Subject: CE 411: Hydrology

Course Description: This course is concerned with the discussion of Hydrologic cycle; occurrence
and analysis of components of hydrologic cycle such as precipitation, evapotranspiration,
infiltration, stream flow and ground water; river and reservoir sedimentation; flood routing
techniques; probability analysis for hydrologic design; computer modeling for hydrologic systems.
Number of Units for Lecture, Laboratory, Fieldwork and Tutorial: 3 Units
Course Objectives:
After completing this course, the student must be able to:
• Develop a good understanding of the hydrologic cycle in terms of the processes and storage
relationships among its components.
• Understand the physical meaning of different hydrologic models which capture/stimulate
selected hydrologic phenomena.
• Solve practical problems, which involve numerical calculations from working formulas used for
hydrologic analysis and design.
• Make solutions and decisions on a particular problem incorporating social and moral impact and
put into mind that a mediocre solutions could cause a loss of life and/or property.
 Grading Criteria
Periodical Exams = 60%
Quizzzes/ Assignments etc. = 30%
Case Study = 10%
TOTAL = 100%
Course Outline:
• I. Definition of Hydrology
• II. The Hydrologic Cycle
• III. Precipitation
• Formation of Precipitation
• Different Types of Precipitation
• Rainfall characteristics (Depth, Duration, Intensity, Hyetograph)
• Point Rainfall Measurements
• Different Types of Raingauges
• Estimation of Missing rainfall data
• Conversion of Point rainfall to areal rainfall
• Double Mass Analysis Surface
• IV. Infiltration
• Definition of infiltration
• Factors affecting infiltration, and infiltration measurements
• Horton Model and Phillip’s equation,
• Green-Ampt model
• Ponding time
• Fitting infiltration models to infiltration data using Excel

• V. Evaporation (Here only discussions of basic concepts are

introduced. The detailed calculations will be dealt in Irrigation
Engineering)
• Physics of evaporation
• Factors affecting evaporation
• Measurements of different factors for evaporation
• Available methods/procedures for estimating evaporation
from open water
• VI. Basic Subsurface flow (Steady State condition)
• Law of Darcy, confined and unconfined Aquifers
• Ground water flow in Confined Aquifer
• Groundwater flow in unconfined aquifer
• Radial ground water flow in Confined Aquifer
• Radial Ground water flow in unconfined aquifer
• Travel time of ground water in confined aquifer

• VII. Rainfall-Runoff relation

• Definition of hydrograph
• Hydrograph Separation
• Unit Hydrograph
• Estimation of discharge using unit hydrograph
• Rational Formula
• SCS Curve Method
INTRODUCION TO HYDROLOGY
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
Stages of Water Cycle
1. Evaporation
• Water is transferred from the surface
to the atmosphere
through evaporation, the process by
which water changes from a liquid to a
gas. The sun’s heat provides energy to
evaporate water from the earth’s
surface. Land, lakes, rivers and oceans
send up a steady stream of water
vapour and plants also lose water to
the air (transpiration).
Stages of Water Cycle
2. Transport
• The movement of water through the
atmosphere, specifically from over
the oceans to over land, is
called transport. Some of the earth’s
moisture transport is visible as clouds,
which themselves consist of ice
crystals and/or tiny water droplets.
3. Condensation
• The transported water vapour
eventually condenses, forming tiny
droplets in clouds.
Stages of Water Cycle
4. Precipitation
• The primary mechanism for
transporting water from the
atmosphere to the surface of the
earth is precipitation.
• When the clouds meet cool air
over land, precipitation, in the
form of rain, sleet or snow, is
triggered and water returns to the
land (or sea). A proportion of
atmospheric precipitation
evaporates.
Stages of Water Cycle
5. Groundwater
• Some of the precipitation soaks
into the ground and this is the
main source of the formation of
the waters found on land - rivers,
lakes, groundwater and glaciers.
Stages of Water Cycle
6. Run-off
• Most of the water which returns to
land flows downhill as run-off.
Some of it penetrates and charges
groundwater while the rest, as
river flow, returns to the oceans
where it evaporates. As the
amount of groundwater increases
or decreases, the water table rises
or falls accordingly. When the
entire area below the ground is
saturated, flooding occurs because
all subsequent precipitation is
forced to remain on the surface.
History of Hydrology
• Uncertain when the first hydraulic project was constucted
• Irrigation canal existed in Egypt during the reign of King
Scorpion about 3200 B.C
• King Menes (3000 B. C) have constructed a diversion canal to
redirect the flow of the Nile
• Sadd el- Kafara Dam was built about 28550 B.C
 What is Hydrology?
Hydro = Water
Logy = Science

• Hydrology is the science that encompasses the occurrence,

distribution, movement and properties of the waters of the
earth and their relationship with the environment within each
phase of the hydrologic cycle.
 What is Hydrology and what do hydrologist do?
• Water is one of our most precious natural resources. Without
it, there would be no life on earth.
• Hydrology has evolved as a science in response to the need to
understand the complex water system of the earth and help
solve water problems.
• This hydrology primer gives you information about water on
Earth and humans' involvement and use of water.
 What Hydrologist Do?
• Hydrologists apply scientific knowledge and mathematical
principles to solve water-related problems in society: problems
of quantity, quality and availability.
• They may be concerned with finding water supplies for cities or
irrigated farms, or controlling river flooding or soil erosion.
• Or, they may work in environmental protection: preventing or
cleaning up pollution or locating sites for safe disposal of
hazardous wastes.
 What Hydrologist Do?
• Scientists and engineers in hydrology may be involved in both
field investigations and office work.
• In the field, they may collect basic data, oversee testing of
water quality, direct field crews and work with equipment.
Many jobs require travel, some abroad.
• A hydrologist may spend considerable time doing field work in
remote and rugged terrain. In the office, hydrologists do many
things such as interpreting hydrologic data and performing
analyses for determining possible water supplies.
 What Hydrologist Do?
• Much of their work relies on computers for organizing,
summarizing and analyzing masses of data, and for modelling
studies such as the prediction of flooding and the
consequences of reservoir releases or the effect of leaking
underground oil storage tanks.
• The work of hydrologists is as varied as the uses of water and
may range from planning multimillion dollar interstate water
projects to advising homeowners about backyard drainage
problems.
 What Hydrologist Do?
1. Surface Water: Hydrologists help cities by collecting and
analyzing the data needed to predict how much water is
available from local supplies and whether it will be sufficient
to meet the city's projected future needs.
>> Hydrologic and water quality mathematical models are
developed and used by hydrologists for planning and
management and predicting water quality effects of changed
conditions.
 What Hydrologist Do?
2. Groundwater: Hydrologists estimate the volume of water
stored underground by measuring water levels in local wells
and by examining geologic records from well-drilling to
determine the extent, depth and thickness of water-bearing
sediments and rocks.
 end
Assignment: List the major hydraulic
projects in your area. What specific
hydrologic problems did each project
involve?