Hydrology I

Jozsef Szilagyi, Professor of Hydrology

Department of Hydraulic and Water
Resources Engineering
Budapest University of Technology and
Economics

Lecture #6: Modeling interception and

derivation of Hortons infiltration equation
If precipitation intensities are available on an hourly (or
higher resolution) basis, then an interception &
infiltration model can be applied.
A good physical description of the interception process is
not available. An exponential loss function model
yields: IC=Pexp[A+B(t*-1)]=Pt*-1 where and are
less than 1 (may change by seasons). P is observed
hourly precipitation. The time index, t*, is set to 1 if
previously no precip has been recorded in the previous
1,2, or 3 days, and it is incremented by 1 with each
new hour of precipitation. And perhaps it can be
decremented similarly (bot not the same way) once P
stopped.

Derivation of Hortons infiltration equation:

ground
water table

h
head

Kmin

y
Kmax

f
f0
k1
f

Q1: Why is it that the infiltration rate is not zero as time approaches
infinity?
HW: Prove that the formula obtained for f indeed satisfies (3).

k2 > k1

k2
time

20 m
Lab #5: Problem set
#1: What is the groundwater discharge

10 m
to the ditch per unit length of it?
5m
Ksilt=10-7 m/s.
(A: 10-4 m3s-1)

#2: What is the K value of the cork in

m/day if it drips 1 l/day?

No-flow
across sides

Silt with a
thickness of
0.1 m

(A: 0.8 m/d)

20 cm
2 cm
5 cm

cork