Topic-1:

Hydrologic Cycle

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Lesson Outcome
On completion of this chapter you will be able to
understand and / or identify and / or quantify

What is hydrology?
Why we need to study hydrology?
What is a hydrologic cycle?
Components of hydrologic cycle
World water quantities

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Hydrology
Hydrology means the science of water and it
deals with the
Occurrence
Circulation &

Distribution
of water of the earth and earths atmosphere

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Hydrology
In general hydrology is a very broad subject of an
inter-disciplinary nature drawing support from
allied sciences such as:
Meteorology
Geology
Statistics
Chemistry
Physics &
Fluid mechanics
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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Application of Engineering
Hydrology
Estimation of water resources
Study of processes such as:
Precipitation
Runoff
Evapotranspiration & their interaction
Study of problems such as:
Floods & droughts
Strategies to combat them
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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Application of Engineering
Hydrology
Design & operation of water resources
engineering projects such as:
Irrigation
Water supply
Flood control
Water power &
Navigation

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Hydrologic Cycle
Water occurs on the earth in all three states
(liquid, solid and gaseous) and in various degree
of motion. Some example of dynamic aspects of
water are:
Evaporation of water from water bodies
(oceans, lakes)
Formation and movement of clouds, rain
and snowfall
Stream flow & groundwater movement
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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Hydrologic Cycle
The various aspects of water related to the earth
can be explained in terms of a cycle known as
the Hydrologic Cycle

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Components of
Hydrological Cycle:

Precipitation
Evaporation
Transpiration
Interception
Infiltration
Runoff / Stream flow
Interflow / Base flow
Groundwater flow

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Schematic representation
of Hydrologic Cycle
Precipitation
Clouds

Sun
1

Snow

Precipitation
Evaporation
from ocean

Groundwater (8)

5
6

7
8
9
0 = Evaporation from ocean
1 = Raindrop evaporation
2 = Interception
3 = Transpiration
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6
0
8

Rock

Pervious material

4 = Evaporation from land

5 = Evaporation from water bodies
6 = Surface runoff / Stream flow 8 = Ground water
9 = Deep percolation
7 = Infiltration
VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Importance of Hydrological
Cycle
One Possible Answer:
Helps to study the science of
hydrology in a systematic way
Can you think of a few more possible
importance of hydrological cycle?:

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Water-Budget Equation
(Hydrologic Equation)
The continuity equation for water in various
phases is expressed as:

i o S
Mass inflow Mass outflow Change in mass storage

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Expression of water budget

equation for a catchment:
P R G E T S
where
P = Precipitation
R = Surface runoff
G = Net groundwater flow out of the catchment
E = Evaporation
T = Transpiration and
S = Change in storage

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Expression of water budget

equation for a catchment:
Note:

The infiltration does not occur explicitly in the water

budget equation as the infiltration which is a loss to
the runoff processes is a gain to the ground water
system

All terms in the water budget equation must have

consistent units (volume or depth over the catchment
area)

In hydrologic calculations volumes are often

expressed as average depths over the catchment area
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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Residence time
The average duration of a particle of water to
pass through a phase of the hydrologic cycle is
known as the residence time of that phase

Residence time for a phase:

Tr

Volume of w ater in a phase

Average flow rate in the phase

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Estimated World Water

Quantities
Estimated World Water Quantities
Item
Ocean
Ground water
(a) Fresh
(b) Saline
Soil moisture
Polar ice
Other ice and snow
Lakes
(a) Fresh
(b) Saline
Marshes
Rivers
Biological water
Atmospheric water
Total:
(a) All kinds of water
(b) Fresh water

Area
(M km2)

Volume
(M km3)

