What does the hydrologist study? The subject of hydrology

Water is one of the most important natural resources on the planet Earth, what the hydrologist is studying. Without it, life would be impossible. Although there is a lot of water in the global sense, it is not always in the right place, at the right time, and of the required quality.

Science of Hydrology

Hydrology as a science developed in connection with the need to understand the complex water systems of the Earth and to help in solving water problems. Hydrologists play a vital role in the search for these solutions. This is a science that covers the origin, distribution, movement and properties of the waters of the earth and their relationship with the environment during each phase of the water cycle.

The cycle of water, or the hydrological cycle, is a continuous process in which water, purified by evaporation, rises from the surface of the earth to the atmosphere and then descends back to the earth and oceans. All physical, chemical and biological processes involving water are of interest to those who study the water cycle in nature.

Subject of study

What does the hydrologist study? First of all, these are fundamental processes of water transportation and conversion with subsequent description of its quantity and quality, such concepts as evaporation, precipitation, sewage, infiltration, groundwater and so on are studied. The hydrological engineer participates in the planning, analysis, design, construction and operation of facilities necessary for monitoring, use and management of water resources.

Water resources and related problems are also a source of concern for meteorologists, oceanographers, geologists, chemists, physicists, biologists, economists, political scientists, applied mathematics and computer scientists, and engineers in various fields. Hydrologists apply scientific knowledge and mathematical principles to solve water problems in society: the quantity, quality and availability of water resources.

What do hydrologists do?

Representatives of this complex and interesting profession can work in the protection of the environment, deal with the prevention or cleaning of all kinds of pollution, and with the placement of sites for the safe disposal of hazardous waste. Persons who have studied hydrology can occupy a wide variety of positions. A scientist, engineer, technician-hydrologist can be involved both in field research, and in the office or laboratory.

The profession of a hydrologist involves numerous business trips, sometimes even foreign ones. The scientist can spend a lot of time on field work in remote areas and rough terrain. The office work is to interpret the hydrological data obtained and perform analyzes to determine possible water supplies. Most of the work is based on the use of computer technology for the systematization, synthesis and analysis of data.

Hydrological Forecasting

As a rule, most cities are able to meet their water needs by withdrawing it from the nearest river, lake or reservoir. Hydrologists help cities by collecting and analyzing the data necessary for forecasting. To this end, scientists are studying reports on precipitation, depth of snow cover and river runoff collected and compiled by their colleagues in various state institutions.

Hydrologists use topographic maps and aerial photographs to determine the shoreline of reservoirs, depth and capacity. They collect the necessary information, enter it into the computer and run special models to predict the results using various operational strategies. Hydrologists often consult to choose the right place for new treatment facilities, if it is a problem of pollution of water sources.

Fighters for the protection of life and health

What the hydrologist is studying may be invisible, but deadly to the health of people, plants and animals. Professionals are involved in providing assistance in monitoring public water supply to ensure compliance with sanitary standards. When pollution is detected, environmental engineers work together with hydrologists and develop the necessary sampling programs.

The quality of water in the mouths of rivers, streams, rivers and lakes should be controlled, as well as the health of fish, plants and the general state of the wild. Important attention is paid to such phenomena as acid rain, its consequences, the behavior of toxic metals and organic substances in aquatic environments.

Such important global studies on water pollution are also on the list of what the hydrologist is studying. To check the water, simple tests are done, such as pH, turbidity, oxygen content, and other more complex chemical analyzes that require special laboratory equipment.