HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

CIE125 - Hydrology

ENGR. ARNOLD APOSTOL JR.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
BACKGROUND/MOTIVATION
EMBODYING SCIENCES
The science of hydrology embodies various fields of study, as
shown in the following:

• Potamology—Science of surface streams

• Limnology—Science of surface lakes
• Cryology—Science of surface snow and ice
• Glaciology—Science of surface glaciers
• Oceanology—Science of surface oceans
• Hydrometry—Science of measurement of water
• Hydrography—Science that describes the physical features of all
waters on the earth’s surface
QUANTITY OF WATER AVAILABLE ON THE EARTH

The total quantity of water available on the earth is

estimated as 1348.25305 x 10^6 km^3, and this may cover
the earth to an average depth of 2.73 km—assuming earth
a uniform sphere of 12,800 km in diameter.
GLOBAL WATER BUDGET
HISTORY OF HYDROLOGY
HISTORY OF HYDROLOGY
HISTORY OF HYDROLOGY
PROPERTIES OF WATER
Water consists of two hydrogen and one oxygen molecules
strongly bonded together. It is an inorganic liquid, and the
only substance occurring naturally as solid, liquid and gas.
Water has the highest surface tension compared to other
liquids, except mercury. Some chemical properties of water
are mentioned below:
• Water is the universal solvent and many compounds and
salts dissolve in it.
• Pure water boils at 100 °C and freezes at 0 ° C.
• Water by itself is a bad conductor of electricity; however,
dissolved ions like Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, and so on, have the ability
to conduct electricity.
• Water has the greatest thermal conductivity except
mercury.
• The physical properties of water are as follows:
THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE Some of the key hydrologic
reservoirs include: the atmosphere,
soil water (i.e. near-surface in the
unsaturated soil zone and in deeper
groundwater reservoirs), surface
water (i.e. rivers, lakes), the
cryosphere (including seasonal
snowpacks, glaciers, icecaps), the
biosphere (e.g. water stored in
vegetation), and the oceans. Across
all reservoirs, water can be stored in
any of its three phases (liquid water,
solid ice, and water vapor). For
example, in the atmosphere, water
can exist in all three phases, while
the cryosphere consists mostly of
solid ice and soil and surface water
is primarily liquid.
THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
Water moves between these various reservoirs via fluxes. Some of the key
hydrologic fluxes include: precipitation (either in liquid or solid form),
evaporation and transpiration (together referred to as evapotranspiration),
infiltration, recharge, and runoff. Precipitation and evapotranspiration are
the key fluxes between the atmosphere and surface (land and oceans).
Precipitation may accumulate when it falls as snow while rainfall is
partitioned at the surface into infiltration and surface runoff. Percolation of
water through the unsaturated soil zone recharges groundwater aquifers
which ultimately feeds surface water bodies via lateral flow and runoff. The
atmospheric water is replenished via evaporation from the soil and open
water surfaces and transpiration from vegetation. Fluxes and storage are
directly linked via mass balance.
THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
A key aspect of the hydrologic cycle is the fact that it is driven by energy
inputs. At the global scale, the system is essentially closed with respect to
water; negligible water is entering or leaving the system. In other words,
there is no external forcing in terms of a water flux. Systems with no
external forcing will generally eventually come to an equilibrium state. So
what makes the hydrologic cycle so dynamic? The solar radiative energy
input, which is external to the system, drives the hydrologic cycle.
Averaged over the globe, 342 W m-2 of solar radiative energy is being
continuously input to the system at the top of the atmosphere. This energy
input must be dissipated, and this is done, to a large extent, via the
hydrologic cycle. Due to this fact, the study of hydrology is not isolated to
the study of water storage and movement, but also must often include
study of energy storage and movements.
ENGINEERING REPRESENTATION OF THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
DISPOSITION OF GLOBAL ANNUAL AVERAGE PRECIPITATION

The average global precipitation

is 872 mm, which is equivalent to
445,000 km^3 of water. The
average atmospheric moisture is
14,000 km^3 . This means that
the atmospheric moisture is
replaced 32 times in a year, or
the residence time of
atmosphere moisture is 10 days.
Figure shows the disposition of
global annual average
precipitation.
PROCESSES IN HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
PROCESSES IN HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
PHASES OF THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESS
THE HYDROLOGICAL EQUATION

MODERN TECHNIQUES

In the study of hydrology, the following modern developments and techniques are
used:
• Remote sensing
• Artificial neural network
• Geographical information system
• Genetic algorithm
• Fuzzy logic
MASS BALANCE, FLUXES, AND UNITS
The key starting point of most hydrologic analyses involve application of mass balance. A mass balance
equation for any system (as well as many other conservation laws) can be derived using Reynolds
transport theorem (Mays, 2005). The theorem starts with the definition of a control volume in space
defined by a control surface (Figure). Implicit in any mass balance application is a pre-specified control
volume; without one the mass balance is not meaningful.
MASS BALANCE, FLUXES, AND UNITS
A golf course has requested a permit to install a 40,000 ft^2 pond to enhance the
beauty of its facilities. It is hypothesized that due to high evaporation rates, the
water in the pond will have to be supplemented with pumped groundwater. There is
a small creek that discharges an average of 0.0005 m^3/s into the pond. The outlet
valve from the pond releases an average rate of 0.0003 m^3/s to keep the pond
from getting stagnant. Precipitation on the pond is 260 mm/year, and the annual
evaporation is estimated to be 105 inches/year. The pond will be lined with concrete
to prevent any drainage or seepage from the bottom. Using a water balance, what
volume (on average) of groundwater (in cubic meters) must be added to the lake
each year to keep the pond at a steady-state level?
MASS BALANCE, FLUXES, AND UNITS

A golf course has requested a permit to

install a 40,000 ft^2 pond to enhance the
beauty of its facilities. It is hypothesized
that due to high evaporation rates, the
water in the pond will have to be
supplemented with pumped groundwater.
There is a small creek that discharges an
average of 0.0005 m^3/s into the pond.
The outlet valve from the pond releases an
average rate of 0.0003 m^3/s to keep the
pond from getting stagnant. Precipitation
on the pond is 260 mm/year, and the
annual evaporation is estimated to be 105
inches/year. The pond will be lined with
concrete to prevent any drainage or
seepage from the bottom. Using a water
balance, what volume (on average) of
groundwater (in cubic meters) must be
added to the lake each year to keep the
pond at a steady-state level?
ACTIVITY
A Palm Spring golf course has requested a permit to install a 40000 ft^2 pond to enhance
the beauty of its facilities. Since the evaporation rates are very high in Palm Springs, it is
likely they will need to pump a lot of groundwater to keep the pond full. The city has hired
you (a water resources engineer) to determine how much water needs to be pumped per
year in order to keep the pond filled. There is a small creek that discharges an average of
0.25 m^3/s into the pond. The outlet valve from the pond releases an average rate of 0.30
m^3/s (to keep the pond from getting stagnant). Precipitation on the pond is 260 mm/year,
and the annual evaporation is estimated to be 105 inches/year. The pond will be lined with
concrete to prevent any drainage or seepage from the bottom. Using a water balance, what
volume (on average) of groundwater (in cubic meters) must be added to the lake each year
to keep the pond at a constant level?

Draw a schematic of the problem to identify the control volume and the relevant fluxes.
Clearly write out/define your water balance equation and variables along with any
assumptions you make.