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What is hydrology?
The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1990) defines hydrology as: “The
science of properties of the earth's water, especially of its
movement in relation to land.”
Hydrology is primarily concerned with the amounts and quality
of water moving and accumulating on the land surface and in
the soils and rocks near the surface. It therefore encompasses
water in rivers, lakes, aquifers and glaciers. Hydrology embraces
a wide range of interests including scientific and engineering
applications. The diagram below, based on the BHS Research Strategy
"Sustainability in a changing world: the key role of
hydrology", illustrates the major components of hydrological
science and its interactions with a broad range of disciplines.
Hydro-meteorology spans the interface between meteorology and
hydrology, and professionals active in this subject may have
trained in either or both disciplines. Hydro-geology addresses
the science of water in the ground and has, as its name suggests,
a close affinity with the geological sciences. Hydro-ecology
is concerned with the aquatic habitats required for the survival
of particular flora and fauna, and the changes that may occur
in these conditions through human intervention.
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