Simulation of hydrological response to rainfall requires the estimate of areal-average infiltration that, in principle, could be performed through the representation of the local infiltration into a horizontal surface gradient effect and the run-on process. These three elements are analyzed here on the basis of separate laboratory experiments that avoid a misinterpretation of their specific role. A summary of the experiments carried out for each investigation is shown in Table 1.
Summary of the experiments performed for the analysis of three elements of the infiltration process
| Validation of the conceptual model byCorradini et al. (1997) | |
| Number of experiments | 4 |
| Artificial rain rate interval (mm h−1) | 15–24 |
| Slope angle (°) | 0 |
| Infiltration by the run-on mechanism | |
| Number of experiments | 24 |
| Artificial rain rate interval (mm h−1) | 8.83–14.18 |
| Slope angle interval (°) | 1–15 |
| Infiltration into sloping soil | |
| Number of experiments | 65 |
| Artificial rain rate interval (mm h−1) | 4.6–32.4 |
| Slope angle interval (°) | 1–15 |
| Validation of the conceptual model byCorradini et al. (1997) | |
| Number of experiments | 4 |
| Artificial rain rate interval (mm h−1) | 15–24 |
| Slope angle (°) | 0 |
| Infiltration by the run-on mechanism | |
| Number of experiments | 24 |
| Artificial rain rate interval (mm h−1) | 8.83–14.18 |
| Slope angle interval (°) | 1–15 |
| Infiltration into sloping soil | |
| Number of experiments | 65 |
| Artificial rain rate interval (mm h−1) | 4.6–32.4 |
| Slope angle interval (°) | 1–15 |