TOPIC 2

HYDROLOGY
HYDROLOGY PRECIPITATION
Prepared by Dr Sabariah Musa
Learning Objectives & Outcome

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PRECIPITATION
 Fun Facts About Water
In a 100-year period, a water molecule spends 98 years in
the ocean, 20 months as ice, about 2 weeks in lakes and
rivers, and less than 1week in the atmosphere.

All the freshwater flowing in rivers and held in lakes is only 1

percent of the water on Earth.

There is the same amount of water on Earth as there was

when Earth was formed. The water from your faucet could
contain molecules that dinosaurs drank.

The bathroom is the room in the house where the most

water is used.

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 Types of Precipitation

/ Cyclonic

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 Types of Precipitation

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 Types of Precipitation

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Classes of Precipitation
 Classes of Precipitation
Sleet = snow + rain

Drizzle < 0.5mm

Hailstone 6 cm

<< Nama Kursus >> 9

Classes of Precipitation
Classes of Precipitation
 Formation of Precipitation

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Formation of Precipitation
 Acid Precipitation

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Contamination of Precipitation

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 Terms of Measurements

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Example 2.1

180

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 Solution 2.1
1.08 = 0.18/(10/60)hr

1.26 = 0.21/(10/60)hr

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 Type of Rain Gauges

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 Type of Rain Gauges
Rain Gauges

Record Non- Record

Weighing

Tipping bucket

Float

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Record Type of Rain Gauges

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Non Record Type of Rain Gauges

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Weighing gauge Type of Rain Gauges

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Tapping Bucket Type of Rain Gauges

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Float Type Type of Rain Gauges

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 Location of Rain Gauge

h Rain gage h
75cm or >2h
2-5 ft

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 Point and Location
Ideal Placement of your Gauge

In open areas strive to be twice as far

from obstacles as they are high.

In developed areas strive to be as far

from obstacles as they are high.

In open areas place the gauge top approx.

2 feet off the ground.
In developed areas place the gauge
top approx. 5 feet off the ground
Make sure your gauge is level

Distance from obstacles

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MISSING DATA

Arithmetic Mean Method

Normal Ratio Method

Quadrant Method

Gage Consistency

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 Arithmetic Mean Method

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 Example 2.2
Identify = method ?

694-69.4 = 624.6
694 + 69.4 = 763.4
 Normal Ratio Method

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 Example 2.3
Identify = method ?

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 Quadrant Method

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Quadrant Method
 If all station coordinated in
quadrant, calculate all
station

Quadrant Method
Draw coordinates in the quadrant

II I
Calculate L2
B
Select one nearest point to every F
quadrant G
A
( only one point – lowest L2 )
D
E
Calculate Wi and WiPi (Table)
C
III IV
Px = Total (WiPi) (Table)

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 Example 2.4

42.5 25.5
ignore

42.66

42.66 mm

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 Gage Consistency

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 Gage Consistency

Pa = Px [Ma/Mo]

Px

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Gage Consistency
 Gage Consistency
Draw cumm. Rainfall in graph paper
Cul. every year adjusted

Determine years changes to adjust

Cul. New cumm. and draw

Determine the slopes, Ma /Mo

Adjust new slope – adjusted slope

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 Example 2.5

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 Example 2.5

Calculate point for 1927, 1928, 1929

correction

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 Example 2.5

<< Hydrology >> 43

 Example 2.5

[679-148]/[2785-774]

Ma

Mo P1929 = 40.55 + 45.9+38.5+45) = ?

P1928 = (45.9+38.5+45) = ? mm
P1927 = (38.5 + 45) = ? mm
[148-33]/[774-154] P1926 = 45 mm

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MEAN AREA PRECIPITATION

Arithmetic Mean Method

Thiessen Polygon Method

Isohyetal Method

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 Arithmetic Mean Method

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 Thiessen Polygon Method

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 Thiessen Polygon Method

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 Thiessen Polygon Method

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 Thiessen Polygon Method
Draw boundary and stations on the
graph paper (black dotted line)

Connect each station by draw the straight

line (blue dotted lines)

Construct 90o –perpendicular bisectors

(red solid lines)

Connect each line to forming polygons

Area of polygons in boundary

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 Example 2.6

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 Isohyetal Method

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Isohyetal Method
Draw the boundary on the
graph paper

Draw stations precipitation

Start point from the lower

precipitation

Estimate extra point by

draw the line by connect to
each point precipitation

Draw contour lines by scale

unit from boundary to
boundary

Find the area and calculate

(table)
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 Example 2.7

Column 2
[30+40]/2

Column 1

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 Calculate on graph paper Example 2.7
Column 1 Column 2

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 Conclusion
Precipitation input is the main driver of the hydrologic
cycle, as it relates to river flow, water supply and urban
drainage. Too much or too little can mean the difference
between prosperity and disaster. In between these
extremes are the normal precipitation event that are
experienced with a frequency and intensity related mainly
to geographic position and topographic features.
At the end of this chapter you should be able to
estimate point and areal precipitation amounts from
gauge data and conceptualize simple hydrologic process
models.

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 Summary

Type of P
Missing data
• Orographic
• Convictive • Arithmatic mean Mean Area P
• Frontal/Cyclic • Normal Ratio • Arithmatic Mean
• Quadrant • Thiessen Polygon
• Gage Consistency • Isohyetal

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 THANK YOU
End of Topic 2

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