MIRPUR UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MUST), MIRPUR

DEPARMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Hydrology & Water Resource Management

HYDROLOGY & WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
MS-354

Lecture [4] : Meteorology

Engr. Muhammad Hassan

(Assistant Professor)

HydrologyDate: November,
& Water Resource2020
Management
 Meteorology
The science related to atmosphere. Its knowledge is required for
estimation of probable maximum precipitation and optimum snowmelt
conditions. This is required for design of various hydraulic structures.
A hydrologist needs to have some knowledge of regional climate and
meteorological process. Definitions of a few terms used in this chapter are
given below.

Hydrology & Water Resource Management

 Atmosphere
• The gaseous envelope around the earth. It consists of dry air, water
vapor and various kinds of salts and dusts.
• The total amount of dry air and water vapors would be over 5,600 billion
tons and about 146 billion tons, respectively.
• If all the water vapors present in the atmosphere are imagined to
condense and fall uniformly over the earth, it will accumulate to a depth
of 25 mm.

Hydrology & Water Resource Management

 Troposphere
• It is the zone of atmosphere adjacent to earth. It extends approximately
up to seven miles above sea level.
• Almost 100 % of the total moisture contents of the atmosphere are
present in this zone and there is comparatively high temperature
gradient in this part of atmosphere.

Hydrology & Water Resource Management

 Vapor Pressure
• It is the pressure exerted by the amount of water vapors present in the
atmosphere. It is usually denoted by “e” and expressed in millibars.
• A Millibar is defined as the pressure exerted by a force of one thousand
dynes on one square cm surface.
1.33 millibar = 1 mm of Hg.

Continued…
Hydrology & Water Resource Management
 Vapor Pressure
• Since the temperature of water vapor is the same as that of the air in
the atmosphere, the maximum amount of water vapor may be said to
depend on the air temperature.
• The higher the temperature, the more vapor can the atmospheric air
hold.

Hydrology & Water Resource Management

 Saturation Vapor Pressure
• When a sample of air holds the maximum quantity of water vapors at a
particular temperature it is said to be saturated.
• The pressure exerted by water vapors, when the air is fully saturated
with water vapors, is known as the saturation vapor pressure.
• It is denoted by ‘es’.

Hydrology & Water Resource Management

 Isobars
• These are the lines joining points of same atmospheric pressure at a
given elevation.
• The horizontal distribution of pressure is generally shown on weather
charts by isobars.
• The spacing between isobars is a measure of the pressure gradient.

Hydrology & Water Resource Management

 Relative Humidity & Dew Point
• The relation between temperature and saturation vapor pressure is
shown in Figure 2.1. Suppose that a parcel of air has a temperature ‘T’
and vapor pressure ‘e’ indicated by point ‘C’ in the Fig.
• If more vapor were added at constant temperature ‘T’ point ‘C’ would
move vertically upward towards ‘B’ and the air would be saturated when
‘B’ is reached and the corresponding saturation vapor pressure would be
‘es’.
• The difference, es - e = Saturation deficit and the relation
• (e / es) x 100=Relative humidity
• When the air is cooled at a constant atmospheric pressure, the
temperature at which air becomes saturated is called Dew Point i.e. the
point ‘B’ will come to point ‘C’ in figure
Continued…
Hydrology & Water Resource Management
Relative Humidity & Dew Point

35

30

25 B
Saturation Vapor Pressure (mm Hg)
20

15

10
. D(t, e)
C
5

-10 0 10 20 30 40

Temperature °C

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Hydrology & Water Resource Management
 Relative Humidity & Dew Point

• The relative humidity is the ratio of actual vapor pressure at certain

temperature and the saturation vapor pressure. Thus the relative
humidity is 100 percent when the air is saturated.
• If the parcel of air is cooled at constant pressure ‘e’ and without
addition of vapor, the point ‘B’ would move horizontally towards ‘C’.
• The air would be saturated when ‘C’ is reached and the corresponding
temperature ‘Ta’ is the Dew point.
• The dew point is thus the temperature at which water vapor present
in the atmosphere will condense if the air is cooled.

Continued…
Hydrology & Water Resource Management
 Measurement of Relative Humidity
• The instruments used for measurements of relative humidity are:
• Psychrometer
• Hair hygrometer
• Hygrograph
• Thermo-hygrograph

Continued…
Hydrology & Water Resource Management