Simplified Probabilistic-Topologic Model for Reproducing Hillslope Rill Network Surface Runoff

Abstract

This work presents a simplified probabilistic-topologic model for reproducing rill network surface runoff on a square-plane hillslope. The model requires only two parameters: the first is related to the production capacity of overland flow of the hillslope, at the initial conditions of the process, and the second depends on the sinuosity of the rill network. From a hydrological point of view, the following parameters account for the effects that essentially delineate the hydrologic response of a natural hillslope: rainfall intensity, hillslope roughness, and slope. Obviously, the reliability of the model is pending experimental validation that has only just begun. However, a preliminary experiment conducted on a 1.0x1.3-m test plot, with variable slope, has produced promising first results.