HYDROLOGY

LECTURE NO. 4
TRANSPIRATION
LECTURE NO. 4
TRANSPIRATION

- Process by
which water
leaves the body
of a living plant
and reaches the
atmosphere as
water vapor.
FACTORS AFFECTING TRANSPIRATION

1. Atmospheric Vapor Pressure

2. Temperature
3. Wind
4. Light Intensity
5. Characteristics of the Plant
PHYTOMETER METHOD

- A large vessel
filled with soil in
which one or
more plants are
rooted.
PHYTOMETER METHOD
T = (w1 + w) – w2
T = Transpiration
w1 = Weight of container, plant and soil
w = Weight of water added
w2 = Final weight of container
TRANSPIRATION RATIO
TR = m1 / m2
TR = Transpiration Ratio
m1 = Total mass of water transpired by plant during full
growth
m2 = Mass of dry matter produced
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

- Combination of two
separate processes.
Evaporation:
- Loss of water from the soil
surface or any other open
water body
Transpiration:
- From plant surface
FACTORS AFFECTING EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

1. Air Temperature
2. Humidity
3. Movement of wind and air
4. Moisture/Water Available
5. Solar Radiations
POTENTIAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (PET)

- If sufficient moisture is always available to completely

meet the needs of vegetation fully covering the area, the
resulting evapotranspiration is called Potential
Evapotranspiration (PET).
ACTUAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (AET)

- The real evapotranspiration occurring in a specific

situation is called the Actual Evapotranspiration (AET).
FIELD CAPACITY
Field Capacity (FC)
- The maximum quantity of water
that the soil can retain against
the force of gravity.
Available Moisture
PERMANENT WILTING POINT Content (AMC)

- The moisture content of a soil at

which the moisture is no longer Permanent Wilting Point
available in sufficient quantity to (PWP)

sustain the plants.

RELATION BETWEEN THE PET AND AET
If AMC = FC, If AMC < FC If AMC = PWP
AET = PET AET < PET AET = 0

𝑨𝑬𝑻 𝑨𝑬𝑻 𝑨𝑬𝑻

=𝟏 <𝟏 =𝟎
𝑷𝑬𝑻 𝑷𝑬𝑻 𝑷𝑬𝑻
NOTE: For clayey soils,
moisture content is greater
For Clayey Soils,
than 50% of FC, then
𝑴𝑪 < 𝟎. 𝟓 𝑭𝑪
𝑴𝑪 > 𝟎. 𝟓 𝑭𝑪
𝑺𝒐𝒊𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚
𝑨𝑬𝑻
=𝟏
𝑷𝑬𝑻
MEASUREMENT OF EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

DIRECT METHOD Lysimetry Method

Catchment Water
Balance
INDIRECT
METHOD
Energy Balance
LYSIMETER

- Special
watertight tank
containing a
block of soil and
set in a field of
growing plants.
LYSIMETER
CATCHEMENT WATER BALANCE

ET = P – ΔS – Q - D
ET = Evapotranspiration
P = Precipitation
ΔS = Change in Storage
Q = Stream Flow
D = Groundwater Recharge
PENMAN’S EQUATION
𝑨𝑯𝒏 + 𝑬𝒂 𝜸
𝑷𝑬𝑻 =
𝑨+𝜸
PET = Daily potential Evapotranspiration (mm per day)
A = Slope of Saturation Vapor Pressure vs Temperature Curve
at the mean air temperature (mm of evaporable water per ͦC
Hn = Net Radiation (mm of evaporable water per day)
Ea = Parameter including wind velocity and saturation deficit
ɣ = Psychrometric Constant = 0.49 mm of mercury/ ͦC
PENMAN’S EQUATION
𝒖𝟐
𝑬𝒂 = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟓(𝟏 + )(𝒆𝒘 − 𝒆𝒂 )
𝟏𝟔𝟎
u2 = mean wind speed at 2m above ground (km/day)
ew = Saturation Vapor Pressure at mean air temperature (mm
of Hg)
ea = Actual Vapor Pressure (mm of Hg)
SATURATION VAPOR PRESSURE OF WATER
EXAMPLE:
Calculate the Potential Evapotranspiration in the month of
November by Penman’s Formula.
Mean Monthly Temperature = 19 ͦC
Mean relative humidity = 75%
Mean observed sunshine hours = 9 hrs
Wind Velocity at 2m height = 85km/day
Net Radiation = 1.99 mm of water per day
 EXAMPLE:
Calculate the Potential Evapotranspiration in the month of November by Penman’s Formula.
Mean Monthly Temperature = 19 C ͦ
Mean relative humidity = 75% 𝑨𝑯𝒏 + 𝑬𝒂 𝜸
Mean observed sunshine hours = 9 hrs 𝑷𝑬𝑻 =
Wind Velocity at 2m height = 85km/day
𝑨+𝜸
Net Radiation = 1.99 mm of water per day

