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HYDROLOGY

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13 views3 pages

HYDROLOGY

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cjohnaries30
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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HYDROLOGY

“HYDRO” originates from Greece which means WATER.


“OLOGY” means to study.
Hydrology is the scientific study of water, focusing on its distribution, movement, and
properties in the environment. It examines how water interacts with the atmosphere, land,
and living organisms. This includes understanding the water cycle, which describes how
water evaporates, condenses, and precipitates back to the earth
Hydrology is the study of the distribution and movement of water both on and below the
Earth’s surface, as well as the impact of human activity on water availability and
conditions.
Hydrologists study both natural and human-induced changes in water systems. They
analyze how factors like climate change, land use, and water management practices
affect water availability and quality.
The ultimate goal of hydrology is to develop sustainable water resource management
practices that ensure the availability of clean water for future generations while balancing
ecological and human needs.
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
This cycle describes how water circulates from precipitation in the atmosphere, falls to
the ground, travels through river basins, and eventually evaporates back into the
atmosphere. Understanding this cycle is crucial for hydrologic science.
"the distribution and movement of water both on and below the Earth’s surface" describes
the parts of hydrologic cycle.
Evaporation
• Evaporation occurs when heat energy, usually from the sun, causes water
molecules on the surface of oceans, rivers, lakes, or soil to gain enough energy to
become vapor.
• This process purifies water, separating it from impurities and salts.
• Factors affecting evaporation include temperature, wind speed, humidity, and the
surface area of the water body.
Evapotranspiration/Transpiration
• Transpiration specifically refers to the release of water vapor from plants, while
evapotranspiration combines transpiration with evaporation from soil and other
surfaces.
• Transpiration rates depend on factors like plant type, sunlight, temperature, and
soil moisture.
• It plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of water in ecosystems and cooling
plants.

Condensation
• Condensation happens when water vapor cools down in the atmosphere and
changes into liquid droplets.
• This process forms clouds, fog, dew, or frost depending on environmental
conditions.
• Condensation requires tiny particles like dust or pollen, known as condensation
nuclei, to facilitate droplet formation.
Precipitation
• Precipitation occurs when water droplets in clouds combine and grow too heavy to
remain suspended, leading them to fall to the Earth.
• It replenishes freshwater sources, such as rivers, lakes, and aquifers.
• Its distribution depends on factors like geography, wind patterns, and climate.
Infiltration
• Infiltration is the process where water seeps through the soil and into underground
reservoirs.
• Factors influencing infiltration include soil type, soil saturation level, vegetation
cover, and the slope of the land.
• This process helps recharge aquifers and maintain soil moisture.
Surface Runoff
• Surface runoff is water flow that occurs when the soil is saturated or impermeable,
and rainfall exceeds the land's absorption capacity.
• It can lead to erosion, transportation of sediments, and flooding in extreme cases.
• Runoff plays a vital role in feeding rivers and lakes and is influenced by terrain,
vegetation, and rainfall intensity.
Groundwater
• Groundwater is stored in aquifers and can remain underground for days to
thousands of years, depending on the depth and geology.
• It is a critical resource for drinking water, irrigation, and industrial use.
• The movement of groundwater through aquifers is typically slow and depends on
the permeability of the rock or sediment.

REFERENCE
Salas, J. D., Govindaraju, R. S., Anderson, M., Arabi, M., Francés, F., Suarez, W., Lavado-
Casimiro, W. S., & Green, T. R. (2013). Introduction to Hydrology. In Humana Press
eBooks (pp. 1–126). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-595-8_1

Vogel, R. M., Lall, U., Cai, X., Rajagopalan, B., Weiskel, P. K., Hooper, R. P., & Matalas,
N. C. (2015). Hydrology: The interdisciplinary science of water. Water Resources
Research, 51(6), 4409–4430. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015wr017049

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