What is runoff short answer?

What is runoff short answer?

Runoff can be described as the part of the water cycle that flows over land as surface water instead of being absorbed into groundwater or evaporating. Runoff is that part of the precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water that appears in uncontrolled surface streams, rivers, drains, or sewers.

What do you mean by runoff?

Runoff occurs when there is more water than land can absorb. The excess liquid flows across the surface of the land and into nearby creeks, streams, or ponds. Runoff also occurs naturally as soil is eroded and carried to various bodies of water.

What is the meaning of runoff water?

runoff noun (LIQUID) water that flows away from high areas to low areas: Runoff is also chemicals and animal excrement that flow into rivers and lakes and pollute the environment: Stormwater runoff is a major source of water pollution.

How is runoff important to the water cycle?

Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle. When runoff flows along the ground, it can pick up soil contaminants such as petroleum, pesticides, or fertilizers that become discharge or overland flow.

What causes a runoff?

Runoff: Surface and Overland Water Runoff When rain falls onto the earth, it just doesn’t sit there, it starts moving according to the laws of gravity. A portion of the precipitation seeps into the ground to replenish Earth’s groundwater. Most of it flows downhill as runoff.

What are the elements of runoff?

COMPONENTS OF RUNOFF:

  • Direct rainfall over the stream:-
  • Surface runoff or overland flow: –
  • Subsurface flow or interflow:–
  • Base flow, groundwater flow or Dry weather flow:-

What are facts about runoff?

Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed Runoff or run-off, a stock market term Runoff curve number, an empirical parameter used in hydrology

Where does runoff end up?

They usually end up in the ocean. Groundwater is underground water, for example in soil, and runoff is water on the surface of land that is drained away.

What does runoff consist of?

Runoff is the movement of landwater to the oceans, chiefly in the form of rivers, lakes, and streams. Runoff consists of precipitation that neither evaporates, transpires nor penetrates the surface to become groundwater.

What are the effects of agricultural runoff?

Agricultural runoff represents a major threat to rivers and lakes. Dangerous chemicals, waste, and soil create algal blooms, disrupt aquatic ecosystems and lead to the emergence of “dead zones” for animals and plants.