Engineering Hydrology Lectures – 4th.
Stage
Major References :
1. Engineering Hydrology by Subramanya
2. Advanced Hydrology by V.T. Chow
3. Engineering Hydrology by Linsley
Syllabus :
First Semester :
Chapter One : Introduction
Chapter Two : Precipitation
Chapter Three : Abstraction from Precipitation
Chapter Four : Run-Off
Second Semester :
Chapter Five : Hydrograph
Chapter Six : Floods
Chapter Seven : Flood Routing
Chapter Eight : Ground Water
Prepared by : A.L. Fadhil Abd Al-Abbas Chapter One : Introduction
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1. Hydrology : Hydrology means the science of water. It is the science that
deals with the occurrence, circulation and distribution of water of the earth
and earth's atmosphere. As a branch of earth science, it is concerned with the
water in streams and lakes, rainfall and snow fall, snow and ice on the land
and water occuring below earth's surface in the pores of the soil and rocks. In
a general sense, hydrology is very broad subject of an inter – disciplinary
nature drawing support from allied sciences, such as meteorology, geology,
statistics, chemistry, physics and fluid mechanics.
Hydrology is basically an applied science. To further emphasis the degree of
applicability, the subject is sometimes classified as :
1. Scientific Hydrology : the study which is concerned chiefly with academic
aspects.
2. Engineering or Applied Hydrology : a study concerned with engineering
applications.
In a genral sense, engineering hydrology deals with:
a- Estimation of water resources.
b- The study of processes such as precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration
and their interaction.
c- The study of problems such as floods and droughts, and strategies to
combat them.
1.2. Hydrological Cycle :
Water occurs on the earth in all its three states, liquid, solid and gaseous
and in various degrees of motion. Evaporation of water from water bodies
such as oceans and lakes, formation and movement of clouds, rain and
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Prepared by : A.L. Fadhil Abd Al-Abbas Chapter One : Introduction
snowfall, streamflow and ground water movement are some examples of the
dynamic aspects of water. The various aspects of water related to the earth
can be explained in terms of a cycle known as the Hydrologic Cycle as shown
in fig. (1).
1.3. Hydrological cycle Paths :
There are large number of paths for water in the hydrologic cycle. Furthermor,
it is a continuous recirculating cycle in the sense that there is neither a beginning
noe an end or a pause. Each path of the hydrologic cycle involves one or more of the
following aspects :
1. Transportation of water.
2. Temporary storage of water.
3. Change of state.
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Prepared by : A.L. Fadhil Abd Al-Abbas Chapter One : Introduction
1.4. Water Budget Equation :
For a given problem area, say a catchment, in an interval of time ∆t , the
continuity equation for water in its various phasis is written as :
ΔS = Vi - Vo …… (1.1)
In which :
∆S : change in the storage of the water volume over and under the given area during
the
given period.
Vi : inflow volume of water into a cathment area, and
Vo : outflow volume of water from a catchment area.
Example (1) : A catchment area of 15 km2 , calculate :
1. The change in the storage volume (for 1 year) over and under the given
catchment if the volume of inflow is 8 * 104 m3 and for outflow 6.5 * 104
m3 .
2. If the annual average for streamflow is 107 m3 , calculate the equivalent
depth.
Solution :
1. ΔS = Vi - Vo
∆S = 8 * 104 – 6.5 * 104 = 1.5 * 104 m3
2. Average Depth = 107 / 15*106 = 0.667 m. = 66.7 cm.
While realizing that all the terms in a hydological water budget may not be
known to the same degree of accuracy, an expression for the water budget of a
catchment for a time interval ∆t is written as :
P – R – G – E – T = ∆S …… (2)
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Prepared by : A.L. Fadhil Abd Al-Abbas Chapter One : Introduction
In this P : Precipitation , R : surface runoff , G : net ground water flow out of the
catchment , E : evaporation, T : transpiration and ΔS : change in storage
The storage S consists of three components as :
S = Ss + Sm + Sg …… (3)
Where
Ss : surface water storage
Sm : water in storage as soil moisture, and
Sg : water in storage as groundwater.
