THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

A Research Submitted to the

Department of Civil Engineering
College of Engineering & Architecture
Saint Louis College

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Course Requirements in
CE 423: Hydrology
Second Semester, School Year 2018-2019
MWF 8:30am-9:30am

Submitted by:
Ringor, Roma R.

Submitted to:
Engr. Leonora F. Quarte
Instructor

February, 2019
A. Impact of the Processes of the Hydrologic Cycle

CONCEPT:

If there is an increase or decrease in the magnitude or quantity of any of the

processes in the hydrologic cycle, like evaporation, is there an effect on human

life? Does it affect the environment, in what way? Will it dictate any policies or

infrastructure along progress and development?

Process Increase in Rate Decrease in Rate

a) The effect of increase in The effect of decrease in rate

rate of evaporation to human of evaporation to human life

life is that we may experience is that during this time,

drought. Drought affects where evaporation is less

human lives in many ways likely low, humidity

because water is essential to increases. And when it is

our lives, humans need water humid the air is hot and the

in order live also animals and air contains more moisture.

Evaporation
plants. Humans need water to Humans sweat faster when it

grow plants and crops, we is humid, it can cause the

also need to supply water to body to overheat, exhaust

animals. And these plants and easily and poses danger to

animals is our source of food the human health.

in order to survive. Dehydration, heat

Furthermore, humans need exhaustion, and heat stroke

water for hygiene, washing of are some of the health risk

dishes and clothes. when human bodies are

overexposed to high

humidity .

b) The effect of increase in When there is a decrease

rate of evaporation to the rate of evaporation in the

environment is that it can environment the atmosphere

cause drought due to high may appear to be humid.

temperature. Drought also When the humidity is high

affects environment in many water is less likely to

ways, plants and animals evaporate during this time.

depend on water just like us For animals, it is more

humans. When drought come difficult to perspire when

about, their food supply can there is a decrease in

decrease and it also can affect evaporation because

their habitat. Moreover, high animals cool themselves

rate of evaporation may lead through evaporation. For

to lower water levels in plants they transpire, when

surface waters, loss of wet the humidity is high, less

lands, and it will lead to lack water is lost through the

of food and water for wild leaves and the plants and this

animals and increase in saves water for the plant.

disease in them, also animals

may migrate. It also can cause

grass fires and poor quality of

soil.

c) The effect of increase in The effect of decrease in rate

rate of evaporation to the of evaporation to the

progress & development of progress & development of

the country is also drought, the country is when we

when drought happens experience decrease in

farmers are the most affected. evaporation, the humidity

During drought, water supply increases. Because of

is low and the farmers need to relatively high humidity,

spend more money on there are problems that the

irrigation or to drill new country might experience

wells, also farmers may lose and this might also be a

money because drought may hindrance in the progress

destroy their crops. and development. One of

Furthermore, business that this is health related

rely on farming products like problem, the government

companies that produces needs to find a solution on

tractors and food may lose how to sustain the medical

business because of the needs of the people so more

 drought. Another is the power money needs to be invested.

companies that rely on Next is in work related

hydroelectric power may also problem, health also

spend more money to sustain involves with this. Because of

fuel resources and the the humidity the government

consumers may also pay should look on how to not

more. Therefore, increase in risk the health of the

rate of evaporation will lead employees in order to gain

to slow progress and more profit.

development in our country

because of high

expenditures.

a) The increase in rate of When there is a decrease

condensation will benefit on rate in condensation, it is less

human lives because high likely to rain. When there is

rate of condensation will lead no rain, there will no water to

to precipitation. Farmers will replenish the ground. So

Condensation
benefit the most because decrease in the rate of

water is very essential to condensation impose

plants and crops in order to negative effects to human

survive. Rainwater may be lives. We need water to grow

harvested through the use of plants and to sustain the

water tanks, the collected growth of the animals and

water may use in households these plants and animals is

for washing clothes and for humans source of food.

bathing animals, and the Without this how will be able

rainwater collected may use to survive in this planet.

for irrigation.

b) The effect of increase in b) The effect of decrease in

rate of condensation to the rate of condensation to the

environment is not that bad, environment is that the water

because when the rate of supply or the water in the

condensation increases, reservoirs may be limited

there is a high chance of because there is no

rainfall. Rain water, rainwater collected for the

replenishes soil moisture consumption of the plants

content, the ground water and and the animals. Moreover,

surface water. Because of this, their supply of food may

it will be a benefit to the decline and it also can affect

plants, crops and animals. their habitat. Furthermore,

Animals doesn’t need to low rate of condensation may

migrate to other places in lead to lower water levels in

search for food to eat and the reservoirs, and it will

water to drink, it will also lead to limited food supply

replenish the habitats of and water for the plants and

fishes and the probability rate animals .

