Surface-Runoff Generation and Forms of Overland Flow

This chapter presents an overview of surface-runoff generation and overland flow. The basic mechanisms that generate infiltration-excess and saturation-excess overland flow are reviewed. In addition, the principal factors affecting the occurrence of each process on the landscape are examined, including climate, soil properties, vegetation, topography, rainfall characteristics, and land management. The chapter closes with a brief discussion on the importance of scale and hydrologic connectivity in research on the generation of surface runoff.