Q1: In a catchment area covering 100 km 2, the average annual precipitation observed at five rain

gauge stations is as under:

Station 1 2 3 4 5
Precipitation
600 1200 800 600 400
(mm)
Find the number of additional rain gauge stations and also the rain gauge density if permissible error is
10%.

Solution:

Average Precipitation = 600+1200+800+600+400

5
= 720 mm

Sx2= (600-720)2 + (1200-720)2 + (800-720)2 + (600-720)2 + (400-720)2

5-1

= 14400+230400+6400+14400+102400
4
= 368000
4
= 92000
Sx= √ 92000
= 303.315
Cv= 303.315 x 100
720
= 42.127%

Since permissible error is 10%

Number of rain gauge stations required = (C v/10)2 = (42.127/10)2

= 17.747

Additional rain gauge stations required = 17.747-5 = 12.747 = 13

Rain gauge density = 100/18 = 5.55 km 2/rain gauge.

Q2: The give table is a record precipitation from a recording gauge for a storm in a big city for a period
between midnight and 11:15 A.M. on the same day. For the data given calculate rainfall intensity (in/hr)
as shown in the table. Also develop the rainfall hyetograph and mass curves. Find the maximum intensity
rainfall for the gauge in in/hr.

Time (hr) Gauge Rainfall (in.) Gauge Intensity (in./hr) Cumulative Rainfall (in.)
0 0 0 0
0.25 0.02 0.08 0.08
0.5 0.07 0.2 0.28
0.75 0.4 1.32 1.6
1 0.55 0.6 2.2
1.25 0.6 0.2 2.4
1.5 0.62 0.08 2.48
1.75 0.62 0 2.48
2 0.82 0.8 3.28
2.25 0.88 0.24 3.52
2.5 0.92 0.16 3.68
2.75 1.06 0.56 4.24
3 1.1 0.16 4.4
3.25 1.47 1.48 5.88
3.5 1.87 1.6 7.48
3.75 2.32 1.8 9.28
4 3.1 3.12 12.4
4.25 3.4 1.2 13.6
4.5 3.48 0.32 13.92
4.75 3.54 0.24 14.16
5 3.62 0.32 14.48
5.25 3.68 0.24 14.72
5.5 3.72 0.16 14.88
5.75 3.78 0.24 15.12
6 3.84 0.24 15.36
6.25 3.9 0.24 15.6
6.5 3.95 0.2 15.8
6.75 4.1 0.6 16.4
7 4.3 0.8 17.2
7.25 4.93 2.52 19.72
7.5 5.4 1.88 21.6
7.75 5.61 0.84 22.44
8 5.77 0.64 23.08
8.25 6.17 1.6 24.68
8.5 6.22 0.2 24.88
8.75 6.27 0.2 25.08
9 6.29 0.08 25.16
9.25 6.3 0.04 25.2
9.5 6.31 0.04 25.24
9.75 6.32 0.04 25.28
10 6.33 0.04 25.32
10.25 6.34 0.04 25.36
10.5 6.35 0.04 25.4
10.75 6.36 0.04 25.44
11 6.37 0.04 25.48
11.25 6.38 0.04 25.52
Q: 3 (Hydrology and Floodplain Analysis by Bendient) A small urban watershed has four rainfall
gauges as shown in the figure below. Total rainfall recorded at each gauge during a storm event is list in
the table. Compute the mean areal rainfall for this storm using (a) arithmetic mean (b) Thiessen method.

Solution:

Arithmetic Average = 3.26+2.92+3.01+3.05

4
= 3.06 in.
1 squares = 1 mi2

A = 64 squares = 64 mi2

B = 78 squares = 78 mi2

C = 148 squares = 148 mi2

D = 36 squares = 36 mi2

Area of watershed = (64 + 78 + 148 + 36) mi 2 = 326 mi2

Weight
Gage Area mi2 Rainfall (in) Weighted Rainfall (in)
(Area/TotalArea)
A 64 0.196 3.26 0.639
B 78 0.239 2.92 0.698
C 148 0.454 3.01 1.336
D 36 0.111 3.05 0.338
SUM 326 1 3.04

Mean Watershed Rainfall = 3.04 in.

