Laminar sheet‐flow

Abstract

Laminar sheet‐flow may be defined as the flow of a thin sheet of viscous fluid under conditions such that turbulence does not occur. Direct surface‐runoff from the ground takes place initially as the flow of a thin film or sheet of water. Because some of the water is continually being absorbed by the soil and because of the roughness of the ground, the existence of the flowing sheet or film on the ground surface during rain is often overlooked or is barely noticeable. Studies have been made which show that the form and characteristics of the hydrograph of a stream are governed mainly by the phenomena of ground surface‐runoff before the water enters definite stream‐channels. To determine these characteristics a knowledge of the laws governing the flow of water in thin sheets is necessary. ©1934. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.