Engineering Hydrology

Faculty of Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering Dept.

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 Chapter Six ×

Hydrologic Analysis, Rainfall-Runoff Modeling

• Rainfall-Runoff Modeling:
• In many hydrologic engineering designs, we need to predict peak
discharge or hydrograph resulting from a certain type of storm event.
For this purpose, some kind of rainfall-runoff model is needed to
translate rainfall input to produce discharge hydrograph.
• The use of a particular model depends largely on the accuracy
requirement of the results, importance of the project, data availability,
and fiscal constraints.
• Among many rainfall-runoff models, the unit hydrograph (UH) method
received considerable use and it is still being used widely by many
water resources engineers & hydrologists.
• UH for a given watershed can be derived from historical rainfall-runoff
data. For watersheds having no stream flow & rainfall records, the so-
called synthetic UH which relates the properties of UH to basin
characteristics, must be developed.
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 Unit Hydrograph (UH) √
• HYETOGRAPH:
• A hyetograph is a graphical representation of the relationship between
the rainfall intensity and time.
• The hyetograph is a bar diagram.
• The area under the hyetograph gives the total rainfall occurred in that
period.

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 Unit Hydrograph (UH)
• History of Unit Hydrograph UH: ×
• First proposed by Sherman (1932), the unit hydrograph (originally
named unit-graph) of a watershed is defined as a direct runoff
hydrograph (DRH) resulting from 1 in (usually taken as 1 cm in SI
units) of excess rainfall generated uniformly over the drainage area at a
constant rate for an effective duration.
• Horton - 1933
• Wisler & Brater - 1949 - “the hydrograph of surface runoff resulting
from a relatively short, intense rain, called a unit storm.”
• The runoff hydrograph may be “made up” of runoff that is generated as
flow through the soil (Black, 1990).
• Definition: √
The UH of a drainage basin is a Direct Runoff Hydrograph (DRH)
resulting from 1 unit of effective rainfall (Excess Rainfall) Hyetograph
(ERH) distributed uniformly over the entire basin at a uniform rate during
a specified time period (or duration).

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 Unit Hydrograph (UH) ×
• Uses, Useful & Role of UH:
• The unit hydrograph method is employed to calculate the direct
runoff hydrograph at the watershed outlet given the rainfall
excess produced by a storm event.
• The Unit hydrograph is a useful tool in the process of predicting
the impact of precipitation on stream flow.
• The role of Unit Hydrograph theory in the flood prediction
process is to provide an estimate of stream flow given and
amount precipitation.
• Gives us information that how the flow of a stream will be
affected over time by the addition of one unit of runoff.
• The Unit depth is 1cm in the SI unit system and 1inch in the U.S.
system.
• It is usually abbreviate as a UH.
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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Unit Hydrograph Theory

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Gauged and un gauged watersheds:
1. Gauged watersheds: Watersheds where data on precipitation,
stream flow, and other variables are available
2. Un gauged watersheds: Watersheds with no data on
precipitation, stream flow and other variables.

• Need for synthetic UH

1. UH is applicable only for gauged watershed and for the point on
the stream where data are measured
2. For other locations on the stream in the same watershed or for
nearby (un gauged) watersheds, synthetic procedures are used.

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Peak Discharge:

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Typical Hydrograph Components:

