INSTANTANEOUS HYDROGRAPH

SYNTHETIC UNIT HYDROGRAPHS

PREPARED BY: FAITH ANN G. MALACAD

INSTANTANEOUS UNIT HYDROGRAPH
 Defined as a unit hydrograph
produced by an effective rainfall
of 1 mm and having an
infinitesimal reference duration
(in other words the duration
tends towards zero).
 Represents the response of the
catchment to an instantaneous
impulse.
FORMULA:

𝑡
𝑞𝑡 = ‫׬‬0 𝑓(T)𝑖𝑒 (𝑡 − T)𝑑T
Where:
 𝑞𝑡 - the rate of direct runoff at time t
 𝑓 T −IUH ordinate at time T
 𝑖𝑒 - intensity of rainfall excess at time (𝑡 − T)
 T – time in the past
 The IUH can be derived from an S curve or by routing the time –
area diagram of the catchment. By analogy with the S – curve
technique for deriving a short – duration unit hydrograph.

𝑑𝑞
𝑓 T = 𝑡𝑅
𝑑𝑡
Where:
 𝑡𝑅 - time increment
 𝑑𝑞 – change in discharge
TECH REQUIREMENTS
 𝑑𝑡 – change in time
 SYNTHETIC UNIT HYDROGRAPHS
 Methods for synthesizing hydrographs for ungauged
areas have been developed from time to time by
Bernard, Clark, McCarthy and Snyder.
 Three approaches:
1. formulas relating hydrograph features to basin
characteristics
2. transposition of unit hydrographs
3. storage routing
BASIN LAG (HRS) TO BE A FUNCTION OF BASIN SIZE AND SHAPE

0.3
𝑡𝑝 = 𝐶𝑡 (𝐿𝐿𝑐 )
Where:
 𝐿 − main stream distance from the outlet to divide
 𝐿𝑐 − stream distance from the outlet to a point opposite the
basin centroid
 𝐶𝑡 − coefficient, varied from 1.4 to 1.7
UNIT HYDROGRAPH PEAK

𝐶𝑝 𝐴
𝑞𝑝 =
𝑡𝑝
Where:
 𝐴 − drainage area
 𝐶𝑝 − coefficient range from about 0.15 to 0.19
 𝑡𝑝 − basin lag
TIME BASE OF UNIT HYDROGRAPH (DAYS)

𝑡𝑝
𝑇 =3+3
24
ADJUSTED LAG

𝑡𝑅 −𝑡𝑟
𝑡𝑝𝑅 = 𝑡𝑝 +
4
Where:
 𝑡𝑟 − first duration
 𝑡𝑅 − any another duration
EXAMPLE:

 What is the time base of unit hydrograph of a 5.42 𝑘𝑚2 watershed area with 4.45 km main channel length. The
distance from outlet to watershed centroid id 2 km and the coefficient is 1.7?
THANK
YOU