Hydrology: Current Research

The hydrological cycle, also known as the water cycle, is the continuous movement of water on, above and below the Earth's surface. It is a vital process that helps to sustain life on our planet by ensuring the availability of freshwater for human consumption, agriculture and other essential purposes. In this article, we will explore the hydrological cycle in detail, including its different stages and how it impacts the environment.

The quality of water is also important for various industries, such as agriculture, manufacturing and energy production. Poor water quality can lead to reduced crop yields, damage to industrial equipment and increased energy costs due to the need for additional treatment. To determine the quality of water, various physical, chemical and biological measurements are taken. These measurements are used to determine the presence and concentration of contaminants, as well as the physical and chemical properties of water. Some of the common measurements used to determine water quality include pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, conductivity and the presence of various contaminants, including heavy metals, organic matter and microorganisms.

Water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, is the continuous process by which water is circulated through the earth's atmosphere, oceans and land surface. It is a fundamental process for the survival of all life on earth, as water is essential for various biological, physical and chemical processes. The water cycle can be divided into four main stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation and transpiration. Each of these stages is crucial in ensuring the proper functioning of the water cycle.

Climate change and variability and anthropogenic forcings such as land use change are the main forcings of river discharge variability. However, understanding their simultaneous impact on river discharge remains limited in some parts of the world like in central Africa. To shed light on this issue, this article has as objective to investigate the impact of rainfall variability and land use changes on river discharge in the Mefou basin over the recent period (1963-2018). To achieve this goal, hydrometeorological data of this basin were analyzed using the Pettitt and Mann Kendall tests. Likewise, land use changes were also analyzed using supervised classifications of Landsat satellite images over the period (1973-2018). Average and extreme flows of Mefou river have increased since 1985-86, unlike the rainfall, which generally decreased for all seasons from the 1970s, apart from summer, where the reverse was observed. Changes in land use (increase impervious areas and a decrease in forest and water bodies) seem to be the main cause of the increase in runoff observed. The rainfall plays an essentially amplifying role in the increase in discharge in the seasons during which they occur. These results could be useful for the improvement of future simulations of the Mefou river flow.