Chapter – 01 Each year, more than 500,000 cubic kilometers

Hydrologic Cycle of water evaporates from the oceans. Yet the ocean level
1.1 Definition of Hydrology doesn’t drop because the water is constantly recycled
Hydrology is the science which deals with the and ultimately returns to the oceans in various forms.
occurrence, distribution and disposal (AcmviY) of water Water vapor from the oceans, reservoir, soil, water
on the planet earth; it is the science which deals with the surface, precipitation and transpiration from vegetation
various phases of the hydrologic cycle. gives rise to condensation and form clouds. Most of the
1.2 World's Water Resources time these clouds drop their precipitation directly into
The world's total water resources 1.36×108 m.ha-m the ocean. But some of them are pushed by the winds
and drop their precipitation on land masses. This water
Salt water = 97.2%
either stays on the surface as runoff and forms water
Fresh water = 2.8%
courses or infiltrates underground. Some of infiltrated
Out of this 2.8% of fresh water
water is consumed by plants and percolated in deep. The
{ rest feed slow-moving subterranean rivers, which return
to the ocean directly or by subsurface flow and
G {
groundwater outflow. In the reason of higher density of
ocean water some portion of its flow to the groundwater
1.3 Definition of Hydrologic Cycle which is known as saltwater intrusion. The oceans,
Hydrologic cycle is the water transfer cycle which where the cycle begins and ends, are the planet’s water
occurs continuously in nature; the three important phases reservoirs.
of the hydrologic cycle are; (a) Evaporation (ev®úxqfeb) 1.5 Scope of Hydrology
and evapotranspiration (Mv‡Qi cvZvi gva¨‡g wbM©Z Rjxqev®ú) The study of hydrology helps us to know:
(b) precipitation (e„wócvZ) (c) run off. i. The maximum probable flood that may occur at
(Hydrologic cycle – Water transfer cycle) a given site and its frequency; that is required for
1.4 Component and Process of the Hydrologic Cycle the safe design of drains, bridges and culverts,
Component Process dams and reservoirs, channels and other flood
Water storage in oceans Evaporation control structures.
Transpiration
Sublimation
ii. The water yield from a basin, its occurrence
Water in the atmosphere Condensation quantity and frequency etc.; this is necessary for
Precipitation the design of dams, municipal water supply,
Water storage in ice and Snowmelt runoff to streams water power, river navigation, etc.
snow
Surface runoff Streamflow freshwater storage iii. The ground water development for which a
infiltration knowledge of the hydrogeology of the area i.e.
Groundwater storage Groundwater discharge springs of the formation soil, recharge facilities like
streams and reservoir, rainfall pattern, climate,
cropping pattern etc. are required.
iv. The maximum intensity of storm and its
frequency for the design of a drainage project in
the area.
1.6 Hydrological data:
For the analysis and design of any hydrologic project
adequate data and length of records are necessary. The
basic hydrological data required are:
i. Climatological data
ii. Hydro-meteorological data like temperature,
wind velocity, humidity, etc.
Figure 1.1: Hydrologic Cycle iii. Precipitation records
iv. Stream flow records
 v. Seasonal fluctuation of ground water table or
piezometric heads
vi. Evaporation data
vii. Cropping pattern, crops and their consumptive
use
viii. Water quality data of surface streams and
ground water
ix. Geomorphological studies of the basin like area,
shape, etc. and physiographic characteristics of
the basin like stream density, drainage density
etc.
x. Hydro-meteorogical characteristics of the basin
like average annual rainfall, depth area duration
(DAD) curve, isohyetal maps, etc.
1.7 Component of hydrological cycle:
1. Evaporation:
 The conversion of water from liquid to gas stage
as it moves from the ground or bodies of water
into the atmosphere.
 The source of energy for evaporation is mainly
solar radiation.
2. Transpiration:
 Water vapour is also discharged from plant
leaves by a process called transpiration.
3. Sublimation:
 The process in which solid water such as snow
