Simulation of overland flow considering the influence of topographic depressions

The simulation of overland flow, wherein runoff yield and concentration are influenced by topography, is fundamental to hydrological forecasting. Therefore, critically evaluating the characteristics of overland flow under the influence of topographic depressions—which are one of the most common microtopographic structures—is vital for improving current hydrological models. In this study, we developed a solution for the real-world application of overland flow simulations under the influence of depressions in hydrological models. A relative depression storage–outflow curve (RDOC) was proposed to investigate surface outflow processes. Experiments were conducted based on the variable-controlling approach using three rainfall return periods, four slopes, and four depression rates while ensuring a consistent initial soil moisture content. A homogenized RDOC was achieved based on shape analysis; it was parameterized by the outflow threshold and the reciprocal of the curve index of two outflow stages (B and D). A relative depression storage–outflow function (RDOF) was generated and a complete calculation procedure was applied within a hydrological model. Furthermore, we analyzed the hydrological responses to parameters of different hydrological factors to improve our understanding of the parameter determination of the RDOF.