What term is used for the combined effects of snow melt and rainfall?

The term that describes the combined effects of snow melt and rainfall is water runoff. This is the process by which water moves across the ground surface and flows into streams, rivers, and lakes after precipitation events, including both rain and melted snow. When snow melts, it contributes to the overall volume of water present, and when combined with rainfall, it creates a greater volume of water that runs off the land surface.

Understanding water runoff is crucial in civil engineering, particularly in the design of drainage systems, flood control measures, and watershed management practices. It is important to quantify runoff to ensure that infrastructure can handle potential flooding and manage water resources effectively.

Water inflow, water infiltration, and water drainage represent different hydrological processes. Inflow refers to water entering a system, infiltration is the process of water soaking into the ground, and drainage involves the removal of excess water from an area. While they are related, they do not specifically capture the combined influence of both snow melt and rainfall in the same way that water runoff does.