Interception is the part of the rainfall that is intercepted by the earth’s surface and which subsequently evaporates. In this definition the earth’s surface includes everything that becomes wet after a rainfall event and that dries out soon after. It includes: vegetation, soil surface, litter, build-up surface, etc.
What is interception storage in geography?
Interception – this is when precipitation lands on buildings, vegetation and concrete before it reaches the soil. Interception storage is only temporary as it is often quickly evaporated. Vegetation storage – this is water taken up by vegetation. It is all the moisture in vegetation at any one time.
What is interception and infiltration?
The highest level of interception occurs when it snows on conifer forests and hardwood forests that have not yet lost their leaves. INFILTRATION. Infiltration is the physical process involving movement of water through the boundary area where the atmosphere interfaces with the soil.
What affects interception geography?
The interception depends on the leaf area index and what kind of leaves they are. Interception may increase erosion or reduce it depending on the throughfall effects.
What is interception loss a level geography?
interception loss represents a net loss of water. the rate of evaporation of intercepted water exceeds rates of transpiration, because transpiration is limited by soil moisture conditions and rate at which water is transferred to leaves and interception loss can occur from dead (non-transpiring) vegetation.
Why is interception important in geography?
Overall, we can conclude that interception has different roles in the hydrological cycle. The most important role is as a rainfall reducer, causing a significant amount of rainfall to be directly fed back to the atmosphere which is not available for infiltration.
What is called infiltration?
Infiltration is defined as the flow of water from aboveground into the subsurface. The topic of infiltration has received a great deal of attention because of its importance to topics as widely ranging as irrigation, contaminant transport, groundwater recharge, and ecosystem viability.
How is interception affected naturally?
Interception is effected by vegetation and storm characteristics. The concept of interception capacity is important. There is some amount of water or snow which the canopy and litter on a watershed can hold. Think of interception capacity as a cup.
Is interception a store or flow?
This is known as precipitation . Stores: How water is stored or held for a period of time within the drainage basin system - interception (by vegetation), soil moisture, surface storage (lakes), groundwater.
How does species affect interception?
Tree species with a higher LAI had a higher rainfall interception rate. Where tree species had similar LAI, the rainfall interception rate was affected by average leaf area.
What is interception with example?
Interception might take the form of unauthorized file viewing or copying, eavesdropping on phone conversations, or reading e-mail, and can be conducted against data at rest or in motion.
What do you mean by interception and explain with example?
1a : to stop, seize, or interrupt in progress or course or before arrival. b : to receive (a communication or signal directed elsewhere) usually secretly. 2a : to gain possession of (an opponent's pass) b : to intercept a pass thrown by (an opponent)
What are the 3 main components of interception?
There are three Main Components of Interception:Interception Loss.Throughfall.Stemflow.
What is infiltration in soil?
Infiltration is the downward entry of water into the soil. Infiltration rate is expressed in inches per hour. Rainwater must first enter the soil for it to be of value. Water moves more quickly through the large pores of a sandy soil compared to slower movement through a clay soil with small pores.
What is an example of infiltration?
Groundwater (infiltration) seeps into sewer pipes through holes, cracks, joint failures, and faulty connections. Stormwater (inflow) rapidly flows into sewers via roof drain downspouts, foundation drains, storm drain cross-connections, and through holes in manhole covers.
How does interception affect infiltration?
The increased canopy interception will lower infiltration water, while the increased soil water storage will increase the residence time of soil water in the soil profile, both of which will then reduce the subsurface lateral flow during rainstorms.
What does infiltration mean in geography?
Infiltration - Water soaks or filters into the soil. Surface runoff - Water moves across the surface of the earth becoming a stream, tributary or river. Precipitation - An input where water is introduced to the drainage basin system.
hydrologic cycle
This process is termed interception and may result in little water reaching the ground because the water may be directly evaporated from plant surfaces back into the atmosphere. If precipitation reaches the ground in the form of snow, it may remain there for some time. On the other hand,…
precipitation analysis
When precipitation reaches the surface in vegetated areas, a certain percentage of it is retained on or intercepted by the vegetation. Rainfall that is not intercepted is referred to as throughfall. Water that reaches the ground via the trunks and stems of the vegetation…
Infiltration
When water from a rainstorm or a period of snowmelt reaches the ground, some or all of it will infiltrate the soil. The rate of infiltration depends on the intensity of the input, the initial moisture condition of the surface soil layer, and the hydraulic characteristics of the soil.
Evapotranspiration
Rates of evapotranspiration of water back to the atmosphere depend on the nature of the surface, the availability of water, and the “evaporative demand” of the atmosphere (i.e., the rate at which water vapour can be transported away from the surface under the prevailing meteorologic conditions).
Soil moisture
The soil provides a major reservoir for water within a catchment. Soil moisture levels rise when there is sufficient rainfall to exceed losses to evapotranspiration and drainage to streams and groundwater. They are depleted during the summer when evapotranspiration rates are high.
What is the interception of water?
Interception refers to precipitation that does not reach the soil, but is instead intercepted by the leaves, branches of plants and the forest floor. It occurs in the canopy (i.e. canopy interception ), and in the forest floor or litter layer (i.e. forest floor interception ).
Why does interception of water cause loss of precipitation?
Because of evaporation, interception of liquid water generally leads to loss of that precipitation for the drainage basin, except for cases such as fog interception, but increase flood protection dramatically, Alila et al., (2009). Definition of canopy and forest floor interception.
What trees have an intercept of approximately 38% of the gross precipitation in temperate climate?
Trees like Norway maple and a small-leaved lime have an interception of approximately 38% of the gross precipitation in temperate climate.
Do conifers have more surface area than hardwoods?
Conifers have a greater interception capacity than hardwoods. Their needles gives them more surface area for droplets to adhere to, and they have foliage in spring and fall, therefore interception also depends on the type of vegetation in a wooded area.
Does intercepting increase erosion?
Interception may increase erosion or reduce it depending on the throughfall effects.
