title: Cape Fear: monitoring basic hydrological processes in an outdoor hillslope plot.
abstract: Cape Fear is an outdoor 7 × 7 m2hillslope laboratory located at the University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy, and is equipped with real-time monitoring sensors used to analyse runoff generation. In this paper, hydrological phenomena that occurred during Cape Fear's first 2 years of operation are reported to provide insight into the basic dynamics underlying the hydrological response at the hillslope scale. Based on our findings, surface and subsurface runoff are likely driven by rainfall-threshold phenomena, and evapotranspiration phenomena account for more than 70% of rainfall water input. Future studies will investigate the threshold relationship between rainfall and runoff.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economy and Enterprise (DEIM), Tuscia University, Via San Camillo De Lellis snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy. petro@unitus.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4943-0928
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petroselli
authors.affiliation: Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Tuscia University, Via San Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tauro
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D062070:Hydrology; D007558:Italy; D011891:Rain; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water
keywords: Cape Fear; Experimental plot; Hydrological balance; Runoff; Soil water content