Hydrology

This course introduces the fundamental principles of hydrology with emphasis on the analysis, interpretation, and application of hydrologic processes in civil engineering practice. Students will study the components of the hydrologic cycle, rainfall–runoff relationships, streamflow analysis, and hydrologic design concepts. The course integrates theoretical foundations with practical tools and real-world data to support engineering decision-making in water resources, drainage, and environmental applications.

Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand and explain the physical processes governing the hydrologic cycle.
• Analyze hydrologic data related to precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and streamflow.
• Apply rainfall–runoff methods for watershed response estimation.
• Perform basic hydrologic modeling and frequency analysis for engineering design.
• Interpret hydrologic results in the context of civil engineering problems such as drainage, flood estimation, and water resource management.

Contents

Unit I: Hydrologic cycle

1. Introduction to hydrology and water resources
2. The hydrologic cycle
3. Precipitation processes
4. Evaporation, evapotranspiration, and infiltration

Unit II: Surface hydrology and watershed response

5. Runoff mechanisms
6. Watershed characteristics
7. Streamflow measurements
8. Rainfall-runoff modeling

Unit III: Hydrologic analysis and applications

9. Hydrologic data analysis
10. Frequency analysis and flood estimation
11. Hydrologic design applications
12. Hydrologic modeling tools

Resources