Comprehensive review on the impact of spatial features of urban underlying surface on runoff processes

Rapid urbanization has significantly changed the spatial feature of the urban underlying surface, which can have significant impact on runoff processes. This study summarizes the research advances on the impact of the spatial features of the urban underlying surface on the surface runoff process. Herein, two types of spatial characteristics—impervious surface and microtopography—were investigated, by combing the spatial features of the urban underlying surface and its characterization methods. Moreover, spatial features of urban underlying surface are discussed from the perspectives of the variation of impervious rate and spatial distribution of impervious surface, as well as numerical simulations and physical experiments. In addition, the key points of research on the impact of the spatial features of the urban underlying surface on the surface runoff process in the future are highlighted. Overall, this study mainly includes the analysis of influence mechanism, the identification and sensitivity analysis of main control spatial features parameters, and the adaptive response to urban hydrological effects, thereby providing scientific reference for the analysis of urban hydrological effects, and the prevention and control of urban flood disasters under rapid urbanization.