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surface runoff

Flow of excess rainwater not infiltrating in the ground over its surface

EntityQ1444790

Also known as streamflow · runoff · overland flow

Subclass of: channel runoff
Part of: water cycle

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Surface runoff is the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface, in contrast to channel runoff. It occurs when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate into the soil. This can occur when the soil is saturated by water to its full capacity, and the rain arrives more quickly than the soil can absorb it. Surface runoff often occurs because impervious areas do not allow water to soak into the ground. Furthermore, runoff can occur either through natural or human-made processes.

Overview

All data

42 statements · 14% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

On other databases

17 identifiers linking surface runoff across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

14%

externally sourced

Source last edited October 12, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). surface runoff (Q1444790). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/surface-runoff-Q1444790