Hydrology

Hydrology is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability.

Overview

Hydrology has been a subject of investigation and engineering for millennia. For example, about 4000 BC the Nile was dammed to improve agricultural productivity of previously barren lands. Mesopotamian towns were protected from flooding with high earthen walls. Aqueducts were built by the Greeks and Ancient Romans, while the history of China shows they built irrigation and flood control works. The ancient Sinhalese used hydrology to build complex irrigation works in Sri Lanka, also known for the invention of the Valve Pit which allowed construction of large reservoirs, anicuts and canals which still function.

Branches of Hydrology

Hydrology is subdivided into surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology (hydrogeology), and marine hydrology. Domains of hydrology include hydrometeorology, surface hydrology, hydrogeology, drainage-basin management and water quality, where water plays the central role.

Surface Water Hydrology

Surface water hydrology is the study of above-earth water, in contrast to Groundwater hydrology that deals with water below the surface of the Earth.

Groundwater Hydrology

Groundwater hydrology, or hydrogeology, is the area of hydrology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust.

Marine Hydrology

Marine hydrology has to do with water in the oceans and seas, including the distribution, movement, and properties of this water.

Hydrological Cycle

The central theme of hydrology is that water circulates throughout the Earth through different pathways and at different rates. The most vivid image of this is in the evaporation of water from the ocean, which forms clouds. These clouds drift over the land and produce rain. The evaporated water is transpired into the atmosphere from plants and animals and reenters the ocean.

Hydrological Research

Hydrological research can inform environmental engineering, policy and planning. The results of hydrological research are used in the design and construction of infrastructure such as bridges, dams, and sewer systems. Hydrological research is also used in environmental conservation, such as the preservation of wetlands or the restoration of small waterways.

See Also

• Water Cycle
• Environmental Engineering
• Water Resources
• Water Management

References

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