Estimating time parameters of overland flow on impervious surfaces by the particle tracking method

Abstract

Abstract: Travel time and time of concentration Tc are important time parameters in hydrological designs. Although Tc is the time for the runoff to travel to the outlet from the most remote part of the catchment, most researchers have used an indirect method such as hydrograph analysis to estimate Tc. A quasi two-dimensional diffusion wave model with particle tracking for overland flow was developed to determine the travel time, and validated for runoff discharges, velocities, and depths. Travel times for 85%, 95% and 100% of particles arrival at the outlet of impervious surfaces (i.e. Tt85, Tt95, and Tt100) were determined for 530 model runs. The correlations between these travel times and Tc estimated from hydrograph analysis showed a significant agreement between Tc and Tt85. All the travel times showed nonlinear relationships with the input variables (plot length, slope, roughness coefficient, and effective rainfall intensity) but showed linear relationships with each other. © 2015, © 2015 IAHS.