HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES

Introduction of Hydrology
 Hydrology is that branch of physical geography deals with the
transportation of water through the air, over the ground
surface and through the earth strata.

 The knowledge of hydrology is of basic importance in all

walks of life that involve the use and supply of water for any
purpose.

 The knowledge of hydrology is not only useful in the field of

engineering, but also in agriculture, forestry and other
branches of natural sciences.
 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES

Hydrological Cycle
 On the earth’s surface water is found in the oceans, in lakes and
rivers. In atmosphere it occurs in the form of water vapour,
clouds and precipitation. Beneath the ground surface it occurs
as under ground reservoirs.
 The first stage of hydrologic cycle is the “evaporation of water
from the oceans”. The resulting vapour is transported by
moving air masses.
 The vapour is “condensed to form clouds”, which falls upon the
earth in different forms.
 The evaporation from oceans and earth’s surface is continuous
process “and much of the evaporated water falls directly over
the ocean surface”.
 A greater portion of the precipitation which falls upon the land,
“seepage through the surface soil to stream, channels and
ultimately joins oceans”.
Continued…. 2
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 While a fraction of precipitation finds it way to the “ground water

reservoirs”.
 Ultimately ground water also “moves towards lower elevations”
and joins the oceans.
 It has been observed that “about two thirds of the precipitation
which reaches the land surface is returned to the atmosphere by
evaporation” from water surface, soils, vegetation and through
transpiration by plants.
 The remaining “one third precipitation also ultimately returns” to
oceans, through percolation and seepage of ground water.
 Hydrologic equation is:-
 Precipitation = Evaporation + Runoff

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 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES
Phases of Hydrological Cycle
 The Hydrological Cycle could be divided into following three major
systems.

i) Atmospheric Water System

This system contains the process of precipitation,
evaporation, transpiration and interceptions.

ii) Surface Water System

This system contains the process of overland flow and
surface runoff.

iii) The sub surface water system

This system contains the process of infiltration, seepage,
ground water recharge and ground water lateral flow towards
rivers, seas and oceans.
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Components of Hydrological Cycle

i. Precipitation

ii. interception

iii. Evaporation

iv. Transpiration

v. Surface Flow

vi. Infiltration

vii. Percolation

viii. Groundwater Storage

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 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES

Hydrology Cycle

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HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES
HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES
 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES

Diagram of Global Hydrologic Cycle

Precipitation
Evaporation
Atmosphere
(Atmospheric Water Interception

Transpiration ∑

Hydrosphere Surface Runoff Surface Runoff

(Surface Water) Run-off to Stream
and Ocean
Infiltration Subsurface Flow

Lithosphere
(Sub Surface Water) ∑

Ground Water Ground Water

Recharge Flow
 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE AND WATER RESOURCES

Estimates of the World’s Water Quantities/ Water Budget

Components Volume (106 km3) %Age

Oceans 1370 94.2

Groundwater 60 4.13

Ice sheets and glaciers 24 1.65

Surface water on land 0.28 0.019

Soil moisture 0.08 0.0055

Rivers 0.0012 0.00008

Atmospheric vapour 0.014 0.00096

Total:- 100.00%
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Importance of Hydrology
 From the very beginning of the universe, water is being used
equally by man, animals, plants etc. “for their survival”.
 Engineering hydrology is used mainly in “Design and Operation
of Hydraulic Structures”. Therefore for the “Economic Design”
of such structures, the importance of hydrology is increasing.
 With the development of civilization, the use of water has
increased many fold as for “irrigation, generation of power, and
drinking water supply/ sanitation”.
 Thus “water is an important natural resource of a any country”,
whose economical utilization is inevitable through the
development of water resources engineering. Which “requires
conception, planning, designing, construction and operation of
available facilities”.
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Practical Application of Hydrology

i. Design of Hydraulic Structure

ii. Irritation

iii. Hydro Power

iv. Flood Control

v. Municipal and Industrial Water Supply

vi. Erosion and Sediment Control

vii. Pollution Abatement