to have grass fires will

decrease.

c) Increase in rate of The effect of decrease in rate

condensation may affect the of condensation to the

infrastructures progress & progress & development of

development in the country the country is that there will

by means of slowing down the be a problem regarding on

progress and development. irrigation or water supply for

When it is raining, there are the crops. When the rate of

some activities or project that condensation is low, there is

can’t be done and it will cause also low probability to rain.

delay on the project. Thus, the So there will be a need to

only solution in this is by create a strategy on how to

setting or revising some of the distribute water in

policies regarding the proportion. And also there

schedule of operation of some will be a problem in human

infrastructures. consumption, there is a need

to provide water to houses

that is insufficient of supply

of water.
 a) There is a good effect in The effect of decrease in rate

increase in rate of infiltration of infiltration to human life is

to human life in relation with that there will be not enough

supply of water. One source freshwater to harvest when

of fresh water is the aquifers there is a slow rate of

or the ground waters so when infiltration. Decrease rate of

infiltration of water in the soil infiltration and ponding of

is fast, the aquifers and water on the ground surface

ground waters will be results in poor soil

replenished faster. impregnation, which leads to

Furthermore, high rate of poor root function and plant

Infiltration
infiltration will be a benefit to growth, as well as it reduces

humans specially the farmers the nutrient availability and

because it will moisture the nutrient cycling by soil

soil for plants and crops, and organisms. Ponding or

it increases the production of flooding and soil saturation

crops. decreases soil strength,

destroys the soil structure, it

also increases the

detachment or separation of

soil particles, and makes soil

more erodible. And the most

 affected by these occurrence

is us humans, specially the

farmers that later on results

to low income generation.

b) The effect of increase in The effect of decrease in rate

rate of infiltration to the of infiltration to the

environment is that porous environment is that it may

soils allows water to infiltrate lead to ponding on low level

faster and replenish ground areas that can cause

water but it can lead to flooding, soil erosion from

chemical contamination in surface runoff on sloping

ground waters. High areas or in high level areas,

infiltration rate is typically also it may case lack of

advantageous for plant moisture for plants and for

growth and the environment. crop production, and

decrease in plant or crop

production that may result in

less organic matter in the soil

and may weaken the soil

structure.

c) There are good and bad The effect of decrease in rate

effects of increase in rate of of infiltration to the progress

 infiltration to the progress & & development of the

development of infrastructure country is that there may be

in the country. It can make a a problem regarding with

great progress in the the supply of freshwater

infrastructure, because of within the country, so the

changes of the physical government needs to find a

structure of the earth the solution on how to replenish

higher ups needed to monitor and resuscitate the ground

the soil structure and the waters in order to be not

water quality regularly in affected by this problem.

order to not greatly affect the

economy. They need to pose

some policies in order cope

up with this changes and in

order to gain positive effects

from it.

a) There are bad effects of The effect of decrease in rate

increase in rate of runoff to of runoff to human life is that

human life, for example when there may be ponding in

Runoff
there are people living in some basin like areas, if

mountainous or sloping there are people living in

areas, due to the fast rate of these areas where surface

runoff the soil may weaken runoff has slow rate. Water

and have the tendency to can’t find its way out in these

erode and it means that the areas it may lead to flooding,

people’s lives may be in and it is said that runoff

danger because of soil carries chemical

erosion. In addition, for contaminants. This can affect

people living near the the health of the humans

riverbanks and streambanks, living in those areas.

people’s lives also in danger

because there is a tendency

that the banks may also

erode.

b) The effect of increase in There is a bad effect of

rate of runoff to the decrease in rate of runoff to

environment is it may lead to the environment because it

soil erosion on sloping areas, supplies the lakes, rivers

it washes off or it carries and streams with high loads

nutrients and organic matter of minerals which can over

from soil together with nourish the water and later

sediments. It also carries on produce excessive plant

chemical substances like growth and algae that may

pesticides, herbicides and result oxygen depletion of

fertilizers. Fast rate of runoff the surface water. Addition

may lead to contaminated and to that, animals may drink

poor quality of water in into this surface waters and

streams, rivers and lakes. there might be a possibility

Sediments which carried by that they can caught some

the surface runoff will reduce diseases or in worst case

the capacity of these surface scenario, they might die

water to store water. from drinking the

Moreover, high rate of runoff contaminated water.

can cause floods in low areas,

can erode streambanks and

river banks, and it can also

damage the structure of the

roads.

c) There is a bad effect to the The effect of decrease in rate

infrastructures progress & of runoff to the progress &

development in the country if development of the country

there is an increase in rate of depends on how the

runoff. Runoff can cause government handle the

ponding in low areas, mostly problem of ponding in some

in urbanized areas which the places, if they found a

grounds are impervious or solution that will effectively

covered with concrete. If solve this problem, there will

there’s no systematic be no impact on the progress

drainage sewers or water and development of the

flooding mitigation system in country.

the area it will later on cause

flash floods.
B. Effect of Progress and Development to the Hydrologic Cycle Processes

CONCEPT:

What effects has progress and development done to each of the various water

cycle elements? Has the construction of storage facilities like dams facilitated

the process of evaporation? Have scientific studies on cloud seeding helped

precipitation? Will the continuous mushrooming of buildings reduce runoff?

