Google Classroom Code: 7oxjr5

Hydrology
Course Objectives:

This course aims to outline:

1: The basics of Hydrology as one of the Geology branches.
2: The role and career paths of a hydrogeologist.
3: The basic hydrological processes and terminologies.
4. Importance of Hydrology, divisions and applications.
5: The water cycle and its components.
6: Estimation of hydrological processes such as precipitation, evaporation, etc.
7: The basics of groundwater hydrology. etc.
References:
1.Fundamentals of Hydrology by Time Davie
2. Hydrology, Principles, Analysis, Design by H. M. Raghunath
3. Engineering Hydrology by E.M. Wielson
4. Advanced Hydrology by V.T. Chow

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 Introduction
Definition
The study of water, including rain, snow and water on the earth’s surface, covering its
properties, distribution, utilisation, etc.
(Chambers Science and Technology Dictionary)
The study of water in all its forms, and from its origins to all its destinations on the
earth. (Bras, 1990)
The science dealing with the waters of the earth, their occurrence, distribution and
circulation, their chemical and physical properties, and their interaction with the
environment. (Ward & Robinson, 1999)
Hydrology is the science of water: (Hydro – water and logos – science).
Hydrology is the science that deals with the occurrence, circulation, and distribution
of water in all its types such as water in streams and lakes, rainfall and snowfall,
snow and ice on the land, and groundwater. Hydrology deals with estimation of
water resources(supply &demand). The study of processes such as precipitation,
runoff, evapotranspiration and their interaction. The study of water problems such
as floods and droughts and strategies to combat them. It also deals with planning,
design, and operation of hydraulic structures for control and use of Water.

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Why Study Hydrology?
- Water is the most important substance on the earth. Water is one the
most valuable natural resources essential for human and animal life,
industry and agriculture. Water is the major force constantly shaping the
surfaces of the earth and is a key factor in air conditioning the earth for
human existence and in influencing the process of civilization.

- Uses of Water
- Water is used in activities such as:
- (1) Drinking (2) Washing and cleaning
- (3) Hydropower (4) Irrigation in agriculture
- (5) Navigation (6) Industrial purposes
- etc. etc.

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Divisions of Hydrology

There are also two broad divisions of Hydrology:

(1) Scientific Hydrology

Deals with the theoretical principles of Hydrology and the Hydrological
processes
(2) Engineering/ applied Hydrology.
Deals with planning, design and operation of engineering projects for the
control and use of water. The engineering hydrologist, or water resources
engineer, is involved in the planning, analysis, design, construction and
operation of projects for the control, utilization and management of water
resources.

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Uses of Engineering Hydrology

Engineering Hydrology seeks to answer questions of the following types:

• What is the maximum probable flood at a proposed dam site?

• How does a catchment’s water yield vary from season to season and from
year to year?
• What is the relationship between a catchment’s surface water and
groundwater resources?
• What flood flows can be expected over a spillway, at a highway culvert, or
in an urban storm drainage system?
• What reservoir capacity is required to assure adequate water for irrigation
or municipal water supply in droughts condition?
• What hydrologic hardware (e.g. rain gauges, stream gauges etc) and
software (computer models) are needed for real-time flood forecasting?

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 Hydrologic Cycle
- The water cycle, also known the Hydrologic Cycle describes the continuous
movement of water on, above and blow earth surface. It is a process by which
water is transported from ocean to the atmosphere, to the land and back to ocean.
The deriving force is the sun. The cycle has no beginning or end and its many
processes occur continuously. We know that water evaporates from bodies of water,
wet soil, and plants, falls as precipitation onto the earth, either evaporates again, or
soaks into the ground, or runs off and returns to the ocean.

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Key Hydrological Processes

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 Hydrologic Balance (Budget):
• The quantification of the hydrologic cycle which is an open system, can be represented by a
mass balance equation, where inputs (I) minus outputs (O) are equal to the change in
storage (DS)
I - O = ∆S
In a given area in an interval of time ∆t, the continuity equation for water in its various
phases is
Mass inflow (input) – mass outflow (output) = change in storage

P – (R +ET+F)= ∆S

- where P (precipitation), R (runoff), ET(evap-transpiration) and F (Infiltration)

- Although the global hydrologic cycle remains essentially constant, the distribution of this
water is continuously changing on continents, in regions and within local drainage basin

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 Catchment (Drainage Basin, Watershed):

A catchment is a portion of the earth’s surface that collects water and

concentrates it at its furthest downstream point, referred to as the catchment
outlet. The runoff concentrated by a catchment flows either into a larger
catchment or into the ocean. The place where a stream enters a larger stream
or body of water is referred to as the mouth. The terms watershed and basin
are commonly used to refer to catchments. Generally, watershed is used to
describe a small catchment (stream watershed), whereas basin is reserved for
large catchments (river basins).

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 Major Aspects of Hydrology

The main jobs of a hydrologist are collection and analysis of data, and
making prediction out of this data.

1. Collection of Data:
The hydrologic data comprises: Rainfall data, snowfall and snowmelt data,
runoff data, topographic maps, groundwater data.

2. Analysis of Data:
Analysis of hydrologic data includes checking it for consistency and
homogeneity as well as finding its various statistical parameters.

3. Prediction:
Means to find design values and maximum possible events (rainfall, floods,
droughts).

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Applications of Hydrology
Hydrology finds its greatest application in the design and operation of
water resources engineering projects such as those for (a) irrigation
(b) water supply (c) flood control (d) water power and (e)
navigation. Hydrological study of a project should of necessity
precede structural and detailed design study. It involves the collection of
relevant data and analysis of the data by applying the principles and
theories of Hydrology to seek solutions. Typical failures of hydraulic
structure due to improper assessment of the Hydrological factors are (a)
overtopping of an earthen dam due to an inadequate spillway capacity (b)
failure of bridges and culverts due to excess flood flow (c) inability of a
large reservoir to fill up due to overestimating of stream flow…
The role of Hydrology in planning of water resources/ Examples:
Calculation of the available water recourses.
Estimation of flood possibility
Pollution Control
Exploring new water resources for different uses.
Water management in lakes and dams. .etc.

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