Introduction to Physical Hydrology provides a solid grounding in the principles of the subject. Exploring the principal rules that govern the flow of water on the land, it considers the three major types of water: atmospheric, ground, and soil. It gives insights into the major hydrological processes, and shows how the principles of physical hydrology inform our understanding of climate and global hydrology - the large-scale study of hydrology with which we need to grapple to fully understand the impact of the climate on water supply. The study of physical properties is done most effectively through mathematical representations of concepts and processes. Introduction to Physical Hydrology includes a carefully-developed and class-tested learning framework: an extensive range of examples and exercises, and further maths support in the form of a series of Maths Toolboxes help the reader engage with and understand the maths required to master the subject. With hydrology now being approached from environmental and social perspectives, in addition to the more traditional physical geography and civil engineering perspectives, there has never been a more important time to develop a sound understanding of the subject. Introduction to Physical Hydrology is the perfect course companion while you develop this understanding. Part 1: Introduction 1.1. Major water types 1.2. Hydrological cycle 1.3. Drainage basin hydrological processes 1.4. Water balance Part 2: Atmospheric water 2.1. Cloud formation 2.2. Generation of precipitation 2.3. Precipitation types 2.4. Measuring precipitation 2.5. Areal precipitation 2.6. Evaporation types and measurement 2.7. Estimating evaporation: Penman-Monteith Part 3: Groundwater 3.1. Misconceptions 3.2. Drilling a hole 3.3. Bernoulli to the aid 3.4. Aqui 3.5. Effective infiltration velocity and infiltration rate 3.6. The soil as a wet sponge 3.7. Brothers in science: Darcy and Ohm 3.8. Refracting the water 3.9. Keep it simple and confined 3.10. Continuity and its consequences 3.11. Going Dutch 3.12. Flow nets 3.13. Groundwater flow regimes and systems 3.14. Fresh and saline: Ghijben-Herzberg 3.15. Groundwater hydraulics Part 4: Soil water 4.1. Negative water pressures 4.2. Determining the total potential 4.3. The soil as dry filter paper or a wet sponge 4.4. The soil moisture characteristic 4.5. Drying and wetting: hysteresis 4.6. Unsaturated water flow 4.7. Moving up: capillary rise and evaporation 4.8. Moving down: infiltration and percolation 4.9. Preferential flow Part 5: Surface water 5.1. Bernoulli revisited 5.2. Measuring stage, water velocity and discharge 5.3. Hydrograph analysis 5.4. Conceptual rainfall-runoff models 5.5. Variable source area hydrology A Alternative hydrological terms B Boxes inventory C Conceptual Toolkit D Answers to the exercises E Mathematics Toolboxes "a detailed and thorough review of the physical principles of hydrology... case studies and examples as 'boxes', and student exercises (along with the all important answers) makes this student textbook a useful addition to the literature available in this subject area." --Dr Ian Maddock, Principal Lecturer in Physical Geography, University of WorcesterMartin Hendriks is Associate Professor of Physical Hydrology at Utrecht University, where he teaches hydrology and physical geography at all levels, and co-ordinates their MSc programme in Physical Geography and Hydrology.