The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to hydrology:
Hydrology – study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability.
What type of thing is hydrology?
Hydrology can be described as all of the following:
a branch of science
a branch of natural science
a branch of physical science
a branch of Earth science
a branch of geography
a branch of physical geography
Essence of hydrology
Water
Hydrologic cycle
Cryosphere
Origin of water on Earth
Water distribution on Earth
Branches of hydrology
Hydrometry – the measurement of the different components of the hydrologic cycle
Chemical hydrology – the study of the chemical characteristics of water
Ecohydrology – the study of interactions between organisms and the hydrologic cycle Hydrogeology – the study of the presence and movement of water in aquifers Hydroinformatics – the adaptation of information technology to hydrology and water resources applications Hydrometeorology – the study of the transfer of water and energy between land and water body surfaces and the lower atmosphere Isotope hydrology – the study of the isotopic signatures of water Surface hydrology – the study of hydrologic processes that operate at or near the Earth's surface Catchment hydrology – study of the governing processes in a given hydrologically-defined catchment Drainage basin management – covers water-storage, in the form of reservoirs, and flood-protection. Water quality – includes the chemistry of water in rivers and lakes, both of pollutants and natural solutes.
History of hydrology
History of hydrology
Things studied by hydrology
Abstract concepts in hydrology
Field capacity
Phenomena studied by hydrology
Water movement pathways
Water cycle (aka "hydrological cycle") Above ground Evaporation – Pan evaporation – Condensation – Precipitation – condensed water, is pulled by gravity back to Earth, in the form of: Drizzle Rain Sleet Snow Graupel Hail Interception – Evapotranspiration – Stemflow – Throughfall – On ground Surface runoff – flow of surface water First flush Floods Flash floods Overland flow – Horton overland flow – Below ground Infiltration – Pipeflow – Baseflow – Subsurface flow – flow of ground water
Physical things studied by hydrology
Ground water
Soil moisture
Surface water
Environmental issues
Desertification/Oasification –
Hypoxia –
Erosion –
Water pollution –
Measurement tools
Groundwater
Aquifer characterization
Flow direction
Piezometer - groundwater pressure and, by inference, groundwater depth (see: aquifer test) Conductivity, storativity, transmisivity Geophysical methods