The hydrograph and hyetograph of a storm on a basin of 1400 km2 area are given in figure.

It is assumed that the base

flow that is 10 m3/s the beginning of the storm increases by 2 m3/s each 6 hours. Find the runoff volume corresponding
to 1 cm rainfall excess. (Direct runoff area ; 20x106 m3, rainfall excess; 1,4 cm)

The direct runoff hydrograph is obtained by subtracting the base flow with linearly increasing ordinates from the given
hydrograph. The area below this hydrograph is the direct runoff volume, computed as 20x10 6 m3 direct runoff depth is:
RD

20 * 106
1400 * 10 6

0.014m 1.4cm

Unit hydrograph is obtained by dividing the direct runoff hydrograph ordinates by 1.4. Its base width is 54 hours. The
peak discharge occurs at 12 hours with a value:
398 (10 2 * 2)
273m 3 / s
1.4

The duration of the unit hydrograph is determined by drawing a horizontal line that separates from the hyetograph an
area equal to the rainfall excess depth of 1.4 cm. The duration of the rainfall excess is thus determined as 6 hours.
Therefore the obtained unit hydrograph is for 6 hours.

The 10-min unit hydrograph for a 2.25 km2 urban catchment is given by

(a) Verify that the unit hydrograph is consistent with a 1-cm rainfall excess,
(b) Estimate the runoff hydrograph for a 10-min rainfall excess of 3.5 cm, and
(c) Estimate the runoff hydrograph for a 20-min rainfall excess of 8.5 cm.
(a) The area, A, under the unit hydrograph can be estimated by numerical integration as
A = (1800) (1.2 + 2.8 + 1.7 + 1.4 + 1.2 + 1.1 + 0.91 + 0.74 + 0.61 + 0.50+ 0.28 + 0.17)= 22,698 m 3where the time
increment between the hydrograph ordinates is 30 min = 1,800 s. Since the area of thecatchment is 2.25 km2 = 2.25
106 m2, the depth, h, of rainfall excess (or direct runoff) is given by
h RD

22698
2.25 * 106

0.01m 1cm

Since the depth of rainfall excess is 1 cm, the given hydrograph qualifies as a unit hydrograph.
(b) For a 10-min rainfall excess of 3.5 cm, the runoff hydrograph is estimated by multiplying the ordinates of the unit
hydrograph by 3.5. This yields the following runoff hydrograph:

(c) The runoff hydrograph for a 20-min rainfall excess of 8.5 cm is calculated
by adding the runoff hydrographs from two consecutive 10-min events, with
each event corresponding to a rainfall excess of 4.25 cm.
The unit hydrograph is first interpolated for 10-minute intervals and multiplied
by 4.25 to give the runoff from a 10-min 4.25-cm event.
This hydrograph is then added to the same hydrograph shifted by 10 minutes.
The computations are summarized in Table, where Runoff 1 and Runoff 2 are
the runoff hydrographs of the two 10-min 4.25-cm events, respectively.

In a cross-section of a river the ordinates of a unit hydrograph for t y=2 hr (2 hours rainfall) are given.

a) Derive the unit hydrograph for t'y=1 hr

b) Derive the unit hydrograph for t''y=3 hr
a) The given 2 hours unit hydrograph consists of the superposition of two 1 hour rainfall, so t' y<ty, and m=ty/t'y=2
m.UH2(t)=UH1(t)+UH1(t-t'y)
The right hand side of the equation can be calculated for each term for the durations t=0,1,2,

b)

The 3 hours unit hydrograph consists of the superposition of three 1 hour rainfall, so t'' y> t'y, and k=t''y/t'y=3
and
UH3(t)=[UH1(t)+UH1(t-t'y)+UH1(t-2t'y)]/k

Derive the unit hydrograph for t'y=4 hr from a given unit hydrograph for 2 hours.

k=t''y/t'y=4/2=2

Derive the unit hydrograph for t'y=2 hr from a given unit hydrograph for 4 hours.

m=ty/t'y=4/2=2