Hydrology
activity that utilizes the optimum use
Hydrology is the study of the
movement, distribution, and quality of
water throughout the Earth, including the
hydrologic cycle, water resources and
environmental watershed sustainability.
A practitioner of hydrology is a
hydrologist.
Hydrologic History
NILOMETERS
(Elephantine Island) it is
important as it measured the rise
of the floodwaters of the Nile. If
the Nile did not rise enough, the
land would experience famine
conditions. If the Nile rose too
high, it would flood and destroy
the villages. Every temple in
Egypt had a Nilometer because it
was a symbol of life.
Hydrologist
Hydrologists are involved in the
monitoring, management and protection
of water and water resources in
commercial, environmental and academic
settings. They ensure the effective flow of
water through channels and pipes for the
engineering and control of water
provision. Their work contributes to the
efficient planning, development and
sustainable use of natural and domestic
water resources, ensuring water is
supplied in the most cost-effective
manner.
Typical Work Activities of Hydrologist
• Water resources planning
• Reservoir and river flood risk
assessment
• Water quality
• Drainage
Water Resource Planning is an
of water resources, to satisfy all needs
and demands.
Reservoir and river flood risk
assessment the identification of flood
mitigation measures and should
provide advice on actions to be taken
before and during a flood.
Water Quality is commonly defined
by its physical, chemical, biological
and aesthetic (appearance and smell)
characteristics.
Hydrologic Cycle
• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Precipitation
• Transpiration
(Runoff/Groundwater)
Evaporation is the process of a substance
in a liquid state changing to a gaseous
state due to an increase in temperature
and/or pressure.
Condensation occurs in the atmosphere
when warm air rises, cools and looses its
capacity to hold water vapor to form
clouds.
Precipitation is water released from
clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain,
sleet, snow, or hail.
Transpiration is the process by which
moisture is carried through plants from
roots to small pores on the underside of
leaves, where it changes to vapor and is
released to the atmosphere.
Runoff amount of water that remains on
the earth’s surface which empties into
lakes, rivers and carried back to the
oceans.
Groundwater water that penetrates the
surface of the earth.
Application of Hydrology and Hydraulics • Used to assess the reservoir capacity
to WRE required to assure adequate water for
irrigation or municipal water supply
Hydrologic analyses are performed to during drought
quantify the volumetric flow rate of water • Hydrology is an indispensable tool in
draining from a watershed (i.e., drainage planning and building hydraulic
area) over time. The amount of water that structures.
flows from a watershed depends on the • Hydrology is used for city water
characteristics of the watershed (e.g., size, supply design which is based on
land cover, antecedent moisture, and catchments area, amount of rainfall,
steepness) and the presence of water (e.g.,
dry period, storage capacity, runoff
the intensity and duration of a precipitation evaporation and transpiration.
event, rate of snowmelt, or regulation from a
dam). • Dam construction, reservoir
capacity, spillway capacity, sizes of
Hydraulic analyses are performed to water supply pipelines and affect of
determine the depth of flow, flow velocity,
afforest on water supply schemes, all
and forces from flowing water on a surface
are designed on basis of hydrological
or at hydraulic structures.
equations.
• Determining the water balance of a
Applications of Engineering Hydrology region.
• Hydrology is used to find out
• Determining the agricultural water
maximum probable flood at
balance.
proposed sites e.g. Dams.
• Designing riparian restoration
• The variation of water production
projects.
from catchments can be calculated
• Mitigation and predicting floods,
and described by hydrology.
landslides and drought risk.
• Engineering hydrology enables us to
• Flood forecasting and flood
find out the relationship between a
warnings.
catchments’s surface water and
• Designing irrigation schemes and
groundwater resources
managing agricultural productivity.
• The expected flood flows over a
• Designing dams for water supply or
spillway, at a highway Culvert, or in
hydroelectric power generation.
an urban storm drainage system can
be known by this very subject.
• Designing bridges.
• Designing sewers and urban drainage
• It helps us to know the required
system.
reservoir capacity to assure adequate
• Predicting geomorphologic changes,
water for irrigation or municipal
such as, erosion or sedimentation.
water supply in droughts condition.
• Assessing the impact of natural and
• It tells us what hydrologic hardware
anthropogenic environmental
(e.g. rain gauges, stream gauges etc)
change.
and software (computer models) are
• Assessing containment transport risk
needed for real-time flood
and establishing environmental
forecasting
policy guidelines
• Used in connection with design and
operations of hydraulic structure
• Used in prediction of flood over a
spillway, at highway culvert or in
urban storm drainage