or ice directly changes into water vapour.
4. Condensation:
 The transformation of water vapour to liquid
water droplets in the air, forming fog and clouds.
5. Precipitation:
 The condensed water vapour falling to the
surface of the Earth is known as Precipitation.
 It occurs in the form of rain, snow, and hail.
6. Runoff:
 Runoff is a visible flow of water in rivers,
creeks, and lakes as the water stored in the basin
drains out.
7. Snowmelt:
 The runoff created by melting snow.
8. Percolation:
 Water flows vertically through the soil and rocks
under the effect of gravity.
1.8 Catchment:
The catchment (also known as the drainage basin or the
river basin) is defined as the area drained by a stream or
a system of connecting streams such that all the surface
runoff originating in this area leaves the area in a
concentrated flow through a single outlet.
1.8.1 Divide or Watershed Divide:
The line which divides the surface runoff between two
adjacent river basins is called the topographic water
divide, or the watershed divide or simply the divide.
1.9 Description of the Drainage Basin:
1. Area:
The area of the drainage basin is defined as the area of
the closed curve which is obtained by projecting the
catchment boundary on to a horizontal plane.
2. Stream Order:
The stream order is a classification reflecting the degree
of branching or bifurcation of the stream channels within
a basin. The smallest fingertip tributaries are given the
order 1. When two channels of order 1 join, a channel
segment of order 2 is formed. When two channel of
order 2 join, a channel segment of order 3 is formed and
so on and so forth.
3. Drainage Density
It is defined as the ratio of the total length of streams of
all orders within the basin to the basin area.
∑
=
The drainage density may be thought of as a measure of
the closeness of the spacing of the stream channels.
4. Average Overland Flow Length:
The average length of overland flow ̅̅̅ is taken to be
half of the reciprocal of the drainage density. That is
̅̅̅ =
5. Stream Density:
The steam density , also known as the stream
frequency, is obtained as the ratio of the number of
streams to the area of the basin. That is
=
6. Length:
It is the length measured along the main-stream from
the catchment outlet to the remotest point on the
catchment boundary.
7. Shape:
The shape of the basin is quantitatively measured by
various factors such as the form factor, circulatory ratio,
elongation ratio and compactness coefficient.
8. Form Factor:
The form factor is defined as the ratio of the basin
area to the square of the basin length. That is
 = The slope of the stream can also be obtained from the
stream profile.
9. Circulatory Ratio:
15. Area-Lengths Relations:
The circulatory ratio is defined as the ratio of the
Data for a number of the larger rivers all over the world
basin area to the area of the circle whose perimeter is
indicated the following relation between area and length.
equal to the perimeter of the basin.
L= 1.273
=
Where L is the main channel length in km and A is the
Here, 2πr = P, r = area of the basin in km2.

π = πr. r = . =
10. Elongation Ratio:
The elongation ratio is defined as the ratio of the
diameter of a circle whose area is same as the area of
the area of the basin to the length of the basin. That is

= √

Here, A = π , = ,r=√

=√ , = √
11. Compactness Coefficient:
The compactness coefficient is defined as the ratio of
the perimeter of the basin to the perimeter of a circle
whose area is equal to the area of the basin. That is
=
√

Here, 2πr = P, 2π. √ = P

P= √ ,P= √
12. Circulatory Ratio:
It may b e observed that the circulatory ratio is nothing
but the reciprocal of the square of the compactness
coefficient.
=
The circularity ratio and the compactness coefficient are
not truly independent parameters.
13. Relief:
The maximum basin relief H is the elevation difference
between the basin outlet and the highest point on the
basin perimeter usually expressed in meters.
14. Slope:
There are many ways of defining the slope of a basin. A
simple way of obtaining it is to divide the difference
between the elevation of the highest point on the basin
perimeter and the basin outlet by the distance between
two points.