CIV E 634-SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY
SPRING 2003
MIDTERM EXAM
TUESDAY MARCH 11, 2003, 1900-2015

Name: ______________________ S.S. No. ________________ 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 10 questions.

 

  1. Why is L'vovich's approach to the water balance better than the conventional approach?

  2. Why is the Penman-Monteith method considered an improvement over the original Penman method?

  3. What is the difference between the kinematic and conceptual models of overland flow? Be specific: describe equations and effects on hydrograph.

  4. What are the various modes of surface runoff generation? Explain.

  5. What are the four variables in the runoff curve number methodology?

  6. What other effects are included in the antecedent moisture condition?

  7. Why does the accuracy of the runoff curve number method vary across biomes?

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

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

  10. What is the mean annual global terrestrial precipitation, according to the Ponce, Pandey and Ercan paper? What is the maximum value of potential evapotranspiration? Why is average return period always greater than average duration?

  11. How does ecosystem conservation help with the management of droughts?

  12. Why does the human species strive toward the middle of the climatic spectrum? Give examples.