USGS Open-File Report 02-362
Changes from the original module are written in bold text
Computes surface runoff and infiltration for each HRU using a nonlinear variable-source-area method. Includes a component for glacier melt for HRUs that are identified as being covered with a glacier.
This module computes the surface runoff for rain or snowmelt on pervious and impervious areas and keeps track of the retention storage on impervious areas.
Surface runoff from rainfall on pervious, snow-free HRU's is computed using a contributing area concept (Dickenson and Whitely, 1970; Hewlett and Nutter, 1970). The percent of an HRU contributing to surface runoff is computed as a non-linear function of antecedent soil moisture and rainfall amount. The contributing area, ca_percent is computed by:
smidx_coef is the coefficient in the nonlinear contributing area algorithm,
smidx_exp is the exponent in the nonlinear contributing area algorithm, and
soil_moist is the soil moisture content for each HRU, in inches, and
net_rain is the rain on an HRU minus interception, in inches.
A maximum value is specified for ca_percent using the parameter carea_max. Surface runoff for the pervious area (srp) is then computed as
Estimates of smidx_coef, smidx_exp, carea_max and direct surface runoff can be made from observed runoff and soil-moisture data. Where soil moisture data are not available, estimates of soil-moisture values can be obtained from preliminary model runs. A regression of log ca_percent versus smidx can be done for these data to determine the coefficients. Using the equation
Surface runoff from snowmelt on pervious areas is assumed to occur only when the soil zone of an HRU reaches field capacity. At field capacity, maximum infiltration amount, snowinfil_max, is user defined. Any snowmelt in excess of snowinfil_max becomes surface runoff. Snowmelt generated by rain on a snowpack is treated as all snowmelt if the snowpack is not totally depleted by the rain. If the snowpack is totally depleted by the rain, the resulting rain and snowmelt mix is treated as if it were all rain on a snow-free HRU.
Surface runoff from impervious areas is computed identically for both rainfall and snowmelt in subroutine imperv_sroff. Evaporation from impervious areas is computed in subroutine imperv_et. Total surface runoff for each HRU is then computed by taking an area-weighted average of the pervious and impervious area surface runoff. This subroutine also computes a basin weighted average for surface runoff and infiltration.
Surface runoff from glacier melt is assumed to occur when there is 1) no snow-covered area for an HRU identified as being covered with a glacier and 2) the daily average air temperature is above the user input base temperature. For this case, glacier melt (glacr_melt) is calculated using a a temperature index function as
glacr_coef is the coefficient or factor used to calculate melt based on the temperature difference between the two following values, in inches per ° F,
tavgf is the daily average air temperature, in ° F, and
glacr_btemp is the base temperature above which glacier melt can occur, in ° F.
Dickenson, W. T., and Whitely, H. Q., 1970, Watershed areas contributing to runoff: International Association of Hydrologic Sciences Publication 96, p. 1.12-1.28.
Hewlett, J. D., and Nutter, W. L., 1970, The varying source area of streamflow from upland basins, in Symposium on Interdisciplinary Aspects of Watershed Management, Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont., 1970, Proceedings: Bozeman, Mont., American Society of Civil Engineering, p. 65-83.
Leavesley, G. H., Lichty, R. W., Troutman, B. M., and Saindon, L. G., 1983, Precipitation-runoff modeling system--User's manual: U. S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4238, 207 p.
URL for this page is http://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/2002/ofr02362/htdocs/srunoff/srunoff_smidx_prms_glacr.htm
Page contact: Mark Mastin (mcmastin@usgs.gov),
253-428-3600, ext. 2609
Last modified: Friday, 11-Jan-2013 03:19:56 EST