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2.
The Water Cycle, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science School
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html (Edited: May 2016) (Accessed last 0702-2016)
3. The engineering approach tends to be a little more practically based and is
looking towards finding solutions to problems posed by water moving (or not
moving) around the earth. In reality there are huge areas of overlap between
between the two and it is often difficult difficult to separate separate them,
particularly particularly when you enter into hydrological research
RDOWICZ, Wojciech.
http://www.studia.pwr.wroc.pl/p/mat/civil_engineering/hydrology_for_engineers.pdf
(Accessed last July 2016).
4. Hydrology is generally related to the study of rainfall and to water in connection to
geography and geology.
Hydraulics is more geared towards physics, the study of the motion of liquids in
relation to disciplines such as fluid mechanics and fluids dynamics, etc.
Some more definitions to clarify the difference between the two words.
Hydrology is "The science which treats of water, its properties and laws, its
distribution over the earth's surface, etc." (From the OED).
Hydraulics is " That department of science which deals with the conveyance of water
or other liquids through pipes or other artificial channels, and with the various
mechanical applications of the force exerted by moving liquids. Often used in a wider
sense, corresponding to what is now expressed by hydrokinetics or hydrodynamics. "
(From the OED) .
https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-hydrology-andhydraulics
5. Human to Hydrologic Cycle
Human activities that change the land cover of river basins and are aimed at
regulating the water fluxes in nature can considerably change the hydrological cycle
of the separate river basins, and even of large regions
Due to human activities, the natural hydrological cycle of most river basins is
becoming more and more transformed and regimented. The main stream flow
regulation methods are construction of dams, levees, barrages, and dikes, which
provide water accumulation, decreasing flood flow, and increasing low flow. The
major effects of reservoir construction on the hydrological cycle (excepting runoff
control) are an increase of evaporation and a rise of groundwater table
Kuchment, Lev.
http://www.biodiversity.ru/programs/ecoservices/library/functions/water/doc/Kuchme
nt.pdf (Accessed July 2016)
As the worlds population continues to rise, and as standards of living increase, the demand for water also increases.
It is not just a question about the quantity of water but also the quality. Many areas are experiencing water shortages
and increasing episodes of contaminated water. Some impacts are direct such as water extraction and subsequent
evaporation and/or leakage, while others are indirect such as eutrophication and climate change (leading to
increased evaporation). Most changes are negative, although there are some examples of positive impacts such as
restoration of rivers and floodplains. On balance it would appear that the negative impacts outweigh the positive
ones. Whether that can be changed remains to be seen.
Humans significantly influence the global water cycle, both quantitatively and
qualitatively. Concerning quantity, humans withdraw 8% of the total annual
renewable freshwater, and appropriate 26% of annual evapotranspiration and 54%
of accessible runoff. Humankinds control of runoff is now global and we are
significant players in the hydrological cycle. Per capita use is increasing (with better
lifestyles) and population is growing. Thus the percentage of appropriated water is
increasing. Together with spatial and temporal variations in available water, the
consequence is that water for all our uses is becoming scarce and leading to a
water crisis (WWAP 2003).
Local water cycles are also influenced by the way we plan our cities: When land is
paved, water cannot soak into the soil. It runs off these hard surfaces very rapidly,
so pipes are needed to rapidly carry the resulting large volumes of stormwater to
the nearest stream or beach. The result is that streams carry less water or dry up
when it is not raining and flood when it does. Pollutants on roads and yards are also
swept into waterways (see also sustainable sanitation).
The more humans use water, the more they also influence water quality: Nutrients
from fertiliser and from sanitation systems are carried directly into aquatic
ecosystems (see nutrient cycle), and also pesticides, industrial pollutants, or
medical substances eventually end up in water. As all these substances can be
soluble, they also become part of the water cycle (WWAP 2003). Hence, freshwater
resources are further reduced by pollution. Some 2 million tons of waste per day are
disposed of within receiving waters, including industrial wastes and chemicals,
human waste and agricultural wastes (fertilisers, pesticides and pesticide residues)
(UNEP & UN HABITAT 2010) (see also soil degradation).