interflow

In hydrology, interflow refers to water that infiltrates the soil surface and moves by gravity toward a stream channel, always remaining above the main groundwater level before eventually entering the channel. It is a component of total runoff, which is the quantity of water discharged in surface streams. Runoff also includes surface water that travels over land and through channels, as well as groundwater discharged into a stream, known as base flow. The total runoff is calculated by subtracting losses from precipitation, such as evapotranspiration and storage, from the total precipitation. The term "interflow" can also generally mean a flowing into one another or a continuous reciprocal movement or exchange, such as an interflow of ideas.12