CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

2 Hydrologic Data Analysis - Infiltration Models1

Based on the water budget discussed in chapter 1, runoff is the direct consequence of the
excess rainfall, which is defined as the total rainfall minus the abstractions. The abstractions
include infiltration, evaporation, transpiration, interception, and detention. In large rainfall
events, only the infiltration component is important. Once the net or excess rainfall is
obtained, the rainfall-runoff problem becomes one of converting the net rainfall into the direct
surface runoff. Therefore, the study of infiltration is of importance in rainfall-runoff
modeling.

There are basically two approaches to determine the excess rainfall depending on whether the
direct runoff is available or not – as if the runoff hydrograph is available, the amount of
rainfall lost to infiltration can be estimated by comparing the total rainfall with the direct
runoff.

2.1 Constant Infiltration Rate

The availability of the runoff hydrograph is a pre-requisite for this method. The area under the
direct runoff hydrograph gives by definition the total amount of excess rainfall, therefore the
amount of abstractions. However, the distribution of the abstraction over time is still
unknown. The simplest approach is to assume that the abstraction rate is constant over the
rainfall period. This approach is known as the phi-index method (figure 2.1). The φ-index
method tends to underestimate losses at the beginning of the storm and overestimates the
losses at the end.

The constant loss rate φ is determined such that the amount of rainfall excess (total rainfall
–rainfall loss) is equal to the amount of runoff volume or, equivalently, the depth of direct
runoff rd is equal to the excess rainfall depth:

where Rm is the rainfall pulse in the interval m of duration Δt . The

runoff volume is the area under the runoff hydrograph and the
runoff depth is defined as the runoff volume divided by the
watershed area.

Figure 2.1: Phi Index Method (Bedient,

2008 – Figure 1-22)

1References:

- Bedient, P.B., Huber, W.C., & B.E. Vieux, Hydrology & Floodplain Analysis, 4th ed., Pearson Education –
Prentice Hall, NJ, 2008.
- Basha, H. Hydrology Notes. February 2007

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CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

2.2 Green-Ampt Equation

If the runoff hydrograph is not available, an estimate of the rainfall loss can be obtained by
assuming that the infiltration of water into the soil follows some theoretical equation. One
such equation is the Green-Ampt infiltration equation with three parameters that depend on
the soil type (the hydraulic conductivity k, the soil suction head ψs and the variation in
moisture content Δθ) (figure 2.2):

where:
f is the infiltration rate
F is the cumulative infiltration

The Green-Ampt equation is derived from the

application of Darcy's law between the soil surface
and the wetting front position – details can be
checked in box 2-1 extracted from (Basha, 2007).

Figure 2.2 Green-Ampt Equation (Bedient,

2008 – Figure E1-10)

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CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

Box 2-1 Derivation of Green-Ampt Equation (Basha, 2007)

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CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

Green-Ampt equation, like all infiltration models, expresses the potential rate of infiltration,
which is the maximum infiltration rate that the soil can absorb at a given time. The actual
infiltration rate depends on the amount/ intensity of rainfall. Hence there are three cases to
consider - and to know which case applies, the infiltration rate has to be calculated at the
beginning and at the end of the rainfall interval:

Case 1 – Non ponding conditions throughout the whole rainfall interval (t – t+ Δt)
Characteristics: i (rainfall intensity rate during the interval) f(t) &
i (rainfall intensity rate during the interval) f(t+Δt)

 ΔF = ΔP (infiltration depth equal to rainfall depth)

Case 2 – Ponding occurring within the rainfall interval (t – t+ Δt)

Characteristics: i (rainfall intensity rate during the interval) f(t) &
i (rainfall intensity rate during the interval) f(t+Δt)

 the infiltration depth is equal to the precipitation depth until the time of ponding
then, the cumulative infiltration at the time of ponding is given by:

& the time of ponding is

and after the time of ponding, the cumulative infiltration is given by:

Case 3 –Ponding conditions throughout the whole rainfall interval (t – t+ Δt)

Characteristics: i (rainfall intensity rate during the interval) f(t)

Eq. (2.9) or (2.10) is a nonlinear equation, and the solution method is an iterative
procedure. It can be found by the method of successive substitutions, where one can start with
an initial estimate of F(t+Δt)=F(t) +kΔt

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CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

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 CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

2.3 SCS Method

Another method which can be used when the runoff hydrograph is not available is the SCS
method - an event simulation model that analyzes a single rainfall-runoff event (figure 2.3).
The input to such a model is a rainfall hyetograph from which the rainfall excess is
determined by subtracting the abstractions. These abstractions may be obtained using the SCS
curve number loss rate. The cumulative excess rainfall Pe is the rainfall remaining after initial
and continuing abstraction, i.e.:

where: P is the cumulative rainfall;

Ia is the initial abstraction Ia= 0.2S
Fa is the cumulative abstraction

Where S is the maximum potential retention (given in inches) and is expressed by S=1000/Cn-
10 and Cn is the dimensionless curve number that varies with the soil type and land use.
Values for Cn are tabulated in hydrology textbooks (table 2.1). The tabulated curve numbers
apply for normal antecedent moisture conditions:
For dry conditions, the equivalent curve numbers is Cd=4.2Cn/(10-0.058Cn)
For wet conditions, Cw=23Cn/(10+0.13Cn)

The excess rainfall hyetograph ΔPe is determined by taking the difference of successive
values of Pe, , i.e. ΔPe = Pe(t+Δt) - Pe(t)

Table 2.1 SCS Curve

Numbers for Selected
Agricultural and Suburban
Land Use (Basha, 2007)

Figure 2.3: SCS Method – Curve Number (Bedient,

2008 – Figure 8-14)

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CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

2.4 Horton Method

A third method which can be used when the runoff hydrograph is not available is the Horton’s
method. Horton showed that when the rainfall rate i exceeds the infiltration rate f, water infiltrates
the surface soils at a rate that generally decreases with time. The actual infiltration rate will
follow the limiting curve shown in figure 2.4. The capacity decreases with time and ultimately
reaches a constant rate, caused by filling of soil pores with water, which reduces capillary suction.
Horton suggested the following form of the infiltration equation, where rainfall intensity i > f at
all times:
f  f c  ( f 0  f c )e  kt (2.14)
where:
f = infiltration capacity (in/hr)
f0= initial infiltration capacity (in/hr)
fc= final capacity (in/hr)
k= empirical constant (hr-1)

Figure 2.4 Horton’s Infiltration Concept

(Bedient, 2008 – Figure 1-21)
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CIVE 541 Engineering Hydrology Notes Chapter 2: Hydrologic Data Analysis – Infiltration Models

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