Hydrology Quiz: Concepts and Measurements
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Questions and Answers

What does the area-elevation curve represent in hydrology?

  • The relationship between rainfall intensity and duration.
  • The portion of a river basin located above a specified elevation. (correct)
  • The total precipitation over a river basin.
  • The average depth of water in a specific area.

Which of the following best describes an automatic station in hydrology?

  • A station equipped with satellite-based measurement tools.
  • A station that records and transmits observations automatically. (correct)
  • An analysis center for weather patterns and trends.
  • A facility where manual measurements of rainfall are taken daily.

In the context of rainfall, what does the areal reduction factor represent?

  • The difference between point rainfall and basin rainfall.
  • The average rainfall over a larger area compared to a singular point. (correct)
  • The total volume of water collected in a rain gauge.
  • The ratio of daily precipitation to monthly precipitation totals.

What is the arithmetic mean typically used to represent?

<p>The sum divided by the number of values in a data set. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements regarding areal precipitation is true?

<p>It is expressed as the average depth of liquid water across the area. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'datum level' refer to?

<p>The horizontal surface used as a reference to which elevations are related (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the coefficient of variation measure?

<p>The ratio of standard deviation to the mean. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines 'depletion curve'?

<p>Curve illustrating a decreasing rate of runoff due to depletion (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does a compound weir consist of?

<p>Two or more sections of different types and/or dimensions. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does 'detention storage' include?

<p>Surface and channel detention storage, excluding depression storage (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines a deterministic system in terms of response to input?

<p>Its output is uniquely determined by a given input at any time. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In statistical terms, what does a confidence interval represent?

<p>An interval including the true value with a prescribed probability. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a 'design storm'?

<p>It adopts rainfall amount and distribution over a specified drainage area (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is direct runoff defined as?

<p>Part of surface runoff that quickly reaches the catchment outlet after rain. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes conditional probability?

<p>The probability of an event given certain conditions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does 'depth-area-duration analysis' provide insights into?

<p>The areal distribution of precipitation from storms (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to the volume of water required to fill small depressions to overflow?

<p>Depression storage (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the discharge coefficient represent?

<p>The ratio of actual discharge to theoretically computed discharge. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the continuity equation describe?

<p>The conservation of mass of flowing matter. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a crest gauge?

<p>To record the highest water stage. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a discharge hydrograph?

<p>To show variations in hydrological data like discharge over time. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is the 'decay rate' defined in hydrological terms?

<p>The reduction of concentration of a quantity over time, expressed by its half-life (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does a drought index measure?

<p>The cumulative moisture deficiency's impact over time. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is the correlation coefficient defined?

<p>As the covariance of two variates divided by the product of their standard deviations. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a 'design flood'?

<p>To establish peak discharge for hydraulic structures considering economic and hydrological factors (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a cup-type current meter primarily used for?

<p>Measuring the velocity of water at a specific point. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is drainage density calculated?

<p>By dividing total channel-segment lengths by the surface area of the drainage area. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does a double mass curve represent?

<p>Plot of accumulated values of one variable against contemporaneous values of another. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What constitutes effective rainfall?

<p>Rainfall that contributes to surface runoff. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the double-valued part of the rating curve associated with?

<p>Higher values during river rising (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary use of a lysimeter?

<p>To study various phases of the hydrological cycle (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is the mean velocity of a stream calculated?

<p>Discharge divided by cross-sectional area (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the mean monthly discharge represent?

<p>The arithmetic mean of monthly mean discharges over a specified period (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a measuring flume?

<p>To measure discharge of waterflow (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which factor best describes a meander in a stream channel?

<p>One curved portion with two consecutive loops (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the maximum possible flood depend on?

<p>Coincidence of heavy rainfall and maximum runoff (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is measured by a measuring weir?

<p>Discharge across a stream (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does effective rainfall represent in certain procedures where subsurface runoff is excluded?

<p>Rainfall excess (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of engineering hydrology?

<p>Hydrological information for engineering applications (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes an ephemeral stream?

<p>Flows only in response to precipitation or intermittent springs (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an evaporimeter used for?

