BFC 32002 Hydrology

Chapter 1. Basic Concept of Hydrology

Prepared by:
Siti Nazahiyah Rahmat & Mohd Hairul Khamidun
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
• define hydrology.
• apply fundamental knowledge of hydrology particularly use in civil and
environmental engineering.
• apply water balance equation as the base of a modeling of hydrology
which covers processes of precipitation, evaporation, infiltration, runoff
and groundwater.
Hydrology
• Hydrology is a science that studies the availability (sources of
water) and movement of water in the earth.
• Hydrology is also defined as a science related to the occurrence
and distribution of natural water on the earth.
• As general, hydrology covers many types of water, including
transformation among liquid, solid and gas in atmosphere, surface
and subsurface land

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Importance in managing:
1) Water resources

Tahan River, Pahang Hot spring, Sungai Klah, Sungkai, Perak

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2) Water supply management

3) Managing floods/droughts, drainage & urban

stormwater problems

Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel

(SMART), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Global Water Statistics
Total water = 1.36 x 1018 m3
• Oceans and lakes (saltwater) 97.2%
• Ice and glaciers (fresh water) 2.15%
• Groundwater (fresh water) 0.64%
• Lakes and rivers (fresh water) 0.0085%
• Atm and biosphere (moisture) 0.00015%

Malaysia Water Statistics

Total water = 990 x 109 m3
• Lakes and rivers 566 x 109 m3
• Atm and biosphere(moisture) 360 x 109 m3
• Groundwater 64 x 109 m3

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Definition
Hydrologic cycle is a continues process in which water is evaporated from
water surfaces and oceans, moves inland as moist air masses, and produce
precipitation if the correct vertical lifting conditions exist. The
precipitation that falls from clouds onto the land surface of the earth is
dispersed to the hydrologic cycle via several pathways.

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Catchment/Watershed areas
Land area that topographically drains to a particular
point
Catchment boundary

Spring
H
I River
G C
H O
L A
A River
S
N Main River T
Spring
D A
L
A
R A
E Lake R
River
A River
E
A

Spring

Sketch of Movement of Water on the Land Surface

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Typical Watershed Areas

Outlet

Outlet
a. Elongated shape b. Concentrated shape

Typical watershed areas

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Water balance
• In quantitative terms, hydrology cycle can be represented by a closed
equation which represents the principle of conservation of mass, often
referred to in hydraulics as the continuity equation. And many forms of
this expression, called the water balance.
• Water balance equation is the base of a modeling of hydrology.

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Water budget

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Conceptual
• The same concept can be applied to small basins or
large watersheds
𝑃 − 𝑅 − 𝐺 − 𝐸 − 𝑇 = ∆𝑆

where:
P = precipitation,
R = surface runoff ,
G = groundwater flow,
E = evaporation,
T = transpiration,
ΔS = change in storage in a specified time period.

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Example 1.1
In April 2017, a 121 ha lake has 0.43 m3/s of inflow, 0.37
m3/s of outflow, and total storage increase of 1.97 ha-m. A
USGS gage next to the lake recorded a total of 3.3 cm
precipitation for the lake for the month. Assuming that
infiltration loss is insignificant for the lake, determine the
evaporation loss, in cm, over the lake for the month.

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• Solving the water balance for inflow I and outflow Q in a lake
gives, for evaporation,
E = I – O + P – ΔS
 m3  30day  24hr  3,600sec 
 0.43 1month   
sec  1month  1day  1hour  = 0.92m = 92cm
I=
 10,000m 2 
(121ha ) 
 1ha 
 m3   30day  24hr  3,600sec 
 0.37 (1month)   
sec  1month  1day  1hour 
Q =  = 0.79m = 79m
(121ha ) 10,000m 
2
 
 1ha 

ΔS =
(1.97ha − m) = 0.0163 = 1.63cm P = 3.3 cm
(121ha )
E = 92 – 79 + 3.3 – 1.63 = 14.67 cm

