KCE078
Irrigation & Water Resources Engineering
Unit 01
(Hydrology)
Prepared by:
Shagun Pandey
Assistant Professor & Head
Civil Engineering Department
REC, Bijnor
HYDROLOGY
“Hydro” means water
“Logy” means Science
Hydrology is science of water which deals with the
occurrence , circulation & distribution of water on earth
surface and its atmosphere.
HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
Hydrologic cycle is the water transfer cycle, which occurs
continuously in nature; the three important phases of the hydrologic
cycle are:
(a) Evaporation and evapotranspiration
(b)precipitation and
(c) runoff
COMPONENTS OF HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Interception
Infiltration
Transpiration
Evapotranspiration
Percolation
Overland Flow
Surface Runoff
Residence Time
Residence time:
Average travel time for water to pass through a subsystem of the
hydrologic cycle
Tr = S/Q
Storage/flow rate
Example:-
Volume (storage) of atmospheric water: 12,900 km3
Flow rate of moisture from the atmosphere as precipitation = 577,000 km3/yr
Tr = 12,900/577,000 = 0.022 yr = 8.2 days
Question-1
A lake has water surface elevation of 103.2m above datum. In
a month the lake receives an avg inflow of 6 cumecs and in
the same period the outflow is 6.5 cumecs. In that month the
lake receives a rainfall of 145mm & evaporation on lake
surface was estimated as 6.1cm. Find the water surface
elevation of the lake at the end of this month. Surface area of
lake is 5000 hec.
(Ans- 103.258m)
Precipitation
Precipitation
It denotes all forms of water that reaches the earth surface
from the atmosphere.
Types of Precipitation
1. Rain
2. Snow
3. Drizzle
4. Glaze
5. Sleet
6. Hail
1. Rain- This is the principle mode of precipitation in India & it denotes
water droplets with size varying from 0.5mm to 6mm. On the
basis of intensity rainfall is classified as following :-
Mm/hr Rainfall
0-2.5 Light
2.5-7.5 Medium
>7.5 Heavy
2. Snow – These are ice crystals having a density of 0.1gm/cc.
3. Drizzle- This denotes fine droplets of water whose size is less than
0.5mm and whose intensity is less than 1mm/hr.
4. Glaze- When droplets of water
comes in contact with cool object
then the water droplets is converted
into ice which is called glaze.
5. Sleet – These are frozen rain
drops of transparent nature. It is also
called graupel or soft hail.
6. Hail- This denotes lumps of ice
whose size > 8mm.
Average Annual Rainfall
The amount of rain collected by a rain gauge in the last 24 hr
is called daily rainfall & the amount collected in 1 year is
called annual rainfall.
Average annual rainfall is the average value of this annual
rainfall for the last 35 years. (or any other time interval)
India’s average annual rainfall = 117 cm ~120 cm.
Index of Wetness
This index is used to find the rainfall variation or deviation
for a year and it is given as follows-
Index wetness = x 100
Example – If in a particular year India receives 90cm of
rainfall then the
index of wetness = 75%
rainfall deficiency = 25%
S.N. Rainfall Deficiency Remarks
1 30-45% Large Deficiency
2 45-60% Severe Deficiency
3 >60% Disastrous Deficiency
S.N. Index of wetness Remarks
1 100% Normal rainfall or Normal Year
2 >100% Good Year
3 <100% Bad year
Occurrence of flood or drought can not be directly co-related with the index of wetness as
these are region specific phenomenon.
Measurement of Rainfall
Rainfall is expressed in terms of depth to which water would
stand on an area if all the rainwater was to be collected on it.
Rainfall is measured by an instrument called RAIN GAUGE
which is also known as Pluviometer or Ombrometer or
Hyetometer or Udometer.
A raingauge essentially consists of a cylindrical vessel
assembly which is kept in the open to collect the rain water.
Requirement for installing a rain gauge
1. Rain gauge must be surrounded by an open fenced area of
atleast 5.5m x 5.5 m.
2. It must be kept at a distance of atleast 30m or twice the
height of building or obstruction.
3. It must be placed on level ground surface which is free
from undulation.
Classification of Rain gauge
1. Non Recording
Rain Gauge-
This is basically consist
of a cylindrical vessel
whose area is known
and which is having
gradations.
In India the most
commonly used non-
recording type rain
gauge is Symon’s Rain
gauge which has a
collecting diameter of
127mm.
2. Recording Rain Gauge-
This type of rain gauge produces a continuous rainfall against
time curve.
Using this data the rainfall intensity vs time curve can be
plotted.
Types of Recording Raingauge:-
Tipping Bucket
Weighing Bucket
Natural Syphon (Float Type)
In India the float type rain gauge is extensively used as
standard recording type raingauge.
Rain Gauge Network
For analysing rain, finding peak flood discharge, forecasting
flood & drought, a proper distribution of rain gauge
distribution is required.
Following are the recommendation of IS recommendation
density of rain gauge-
S.N. Region Density
1 Plain Region 1 station/ 520 km2
2 Region having Avg elevation of 1 station/ 260-390 km2
1000m
3 Hilly region 1 station/ 130 km2
As per recommendation of WMO at least 10% of the rain gauges
should be of recording type.
As per actual data available, India is having a rain gauge density of
1 station/600km2 which is highly insufficient.
Out of total no. of rain gauges approximately 10% is maintained
by IMD whereas remaining is maintain by other independent
agencies such as railways, AAI, NHAI, Irrigation dept etc.
Optimum No. of Rain gauges (N)
This depends on the allowable% error & the variation or
deviation in the available rainfall data.
Question 2
A catchment has 6 rain gauge stations. In a particular year the
annual rainfall recorded by the different gauge are as follows:-
Station P(cm)
A 82.6
B 102.9
C 180.3
D 110.3
E 98.8
F 136.7
i)For a 10% error in the estimation of mean rainfall, Find the
optimum no. of rain gauges. (Ans-9)
ii)What is the standard error of the given data. (Ans-12.10%)
Question 3
The information available from a rainfall map of 1100km2 basin
area is as follows-
Zone Area (km2) Rain gauge Normal annual
rainfall (cm)
I 85 A 120
II 290 B 95
C 96
III 395 D 60
E 65
F 70
IV 230 G 45
V 65 H 21
VI 35 - -
i) How many additional rain gauge station may be required if
the desired error in mean value of rainfall is not to exceed
10cm. Suggest how you would proposed to distribute
these additional station. (Ans- 10, 1 in Zone VI & 1 in
Zone-IV)
ii) How many of rain gauges should be of recording type?
(Ans-1)
THANK YOU…
