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EXPERIMENT Storm hydrographs

THEORY

The plot of discharge (or stage) versus time is termed as hydrograph. Its three components are:
rising limb, crest segment and recession limb. The various contributing components of a
hydrograph include surface runoff; interflow and ground water or base flow.

Surface runoff occurs after infiltration, interception and surface storage have been extracted from
the precipitation. It is the most important component of flow in major floods and is the first
component which reaches the stream. A portion of the infiltrated component is intercepted by a
stream or it may return to surface at some point down slope. This component is termed as
interflow.

The portion of the precipitation which has percolated to the ground water follows a more tortuous
path and can take a long time before reaching the basin outlet. This component is termed as base
flow.

Nature of flood hydrograph for a basin is affected by climatic factors and physiographic factors.
Climatic factors include storm characteristics such as intensity, duration and magnitude of rainfall
and its movement; evapotranspiration, etc. Among physiographic factors basin characteristics
(slope, size, shape etc.), infiltration characteristics of soil (land cover, land use, soil type etc.) and
channel characteristics (storage capacity, cross section, roughness, etc.) play an important role.

Time of concentration (tc) for a basin is defined as the time required for water to travel from the
most remote point in the basin to the outlet.

The experiments below are designed to understand the effects of some of the factors stated
above.

OBJECTIVE

To study the behavior of storm hydrographs from simple and multiple storms.

APPARATUS: Hydrograph bench (Figure MT1.1), Stop watch.

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1 inclination adjustment,
2 circulating pump,
3 flow rate measurement,
4 supply tank,
5 measuring weir,
6 switch box,
7 Plexiglass cover,
8 19-tube manometer,
9 sprinkler nozzle,
10 experiment tank filled with sand

Figure MT1.1 Basic hydrology system (from web-site of Armfield Ltd.)

EXPERIMENT STEPS

1. Simple storms

This experiment is to be done in two parts.

A. Rainfall duration > tc , time of concentration for catchment

B. Rainfall duration < tc for catchments

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Preliminaries before experiment:

1. Adjust the instrument rail slope to 1 in 200 sloping towards opening.

2. Use profile board to get valley cross section profile and longitudinal slope.

3. To establish an ideal flow rate to spray nozzle (rain) switch on the pump and adjust the
nozzle control valve so that suitable flow is established (@14 lit/min). Leave this position
undisturbed throughout the experiment.

4. Switch off the pump and let the sand bed drain thoroughly (for about 1 hour).

A. Rainfall duration (tr) > tc for the catchment

PROCEDURE

1. Start the rainfall by opening sprinkler valve at a present level and simultaneously switch
on stopwatch.

2. Note valves of discharge at different times.

3. Continue till discharge value becomes constant. Note this time.

4. Stop the rainfall by switching off pump. Record the time.

5. Continue to record discharge readings at different times corresponding to recession limb.

B. Rainfall duration (tr) <tc for the catchments

PROCEDURE

1. Switch on the pump, rainfall and stop watch simultaneously.

2. Go on recording discharge at different times.

3. While discharge is still increasing, switch off the pump noting the time.

4. Continue recording discharge values at different times.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 while cutting off rain at different points on the rising limb stage.

6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 for different rail slopes and land profiles.

2. Hydrograph for multiple storms

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PROCEDURE

1. Let the sand bed drain fully.

2. Start the pump, rainfall and stop n watch simultaneously. Continue rain until 50% of tc
value is reached while taking discharge and time readings.

3. While the recession limb starts, follow it by a second storm and continue to take
readings.

4. Above steps may be repeated to obtain variety of multiple storms.

OBSERVATION TABLE (tr) > tc

Sl. No. Rain Q t Sl. No. Rain Q t

1 11

2 12

3 13

4 14

5 15

6 16

7 17

8 18

9 19

10 20

OBSERVATION TABLE (tr) <tc

Sl. No. Rain Q t Sl. No. Rain Q t

1 11

2 12

3 13

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4 14

5 15

6 16

7 17

8 18

9 19

10 20

REMARKS

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ASSIGNMENT

Plot the hydrograph (Q vs. t) for each set of data. Identify its various segments.

(tr) > tc

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ASSIGNMENT (continued)

(tr) < tc

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DISCUSSION

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