Abstract

The prediction of distributed water flows on hillslopes requires the parameterisation of the flow processes at appropriate scales. A methodology is presented for the field parameter-isation of whole hillslopes using pulse-wave experiments with tagged and untagged waters. These tests allow the characterisation of the advective flow and wave-speed distribution. The approach is illustrated using experimental and numerical results from two catchments, one underlain by temperate gley soils, the other tropical acrisols. Whole-slope parameters are compared with the distribution of parameters derived from point-scale measurements and catchment scale inversion of an effective transmissivity value.