Elements Positive Effect Negative Effect

In some instances, dams We all know that dams

may have a positive effect on provide a vital role in the

evaporation, we all know water supply management in

that evaporation regulates our country, dams and their

the temperature in the associated reservoirs

atmosphere it traps provides benefit to us humans

radiation in the atmosphere. including flood protection,

So if there is a large surface used for water storage and as

Evaporation
area of water, evaporation is well as providing electricity to

more likely to occur and the the nation by hydroelectric

probability that the water power generation. But the

will evaporate is higher and water in these reservoirs

this will result to cooler evaporate faster that the

environment. natural surface water,

because larger the surface

 area, the more water will be

evaporated. This may pose a

water loss problem and this

can have negative impacts to

the economy of the country.

Greenhouse is an enclosed There are some negative

structure in which plants and effects that greenhouse may

crops are requiring for the impose, because you modify

regulation of climate the climate in the greenhouse

conditions are grown in environment there is a

here. Greenhouses controls possibility that there may be

the transpiration of the fluctuations in the climate that

plants because these plants can happen. Plants and crops

Transpiration are not directly exposed may suffer because of the

from sunlight and wind. excessive or insufficient

Greenhouse has many transpiration when the

advantages, it may increase climate is not controlled and

the crop production regulated properly.

because you have more

control in creating climate

conditions that the plants

and crops need for growth.

 Furthermore, greenhouse

can help obviate plants and

crops from sustaining any

damage and also prevent

problems related to pests

and weeds.

Condensation is the process Somehow, cloud seeding has

where vapor turns to a its bad effects to

liquid, cloud seeding alters condensation. Condensation

the weather by means of is a natural phenomenon that

making the rate of occurs in the atmosphere, and

condensation faster. This if you alter this there may be

technology is widely used in consequences that may

many countries that needs happen. Like unpredictable

Condensation
supply of water, so by cloud or fluctuations in the weather

seeding this water supply patterns, it might cause

problem will be solved. drought to the place or it

Moreover, it makes the air might cause excessive rainfall

cold and cold climates are that may cause flooding’s to

more likely to have rain. the area. Also it may pollute

the clouds because the

components that are used in

 cloud seeding are harmful

chemicals and the rainwater

can become toxic to the

environment.

Scientific studies on cloud The negative effect of cloud

seeding is a great help in the seeding is that the ingredient

precipitation, cloud seeding or component needed to use

has been applied to many for cloud seeding are harmful

countries where water chemicals. This means that it

supply is scarce. Cloud can be harmful to the

seeding is the only way to environment as well as to us

produce rain, and rain is humans. Some of the studies

important to us humans for said that cloud seeding is not

Precipitation
production of crops. It that effective but this kind of

increases the yield of the technique shows early signs

farmers, which this helps the of rain fall. Because we don’t

economy of the country. know all the details of the

Cloud seeding also studies, we may conclude that

regulates the weather, by it can also affect the weather

means of making the when it is not properly

temperature lower in hot regulated, it can cause

and arid places.

 drought or it can cause

excessive rainfall.

There are ways that the The negative effect of the

other countries that are underground infiltration

using in order to make the systems is that these systems

water infiltrated to the provide the contaminated

ground be more safe. water have more direct route

Underground infiltration to the aquifers because they

systems, these systems are are buried to the ground. And

designed in accordance in relation to its maintenance

with the standards set by the and operation, there may be

Infiltration
qualified professionals, they an insufficient maintaining

built and bury these and monitoring these facilities

infiltration systems to the and also the environmental

ground and it will filter the conditions at the site.

water that infiltrate to the

soil. And the objective of this

is to protect the ground

waters and aquifers from

any contamination.

The positive effect of Continuous mushrooming of

Runoff
continuous mushrooming of buildings has a negative effect
buildings is that in these with relation to surface runoff.

areas there are systematized Surface run off is the flow of

drainage or sewer systems water when there is excess

in these areas. By this, the water from storm water or

surface runoff can be other flow sources, and

controlled and can be urbanization will only

collected for future use and increase the rate of surface

later on it might be useful in runoff because there are more

irrigation for watering the impervious surfaces like

crops. concrete pavement that do not

allow water to sip in and it may

lead to flooding.