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Typical Hydrograph Components:
A. Direct Runoff, which is composed of contributions from surface
runoff and quick interflow. Unit hydrograph analysis refers only to
direct runoff.
B. Baseflow, which is composed of contributions from delayed interflow
and groundwater runoff.
• Surface runoff includes all overland flow as well as all precipitation
falling directly onto stream channels. Surface runoff is the main
contributor to the peak discharge.
• Interflow is the portion of the stream flow contributed by infiltrated
water that moves laterally in the subsurface until it reaches a channel.
Interflow is a slower process than surface runoff. Components of
interflow are quick interflow, which contributes to direct runoff, and
delayed interflow, which contributes to base flow
• Groundwater runoff is the flow component contributed to the channel
by groundwater. This process is extremely slow as compared to surface
runoff.
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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Typical Hydrograph Components:
the stream flow hydrograph is subdivided into
A. Rising Limb: rising portion of the hydrograph, composed mostly of
surface runoff.
B. Crest: zone of the hydrograph around peak discharge.
C. Falling (or Recession) Limb: Portion of the hydrograph after the
peak discharge, composed mostly of water released from storage in
the basin. The lower part of this recession corresponds to groundwater
flow contributions.
D. Time to Peak, tp: Time from the beginning of the rising limb to the
occurrence of the peak discharge. The time to peak is largely
determined by drainage characteristics such as drainage density, slope,
channel roughness, and soil infiltration characteristics. Rainfall
distribution in space also affects the time to peak.

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Typical Hydrograph Components:
the stream flow hydrograph is subdivided into
E. Time of Concentration, tc: Time required for water to travel
from the most hydraulically remote point in the basin to the
basin outlet. Several of many empirical and physically-based
equations for tc that have been developed. The drainage
characteristics of length and slope, together with the hydraulic
characteristics of the flow paths, determine the time of
concentration.
F. Lag Time, tl: Time between the center of mass of the effective
rainfall hyetograph and the center of mass of the direct runoff
hydrograph. Many empirical equations have been proposed.
G. Time Base, tb: Duration of the direct runoff hydrograph.

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• CREATING UNIT HYDROGRAPH:
• From Stream flow Data
• Synthetically
– Espey Ten-Minute Unit Hydrograph
– Snyder
– SCS Unit Hydrograph
– Time-Area Unit Hydrograph(Clark, 1945)
– Gamma Function Unit Hydrograph
• “Fitted” Distributions
• Geomorphologic
• A unit hydrograph can be derived from a total stream flow hydrograph
at a given stream gauge location along with the following information:
– The Basin Area
– The Basin-averaged rainfall depth
– The duration over which the excess precipitation occurred.
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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Separating Base Flow (Groundwater) from Overland Flow:
1. Straight Line: A horizontal line is drawn from the start of the rising
limb to the falling limb. All of the flow under the horizontal line is
considered base flow.

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Separating Base Flow (Groundwater) from Overland Flow:
1. Fixed Base: The base flow existing before the storm is projected down to a
point directly under the hydrograph crest. Then a straight line is used to
connect the projection to the fall limb N days later. N is determined by
inspection or by rule of thumb equations:
• N=0.8A0.2 (N-days and Area-square kilometers)
• N=A0.2 (N-days and Area-square miles)
• This equation is unsuitable for smaller
watersheds and should be checked for
a number of hydrographs before using.

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Unit Hydrograph √

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Unit Hydrograph √

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 Unit Hydrograph √
Unit Hydrograph Derivation Discrete Convolution Equation

nM
Qn   PmUnm1
m1
When Qn = Direct runoff
Pm = Excess rainfall
Un-m+1 = Unit hydrograph

Suppose that there are M pulses (No.) of

excess rainfall N pulses (No.) of direct
runoff in the storm considered, then N
equations can be written for Qn = 1, 2,
…,N in terms of N-M+1unknown
values of unit hydrograph.
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 Unit Hydrograph √

Discrete Convolution Equation

The set of equations for discrete time convolution
Q1  PU
11 nM
Q2  P2U1  PU
1 2 Qn   PmUnm1
m1
Q3  P3U1  P2U2  PU
1 3
n = 1, 2,…,N

QM  PMU1  PM1U2  .....  PU

1 M

QM1  0  PMU2  .....  P2UM  PU

1 M1

QN1  0  0  .....  0  0  .....  PMUNM  PM1UNM1

QN1  0  0  .....  0  0  .....  0  PM1UNM1

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 Unit Hydrograph √
Example 1
Find the half-hour unit hydrograph using the excess rainfall hyetograph and
direct runoff hydrograph given in the table. Time Excess Direct
(1/2hr) Rainfall Runoff (cfs)
(in)
Solution.
1 1.06 428
The ERH and DRH in table have M=3 and 2 1.93 1923
N=11 pulses respectively. 3 1.81 5297
Hence, the number of pulses in the unit 4 9131
hydrograph is N-M+1=11-3+1=9. 5 10625
6 7834
Substituting the ordinates of the ERH and
DRH into the equations in table yields a 7 3921
set of 11 simultaneous equations. 8 1846
9 1402
10 830
11 313
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 Unit Hydrograph √