PET = 2.06 mm/day

BLANEY-CRIDDLE FORMULA
𝑷𝑬𝑻 = 𝟐. 𝟓𝟒 𝑲𝑭

PET = Daily potential Evapotranspiration (cm)

K = Empirical Coefficient, depends on the type of crop and
stage of growth
F = Sum of monthly consumptive use factors for the period.
BLANEY-CRIDDLE FORMULA
BLANEY-CRIDDLE FORMULA
ഥ𝒇 /𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝑭 = ෍ 𝑷𝒉 𝑻
Ph = Monthly percent of annual day-time hours, depends on
the latitude of the place
Tf = Mean monthly temperature in ͦF
BLANEY-CRIDDLE FORMULA
EXAMPLE:
Estimate the PET of an area for the season of November to
February in which wheat is grown. The area has a latitude of
30 ͦN with mean monthly temperatures below:

Use the Blaney-Criddle Formula.

EXAMPLE:
Estimate the PET of an area for the season of November to February in which wheat is grown. The area has a latitude of
30 ͦN with mean monthly temperatures below:
𝑷𝑬𝑻 = 𝟐. 𝟓𝟒 𝑲𝑭
Use the Blaney-Criddle Formula.
ഥ𝒇 /𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝑭 = ෍ 𝑷𝒉 𝑻

PET = 26.85 cm
HYDROLOGY
LECTURE NO. 5
INTERCEPTION AND
DEPRESSION STORAGE
LECTURE NO. 5
INTERCEPTION
INTERCEPTION

- Removal of water that wets

and adheres to plant foliage,
buildings, and other objects
above ground surface.
INTERCEPTION

The quantity of water

removed through
interception is usually not
significant for an isolated
storm, but, when added over
a period of time, it can be
significant.
PRECIPITATION IS USUALLY INTERCEPTED BY:

1. Tree Canopy
2. Grass
3. Shrubs
4. Litter
5. Moss
6. Built Structures
INTERCEPTION LOSSES

Intercepted water lost by

evaporation to the
atmosphere before reaching
the soil surface
THROUGHFALL

- It can drip off

the plant leaves
to join the
ground surface
or the surface
flow
STEMFLOW

- The rainwater may

run along the leaves
and branches and
down the stem to
reach the ground
surface
INTERCEPTION LOSSES

Ii = Interception loss (mm)

Si = Interception storage whose value varies from 0.25 to
1.25mm depending on the nature of vegetation
Ki = Ratio of vegetal surface area to its projected area
E = Evaporation rate (mm/hr)
t = Duration of rainfall (hr)
FACTORS AFFECTING
INTERCEPTION
INTERCEPTION STORAGE

The ability of
vegetation surfaces
to collect and retain.
EVAPORATION

Even when the

interception storage
capacity is exceeded,
water may be lost by
evaporation off leaf
surfaces.
DURATION OF RAINFALL

Influences interception by
determining the balance
between reduced storage of
water on vegetation
surfaces and increased
evaporative loss over time.
RAINFALL FREQUENCY
The highest levels of
interception loss occur
when the leaves are dry and
interception storage is large,
so the frequency of re-
wetting is more significant
than the duration and
amount of rainfall.
PRECIPITATION TYPE
The contrast between rain and snow.
DEPRESSION STORAGE
DEPRESSION STORAGE
Term applied to water that
is lost because it becomes
trapped in the numerous
small depressions that are
characteristic of any natural
surface
DEPRESSION STORAGE
Typical values for
depression storage range
from 1 to 8mm with some
values as high as 15mm per
event.
DEPRESSION STORAGE
If the soil surface has a low
infiltration capacity and low
hydraulic conductivity, and
if the topography allows for
surface storage, then water
may be stored at the
surface in small pools or
depressions.
DEPRESSION STORAGE

V = Volume of water in depression storage

Sd = Maximum storage capacity of the depression
Pe = Rainfall Excess
K = Constant equal to 1/Sd
FACTORS AFFECTING
THE DEPRESSION
STORAGE
NATURE OF TERRAIN
SLOPE
TYPE OF SOIL SURFACE
ANTECEDENT RAINFALL