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HYDROLOGY - is formed by two Greek
words: "hydro" and "logos" meaning "water" and
"science"
HYDROLOGY - is the study of the distribution and
movement of water both on and below the Earth's
surface, as well as the impact of human activity on
water availability and conditions.
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE:
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or
the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous
movement of water on, above, and below the surface
of the Earth.
Stages of Water Cycle
There are many processes involved in the movement
of water apart from the major steps given in the above
water cycle diagram. Listed below are the different
stages of the water cycle.
1. Evaporation
The sun is the ultimate source of energy, and it powers
most of the evaporation that occurs on earth.
Evaporation generally happens when water molecules
at the surface of water bodies become excited and rise
into the air. These molecules with the highest kinetic
energy accumulate in water vapor clouds. Evaporation
usually takes place below the boiling point of water.
Another process called evapotranspiration occurs
when evaporation occurs through the leaves of plants.
This process contributes to a large percentage of water
in the atmosphere.
Module 1: Definition of Hydrology and Hydrologic Cycle
ENGR. BENNYLIZA MARIE A. GREGORIO.
2. Sublimation
Sublimation occurs when snow or ice changes directly
into water vapor without becoming water. It usually
occurs as a result of dry winds and low humidity.
Sublimation can be observed on mountain peaks,
where the air pressure is quite low. The low air
pressure helps to sublimate the snow into water vapor
as less energy is utilized in the process. Another
example of sublimation is the phase where fog bellows
from dry ice. On earth, the primary source of
sublimation is free ice sheets covering the poles of the
earth.
3. Condensation
The water vapor accumulated in the atmosphere
eventually cools down due to the low temperatures at
high altitudes. These vapors become tiny droplets of
water and ice, eventually coming together to form
clouds.
4. Precipitation
Above 0 degrees centigrade, the vapors will condense
into water droplets. However, it cannot condense
without dust or other impurities. Hence, water vapors
attach themselves to the particle’s surface. When
enough droplets merge, it falls out of the clouds and
onto the ground below. This process is called
precipitation (or rainfall). In particularly cold weather or
extremely low air pressure, the water droplets freeze
and fall as snow or hail.
The most common types of precipitation are rain, hail,
and snow.
• Rain
Rain is precipitation that falls to the surface of
the Earth as water droplets. Raindrops form
around microscopic cloud condensation
nuclei, such as a particle of dust or
a molecule of pollution.
• Hail
Hail forms in cold storm clouds. It forms when
very cold-water droplets freeze, or turn solid,
as soon as they touch things like dust or dirt.
The storm blows the hailstones into the upper
part of the cloud. More frozen water droplets
are added to the hailstone before it falls.
 2

• Snow
Snow is precipitation that falls in the form
of ice crystals. Hail is also ice,
but hailstones are just collections of
frozen water droplets. Snow has a complex
structure. The ice crystals are formed
individually in clouds, but when they fall, they
stick together in clusters of snowflakes.

5. Infiltration
Rainwater gets absorbed into the ground through the
process of infiltration. The level of absorption varies
based on the material the water has seeped into. For
instance, rocks will retain comparatively less water
than soil. Groundwater can either follow streams or
rivers. But sometimes, it might just sink deeper,
forming aquifers.

6. Runoff
If the water from rainfall does not form aquifers, it
follows gravity, often flowing down the sides of
mountains and hills; eventually forming rivers. This
process is called runoff. In colder regions, icecaps form
when the amount of snowfall is faster than the rate of
evaporation or sublimation. The biggest icecaps on
earth are found at the poles.

REFERENCE: https://byjus.com/biology/water-
cycle/#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20major%204,in
%20the%20atmosphere%20as%20clouds.

Module 1: Definition of Hydrology and Hydrologic Cycle

ENGR. BENNYLIZA MARIE A. GREGORIO.