Abflusswegs

Abflussweg is a hydrological term that describes the path along which water from precipitation, melting snow, or other sources drains from a point in the landscape to a receiving water body such as a river, lake, or groundwater system. The plural form is Abflusswege; the form Abflusswegs may appear in some texts but is less common.

A runoff path is shaped by a combination of topography, soil properties, vegetation, and land use. Slope, aspect, and the configuration of the catchment determine where water concentrates and which routes it follows. In addition to surface channels, water can travel through subsurface pathways such as macropores, soil pores, and fractured rock, eventually contributing to streams or groundwater discharges. Runoff pathways can be classified by scale, from micro-scale overland flow on a slope to meso- and macro-scale drainage networks in a watershed.

Significance and applications include flood risk assessment, urban drainage design, soil and watershed management, and ecological health. Accurate understanding of Abflusswege supports modeling of rainfall–runoff processes, evaluation of land-use changes, and planning of measures to reduce erosion and surface pollution.

Identification and analysis rely on topographic data and hydrological methods. Digital elevation models (DEMs) enable derivation of flow directions and drainage networks, while field observations, soil maps, and land-cover data refine the understanding of where and how water preferentially moves. Changes in climate, land use, or soil structure can alter Abflusswege, affecting flood dynamics and water quality.