HYDROLOGY

Hydrology: hydrology can be defined as the science that deals with

the processes governing depletion and replenishment of water
resources over and within the surfaces of earth in state of existence
Hydrometeorology: Hydrometeorology is the science which discuss
the movement of water and water vapor in the atmosphere
Assessment of Stream flow can be done by using hydrology and
Hydrometeorology
By knowledge of these sciences hydrology and hydrometeorology ,we
would be in a position to design irrigation and flood control works
,power projects, municipal and industrial water supply schemes etc
Hydrologic cycle as a system
The circulation of water in various forms to and from the earth can be
represented as a system

It can understand by two processes viz,the physical system through

which the water passes and the dynamic process by which the
movement occurs. The schematic representation of a system
component as shown in fig

The process may also be written as in the equation form

Output=φ(input)
 Where φ is the response function of the catchment as system

The input in above equation is the rainfall and the output is the
direct surface runoff

The operator φ transforms the input function into output function

Hydrologic cycle

The cyclic movement of water from the sea to the atmosphere by

evaporation then from there by precipitation to the earth and finally
through streams, rivers etc ,back to the sea is referred as hydrologic
cycle.

Hydrologic equation

The hydrologic equation is simply the statement of the law of

conservation of matter

The general hydrologic equation over a certain time period may be

expressed as

Pm=Qm+Im+Em+Is+Ds+Sd

Where Pm=mass precipitation

Qm= mass surface runoff

Im=total infiltration

Em=mass evaporation and transpiration

• Is=total interce ption

• Ds=detention storage

• Sd=depression storage
Precipitation: this the major source of inflow and includes rainfall,
snowfall, dew, frost, hail, sleet, etc. The most contribution to the
inflow is rainfall

Surface runoff: this is the portion of precipitation which appears as

surface flow at gauging site after all losses such as interception,
evaporation , transpiration, infiltration and soil moisture
requirements have been met

Qm=Pm-losses

Infiltration: it is the process by which water enters the surface strata

of the soil and makes its way downwards to the water table.

The In filtered water first replenishes the soil moisture deficiency and
the excess water moves downwards to become a part of ground
water

Evaporation and transpiration:

Evaporation is the process by which water from liquid or solid state

is converted into vapor form

Transpiration is the process whereby the moisture that has been

absorbed by the roots of the trees

Interception: it is quantity of water that is intercepted by vegetation,

buildings and other objectives which subsequently evaporates
without contributing to the runoff

Detention storage: As the precipitation starts some of water

accumulating on the land surface. The overland flow contributing to
the runoff is possible only when there is a finite depth of flow over
the surface. The volume of water corresponding to this depth is
called as detention storage. Subsequently some of these is lost due
to evaporation and infiltration, while the rest flows as delayed runoff
Depression storage: this is the quantity of water stored in small and
large depressions, filling them to their overflow level.

This quantity is gradually lost due evaporatation or infiltrates into the

ground without contributing to the surface runoff