Hydrologic characteristics and modelling of a small forested catchment in southeastern new South Wales. Pre-logging condition

Abstract Analysis of the storm event rainfall and runoff data and other physical data from the undisturbed Geebung Creek catchment shows that its hydrologic behaviour is well described by the variable source area concept. Runoff is believed to occur mainly from saturated source areas that are fed by rapid subsurface flow from upslope. O'Loughlin's theoretical steady-state saturation zone model has been applied to the catchment to identify the size and location of zones of saturation in the landscape under a range of wetness conditions and field observations confirm the general predictions made by the model. Linkage of the results from this model with a simple rainfall—runoff model provides a means of modelling the hydrologic response of the catchment to precipitation in terms of the dynamic expansion and contraction of the saturated source areas. The results of the rainfall—runoff simulation on the Geebung Creek catchment are very good, indicating that this methodology may have considerable potential for evaluating the impacts of land use change on the hydrology of certain types of catchments, at the process level.

[1]  P. M. Fleming.  A Diurnal Distribution Function for Daily Evaporation , 1970 .

[2]  D. A. Barry,et al.  Kinematic flow approximation to runoff on a plane: An approximate analytic solution , 1983 .

[3]  Roger E. Smith,et al.  Mathematical simulation of interdependent surface and subsurface hydrologic processes , 1983 .

[4]  D. H. Pilgrim,et al.  Some problems in transferring hydrological relationships between small and large drainage basins and between regions , 1983 .

[5]  I. Moore,et al.  Kinematic overland flow — Generalization of Rose's approximate solution, Part II , 1985 .

[6]  Gaylon S. Campbell,et al.  A SIMPLE METHOD FOR DETERMINING UNSATURATED CONDUCTIVITY FROM MOISTURE RETENTION DATA , 1974 .

[7]  J. Delleur,et al.  A variable source area model of the rainfall‐runoff process based on the Watershed Stream Network , 1976 .

[8]  C. Federer,et al.  Brook: A Hydrologic Simulation Model for Eastern Forests , 1978 .

[9]  C. H. Taylor,et al.  The Effect on Storm Runoff Response of Seasonal Variations in Contributing Zones in Small Watersheds , 1982 .

[10]  Richard H. McCuen,et al.  A guide to hydrologic analysis using SCS methods , 1982 .

[11]  Curtis L. Larson,et al.  Modeling infiltration during a steady rain , 1973 .

[12]  R. Ziemer.  Storm flow response to road building and partial cutting in small streams of northern California , 1981 .

[13]  John D. Hewlett,et al.  The Varying Source Area of Streamflow from Upland Basins , 1970 .

[14]  D. Hughes.  An isolated event model based upon direct runoff calculations using an implicit source area concept , 1984 .

[15]  Edwin T. Engman,et al.  A partial area model for storm flow synthesis , 1974 .

[16]  J. Gash.  An analytical model of rainfall interception by forests , 1979 .

[17]  Kenneth K. Barnes,et al.  Soil and Water Conservation Engineering , 1955 .

[18]  C. V. Theis.  The relation between the lowering of the Piezometric surface and the rate and duration of discharge of a well using ground‐water storage , 1935 .

[19]  K. Kristensen,et al.  A MODEL FOR ESTIMATING ACTUAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION FROM POTENTIAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION , 1975 .

[20]  W. Green,et al.  Studies on Soil Phyics. , 1911, The Journal of Agricultural Science.

[21]  E. O'Loughlin,et al.  Saturation regions in catchments and their relations to soil and topographic properties , 1981 .

[22]  W. R. Gardner,et al.  Post-Irrigation Movement of Soil Water: 1. Redistribution , 1970 .

[23]  D. L. Brakensiek,et al.  Kinematic Flood Routing , 1967 .