Dr. Murphy P.

Mohammed
Associate Professor 5
Hydrology treats the water of the earth, their occurrence,
circulation, and distribution, their chemical and physical
properties, and their reaction with their environment,
including their relation to living things.

Hydrology: a science dealing with the properties,

occurrence, distribution, and circulation of water on and
below the earth's surface and in the atmosphere.

Engineering hydrology includes those segments of the field

pertinent to planning, design, and operation of engineering
projects for the control and use of water.
The Hydrologic Cycle
Hydrologic Cycle Components
Evaporation: Solar energy powers the cycle. Heat
energy from the sun causes evaporation from water
surfaces (rivers, lakes, and oceans) and transpiration
from plants. Transpiration is essentially evaporation of
water from plant leaves.
Models:
 Energy balance method

 Aerodynamic method

 Combined method
Evapotranspiration: water loss to the atmosphere from
plants and water surfaces.

Condensation: The warm, moist air (containing water

vapour) rises and, as it cools, condensation takes place to
form clouds.

Advection: Wind energy may move clouds over land

surfaces where precipitation occurs.
Precipitation: This occurs either as rain or snow
depending on altitude.
Models Involving Precipitation
 Hyetographs, cumulative rainfall

 Intensity, duration, frequency (IDF)

 Areal rainfall estimation

 Frequency analysis

 Probability (extreme rainfall)

Stemflow (red arrows) –
Precipitation flows down
stems and branches to
ground

Throughflow (yellow) Rate

at which precipitation flows
through branches
Infiltration, Ground flow: infiltrates downwards
through the soil and rocks where it is returned to the
ocean through groundwater flow.
Models:
 Horton Model of Infiltration
 Philips Model of infiltration
 Green and Ampt (ponding and no-ponding)
Elements of Global Hydrologic Cycle
Where:
P – Precipitation
E- Evaporation
F – Infiltration
Rn – Recharge (Percolation)
T – Transpiration
M – Heat storage rate in layer
above surface
Qo – Outflow (Discharge)
Qi – Inflow (Recharge)
Ro – Runoff