Indian Institute of Technology Jammu

Department of Civil Engineering, Jammu, J&K 181221

CEL040U3E
Engineering Hydrology

Lecture 5

Precipitation

Dr. Chembolu VINAY

Hydraulics and Water Resources Eng. Division
Spring Semester, 2023

chembolu.vinay@iitjammu.ac.in Lecture notes for B. Tech. EH

©ChemboluVinay
@indianrivers 9085857565
Engineering Hydrology

Lecture 2: Hydrological Cycle

 Details of the Course

1 Name : CEL040U3E / Engineering Hydrology

Type : Theory
Credits : 3 [ 3-0-0]
Semester : January- May 2023

2 Class Timings : Tuesday 9:00 am to 10:00 am

Publication Details : Wednesday 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Publication Details : Thursday 11:00 am to 12:00 noon

3 Course Evaluation : Class Tests

: Mid Semester Examination

: End- Semester Examination

: Attendance

C Vinay/CE/IIT/Jammu
Reference Books for the Course

Rajesh Srivastava
& Ashu Jain K R Arora

V T Chow K Subramanya
Evaluation Procedure

Class Attendance - 5%
(75% attendance is compulsory for appearing End Semester Exam)

Assignments - 5%

Class Tests - 10%+10%

Mid Exam - 30%

End Exam - 40%

Course Contents
Fundamentals of Hydrology
• Hydrological Cycle, Water Budget Equation, Water Resources, Applications in Engineering
• Precipitation: Mechanism, Forms of Precipitation, Intensity, Distribution, Measurement, Rainfall Module 1
Data Analysis
• Abstractions from Precipitation: Abstraction Processes, Evaporation, Evapotranspiration,
Infiltration
Runoff
• Runoff: Runoff generation, Hydrographs, Catchment Characteristics, Rainfall-Runoff Relationships,
Rational Formula, SCS Method, Flow Duration and Flow Mass Curve, Environmental Flows
• Stream Flow Measurement: Stage, Velocity and Discharge Measurement, Stage-Discharge Module 2
Relationship

Hydrographs
• Unit Hydrograph: Theory and Applications, Synthetic Unit Hydrograph, Instantaneous Unit Module 3
Hydrograph
• Floods: Methods of Estimation, Flood Frequency Studies, Design Flood
Irrigation Engineering-Part 1
• Introduction, Water Requirements of the Crops, Methods of Irrigation, Introduction to Ground Water Module 4

Irrigation Engineering– Part 2

• Reservoirs, Planning and Site Selection, Reservoir Losses, Catchment Erosion, Reservoir Module 5
Sedimentation and Controlling Measures, Dams, Classification and Site Selection, Introduction to
Ground Water
 Application of Engineering Hydrology
Spillway Gates of a Dam Hydraulic Design of Bridge

Design Depth of the Piles Urban Drainage Network

Water Budget Equation and Rainfall-Runoff Relationship
 Precipitation
• Precipitation refers to all forms of water that reach the earth from atmosphere.
• Magnitude of precipitation varies with time and space.
• This variability is responsible for floods and drought situations.

Form of States Predominant Months

Precipitation
Hail Storms Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, March to May
Punjab, Assam and Madhya Pradesh
Snow Fall J and K, Himachal Pradesh, December to February
Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand
Sikkim
Rainfall All States March to October

Fog All States November to February

• Rainfall is the predominant form of precipitation causing stream flow, especially

flood flow in majority of rivers in India.

Rainfall Map of India

Source: India WRIS
Source: IMD
 No. of Foggy Days

December
January

February
Season

Average Number of Days with Visibility <1000 m fro

1971-2000

Source: Mausam
Mechanism of Cloud Formation
Conditions for Occurrence of Precipitation

1. The atmosphere must have moisture.

2. There must be sufficient nuclei to aid condensation. Particles of
dust floating in air can act as condensation nuclei. Sulphur and
Nitrogen compounds resulted from combustion, particles of salt
derived from evaporation also acts as nuclei.
3. Good weather conditions for condensation of water vapor.
4. Products of condensation must reach the earth.

Cloud Seeding

1. Artificially nucleating the clouds to induce precipitation. Silver

iodide is a common nucleating agent.
2. Great variability of meteorological processes involved in
producing precipitation make it difficult to achieve consistent
results with cloud seeding.
 Types of Clouds
Clouds are present in atmosphere at different altitudes and have a wide variety of characteristics in terms of shape, appearance, temperature and
composition. Type of rain also varies with type of cloud.

Cirrus Cirrocumulus Cirrocumulus Altocumulus

Look like long, thin, wispy white streamers Small rounded puffs that usually appear in long They are high, thin sheet-like that cover These are mid-level, grayish-white with
high in sky indicate warm weather. rows high in sky. Winter clouds. Indicate cold. entire sky. Appear 12-24 hrs before rain Indicate thunderstorm.

Stratus Stratocumulus Cumulus Cumulonimbus

source: UCAR, SCIED

They are low & have uniform gray color They are low, lumpy, and gray, line up in rows & They are puffy light gray clouds that look They are thunderstorm clouds & associated
& cover almost sky. Indicate drizzle other times they spread out. Indicate light rain like cotton balls. Indicate stormy weather with heavy rain, snow, hail, lightning,
 Types of Precipitation
The formation of precipitation requires lifting of air mass in the atmosphere so that it cools and some of its moisture condenses.
Depending on the factors responsible for lifting and cooling of air, there are 3 types of mechanisms
Convective Precipitation

Convective Lifting

1. Air close to the earth surface gets heated up and its density decreases, the air gets
lifted up and gets cooled to form a cloud. This is a convective precipitation.
2. This occurs in pre-monsoon period, March to May.
3. Convectional precipitation is heavy but of short duration, highly localized. This type of
precipitation covers small area, usually less than 50 km2.

Cumulus Clouds Causing Convective Precipitation

https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/
 Orographic Precipitation
Orographic Lifting

1. Moist air mass rises to pass over the mountain range resulting in cooling, condensation and
precipitation. This is a orographic precipitation.
2. Heavy precipitation occurs on the wind ward side and little precipitation is observed over
leeward side.
3. Western Ghats in India provide favorable conditions for orographic rainfall. Mahabaleswar
receives 600 cm of rainfall whereas Pune on leeward side receive 70 cm of rainfall.

Frontal Lifting
Frontal Precipitation
1. Warm front precipitation occurs when warm air replaces the cold air mass. In this case, the
rain is light and moderate.
2. Cold front precipitation occurs when cold air replaces the warm air. In this case intense
precipitation is expected.

A front is a surface which separates warm air

mass and cold air mass.
 Forms of Precipitation
Rain : Rain fall is used to describe the precipitation in the form of water drops of
sizes larger than 0.5 mm.

Type Intensity
Light Rain Trace to 2.5 mm/h
Moderate Rain 2.5 mm/h to 7.5 mm/h
Heavy Rain >7.5 mm/h

Snow: Another form of precipitation consisting of ice crystals combine to form

flakes. In India snow occurs in Himalayan Regions.

Drizzle: A fine sprinkle of numerous water droplets of size less than 0.5 mm and
intensity less than 1 mm/h is known as drizzle

Glaze: When rain or drizzle comes in contact with cold ground at around 0oC, the water drops freeze to form an ice coating called glaze.

Sleet: It is frozen raindrops of transparent grains which form when rain falls through air at subfreezing temperature. Sleet is a mixture of rain and
snow.

Hail: It is a showery precipitation in the irregular pellets or lumps of ice of size more than 8 mm. Hail occur in violent thunderstorms.

Source: https://www.weather.gov/