% total
water

% fresh
water

361.3

1338.0

96.5

134.8
134.8
82.0
16.0
0.3

10.530
12.870
0.0165
24.0235
0.3406

0.76
0.93
0.0012
1.7
0.025

30.1
0.05
68.6
1.0

1.2
0.8
2.7
148.8
510.0
510.0

0.0910
0.0854
0.01147
0.00212
0.00112
0.01290

0.007
0.006
0.0008
0.0002
0.0001
0.001

0.26
0.03
0.006
0.003
0.04

510.0
148.8

1386.0
35.0

100.0
2.5

100.0

Source: World Water Balance & Water Resources Of The Earth. UNESCO 1975

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Global Annual Water

Balance
Global Annual Water Balance
Item

Ocean

Land

Area (M km2)
Precipitation
(km3/year)
(mm/year)
Evaporation
(km3/year)
(mm/year)
Runoff to ocean
Rivers (km3/year)
Groundwater (km3/year)
Total runoff
(km3/year)
(mm/year)

361.30

148.8

458,000
1270

119,000
800

505,000
1400

72,000
484
44,700
2,200
47,000
316

Source: World Water Balance & Water Resources Of The Earth. UNESCO 1975

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Water Balance of
Continents
Water Balance of Continents (mm/year)
Continent

Area Precipitation
(M km2)
P

Total Runoff as Evapor

runoff
% of P
ation

Africa

30.3

686

139

20

547

Asia

45.0

726

293

40

433

Australia

8.7

736

226

30

510

Europe

9.8

734

319

43

415

N. America

20.7

670

287

43

383

S. America

17.8

1648

583

34

Source: World Water Balance & Water Resources Of The Earth. UNESCO 1975

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

1065

Water Balance of Oceans

Water Balance of Oceans (mm/year)
Ocean

Area
(M km2)

Precpt.

Inflow from
adjacent
continents

Evapo.

Water
exchange
with other
oceans

107

780

200

1040

-60

Arctic

12

240

230

120

350

Indian

75

1010

70

1380

-300

Pacific

167

1210

60

1140

130

Atlantic

Source: World Water Balance & Water Resources Of The Earth. UNESCO 1975

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Hydrological Data
Weather records (temperature, humidity & wind speed)

Precipitation data
Evaporation & transpiration data
Stream-flow records

Infiltration characteristics of an area / catchment

Groundwater characteristics
Physical & geological characteristics of the area

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

References
Elizabeth M. Shaw (1989). Engineering Hydrology
Techniques in Practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Ray K., Linsley, Jr., Max A. Hohler. (1988). Hydrology for
Engineers. Mc Graw Hill.
Roberson, JA. Cassidy, JJ. Chaudhry MH. (1998).
Hydraulic Engineering. John Wiley & Sons.
Richard H. McCune (1998). Hydraulic Analysis and
Design. Prentice Hall.

Subramanya K. (1996). Engineering Hydrology. Tata

McGraw-Hill.
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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Exercise 1:
A lake has 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 6.0 m3/s from surface runoff sources.
In the same period the outflow from the lake had an average value of
6.5m3/s. Further in that month, the lake received a rainfall of 145 mm
and the evaporation from the lake surface was estimated as 6.10 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.

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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Solution 1:
For a time period t the water budget for the lake can be written as:
Input volume Output volume = Change in storage

I t P A Q t E A S
Where:

I = average inflow rate

Q = average outflow rate
P = precipitation
E = evaporation
A = surface are of the lake
S = change in lake storage volume
t = time
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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Solution 1: (contd.)
Here, t = 1 month
= 30 x 24 x (60 x 60)
= 2.592 x 106 s
= 2.592 Ms
In one month:
Inflow volume = It = 6.0 x 2.592 = 15.552 Mm3
Outflow volume = Qt = 6.5 x 2.592 = 16.848 Mm3
Input due to precipitation PA = 14.5 x 5000 x 100 x 100
100
106
= 7.25 Mm3
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VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle

Solution 1: (contd.)
Outflow due to Evaporation EA = 6.10 x 5000 x 1006 x 100
10
100
= 3.05 Mm3
Hence, S = (15.552 + 7.25)
(16.848 + 3.05)
= 2.904 Mm3
Change in elevation z =

S
2.904 x 106
=
5000 x 100 x 100
A

= 0.058 m (+ve)
New water surface elevation
at the end of the month
(above datum)
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= 103.2m + 0.058m
= 103.258 m (Ans)

VAB2063 Hydrology
Chapter-1: Hydrologic Cycle