Field Investigation and Modeling of Rapid Subsurface Stormflow through Preferential Pathways in a Vegetated Hillslope of Northeast India
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 17, Issue 2
Abstract
A conceptual model for rapid lateral subsurface flow under extreme storm events in wet vegetated hillslopes with a high preferential flow network is presented. The kinematic form of Darcy’s equation and a continuity equation with a sink term to account for lateral preferential flow are used to formulate a subsurface flow equation. The resulting equation is numerically solved using a finite difference approximation. The physical parameters of the model are derived from field experiments conducted in a hillslope in the Brahmaputra River basin of India. Apart from capturing the rapid buildup and recession of a saturated profile in the hillslope, the model gives an indication of hydrologically active lateral macroporosity and its dependency on the rate of recharge. The computed flow hydrographs showed that for the hillslope under investigation, the rapid subsurface storm response is primarily controlled by lateral preferential flow.
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Acknowledgments
This research project was financially supported by the Remote Sensing Application Mission (RSAM) program under the Department of Space (DOS), India. The authors are thankful to Dr. S. Panigrahy and Dr. J. S. Parihar, Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ahmedabad, India.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 17 • Issue 2 • February 2012
Pages: 333 - 341
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 23, 2009
Accepted: May 19, 2011
Published online: May 21, 2011
Published in print: Feb 1, 2012
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