Example 1
Q1 428
U1    404 cfs / in
P1 1.06
Q2  P2U1 1,928  1.93x404
U1    1,079 cfs / in
P1 1.06
Q3  P3U1  P2U2 5,297  1.81x404  1.93x1,079
U3    2,343 cfs /in
P1 1.06

and similarly for the remain ordinates

9,131 1.81x1,079  1.93x2,343
U4   2,506cfs / in
1.06
10,625  1.81x2,343  1.93x2,506
U5   1,460 cfs / in
1.06
7,834  1.81x2,506  1.93x1,460
U6   453 cfs / in
1.06
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 Unit Hydrograph √

Example 1
3,921 1.81x1,460  1.93x453
U7   381cfs/in
1.06

1,846  1.81x453  1.93x381

U8   274 cfs/in
1.06
1,402  1.81x381 1.93x274
U9   173 cfs/in
1.06
Unit hydrograph
n 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Un (cfs/in) 404 1,079 2,343 2,506 1,460 453 381 274 173

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Unit Hydrograph Application
Once the unit hydrograph has been determined, it may be applied to direct
runoff and stream flow hydrograph.

Procedures:
A rainfall hyetograph is selected.
The abstractions are estimated.
The excess rainfall is calculated.
The time interval used in defining the excess rainfall hyetograph ordinates
must be the same as that for which the unit hydrograph was specified.
The discrete convolution equation may then be used to yield the direct
runoff hydrograph.
By adding an estimated base flow to the direct runoff hydrograph, the
stream flow hydrograph is obtained.
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 Unit Hydrograph √
Example 2
Calculate the stream flow hydrograph for a storm of 6 in excess
rainfall, with 2 in the first half-hour, 3 in in the second half-hour and
1 in in the third half-hour. Use the half-hour unit hydrograph
computed in example 1 and assume the base flow is constant at 500
cfs throughput the flood. Check that the total depth of direct runoff is
equal to the total excess precipitation. (Watershed are = 7.03 mi2)
Solution.
Q1  PU
1 1  2.00x404  808cfs
Q2  P2U1  PU
1 2  3.00x404  2.00x1,079  1,212  2,158  3,370cfs
Q3  P3U1  P2U2  PU
1 3  1.00x404  3.00x1,079  2.00x2,343
 404  3,237  4,686  8,327cfs
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 Unit Hydrograph √
Example 2
Calculation of the direct runoff hydrograph and stream flow hydrograph
Excess Unit Hydrograph Ordinates (cfs/in) Direct
Time Precipit Streamfl
Runoff
(1/2 hr) ation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ow (cfs)
(cfs)
(in) 404 1079 2343 2506 1460 453 381 274 173
N=1 2 808 808 1308
2 3 1212 2158 3370 3870
3 1 404 3237 4686 8327 8827
4 1079 7029 5012 13120 13620
5 2343 7518 2920 12781 13281
6 2506 4380 906 7792 8292
7 1460 1359 762 3581 4081
8 453 1143 548 2144 2644
9 381 822 346 1549 2049
10 274 519 793 1293
11 173 173 673
54438 59938

Baseflow = 500 cfs

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 Unit Hydrograph √
Example 2
The total direct runoff volume is
N
Vd   Qnt
n1
 54,438x0.5 cfs.h
ft3 .h 3,600 s
 54,438x0.5 x
s 1s
 9.80x107 ft3

