what happens to water that infiltrates the soil if it is not absorbed by the roots of plants
Infiltration (hydrology)
short
runoff
Infiltration is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil . Infiltration rate in soil science is a measure of the rate at which soil is able to absorb rainfall or irrigation . It is most often measured in millimetres per hour or inches per hour . The rate decreases as the soil becomes saturated . If the precipitation rate exceeds the infiltration rate , runoff will usually occur unless there is some physical barrier . It is related to the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the near - surface soil . The rate of infiltration can be measured using an infiltrometer .