Hydrologic processes: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration and surface

runoff.
 EVAPORATION:
Evaporation is the process by which water changes from liquid to gaseous phase at the free
surface. This process occurs due to transfer of heat energy below the boiling point of water.

In a water body with a flat free surface , if the external source of thermal energy is supplied
the water molecules will gain enough kinetic energy to escape from the surface of water body
by overcoming the intermolecular forces. The amount of energy utilised by unit mass of
water while changing from liquid to gaseous state is called latent heat of evaporation or latent
heat of vaporisation. If the external energy is not available the energy is removed from water
body during process of evaporation resulting in lowering of water temperature. Hence
evaporation causes cooling.

The rate of evaporation is dependent upon:

1. Vapour pressure at water surface and air above;

2. Air and water temperature;
3. Wind speed;
4. Atmospheric pressure;
5. Quality of water;
6. Size of water body.

 Measurement of evaporation:
Evaporation can be measured directly by using evaporation pan. The pan exposes a free water
surface to the air, and the evaporation rate is determined by measuring water loss during a
specified time period usually 1 day. The evaporation measured by pan is however generally
not the same as that of the lake or reservoir exposed to similar meteorological conditions.
Therefore a correction factor is applied to the pan evaporation measurement in order to find
the actual value of lake or reservoir evaporation. This correction factor is referred to as the
pan coefficient

 CONDENSATION:
Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the atmosphere is converted into liquid
droplets or, at low temperatures, into ice crystals.

The process of condensation often results in the formation of clouds, which are airborne
liquid water droplets or ice crystals or mixture of two. Condensation nuclei are required for
the conversion of water vapors into droplets. The effective condensation nuclei are certain
products of combustion and salt particle from the sea. If the air is cooled below its initial
saturation temperature and condensation continues to take place, liquid droplets or ice
crystals continue to accumulate in the resulting cloud. The excess liquid and solid moisture is
precipitated from the clouds.
Condensation is very important process as the precipitation is the primary route for water to
return to the Earth's surface within the water cycle..

 PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation generally represents water reaching earth surface from atmosphere in any of
the following form:

i. Rainfall;
ii. Snowfall;
iii. Drizzle;
iv. Glaze;
v. Sleet;
vi. Hail.

Significant amount of water is contributed to the earth surface by rainfall and snowfall. The
magnitude of precipitation varies with time and space.

 Forms of Precipitation:

i. Rainfall:

Rainfall-the driving force for most hydrologic processes is the principal form of precipitation.
Precipitation in the form of water drops of size in the range of 0.5-6 mm is termed as rainfall.
The drops larger than 6mm tend to break up into smaller droplets while falling from clouds.
Rainfall on basis of intensity can be classified into three types:

Type Intensity*
Light Rain Trace to 2.5 mm/hr
Moderate Rain 2.5 mm/h to 7.5 mm/hr
Heavy Rain >7.5mm/hr

*Intensity of rain is defined as rainfall depth per unit time interval. It is normally expressed
in mm/hr or in/hr.

ii. Snow:

Snow is the type of precipitation resulting from the combination of ice crystals fused together
in the form of flakes. Fresh snow has initial density of 0.06 to 0.15 g/cm 3. The ice crystals are
formed due to sublimation process i.e. conversion of water vapors directly to ice.

iii. Drizzle:

A fine sprinkle of water droplets of size less than 0.5mm having intensity less than 1mm/hr is
categorized as drizzle.
 iv. Glaze:

The rain or drizzle droplets may freeze when it falls on cold ground at around 0 degrees to
form an ice coating called as glaze.

v. Sleet:

Rain falling through air at subfreezing temperature may freeze the falling raindrops that
appear transparent and is referred to as sleet.

vi. Hail:

The precipitation of size more than 8mm, falling in the form of irregular lumps or pellets is
classified as hail. Hail normally occurs in thunderstorms in which vertical currents are very
strong.

 INFILTRATION:
Infiltration is the process by which precipitation is abstracted by seeping into the soil below
the land surface.

Below the surface the infiltrated water either moves laterally as interflow into streams, lakes
and rivers or vertically by percolation into aquifers.

Infiltration is a complex process measured either as instantaneous infiltration rate or average

infiltration rate measured in mm/hr.

Total Infiltration depth is measured by integrating the instantaneous infiltration rate over the
storm duration. The average infiltration rate is obtained by dividing the total infiltration depth
by storm duration.

Rate of infiltration depend upon following factors:

i. The condition of land surface (crust);

ii. Type, extent and density of vegetative cover;
iii. Physical properties of soil, including grain size and gradation;
iv. Storm characteristics i.e. Intensity, depth and duration;
v. The water temperature;
vi. Water quality including chemical constituents and other impurities.

 SURFACE RUNOFF
Water flowing on the surface of earth in form of overland sheet flow or as channels flow in
rills, gullies, streams or rivers is classified as surface runoff.
It is a continuous process by which water constantly flows from higher to lower elevations by
action of gravitational forces. Small streams combine to form larger streams which eventually
flow into rivers. The rivers complete the hydrologic cycle by flowing into oceans.

Runoff is expressed in terms of volume (cubic meters or cubic feet) or flow rate i.e. volume
per unit time passing through given area (cubic meters per second or cubic feet per second).