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Example 1.2
A reservoir has the following inflow and outflows (in cubic
meters) for the first three months of the year. If the storage
at the beginning of January is 65 m3, determine the storage at
the end of March.
Month January February Mac
Inflow (m3) 3.5 5.7 8.3
Outflow (m3) 6.4 7.1 5.5

( I1 + I2 + I3 )/3 - (O1 + O2 + O3)/3 = S3 – S1 /3 months

(3.5 + 5.7 + 8.3)/3 – (6.4 + 7.1 + 5.5 )/3 = (S3-65)/3
months
(17.5-19) = S3 – 65 m3
-1.5 = S3 – 65 m3
S3 = 63.5 m3
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Example 1.3
A swimming pool (6 m  6 m  1.5 m) has a small leak at
the bottom. Measurements of rainfall, evaporation, and
water level are taken daily for 10 days to determine what
should be done for repair. Estimate the average daily
leakage out of the swimming pool in cm3/day. Assume the
pool is exactly 1.5 m deep at the end of day 1.
Day Evaporation Rainfall Measured Level
(mm) (mm) (mm)
1 12.7 - 1,524
2 0 25.4
3 12.7 -
4 0 50.8
5 12.7 -
6 12.7 -
7 0 101.6
8 12.7 -
9 12.7 -
10 12.7 - 1,321

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Example 1.4
The storage capacity in a reservoir at certain period is given as
9.5 ha-m. The inflow and outflow of reservoir is recorded as
25 m3/s and 16.5 m3/s, respectively. However, the inflow and
outflow is changed to 20 m3/s and 22 m3/s, respectively after
four (4) hours.

(a) Calculate change of storage capacity in the reservoir during

the four hours period.

(a) Calculate total storage at the end of four hours

Give answers in cubic-meter.

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Solution
Example 1.5
An amount of 6 cm of water evaporates over a period of two
days from a vertical walled reservoir in a 250 ha catchment
area. The reservoir also receives storm water at a flow rate of
6 m3/s during this period. Compute the volume of water
released in ha-cm during the 2 days period assuming the
water level in the reservoir remains the same. (Conversion
unit: 1 ha = 10,000 m2).

BFC32002_Ch1/ZARINA'S 22
Solution
Depth of inflow:

𝑆
𝑡 = I – O [1]

Conversion unit
10,000 𝑚2
250 ha x = 2.5 × 106 𝑚2 [1]
1 ℎ𝑎
𝑚3 86400 𝑠
6 𝑠 × 1 𝑑𝑎𝑦 ×2 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
I= = 0.41 m @ 41.47 cm [2]
2.5 × 106 𝑚2

Therefore
I - E- O = S
41.47 − 6 − O = 0
O = 35.47 cm [2]

In cm-ha: O = 35.47 cm x 250 ha = 8,868 ha-cm [2]

Hydrological Data
Includes rainfall depth, streamflow, evaporation,
temperature, wind speed, moisture, sunlight (solar
radiation), groundwater level, land use, topography,
land slope.
• Rainfall depth - Department of Irrigation and Drainage
Malaysia (DID) and Malaysian Meteorological Department
• Meteorological data (evaporation, temperature, wind speed
and direction, solar radiation, and moisture content) -
Malaysia Meteorological Department (MMD) and DID

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Hydrological Data
• Stream-flow and water level - Department of Irrigation and
Drainage Malaysia (DID) and Department of Environment
(DOE) Malaysia
• Groundwater level - Minerals and Geoscience Department
Malaysia of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
• Landuse - Forestry Departments or Department of Survey
and Mapping Malaysia
• Physical characteristics of development area - Department
of Survey and Mapping Malaysia or Malaysian Remote
Sensing Agency

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Conclusion
• Hydrology is the science of water.
• It embraces the occurrence, distribution, movement and properties of
the waters of the earth.
• A mathematical accounting system may be constructed for the inputs,
outputs and water storages of a region so that a history of water
movement over time can be estimated.

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