CE212 – Hydrology

Word Problem Set #3

Instruction: Answer the following:

1. For a given basin, the following are the infiltration capacity rates at various time intervals
after the beginning of the storm. Make a plot of the f-curve and establish an equation
of the form developed by Horton for infiltration curve. Also determine the total rain
and the excess rain (runoff).

2. A catchment has the Horton infiltration parameters: f0 = 150 mm/hr, fc = 50 mm/hr, and k =
3 min-1 The design storm is:
Interval (min) Average rainfall
(mm/hr)
0-10 20
10-20 40
20-30 80
30-40 170
40-50 90
50-60 20
Estimate the time when ponding begins.

3. An alternating-block analysis indicated the following rainfall distribution for a 70-min storm:
Interval (mm) Average rainfall
(mm/hr)
0-10 7
10-20 25
20-30 45
30-40 189
40-50 97
50-60 44
60-70 18

where each interval has a duration of 10 min. If infiltration can be described by the Horton
model with parameters: f0 = 600 mm/h, fc = 30 mm/h, and k = 0.5 min−1, and the depression
storage is 4 mm, use the Horton model to determine the distribution of runoff, and hence the
total runoff.
4. An area consists almost entirely of sandy loam, which typically has a saturated hydraulic
conductivity of 11 mm/h, average suction head of 110 mm, porosity of 0.45, field capacity of
0.190, wilting point of 0.085, and depression storage of 4 mm. The design rainfall is given as:
Interval (mm) Average rainfall
(mm/hr)

0-10 20
10-20 40
20-30 60
30-40 110
40-50 60
50-60 20

Use the Green-Ampt method to determine the runoff versus time and contrast the depth of
rainfall with the depth of runoff. Assume that the initial moisture conditions are midway
between the field capacity and wilting point.

5. A 7-hour storm over a catchment of 1800 km 2 produced intensities at half an hour interval are
3, 6, 20, 18, 13, 11, 12, 1, 7, 16, 17, 13, 5, 2 mm/hr. If the corresponding observed runoff is
72.0 x 106 m3, estimate the 𝜙 – index of the storm.

6. The rates of rainfall for the successive half an hour period of 3 ½ hours storm are: 3.5, 4.0,
12.0, 8.5, 4.5, 4.5, and 3.0 cm/hr. Assuming the 𝜙 – index of 3.5 cm/hr, find the net rainfall in
cm, total rainfall, and W-index.