HYDROLOGY

INTRODUCTION
Water is vital for all living
organisms on Earth.
The name of the discipline is
hydrology and is formed by two
Greek words: "hydro" and "logos"
meaning "water" and "science".

What is Hydrology?

It is a science of water.

It is the science that deals with

the occurrence, circulation and
distribution of water of the earth
and earths atmosphere.

In general sense engineering

hydrology deals with:

Hydrologic Cycle

Estimation of water resources

The study of processes such as

precipitation, evapotranspiration,
runof and their interaction

Water, irrespective of diferent

states, involves dynamic aspect in
nature.

The dynamic nature of water, the

existence of water in various state
with diferent hydrological process
result in a very important natural
phenomenon called
Hydrologic cycle.

The study of problems such as

floods and droughts and
strategies to combat them

Evaporation
Evaporation of water from water
bodies, such as oceans and lakes,
formation and movement of clouds,
rain and snowfall, stream flow and
ground water movement are some
examples of the dynamic aspects of
water.

Hydrologic Cycle

Evaporation from water bodies

Condensation
Precipitation
Interception
Transpiration
Infiltration
Runofstreamflow
Deep percolation
Ground water flow

Transpiration

Meteorological factors afecting

surface (over soil) runof

Accounts for ~ 10% of the moisture

in the atmosphere

Depends on:
Temperature
Humidity
Insolation
Precipitation
Soil type and saturation
Wind
Land slope

Type of precipitation
Rainfall intensity
Rainfall amount
Rainfall duration
Distribution of rainfall over the
drainage basin
Direction of storm movement
Precipitation that occurred earlier
and resulting soil moisture
Meteorological conditions that
afect evapotranspiration

Physical characteristics afecting

surface runof

Land use
Vegetation
Soil type
Drainage area
Basin shape
Elevation
Topography, especially the slope
of the land
Drainage network patterns
Ponds, lakes, reservoirs, sinks,
etc. in the basin, which prevent
or delay runof from continuing
downstream

Factors afecting infiltration

Precipitation (greatest factor)

- Magnitude, intensity, duration
- Characteristics (rain, snow)
Soil Characteristics
- Clay absorbs less water at a
slower rate than sand
Soil Saturation
- Higher saturation leads to more
runof instead
Land Cover

Factors afecting infiltration

Slope of the Land

- Hills enhance runof velocity
Evapotranspiration
- Plants use soil moisture to
grow and transpire

Importance

The hydrologic cycle has importance

influence in a variety of fields
agriculture, forestry, geography,
economics, sociology, and political
scene.

CLIMATE CHANGE

WEATHER VS CLIMATE

WEATHER
- Short term
- Limited Area
- Can change rapidly
- Difficult to predict
Weather is whats happening
outside your window right now.

CLIMATE

- Long term
- Wide area
- Seasonal Changes
- Measured over long spans of
time
Climate is the average of many years
of weather observation.

Climate Change

Causes of Climate Change

It is a change which is attributed

directly or indirectly to human
activity that alters the composition
of the global atmosphere and which
is in addition to natural climate
variability observed over
comparative time periods

Natural Causes
-

Ocean Currents
Solar Variation
Orbital Variations
Volcanic Activity

Human Causes
-

Greenhouse gases
Deforestation
Coal Mining
Burning of Fossil Fuels
Industrial Processes
Agriculture

Number of Greenhouse gases

occur naturally in the Earths
Surface

Water Vapor
Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous Oxide

Efects of Climate Change

Rise in Sea Level

Heavy Rainfall across the globe
Extreme Drought
Decline in Crop Productivity
Ecosystems are changing
Hurricanes
Rise in Temperature

THANK YOU!