Advanced analysis of hydrologic processes to provide a theoretical understanding of precipitation, evapotranspiration, streamflow, groundwater occurrence and movement, and soil zone flow and transport. Emphasis is upon quantitative methods used in conjunction with field and laboratory data to identify flow and transport dynamics in hydrologic systems.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students are required to write a synthesis paper that is relevant to their research project or, if there is almost no connection between hydrology and your specific research project, then to your field of study. The synthesis paper should quantitatively describe or summarize either the state-of-the-practice (applications or concepts for which the methods are well-established) or the state-of-the-science (applications or concepts for which the methods require further research and/or development). The paper should include a basic overview of your project, an explanation of which quantitative methods (statistical, modeling, etc.) are relevant to your project, and a systematic literature review or meta-analysis of either the state-of-the-practice or the state-of-the-science.
Athena Title
Quantitative Methods Hydrology
Prerequisite
ENVE 4435/6435 or CRSS(FANR) 3060 or WASR(FORS) 4110/6110-4110L/6110L or GEOL 4220/6220 or GEOG 4030/6030 or (CRSS 4600/6600 and CRSS 4600L/6600L) or permission of school
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze the physical and chemical processes in hydrologic systems using quantitative methods and field/laboratory data.
By the end of this course, students will be able to evaluate the theoretical basis of hydrologic processes by interpreting and synthesizing field and laboratory data to develop consistent descriptions.
By the end of this course, students will be able to apply analytic and numeric methods to identify and quantify the dynamics of flow and transport in various hydrologic systems.
Topical Outline
Part 1: The Earth's Critical Zone: Soil Pedons; Hillslope Catenas; Hillslope Hydrology; Subsurface Features; Soil Drainage; Watersheds; Hydrogeologic Systems
Part 2: Precipitation: Precipitation Formation and Types; Rainfall Variability
Part 3: Evapotranspiration: Energy Balance Method; Aerodynamic Method; Combined Method
Part 4: Unsaturated (Vadose) Flow: Unsaturated Zone Properties; Unsaturated Zone Relationships; Vadose Zone Influences
Part 5: Surface Runoff: Drainage Basins and Storm Hydrographs; Hydrologic Losses, Rainfall Excess, and Hydrograph Components; Rainfall-Runoff Analysis Using Unit Hydrograph Approach
Part 6: Properties of Aquifers: Subsurface Strata of Groundwater Interest; Darcy’s Law; Soil and Water Parameters; Gradient of Potentiometric Surface; Storage; Homogeneity and Isotropy
Part 7: Principles of Groundwater Flow: Mechanical Energy, Hydraulic Head and Force Potential; Darcy’s Law Revisited; Flow Direction and Hydraulic Gradient in Isotropic and Anisotropic Systems
Part 8: Contaminant Transport: Mass Transport; Overview of Mechanisms of Contaminant Transport; Advection; Molecular Diffusion; Mechanical Dispersion; Hydrodynamic Dispersion; Developing the Advection-Dispersion Equation
Part 9: Catchment-Scale Integrative Methods: Rainfall-Runoff Transit Times; Soil-Plant System Transit Times; End-member Mixing Analysis
