Introduction to Hidrology

Hidrology: Science that deals with all

phases of the earth water. It focuses on
the study of the components of the
hydrologic cycle
Hidrologic Cycle: Circulation of water
between the earth and the atmosphere, by
changing the state in this closed system.

Residence time expresses how fast

something moves through a system in
equilibrium.
It is the average time a substance spends
within a specified region of space, such as a
reservoir. It is a measure of the average age of
the water in that reservoir.

For example, the residence time of water

stored in groundwater, as part of the water
cycle, is about 5,000 years.
A common method for determining residence
times is to calculate how long it would take for
a region of space to become filled with a
substance.
Re sidenceTim e

Volume
of
water
phase
Flow rate
of
water
phase

Examples
Re sidenceTim e

Volume
of
water
phase
Flow rate
of
water
phase

Atmospheric (precipitation)
Volume = 12900 km3
Flow Rate= 577000 km3/day
Surface (rivers)
Volume = 2120 km3
Flow Rate= 44700 km3/day
Groundwater (fresh)
Volume = 10530000 km3
Flow Rate= 2200 km3/year

In the Troposphere
T T0 Z
T0 is the surface temperature
(z0=0)
is the ambient lapse rate (L1
)

Hydrostatic Pressure Distribution

Pz z A

Force Balance
Pz A Pz z A a A z g o

Air parcel
Z

Pz A

Zero acceleration,
motionless air or constant
velocity

Pz z A Pz A a A z g

Pz z Pz
a g
z
dP
Taking: lim
a g
z 0
dz

HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION, if a were constant

P P0 a gz

a RT
P
Ma

if a is different to constant, IDEAL GAS EQUATION

IDEAL GAS EQUATION

a RT
P
Ma

PM a
a
RT

Ma is the molecular weight of air (around 29 g/mol)

R is the universal gas constant (8.314 J/mol K 0.082 l atm/mol K)

dP
a g
that:
dz

Knowing

and,

PM a g
dP

dz
RT
P

So,

T with
T0 Z
z

Mag
dP
dz
P P R 0 T0 Z
0

Integrating

T0 Z

P P0
T0

gM a
R

P0

Density Profile
T0 Z

a 0
T0

gM a
1
R

M a P0
with 0
RT0

Stable
Profile

So: heavier air (at the bottom) gets warmed up by higher

temperatures and gets pushed up by higher pressures.
When it ascends, it gets cold off by lower temperatures,
gets heavier and them comes down.
Lighter

Heavier

Air cools

Air warms

If surface air (cool) is polluted, this creates

poor air quality problems, since pollutants
are unable to escape Common problem
in cities such as Mexico, LA (flat, clear
skies)

Atmospheric Humidity
Specific Humidity (w)
mass of vapor v
w

mass of air

Relative Humidity (r)

mass of vapor in air
(actual )
r
max imum mass of vapor which could exist in air

Vapor Pressure (Pv),

partial pressure of water

vapor in humid air (mixture of vapor +dry air)

v RT
Pv
Mv

Where:

J
l atm
R 8.314
0.082
mol K
mol K
M v 18 g / mol

Knowing
mass of vapor Pv M v RT M v Pv
w

mass of air
PM a RT M a P
Pv
w 0.62
Also,
P

Links humidity to
water pressure

mass of vapor in air

(actual )
v
r

max imum mass of vapor which could exist in air v sat

Pv M v RT
Pv
r

Pv sat M v RT Pv sat

Pv sat
Note:

= function of temperature
Thermodynamic Tables

Raudviki, 1979
Pv sat

17.27T
611 exp
,

237.3 T

Rainfall Potential

T ( 0C )

Rainfall Empirical
Relationships
Main mechanism of air-mass lifting are:
1. Frontal lifting, warm air is lifted over cooler air by
frontal passage (cyclonic or frontal storm) and the zone
where the warm and cold zone meet is called a front.
(South Florida)
2. Orographic lifting, warm air rises as it flows over hills
or mountains. (Seattle, Washington)
3.Convective lifting, air rises as by virtue of being
warmer and less dense than the surrounding air,
convective storms or thunderstorms. (central United
States with moist summers short duration)

Rainfall is measured by government agencies

using:
Rain gages

Standard rain gage, 20.3 cm diameter funnel that passes water into a
cylindrical measuring tube, the whole assembly is placed within an
overflow can.
Measuring tube has a cross-sectional area one-tenth that of the collector
funnel, a 2.5 mm (0.1 in) rainfall will occupy a depth of 25 mm (1 in) in

 Radar Doppler (NexRAD)

Empirical Relationships
Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) CURVE
Statistics of the rainfall measurements are typically used,
the most common form are the IDF curves, which express:
relationship between the intensity in a rainstorm and
the averaging time (duration), with each relationship
having a probability
Data required to create IDF curve:
Record of rainfall measurements in the form of the
depth of rainfall during fixed intervals of time, t, typically
on the order of 5 minutes