Professional Documents
Culture Documents
And
Analysis of Hydrographs
River Discharge
The flow of the river
recorded at a particular
time at a particular point.
Storm Hydrographs
Show the change in discharge caused by a
period of rainfall
Why
Construct & Analyse
Hydrographs ?
To find out discharge patterns of
a particular drainage basin
Help predict flooding events,
therefore influence implementation
of flood prevention measures
©Microsoft Word clipart
Construction
Of
Storm (flood)
Hydrographs
p h
ra Basin lag time
o g Peak flow
r
yd 3
H
d
imb
o
Re
lo
c
l
Discharge (m3/s)
es
F
Rising
Overland
si o
2 flow
nl
im
mm
b
4 Through flow
1 3
2
Base flow
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Discharge (m3/s) 3
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Rainfall shown
3 in mm, as a
bar graph
Discharge (m3/s)
2
mm
4
1 3
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Discharge in
3 m3/s, as a
line graph
Discharge (m3/s)
2
mm
4
1 3
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Rising limb
The rising
3 flood water in
the river
l im b
Discharge (m3/s)
Rising
2
mm
4
1 3
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Peak flow
Peak flow Maximum
3 discharge in
the river
imbl
Discharge (m3/s)
Rising
2
mm
4
1 3
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Recession limb
Peak flow
Falling flood
3 water in the
imb
river
Re
ce
l
Discharge (m3/s)
Rising
ss
2
i on
lim
mm
b
4
1 3
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Basin lag time
Basin lag time
Peak flow Time
3 difference
between the
imb
Re
c
peak of the
l
Discharge (m3/s)
es
Rising
si o
2 rain storm
nl
im
mm
and the peak
b
4
1 3
flow of the
2 river
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Base flow
Basin lag time
Peak flow
Normal
3 discharge of
imb
the river
Re
c
l
Discharge (m3/s)
es
Rising
si o
2
nl
im
mm
b
4
1 3
2
Base flow
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Overland flow
Basin lag time
Peak flow +
3 Through flow
imb
Re
=
c
l
Discharge (m3/s)
es
Rising
Overland
si o
2 flow Storm Flow
nl
im
mm
b
4 Through flow
1 3
2
Base flow
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
Hours from start of rain storm
Overland flow Through flow
limb
Re
•Rising Limb
ce
Rising
Overland
s
Discharge (m3/s)
s io
2
flow
nl
mm
•Recession Limb
im
b
4 Through flow
1 3
•Lag time 2
Base flow
•Rainfall Intensity
0 12 24 36 48 30 72
BUT……
When interpreting
©Microsoft Word clipart