<p>Measuring water evaporated into the atmosphere (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term evapotranspiration refer to?

<p>Water transferred from soil to atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What purpose does the envelope curve serve in hydrological analysis?

<p>Represents boundary containing most known data points (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of basin is specifically created to study modifications in the hydrological cycle?

<p>Experimental basin (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following distributions is commonly used to describe extreme rainfall data?

<p>Weibull distribution (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Applied Hydrology

The use of hydrology to manage water resources.

Areal Precipitation

Average rainfall depth over a specific area.

Areal Reduction Factor

Ratio of area average rainfall to point rainfall.

Arithmetic Mean

Sum of values divided by the count of values.

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Area-Elevation Curve

Shows area of a basin above a certain elevation.

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Coefficient of Variation

A dimensionless measure showing how much a variable changes relative to its average value. Calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean.

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Compound Weir

A weir with multiple sections, each potentially having different types and dimensions. Think of it like a staircase with different steps.

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Conceptual Hydrological Model

A simplified mathematical representation of the hydrological cycle using concepts and equations. It helps simulate water movement in a basin.

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Conditional Probability

The probability of an event happening given that another event has already occurred. It's like saying 'what's the probability of rain if it's cloudy?'

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Confidence Interval

A range of values that likely contains the true value of a parameter with a certain level of certainty.

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Confidence Level

The probability that the confidence interval includes the true value of a parameter.

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Confidence Limits

The upper and lower boundaries of the confidence interval.

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Constant-Rate Dilution Gauging

A method to measure flow using a tracer injected at a constant rate. The tracer's concentration is tracked downstream to determine flow velocity or discharge.

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Cyclonic Precipitation

Precipitation caused by the rotation of air masses around a low-pressure center, creating a swirling pattern.

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Data Bank

A collection of related data files organized for a specific purpose, often stored on a direct access storage device.

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Data Base

Similar to a data bank, but typically refers to a structured and organized database management system.

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Data Collection System

A coordinated network of instruments that gather hydrological data from various locations and transmit it to a processing facility.

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Data Processing

The process of converting raw hydrological data into a usable format for analysis and interpretation.

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Datum Level

A horizontal reference point used to measure elevations. All heights are calculated relative to this reference point.

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Decay Rate

The rate at which the concentration of a substance, like a pollutant or radioactive isotope, decreases over time.

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Depletion Curve

A curve showing the decline in runoff or discharge over time due to water being consumed or diverted.

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Deterministic System

A system where the output is completely predictable based on the input, with no room for randomness or chance.

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Dilution Gauging

Measuring stream discharge by adding a known amount of tracer and observing its dilution downstream.

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Direct Runoff

Surface runoff that reaches the stream quickly after rainfall, without significant infiltration or delay.

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Discharge

The volume of water flowing through a cross-section of a river in a specific time.

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Discharge Coefficient

The ratio between the actual discharge observed in a river and the theoretical discharge calculated from formulas.

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Drainage Area

The land area that contributes water to a specific stream or river.

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Drainage Density

The total length of all stream channels in a drainage basin divided by its area.

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Effective Rainfall

The portion of rainfall that contributes to surface runoff, not including any that evaporates or infiltrates.

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Rainfall Excess

The amount of rainfall that exceeds the infiltration capacity of the soil, leading to surface runoff.

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Elevation

The vertical distance of a point or object above mean sea level.

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Empirical Flood Formula

A mathematical formula that estimates peak flood discharge based on factors like catchment area and rainfall intensity.

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Engineering Hydrology

The application of hydrological principles to design and manage water-related structures and systems.

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Ephemeral Stream

A stream that flows only temporarily in response to rainfall or spring discharge.

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Evaporation

The process of water transforming from liquid to gas, escaping into the atmosphere.

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Evapotranspiration

The combined loss of water from the soil to the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration.

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Loop Rating Curve

A portion of a rating curve where higher discharge values occur during rising water levels and lower values during falling water levels. This is due to the hysteresis effect.

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Lower Reach

The section of a stream channel situated in the lower part of a drainage basin, closer to the river's mouth or outlet.

