Water Resources

WEIBULL EQUATION

In probability theory and statistics, the Weibull distribution is a continuous probability

distribution. It is named after Swedish mathematician Waloddi Weibull, who described it in
detail in 1951, although it was first identified by Frchet (1927) and first applied by Rosin &
Rammler (1933) to describe a particle size distribution.

Where k > 0 is the shape parameter and > 0 is the scale parameter of the distribution.
Its complementary cumulative distribution function is a stretched exponential function. The
Weibull distribution is related to a number of other probability distributions; in particular,
it interpolates between the exponential distribution (k = 1) and the Rayleigh distribution (k = 2
and =2).
If the quantity X is a "time-to-failure", the Weibull distribution gives a distribution for which
the failure rate is proportional to a power of time. The shape parameter, k, is that power plus one,
and so this parameter can be interpreted directly as follows:

A value of k < 1 indicates that the failure rate decreases over time. This happens if there is
significant "infant mortality", or defective items failing early and the failure rate decreasing
over time as the defective items are weeded out of the population. In the context of the
diffusion of innovations, this means negative word of mouth: the hazard function is a
monotonically decreasing function of the proportion of adopters;
A value of k = 1 indicates that the failure rate is constant over time. This might suggest
random external events are causing mortality, or failure. The Weibull distribution reduces to
an exponential distribution;
A value of k > 1 indicates that the failure rate increases with time. This happens if there is an
"aging" process, or parts that are more likely to fail as time goes on. In the context of the
diffusion of innovations, this means positive word of mouth: the hazard function is a
monotonically increasing function of the proportion of adopters. The function is first

concave, then convex with an inflexion point at .

In the field of materials science, the shape parameter k of a distribution of strengths is known as
the Weibull modulus. In the context of diffusion of innovations, the Weibull distribution is a
"pure" imitation/rejection model.

HORTONS EQUATION
Named after the same Robert E. Horton mentioned above, Horton's equation is another viable
option when measuring ground infiltration rates or volumes. It is an empirical formula that says
that infiltration starts at a constant rate, 0, and is decreasing exponentially with time, t. After
some time when the soil saturation level reaches a certain value, the rate of infiltration will level
off to the rate c.

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Where:
t is the infiltration rate at time t;

0 is the initial infiltration rate or maximum infiltration rate;

c is the constant or equilibrium infiltration rate after the soil has been saturated or
minimum infiltration rate;
k is the decay constant specific to the soil.

The other method of using Horton's equation is as below. It can be used to find the total volume
of infiltration, F, after time t.

GREEN - AMPT
Named for two men; Green and Ampt. The Green-Ampt method of infiltration estimation
accounts for many variables that other methods, such as Darcy's law, do not. It is a function of
the soil suction head, porosity, hydraulic conductivity and time.

Where:
is wetting front soil suction head (L);

is water content (-);

K is Hydraulic conductivity (L/T);

F (t) is the cumulative depth of infiltration (L).

Once integrated, one can easily choose to solve for either volume of infiltration or instantaneous
infiltration rate:

Using this model one can find the volume easily by solving for F (t). However the variable being
solved for is in the equation itself so when solving for this one must set the variable in question
to converge on zero, or another appropriate constant. A good first guess for F is the larger value
of either Kt or2 . The only note on using this formula is that one must assume that h0,
the water head or the depth of pounded water above the surface, is negligible. Using the
infiltration volume from this equation one may then substitute F into the corresponding

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infiltration rate equation below to find the instantaneous infiltration rate at the time, t, F was
measured.

SCS METHOD

An empirical parameter used in hydrology for predicting direct runoff or infiltration from rainfall
excess. The curve number method was developed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, which was formerly called the Soil Conservation Service or SCS the number is still
popularly known as a "SCS runoff curve number" in the literature. The runoff curve number was
developed from an empirical analysis of runoff from small catchments and hill slope plots
monitored by the USDA. It is widely used and is an efficient method for determining the
approximate amount of direct runoff from a rainfall event in a particular area.
The runoff curve number is based on the area's hydrologic soil group, land use, treatment and
hydrologic condition. References, such as from USDA indicate the runoff curve numbers for
characteristic land cover descriptions and a hydrologic soil group.
The runoff equation is:

Where:
Q is runoff ([L]; in)

P is rainfall ([L]; in)

S is the potential maximum soil moisture retention after runoff begins ([L]; in)

Ia is the initial abstraction ([L]; in), or the amount of water before runoff, such
as infiltration, or rainfall interception by vegetation; historically, it has generally been
assumed that Ia = 0.2S, although more recent research has found that Ia = 0.05S may be a
more appropriate relationship in urbanized watersheds where the CN is updated to reflect
developed conditions.
The runoff curve number, CN, is then related

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KUTTER EQUATION

Note that the n-values used in Kutters equation are actually the same as Mannings n
coefficients.

BAZIN EQUATION

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References

(Papoulis & Pillai, 2002)

(Sons & Wiley, 2005)

(Hawkins, Jiang, Woodward, Hjelmfelt, & Van Mullem, 2002)

Bibliography
Hawkins, R., Jiang, R., Woodward, D., Hjelmfelt, A., & Van Mullem, J. (2002). "Runoff Curve Number
Method: Examination of the Initial Abstraction Ratio". Proceedings of the Second Federal Interagency
Hydrologic Modeling Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada. U.S.

Papoulis, A. P., & Pillai, S. U. (2002). Probability, Random Variables, and Stochastic Processes (4th ed.).
Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Sons, & Wiley, J. (2005). Water Resources Engineering 2005 Edition.