Q4: The design storms used as input in any hydrologic model for drainage design or flood modeling can
be derived from Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves as shown below for Houston Texas.

In the above curve;

a) 100 yr, 2 hr storm corresponds to 2.9_ in/hr rain intensity.

b) 10 yr, 24 hr storm equals __0.31___ in/hr or ____0.31(in/hr) x 24hr = 7.44 in___ inch in 24 hrs.
c) What is the return period of a storm that recorded 3.1 in/hr for 2 hours in Houston?

Answer is approx. 100yr return period

d) What amount of rain (in) would have to fall in a 6 hr period to be considered a 100-yr storm in
Houston?
1.5 in/hr is intensity, Amount of rainfall = 1.5 x 6 = 9 in.
e) What is the return period of a storm that lasts one hour and records 3.5 in of rainfall?
Answer is 25 yr return period.
Q5: What is the probability that at least one 50-year flood will occur during the 30-yr lifetime of a flood
control project?

Solution:

Probability =1 – (1 – p) n hence P=1/t

Then formula will be 1 – (1 – 1/t) m

=1 – (1 – 1/50)30 = 0.45 or 45%

Q6: What is the probability that the 100-yr flood will not occur in 10 yr?

Solution:

Probability =(1 – p) n hence P=1/t

Then formula will be (1 – 1/t) n

= (1-(1/100))10 = 0.904 or 90.4%

Q7: What is the probability that the 100-yr flood will occur in 100 years?

Solution:

Probability =1 – (1 – p) n hence P=1/t

Then formula will be 1 – (1 – 1/t) n

=1 – (1 – 1/100)100 = 0.634 or 63.4%

Q8: For a station A, the recorded annual 24h maximum rainfall are given below. (a) Estimate the 24h
maximum rainfall with return period of 13 and 50 years. (b) What would be the probability of a rainfall of
magnitude equal to or exceeding 10cm occurring in 24h. (Hint: A graph to be plotted between the
rainfall and the Return Period T on a Log scale, T is at x-axis in log scale)

Year Rainfall (cm) m Rainfall (cm) P= m/(n+1) T = 1/P

1950 13.0 1 16.0 0.043 23.0
1951 12.0 2 14.3 0.087 11.5
1952 7.6 3 13.0 0.130 7.7
1953 14.3 4 12.5 0.174 5.8
1954 16.0 5 12.0 0.217 4.6
1955 9.6 6 11.2 0.261 3.8
1956 8.0 7 10.8 0.304 3.3
1957 12.5 8 10.6 0.348 2.9
1958 11.2 9 10.2 0.391 2.6
1959 8.9 10 9.6 0.435 2.3
1960 8.9 11 9.5 0.478 2.1
1961 7.8 12 9.0 0.522 1.9
1962 9.0 13 8.9 0.565 1.8
1963 10.2 14 8.9 0.609 1.6
1964 8.5 15 8.5 0.652 1.5
1965 7.5 16 8.4 0.696 1.4
1966 6.0 17 8.3 0.739 1.4
1967 8.4 18 8.0 0.783 1.3
1968 10.8 19 7.8 0.826 1.2
1969 10.6 20 7.6 0.870 1.2
1970 8.3 21 7.5 0.913 1.1
1971 9.5 22 6.0 0.957 1.0

a)
Return Rainfall
Period
13 14.55 or 15
50 18.5

b) For rainfall = 10 cm,

T=2.4 years and P=0.417
 Q9: The following frequency of occurrence (Depth-duration-frequency curve) were derived from a
time series of daily rainfall totals.
(a) Determine the missing figure in the table below
(b) Derive the intensity-duration for the return periods (also show as IDF curve)

Answer
a:
Depth-duration-frequency curves
Duratio
n Rainfall at T=1 T=10 T=100
0 0 0 0
1 30 40 50
3 60 75 90
5 80 95 110
10 90 110 130

Answer
b:
intensity (average) = depth/period
T
(years) 1 day 3 days 5 days 10 days
1 30 20 16 9
10 40 25 19 11
100 50 30 22 13

Intensity -Duration- Frequncy Curve (IDF)

Duration Intensity at T=1 T=10 T=100
1 30 40 50
3 20 25 30
5 16 19 22
10 9 11 13