Hydrology
Curriculum guideline
Lecture: 2 hours per week
and
Lab: 2 hours per week
and
Field Experience: 4 hours/semester
The course will employ a variety of instructional methods to accomplish its objectives, including some of the following: lecture, labs, field work, analysis and interpretation of hydrologic data, slides, videos, individual and/or team projects and small group discussions. Readings will be assigned to supplement the text book and the lectures.
- Introduction
- definition and scope of hydrology
- physical and chemical properties of water
- The hydrologic cycle
- movement through various earth systems
- phase changes and physical processes
- Global and regional water balances
- mass and energy balance equations
- Precipitation
- mechanisms
- spatial variability
- temporal variability
- measurement
- precipitation data analysis
- Interception and infiltration
- definitions
- measurement
- effect of vegetation
- Horton’s model
- Evaporation, evapotranspiration
- estimation and measurement
- spatial variability
- atmospheric and surface controls
- potential and actual evaporation
- Snow and ice
- snowpack properties
- distribution
- measurement
- snow melt processes
- Soil moisture
- measurement
- relevant physical properties of soil
- water storage and movement
- measurement
- Groundwater
- confined and unconfined aquifers
- storage
- movement
- Darcy’s law
- Run off
- stream flow
- basins
- watershed models
- Surface water storage
- lakes and depressions
- Inventory of Canadian water resources
- effects of climate change
- Water quality and water management
- properties of water
- characteristics of water quality
- natural and anthropogenic processes affecting water quality
- urban hydrology
At the conclusion of the course, the successful student will be able to:
- Describe and explain the hydrologic cycle and the variety of processes involved within it.
- Describe and use maps and air photographs to identify and illustrate the variety of landforms involved in the terrestrial stage of the hydrologic cycle.
- Be able to utilize, through lab and field work, routine methods for measuring hydrologic flow and storage.
- Have used, through map and field work, some methods of analyzing hydrological data.
- Describe the extent of Canada’s water resources.
- Evaluate the human impact on stream systems and implications for water resource management.
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria during the first week of classes.
- Laboratory assignments: 10-50%
- Labratory exams: 30-50%
- Exams: 25-50%.
- Field work: 10-25%.
- Term project: 10-25%.
An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be:
| Laboratory Assignments | 30% |
| Midterm Examination | 25% |
| Final Examination | 25% |
| Term Project | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
Texts will be updated periodically. Typical examples are:
- Davie, T. and Quinn, N.W. (2019) Fundamentals of Hydrology (3rd ed.). London: Routledge.
- Dingman, S.L. (2015) Physical Hydrology (3rd ed.). Waveland press.
- Shelton, M.L. (2018) Hydroclimatology: Perspectives and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Viessman, W. and Lewis, G.L. (2003) Introduction to Hydrology (5th ed.). New York: Harper Collins.