Hydrology

for the Master Programme in

Water Science and Engineering

4 Groundwater Resources
Dr. Pieter J.M. de Laat
Associate Professor in Land and Water Development
UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
E-mail: p.delaat@unesco-ihe.org
 Lecture notes:
• De Laat, P.J.M. and H.H.G. Savenije, 2008. Hydrology, Lecture note
LN0262/08/1, UNESCO-IHE, Delft
• De Laat, P.J.M., 2006. Workshop on Hydrology, Lecture note LN0192/08/1,
UNESCO-IHE, Delft

Recommended text books

• Brutsaert, W., 2005. Hydrology: an introduction. Cambridge
• McCuen, R.H., 1998. Hydrologic analysis and design. Prentice Hall, 814 p.
• Shaw, E.M., 1994. Hydrology in practice. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 569 p.
• Shaw, E.M., 1989. Engineering hydrology techniques in practice. Ellis
Horwood, 350 p.
• Ward, R.C. and M. Robinson, 1990. Principles of Hydrology, McGraw-Hill,
365 p.
• Wilson, E.M., 1990. Engineering Hydrology. Mc Millan, 309 p.

Acknowledgement
Some material of this ppt originates from Prof. Stefan Uhlenbrook
Contents of this Lecture
• Introduction to the subsoil as a
three phase system
• Principles of infiltration and its
measurement
• Estimating dry weather flow using
a a simple hydrological model
(SLR)
Saturated - Unsaturated
 Occurrence of Subsurface Water
Type of openings in rock

1 Pores of capillary nature

2 Fractures, crevices or joints in hard rock

3 Solution channels in karstic material or

openings resulting from gass bubbles in lava

POROSITY n
Vp
n =
V
Vp pore volume
V total volume of soil
Flow components above the watertable
Contents of this Lecture
• Introduction to the subsoil as a
three phase system
• Principles of infiltration and its
measurement
• Estimating dry weather flow using
a a simple hydrological model
(SLR)
Empirical infiltration formula of Horton
-k t
fp = fc + ( - )
f0 fc e
fp : infiltration capacity (mm/h)
f0 : initial infiltration capacity at t = 0 (mm/h)
fc : infiltration capacity at large value of t (mm/h)
t : time from beginning of infiltration period (min)
k : constant for a particular soil and surface cover (min-1)

Example infiltration curves

Infiltration capacity in mm/hour

30
Dry soil
25 Wet soil
20

15

10

5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time in hours
 Infiltration rate (mm/hr) Cumulative infiltration (mm)

fp = fc + ( f0 - fc ) e
-k t
F( t ) = f c (t − t 0 ) +
f0 − fc
k
* e −k t 0 − e −k t ( )
Example infiltration curves Cumulative infiltration
example in dry soil
Infiltration capacity in mm/hour

30
Dry soil 250
25

Cumulative depth in mm
Wet soil
20 200

15 150

10 100

5 50

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time in hours Time in hours
 Factors affecting
infiltration capacity

• type of soil
• type of vegetation
• soil surface condition
• moisture content

Infiltrometers
Contents of this Lecture
• Introduction to the subsoil as a
three phase system
• Principles of infiltration and its
measurement
• Estimating dry weather flow using
a a simple hydrological model
(SLR)
Groundwater contribution to river flow
River discharge Q may be schematized in two components:
Qs is the surface flow (overland flow)
Qb is the base flow (groundwater seepage)
After a long dry period Qs approaches zero and the river
discharge is sustained by groundwater outflow (Qb) only.
This is also known as groundwater depletion.
 Outflow from a Single Linear Reservoir (SLR)
Flow equation S = KQ
dQ
dS Q = -K
Continuity equation Q = - dt
dt
SLR Qt t
1 1
∫
Q0
Q
dQ = - ∫ K
dt
t0

t − t0
−
Qt = Q0 e K

t - t0
log Qt = log Q0 - 0.434
K
 250
Linear scale Example Flood 4 – 23 April
200 • Plot flood on semi-log paper
Discharge (m3/s)

150 • Determine depletion curve (straight section)

100
• Read values for Q0 and Qt
50
• t-t0 = 6 days
0 t - t0
• Calculate k from log Qt = log Q0 - 0.434
4-Apr

6-Apr

8-Apr

10-Apr

12-Apr

14-Apr

16-Apr

18-Apr

20-Apr

22-Apr
K

Logarithmic scale
2.5 Dry weather, low
2.4
2.3
flow forecast can
be made with
Discharge (m3/s)

2.2
2.1
1
2 −
1.9 Q t = Qt − 1 e K

1.8
1.7
1.6
Q0 (provided the
Qt
1.5 drought continues)
4-Apr

6-Apr

8-Apr

10-Apr

12-Apr

14-Apr

16-Apr

18-Apr

20-Apr

22-Apr
Some final remarks
1. There are two kinds of subsurface water, soil moisture and
groundwater
2. Initial infiltration rate depends on the initial dryness of the
soil
3. If river discharge is sustained by groundwater outflow
only, the flow may often be simulated with a SLR model