 2005 |
| Place of Publication | Washington |
| Publisher | AGU |
| Pages | np |
| Publication status | Published - 2005 |
| Event | Fall Maating of the American Geophysical Union - Duration: 5 Dec 2005 → 9 Dec 2005 |
Conference
| Conference | Fall Maating of the American Geophysical Union |
|---|---|
| Period | 5/12/05 → 9/12/05 |