Progress in Surface and Subsurface Water Studies at Plot and Small Basin Scale, 2005
Bibliographic details
Summary
The estimation of soil water content before a given storm event, which is generally an arbitrary parameter in rainfall-runoff modeling, is addressed. Empirical approaches conceptual model of water balance in the upper soil layer are investigated. The empirical approaches concern different formulations widely employed in hydrological practice and based on indexes for taking account of the degree of catchments wetness. Neglecting the evapotranspiration process, they consider only the precipitation data. The conceptual model is based on that proposed by Geogakakos and Baumer (1996) and uses routinely measured meteorological variables: rainfall and air temperature. The performance of each method was tested through local measurements of soil moisture carried out continuously on an experimental plot in central Italy. In the verification stage, the conceptual model was found to be significantly more efficient and its reliability independent of the period of the year. In addition, preliminary results on the relation of the local measurements with the hydrological response of the catchment including the plot are presented.