Thus eq. (3) becomes :
∆S = ∆Ss + ∆Sm + ∆Sg …… (4)
Example (2) : A lake had a water surface elevation of 103.2 m above datum at the
beginning of a certain month. In that month, the lake received an average inflow of
6 m3/s from surface runoff sources. In the same period, the outflow from the lake
had an average value of 6.5 m3/s. Further, in that month, the lake received a rainfall
of 145 mm and the evaporation from the lake surface was estimated as 6.1 cm.
Write the water budget equation for the lake and calculate the water surface
elevation of the lake at the end of the month. The average lake surface area can be
taken as 5000 ha. Assume that there is no contribution to or from the ground water
storage.
Solution :
In a time interval ∆t , the water budget for the lake can be written as :
( I ∆t + PA) − Q ∆t + E A = ∆S
Where I = average rate of inflow of water into the lake
Q = average rate of outflow from the lake
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Prepared by : A.L. Fadhil Abd Al-Abbas Chapter One : Introduction
A = average surface area of the lake.
∆t = 1 month = 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 = 2.592*106 s
Inflow volume = I ∆t = 6 * 2.592 = 15.552 Mm3
Outflow volume = Q ∆t = 6.5 * 2.592 = 16.848 Mm3
14.5∗5000∗100∗100
Input due to precipitation = P A = = 7.25 Mm3
100∗106
6.1∗5000∗100∗100
Outflow due to evaporation = E A = = 3.05 Mm3
100∗106
Hence ∆S = 15.552 + 7.25 – 16.848 – 3.05 = 2.904 Mm3
∆𝑆 2.904∗106
Change in elevation ∆z = = = 0.058 m
𝐴 5000∗100∗100
New water surface elevation at the end of the month = 103.2 + 0.058
= 103.258 m above the datum.
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Example (3) : A small catchment of area 150 ha received a rainfall of 10.5 cm in 90
minutes due to a storm. At the outlet of the catchment, the stream draining the
catchment was dry before the storm and experienced a runoff lasting for 10 hours
with an average discharge of 1.5 m3/s. The stream was again dry after the runoff
event. (a) What is the amount of water which was not available to runoff due to
combined effect of infiltration, evaporation and transpiration? (b) What is the ratio
of runoff to prscipitation?
Solution :
The water budget equation for the catchment in a time ∆t is
R=P–L
Where L : losses (water not available to runoff due to infiltration, evaporation,
transpiration and surface storage)
(a) P = Input due to precipitation in 10 hours = 150*100*100*(10.5/100)
= 157500 m3
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Prepared by : A.L. Fadhil Abd Al-Abbas Chapter One : Introduction
R = Runoff volume = outflow volume at the catchment outlet in 10 hours
R = 1.5*10*60*60 = 54000 m3
Hence Losses L = 157500 – 54000 = 103500 m3
(b) Runoff / Rainfall = 54000/157500 = 0.343 (Runoff Coefficient)
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1.5. Engineering Aplications of Hydrology :
Hydrology finds its greatest application in the design and operation of water
resources engineering projects, such as those for :
1. Irrigation
2. Water supply
3. Flood control
4. Water power
5. Navigation
In all projects above, hydrological investigation for the proper assessment of the
following factors are necessary :
1. The capacity of storage structures such as rservoirs.
2. The magnitude of flood flows to enable safe disposal of the excess flow.
3. The minimum flow and quantity of flow available at various seasons.
4. The interaction of the flood wave and hydraulic structures, such as levees,
reservoirs, barrages and bridges.
1.6. Typical Failure Factors of Hydraulic Structures :
1. Overtopping and consequent failure of an earthen dam due to an inadequate
spillway capacity.
2. Failure of bridges and culverts due to excess flood flow.
3. Inability of a large reservoir to fill up with water due to overestimation of the
stream flow.
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Prepared by : A.L. Fadhil Abd Al-Abbas Chapter One : Introduction
1.7. Sources of Data :
Depending upon the problem at hand, a hydrologist would require data relating
to the various relevant phases of the hydrological cycle playing on the problem
catchment. The data normally required in the studies are :
1. Weather records – temperature, humidity and wind velocity.
2. Precipitation data.
3. Stream flow records.
4. Evaporation and evapotranspiration data.
5. Infiltration characteristics of the study area.
6. Soils of the area.
7. Land use and land cover.
8. Groundwater characteristics.
9. Physical and geological characteristics of the area.
10.Water quality data.
