CHAPTER 1: HYDROLOGY AND THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYDROLOGY AND HYDRAULICS

Hydraulics - It deals with the conveyance of water or other liquids through pipes or other artificial
channels, and with the various mechanical applications of the force exerted by moving liquids.
Hydrology - “Water science,” scientific study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on
earth, including the water cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability.

HYDRAULICS HYDROLOGY
- Hydor (water) - Hydor (water)
- Aulos (pipes) - Logos (study)

Inventory of Water on Earth

Fresh Water on Earth is Limited

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE or WATER CYCLE - it is a continuous circulation of water on, above and
below the surface of the earth. At its core, water cycle is the motion of the water from the ground to the
atmosphere and back again.
1. Evaporation and Sublimation - process by which water moves from land and plants to the
atmosphere while sublimation is the process of ice and snow changing directly to water vapor.
- Evapotranspiration - Evaporation is the change of state of water (a liquid) to water vapor (a
gas) while Transpiration is evaporation of liquid water from plants and trees into the
atmosphere
- Sublimation- Occurs when solid water (ice) turns to gas without becoming liquid.
2. Condensation and Desublimation
- Condensation - is the process where water vapor (gas) changes into water droplets (a liquid).
It occurs when a gas loses energy or gains pressure, this is when we begin to see clouds.
Examples: dew, fog, frost and mist
- Desublimation - is the process of vapor turning directly into a solid, without going through a
liquid phase. Examples include snow and frost on solid walls
3. Transportation- is the movement of solid, liquid and gaseous water through the atmosphere.
Without this movement, the water evaporated over the ocean would not precipitate over land.
4. Precipitation-is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the earth.
It comes in many forms, like rain and snow.
5. Surface Runoff- portion of precipitation that doesn't infiltrate the soil and instead flows over the
ground.
6. Surface Flow- while "surface flow" might be used more generally to describe any water
movement on the surface, including within streams or channels.
7. Infiltration- is the process by which water from precipitation seeps into the soil and it helps
replenish groundwater supplies
8. Interflow - the lateral movement of water through the upper soil layers before it reaches a stream
or river. It occurs above the groundwater table and contributes to streamflow during and after
rainfall.
9. Percolation - the downward movement of water through soil and rock layers after infiltration. It
allows water to reach deeper underground reservoirs, including groundwater storage.
10. Groundwater Flow - the movement of water within underground aquifers. It occurs in permeable
rock layers and can supply wells, springs, and rivers over time.
11. Baseflow - the portion of streamflow that comes from groundwater seeping into rivers and
streams. It sustains water bodies during dry periods when there is no rainfall.

THE HUMAN IMPACT

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Global Warming Intensifies the Water Cycle
- Increases evaporation rates, leading to more extreme weather patterns (e.g., heavier rainfall
and droughts).
- Alters precipitation patterns, disrupting water availability in different regions.
- Causes glacial melting, raising sea levels and changing freshwater availability.
2. Deforestation
- Greatly Affects the Trees' and Plants' Purpose
- Reduces transpiration, which lowers moisture in the atmosphere and affects rainfall patterns.
 - Decreases soil stability, leading to increased runoff and reduced infiltration.
- Disrupts ecosystems that depend on consistent water cycling.
3. Increase of Impervious Surfaces
- Reducing the Area Where Infiltration Can Occur
- Reduces infiltration, leading to more surface runoff and higher flood risks.
- Lowers groundwater recharge, affecting water availability in wells and natural springs.
- Increases pollution in waterways, as runoff carries contaminants from roads and buildings.
4. Use of Toxic Chemicals in Agriculture and Dumping Wastes on Land
- Pollutes groundwater and surface water, making it unsafe for consumption.
- Disrupts aquatic ecosystems, harming plant and animal life.
- Affects soil quality, reducing its ability to filter and retain water effectively.
Overall, these human activities accelerate changes in the water cycle, leading to environmental and
societal challenges like water scarcity, extreme weather, and pollution. Sustainable practices can help
mitigate these impacts.

INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF PHASES OF THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

The Hydrologic Cycle involves the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-Atmosphere system. At
its core, the water cycle is the motion of the water from the ground to the atmosphere and back again. It
refers to how the different stages of the water cycle are connected and influence each other.
1. EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
a. Evaporation – the process by which the water or liquid from any bodies of water turns into a
gas/water vapor into the atmosphere.
b. Transpiration – the biological process where trees and plants take up water from the soil and
release large amount of water vapor into the atmosphere.
2. PRECIPITATION – the process by which water falls in the form of rain, snow, drizzle, and hail
on the Earth’s surface.
3. INFILTRATION – the process by which precipitation is abstracted by seeping into the downward
movement of water from the land surface into porous soil or rock.
4. PERCOLATION – water infiltrates deeper towards the groundwater/aquifer.
5. SURFACE/SUBSURFACE RUNOFF – excess water that overflows over the land surface and
through channels.
6. GROUNDWATER – water stored under the surface of the Earth.

PHILIPPINE WATERSHEDS
- It is an area of land where all the water that falls within it drains into a common outlet.
- It is also called a catchment area or drainage basin.

Parts of Watersheds
a. Headwater - The source of a stream or river. It is a place where surface runoffs from rainwater,
meltwater and/or spring water begin accumulating.
b. Tributaries - A smaller river or stream that flows into a main or parent river.
 c. Ridgeline/Watershed Divide - The ridges or high points that separate one watershed from another.
d. Flood Plain - Flat areas that are near the main river or stream that can become flooded during
high events.
e. Estuary - A partially enclosed body of water where freshwater from the river meets the ocean.
Watershed in the Philippines
Steps in Delineating a Drainage Area
1. Find the point of interest along a stream on the map.
2. Imagine (or draw) surface water flow lines that points downhill perpendicular to the topographic
contours.
3. Mark the location of the topography high points around the stream.
4. Mark the points along the contours that divide flow towards or away from the stream.
5. Connect the points along the divide around the stream.

TOPOGRAPHIC AND ROAD MAP

Both types of maps show roads, water features, cities and parks, but that’s where the similarity ends.
Topographic maps show contours, elevation, forest cover, marsh, pipelines, power transmission lines,
buildings and various types of boundary lines such as international, provincial and administrative, and
many others. Topographic maps allow the user to determine precise positions. In basic terms, topographic
maps allow the user to see a three-dimensional landscape on a two-dimensional surface.

Topographic Maps are a detailed record of a land area, giving geo graphic positions and elevations for
both natural and man-made features. They show the shape of the land the mountains, valleys, and plains
by means of brown contour lines (lines of equal elevation above sea level).

A topographic map provides a more realistic view of

the landscape. Features topographic map include:
Culture: roads, buildings, urban development,
boundaries, railways, power transmission lines
Water: lakes, rivers, streams, swamps, rapids
Relief: mountains, valleys, slopes, depressions
Vegetation: wooded, vineyards and orchards

Reading a topographic map

- The closer together the contour lines, the steeper the slope.
- The further apart the contour lines, the gentler the slope.
- If you see contour lines that that form a V pointing uphill, you’re looking at a valley. This will
usually also indicate a stream or a river that runs downhill from a higher altitude.
- If you see contour lines that form a V pointing downhill, you’re looking at a ridge.
- If you see a contour line in a circle with no other lines inside it, you’re looking at a summit.
- If you see contour lines in concentric circles and they’re marked by hachures, you’re looking at a
depression, or sunken geological formation.