Hydrology
What is hydrology?
Hydrology studies the movement of water through the environment
and predicts how water bodies will behave under different
circumstances. It encompasses all aspects of water as it moves
through the water cycle, except the ocean phase.
Our remit covers changes in water quantities in catchment water
bodies. This can include modified or artificial water bodies such
as canals and reservoirs and also water movement through
groundwater bodies using the knowledge of our hydrogeologists.
Why do we monitor the hydrology of a water body?
We undertake field measurements of rainfall and of loch,
groundwater, and river levels using hydrometry, a field data
collection technique. This is a key source of data for hydrology
and hydrogeology as it allows us to make quantitative assessments
of water movements as well as driving our models, allowing us to
undertake other functions such as flood risk assessment and flood
warning.
SEPA's hydrology function maintains relationships with key partners
throughout the UK including:
- Meteorological Office
- British Geological Survey
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
- Hydraulics Research, Wallingford
- Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
Further information on SEPA's hydrology function can be found in
the Scotland's environment section.