Exploring runoff sensitivity based on runoff ratio in the UK during 2000 to 2015

The runoff ratio is important in hydrology and water resource management because it helps quantify the efficiency of a watershed or catchment area in handling precipitation. The runoff ratio can vary widely depending on factors such as land cover (e.g., urban, forested, agricultural), soil type and permeability, land slope, and climate.  Some previous research revealed that the number of days of precipitation is the major determinant of runoff ratio, while how runoff sensitivity changes at different ratio has been not fully understood. Here, we use runoff ratio as a hydrological indicator to explore the influencing factors of changes in runoff sensitivity. Since land cover types have not changed a lot in the UK after 2000. We calculated runoff ratio for catchments in the UK during 2000 to 2015 and its sensitivity to a range of controlling factors. This study will outline the key findings on runoff ratio controls, which will then be tested in other regions to determine the relative role of land cover change.