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Lysimeter

A container filled with soil used to measure water movement through the soil, capturing infiltration, runoff, evapotranspiration, and drainage.

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Mass Curve

A graph depicting the cumulative quantity of something, like precipitation or discharge, plotted against time.

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Maximum Instantaneous Discharge

The highest discharge rate observed during a specific flood event, often referred to as peak flow.

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Mean Deviation

A measure of data spread calculated as the average of all deviations from the central value, like the mean or median, ignoring their signs.

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Mean Velocity

The average speed of water flow in a certain cross-section of a river, calculated as discharge divided by the cross-sectional area.

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Meander

A single curve or bend in a winding river channel, formed by the natural erosion and deposition processes of the river.

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Study Notes

Hydrology Terminology

  • Accumulative precipitation gauge: A precipitation gauge used at stations visited at infrequent intervals.
  • Active basin area: The basin area excluding undrained parts.
  • Actual evaporation: The amount of water evaporated from an open water surface or ground.
  • Actual evapotranspiration: The sum of water evaporated from soil and plants, when ground moisture is natural.
  • Advection: The process of air-mass property transfer by atmospheric velocity.
  • Altitude: Vertical distance from mean sea level.
  • Annual exceedence series: A series of values of independent events (e.g., floods) above a base value.
  • Annual flood: (1) The highest peak discharge in a water year; (2) A flood equalled or exceeded once per year on average.
  • Annual flow: Total water volume flowing out of a drainage area or river basin in a year.
  • Annual maximum series: A series of extreme values with the largest annual values.
  • Annual minimum series: A series of extreme values with the smallest annual values.
  • Annual runoff: Total volume of water flowing out of a drainage basin or river basin in a year.
  • Annual series: Hydrological data for each year representing a characteristic or element.
  • Annual storage: Volume of water a reservoir can store to meet fluctuating demand.
  • Annual storage capacity: Reservoir's capacity to handle seasonal variations in water inflow and demand.
  • Antecedent precipitation index: Weighted summation of past daily precipitation used as an index of soil moisture.

Additional Hydrology Terms

  • Area-elevation curve: A plot portraying the relationship between a basin's elevation and its area.
  • Areal precipitation: Average precipitation depth over a defined area in liquid water.
  • Areal reduction factor (of rainfall): The ratio of mean areal rainfall (for a time period and return period) to mean point rainfall (for the same time period and return period) in the same area.
  • Arithmetic mean: The sum of values divided by their count.
  • Arithmetic mean: (1) sum of the values x1, x2,…, xn divided by their number, n. (2) first moment (about the origin) of a frequency distribution f(x).
  • Average velocity: Discharge per cross-sectional flow area; Discharge divided by crosssectional area.
  • Average year: A year where the observed hydrological data approximately equals the long-term average.
  • Bankfull discharge: Discharge that fills the stream to its banks.
  • Bankfull stage: Stage at which a stream just overflows its natural banks.
  • Base-width (of a flood hydrograph): Time interval between the beginning and end of the direct runoff.
  • Basin: Drainage area of a river, stream, or lake.
  • Basin response: The way a basin reacts to a meteorological event.
  • Basin response: How a watershed responds to an event.
  • Basin response: Manner in which a watershed reacts to a meteorological event or sequence of events
  • Bubble gauge: Gauge using a gas-purged system to measure water level.
  • Calibration: Experimental determination of the relationship between instrument reading and quantity to be measured.
  • Catchment: An area with a common outlet for surface runoff.
  • Catchment area: Area having a common outlet for its surface runoff.
  • Catchment response: How a basin reacts to a meteorological event or sequence of events
  • Channel frequency: Number of stream segments of all orders divided by the area.
  • Channel network: Arrangement of natural or man-made drainage channels.
  • Clear overflow weir: A weir where the flow is not submerged by the tailwater.

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Description

Test your understanding of key hydrology concepts with this quiz focusing on area-elevation curves, automatic stations, rainfall measurement, and areal precipitation. Each question is designed to assess your knowledge of important hydrological principles and applications. Perfect for students and professionals alike!

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