The corresponding depth of direct runoff is found by dividing by the watershed

area A=7.03 mi2=7.03x5280 ft2=1.96x108 ft2
Vd 9.80x107
rd   ft  0.50 ft  6.00 in
A 1.96x108
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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Unit Hydrograph of Different Durations:
• Under condition where lack of adequate data in
developement of unit hydrograph
• D-hour unit hydrograph is used to develop unit
hydrographs of differing durations nD
• Two method available:
1. Method of superposition
2. The S-Curve

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
1. Method of superposition:
• If a D-h unit hydrograph is available, and its desired to develop unit
hydrograph of nD, its is easily accomplished by superposing n unit
hydrographs with each graph separated from the previous on by D-h.
• D = 2-Hr Unit Hydrograph

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Change UH Duration:
• Consider 1 hr UH
• Add and Lag two UH
by one hour
• Sum and divide by 2
• Results in 2 hr UH

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Example:
• Given the ordinates of a 4-hr unit hydrograph as below derive
the ordinates of a 12-hr unit hydrograph for the same
catchment
Time (hr) 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44
Ordinates of 0 20 80 130 150 130 90 52 27 15 5 0
4-hr UH

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Unit Hydrograph √

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Unit Hydrograph √

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 Unit Hydrograph ×

• Equilibrium Hydrograph

• Uniform Rain

• Inflow = Outflow

• Equivalent to summing n
hydrographs in T

One Hydrograph • Produces S curve

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• S-Curve:
• Also known as S-hydrograph
• Hydrograph produced by
continuous effective rainfall at a
constant rate for infinite period.
• Curve obtained by summation of
an infinite series of D-h UH
spaced D-h apart.

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• S-Curve Construction:
• Obtained by adding a string of D-h UH each lagged by D-hours
from one another.
• If Tb= base period of the UH, addition of only Tb/D UH are
sufficient to obtained S-curve
• U(t) = S(t)-S(t-D) or U(t) = S(t)+S(t-D)
• Where
• S(t-D)= S-curve addition at time t
• S(t) = Ordinate of D-h UH at time t

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• S-Curve Construction:

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• S-Curves:

• Convert 2 hr Unit hydrograph to

S-curve
3-hr
• Lag each 2-hr UH by Duration D
• Add to produce S-curve

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Lag S Curves in time, subtract them, and multiply
by ( D/D’ )

Lag by D’ and subtract both curves

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• 3 hr. Unit Hydrograph from a 2 hr. UH (D/D’) :

3 HR UH

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Example:
• Given the ordinates of a 4-hr unit hydrograph as below derive
the ordinates of a 12-hr unit hydrograph for the same
catchment Solve with S-curve method:
Time (hr) 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44
Ordinates of 0 20 80 130 150 130 90 52 27 15 5 0
4-hr UH

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Unit Hydrograph √

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 Unit Hydrograph
√
• S-Curve Construction: Hydrograph Convolution
1 2 3 Add and Lag Method

2
STORM
HYDRO

3
Add up the ordinates of all three to produce storm hydrograph
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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Multi-Period Storm:
• P - I = Net Rainfall ( NET RF )
• RF units = UH duration (i.e. 1 hour)
• Adjust UH by Net RF
• Add and Lag UH
• Produce Storm
• Hydrograph

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 Unit Hydrograph ×
• Creating U. Hydrograph:
 From Stream flow Data
 Synthetically
 Espey Ten-Minute Unit Hydrograph
 Snyder
 SCS Unit Hydrograph
 Time-Area Unit Hydrograph(Clark, 1945)
 Gamma Function Unit Hydrograph
 “Fitted” Distributions
 Geomorphologic

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Example:
• The ordinates of a 4-hour unit hydrograph for a particular basin
are given below. Determine the ordinates of the S-curve
hydrograph and therefrom the ordinates of the 6-hour unit
hydrograph.

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 Unit Hydrograph √
• Example: Solution

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 Unit Hydrograph
• Example: Ordinate of 4h-Unit
Hydrograph are given, Determine
(1). Ordinate of S-Curve
(2). Ordinates of 2-h Unit Hydrograph

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• Example: Solution Unit Hydrograph √

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Thank You

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