BFC 32002 Hydrology

Chapter 1. Basic Concept of Hydrology

Prof. Ir. Dr. Amir Hashim bin Mohd Kassim
Based on BFC 32002 Hydrology Module
Email: amir@uthm.edu.my
Phone Nu: 074564404 / 0197239001
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_EPoUriJOib
TWdSQ0E3UVI3Nm8?usp=sharing
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
• define hydrology.
• apply fundamental knowledge of hydrology particularly
use in civil and environmental engineering.
• apply water balance equation as the base of a modeling

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of hydrology which covers processes of precipitation,
evaporation, infiltration, runoff and groundwater.

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Hydrology
• Hydrology is a science that studies the availability (sources of
water) and movement of water in the earth.
• Hydrology is also defined as a science related to the occurrence
and distribution of natural water on the earth.

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Importance in managing:
1) Water resources

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Tahan River, Pahang Hot spring, Sungai Klah, Sungkai,
Perak
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2) Water supply management

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3) Managing floods/droughts, drainage & urban
stormwater problems

Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel

(SMART), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Global Water Statistics
Total water = 1.36 x 1018 m3
• Oceans and lakes (saltwater) 97.2%
• Ice and glaciers (fresh water) 2.15%
• Groundwater (fresh water) 0.64%
• Lakes and rivers (fresh water) 0.0085%

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• Atm and biosphere (moisture) 0.00015%

Malaysia Water Statistics

Total water = 990 x 109 m3
• Lakes and rivers 566 x 109 m3
• Atm and biosphere(moisture) 360 x 109 m3
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• Groundwater 64 x 109 m3
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Definition
Hydrologic cycle is a continuous process in which water is
evaporated from water surfaces and oceans, moves inland as
moist air masses, and produce precipitation if the correct
vertical lifting conditions exist. The precipitation that falls from
clouds onto the land surface of the earth is dispersed to the

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hydrologic cycle via several pathways.

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 Hydrologic cycle process

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P = Precipitation
T = Transpiration
F = Infiltration
R = Run-off
G = Groundwater flow
LS = Land surface What these mean? 9
WT = Water table Video
E = Evaporation from lake,
land surface and ocean
Catchment/Watershed areas
Land area that topographically drains to a particular point

Catchment boundary

Spring
H
I River
G C
H O

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L A
A River
S
N Main River T
Spring
D A
L
A
R A
E Lake R
River
A River
E
A

Spring

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Sketch of Movement of Water on the Land Surface
Typical Watershed Areas

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Outlet

Outlet
a. Elongated shape b. Concentrated shape

Typical watershed areas

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Water balance
• In quantitative terms, hydrology cycle can be
represented by a closed equation which
represents the principle of conservation of mass,
often referred to in hydraulics as the continuity

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equation. And many forms of this expression,
called the water balance.
• Water balance equation is the base of a
modeling of hydrology.

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 Water budget

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Conceptual
• The same concept can be applied to small basins or large
watersheds

P – R – G – E – T = ΔS

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where:
P = precipitation,
R = surface runoff,
G = groundwater flow,
E = evaporation,
T = transpiration,
ΔS = change in storage in a specified time period.

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Example 1.1
For a given month, a 121 ha lake has 0.43 m3/s of inflow,
0.37 m3/s of outflow, and total storage increase of 1.97
ha-m. A USGS gage next to the lake recorded a total of
3.3 cm precipitation for the lake for the month. Assuming
that infiltration loss is insignificant for the lake,

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determine the evaporation loss, in cm, over the lake for
the month.

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• Solving the water balance for inflow I and outflow Q in a lake gives,
for evaporation,
E = I – O + P – ΔS
 m3  30day  24hr  3,600sec 
 0.43 1month   
sec  1month  1day  1hour   0.92m  92cm
I
 10,000m 2 
121ha  
 1ha 

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 m3   30day  24hr  3,600sec 
 0.37 1month   
sec  1month  1day  1hour 
Q    0.79m  79m
121ha  10,000m 
2
 
 1ha 

ΔS 
1.97ha  m  0.0163  1.63cm P = 3.3 cm
121ha 
E = 92 – 79 + 3.3 – 1.63 = 14.67 cm
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Example 1.2
A swimming pool (6m  6m  1.5m) has a small leak at
the bottom. Measurements of rainfall, evaporation, and
water level are taken daily for 10 days to determine what
should be done for repair. Estimate the average daily
leakage out of the swimming pool in cm3/day. Assume the

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pool is exactly 1.5 m deep at the end of day 1.
Day Evaporation Rainfall Measured Level
(mm) (mm) (mm)
1 12.7 - 1,524
2 0 25.4
3 12.7 -
4 0 50.8
5 12.7 -
6 12.7 -
7 0 101.6 17
8 12.7 -
9 12.7 -
10 12.7 - 1,321
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Example 1.3
A reservoir has the following inflow and outflows (in cubic
meters) for the first three months of the year. If the storage
at the beginning of January is 60 m3 , determine the storage
at the end of March. Month January February March

I 4 6 9

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O 8 11 5

( I1 + I2 + I3 )/3 - (O1 + O2 + O3)/3 = S2 – S1 /3 months

(4 + 6 + 9)/3 – (8 + 11 + 5 )/3 = (S2-60)/3 months
(6.33 – 8) ( 3 months) = S2 – 60 m3
-1.67 ( 3 months ) + 60 = S2 – 60 m3
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S2 = 54.99 cubic meter
Hydrological Data
Includes rainfall depth, streamflow, evaporation, temperature,
wind speed, moisture, sunlight (solar radiation), groundwater
level, land use, topography, land slope.
• Rainfall depth - Department of Irrigation and Drainage
Malaysia (DID) and Malaysian Meteorological Department

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• Meteorological data (evaporation, temperature, wind
speed and direction, solar radiation, and moisture
content) - Malaysia Meteorological Department (MMD)
and DID

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Hydrological Data
• Stream-flow and water level - Department of Irrigation
and Drainage Malaysia (DID) and Department of
Environment (DOE) Malaysia
• Groundwater level - Minerals and Geoscience
Department Malaysia of Ministry of Natural Resources

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and Environment
• Landuse - Forestry Departments or Department of
Survey and Mapping Malaysia
• Physical characteristics of development area -
Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia or
Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency
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Conclusion
• Hydrology is the science of water.
• It embraces the occurrence, distribution,
movement and properties of the waters of the
earth.

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• A mathematical accounting system may be
constructed for the inputs, outputs and water
storages of a region so that a history of water
movement over time can be estimated.

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THANK YOU

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