Run-on
In hydrology, run-on refers to surface runoff from an external area that flows on to an area of interest. A portion of run-on can infiltrate once it reaches the area of interest. Run-on is common in arid and semi-arid areas with patchy vegetation cover and short but intense thunderstorms. In these environments, surface runoff is usually generated by a failure of rainfall to infiltrate into the ground quickly enough. This is more likely to occur on bare soil, with low infiltration capacity. As runoff flows downslope, it may run-on to ground with higher infiltration capacity and then infiltrate.
Run-on is an important process in the hydrological and ecohydrological behaviour of semi-arid ecosystems. Tiger bush is an example of a vegetation community that develops a patterned structure in response to, in part, the generation of runoff and run-on.
