Runoff Station

a specialized hydrometeorological station at which processes of the formation of the water balance are studied and the parameters of runoff are determined. Observations are made on all the components of the water balance and all the factors causing the components. The stations study runoff areas and small drainage collection systems (with areas reaching several hundred sq km) characteristic of a given territory. In addition to calculating the amount of meltwater and rain, runoff stations keep a record of meteorological elements (precipitation, radiation balance, atmospheric temperature and humidity, and wind), evaporation from the earth’s surface, soil moisture, and groundwater. The stations not only identify the general elements determining the water regime but also study the effect of agrotechnological operations, forests, erosion processes, torrential floods, and melted snow on runoff.