Unit

Hydrograph
Prepared by : Gomez, Keesee
B.

Unit Hydrograph
Probably the most popular and
widely used method.
The hydrograph of direct runoff
resulting from one unit depth (1cm)
of rainfall excess occurring uniformly
over the basin and at a uniform rate
a specified duration (D hours).

Unit Hydrograph
It relates only the direct runofff to
the rainfall excess. Hence the
volume of water contained in the
unit hydrograph must be equal to
the rainfall excess.
As 1 cm depth of rainfall excess is
considered the area of unit
hydrograph is equal to a volume
given by 1 cm over the catchment.

Unit hydrograph
The rainfall is considered to have an
average intensity of excess rainfall
(ER) 1/D cm/h for the D-h of the
storm.
The distribution of the storm is
considered to be uniform all over the
catchment.

Unit hydrograph

Unit-Hydrograph Theory
Two basic assumptions:
1. Time Invariance
2. Linear Response

Unit-Hydrograph Theory
Time Invariance
The direct runoff response to a
given effective rainfall in a
catchment in time-invariant.
It implies that the DRH for a given
ER in a catchment is always the
same irrespective of when it occurs.

Unit-Hydrograph Theory
Linear Response
The direct runoff response to a
rainfall excess is assumed to be
linear

Unit-Hydrograph Theory
Example:
Given below are the ordinates of 6-h unit
hydrograph for a catchment. Calculate
the ordinates of the DRH due to rainfall
excess of 3.5 cm occurring in 6 h.

Calculation of DRH Due to 3.5 ER

3.5 cm DRH derived from 6-h Unit

Hydrograph

Unit-Hydrograph Theory
Example:
The two storms each of 6-h duration
and having rainfall excess values of
3.0 and 2.0 cm respectively occur
successively. The 2-cm ER rain
follows the 3-cm rain. The 6-h unit
hydrograph for the catchment is the
same as given in previous example.
Calculate the resulting DRH.

Calculation of DRH by method of

Superposition

Calculation of DRH by method of

Superposition

Principle of Superposition

Application of Unit
hydrograph
The initial losses and infiltration
losses are estimated and deducted
from the storm hyetograph to obtain
the ERH.
The rainfall excess in each D-h
duration is then operated upon the
unit hydrograph successively.

DRH due to ERH

Application of Unit
hydrograph
The direct runoff due to R1 at time t is
Q1 = R1 x u (t)
The direct runoff due to R2 at the time (tD) is
Similarly,
And
Thus at any time t, the total direct runoff
is

Solution:

Derivation of Unit
Hydrograph
The area under each DRH is
evaluated and the volume of the
direct runoff obtained is divided by
the catchment area to obtain the
depth of ER. The ordinates of the
various DRHs are divided by the
respective ER values to obtain the
ordinates of the unit hydrograph.

Derivation of Unit
Hydrograph
Flood hydrographs used in the
analysis should be selected to meet
the following desirable features with
respect to the storms responsible for
them.
The storm should be isolated storms
occurring individually.
The rainfall should be fairly uniform
during the duration and should cover
the entire catchment area.

Derivation of Unit
Hydrograph
The duration of the rainfall should be
1/5 to 1/3 of the basin lag.
The rainfall excess of the selected
storm should be high. A range of ER
values of 1.0 to 4.0 cm is sometimes
preferred.

Derivation of Unit Hydrograph from a flood

hydrograph

Derivation of Unit
Hydrograph
A = beginning of DRH t=0
B= End of DRH t=90 h
Pm= peak t=20 h
Hence, N = (90-20)= 70 h = 2.91 days
Volume of DRH =60 x 60 x 6 x (sum of
DRH ordinates)
= 60 x 60 x 6 x 587 = 12.68 Mm^3
Drainage area = 423 km^3 = 423 Mm^3
Runoff depth = ER depth =
12.68/423=3cm

Unit Hydrograph from a

Complex Storm

When suitable simple isolated

storms are not available, data from
complex storms of long duration will
have to be used.