CIV E 634-SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
FALL 2008
MIDTERM EXAM
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008, 1900-2015

Name: ________________________ Red ID: ______________________ Grade: ___________

Instructions: Closed book, closed notes. Use engineering paper. When you are finished, staple your work in sequence, and return this sheet with your work. Answer only ten (10) questions.

 

  1. What is the only factor affecting the quantity of precipitation that is subject to anthropogenic alteration? Explain.

  2. Explain L'vovich's approach to the water balance and how does it differ from the conventional approach.

  3. Explain three (3) properties of water (H2O) that make it unique among other competing chemical compounds existing in Nature. Where is the primeval (original) source of water?

  4. Explain the stages in the historical development of evaporation formulas, from Dalton to Shuttleworth-Wallace.

  5. What four variables are considered in the Papadakis-Kazan and theoretical formulas for time of concentration?

  6. Why is the Mockus approach to runoff generation better than Horton's? How did Mockus arrive at his formula? What important variable is implicitly considered in the AMC (antecedent moisture condition)?

  7. What is albedo? What is the mean albedo of the Earth's surface? How does albedo vary from rain forests to deserts?

  8. Why is Budyko's model of the water balance important in surface-water hydrology? How do the water balance coefficients Kc, Kd, and Kr vary across the climatic precipitation spectrum?

  9. What is the value of mean annual global terrestrial precipitation? Why is the middle of the climatic precipitation spectrum likely to be optimum for sustainability? Explain.

  10. Explain the concept of ford-bridge. Where is is applicable?

  11. Why are aquifer parameters obtained from baseflow recession likely to be more representative than those obtained from pumping tests?