Hydrographs

5.1 General aspects

The hydrograph of a current, is the graphic representation of variations of the flowover time
, arranged in chronological order in a given place of current. In the figures.5.1 and 5.2 will h
ave represented the hydrographs corresponding to an isolated stormand a succession of th
em respectively. In the hyetograph of Figure 5.1 standsprecipitation produced by infiltration
, which produces direct runoff, the latter is calledprecipitation in excess, net or effective prec
ipitation.
The area under the hydrograph, is the volume of water that has
past the point of capacity, in the interval of time expressed in the hydrograph.
It
is very rare that a hydrograph flow steady and very marked, in practice the irregularshape of
the basin, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the rain, the influence ofinfiltrations, et
c, they lead to hydrographs of one or many peaks (maximum flow). By
analyzing the corresponding to a (Figure 5.1) isolated storm hydrograph is thefollowing:

Figure 5.1 Hydrograph of peak

Figure 5.2 Hydrograph of several peaks

Curve of concentration, is the part that corresponds to the rise of the hydrograph.

The hydrograph peak, is the area that surrounds the maximum flow rate.

Decline curve, is the zone corresponding to the progressive decrease of the flow.

Starting point of the depletion curve, is the moment in which all these rainfall-
induceddirect runoff has already passed. Aforada since that time water is basic runoff, whic
hcorresponds to underground runoff.
Depletion curve, is the part of the hydrograph in which the flow comes only from basicrunof
f. It
is important to note that the depletion curve, starts higher than the startingpoint of direct r
unoff (point of exhaustion before the
flood), that since part of theprecipitation that snuck is now fueling the runway.

In hydrology, it
is very useful to locate the starting point of the curve of exhaustion(point B of Figure 5.3), in
order to determine the caudal base and direct flow.

Figure 5.3 location of the start point of the depletion curve

A way to locate the point B, is calculating the time N days after the peak. To get thevalue of
N is used the following expression:
N  0.827 A0.2
where:
N = time in days
To = reception of the basin, in Km2

Definitions

Time of concentration (tc) of a basin, is the time required to get a drop of water fallingon th
e point is "hydrologically" farthest, at the exit (gauging station, Figure 5.4)

According to Kirpich, the formula for the calculation of the time of concentration is:

0.385
L
t c  0. 0195
H

... (6.4)

where:
TC = time of concentration, in min
L = maximum length of the route, in m
H = difference in elevation between the end points of the main runway, m

Figure 5.4 time of concentration

Peak (tp), is the time elapsed since direct runoff starts until the peak of thehydrograph.
Time base (tb), is the interval between the beginning and the end of direct runoff.

Time delay (tr), is the interval from the time between the moments that correspond

respectively to the center of gravity of storm hyetograph, and the Centre of gravity
ofthe hydrograph (Figure
(5.5). some authors replace the center of gravity for the maximum, both definitions areequiv
alent if the corresponding diagrams were symmetrical.

Figure 5.5 delay time

Four types of hydrographs for storms isolated depending on the storm can be
considered and the physical characteristics of the basin, is also considered that streamis per
ennial.

Type one: rainfall intensity (i), is less than the capacity of infiltration (f); (F) totalinfiltration, is
less than the (DHS)
soil moisture deficiency. This implies that there areno direct runoff, groundwater recharge. T
his means that the

stream hydrograph is not altered, and will follow the curve of decline in groundwater (base
runoff hydrograph). It is assumed that it doesn't rain on the river. (Figure 5.6a).

Figure 5.6 types of hydrographs

Type two: The intensity is less than the infiltration capacity, but the total infiltration isgreate
r than the soil moisture deficiency. This results in an increase in thegroundwater. In the abse
nce of direct runoff, the corresponding hydrograph is avariation of the curve of decline of
the