ENV-221 / 5 credits

Teacher: Bonetti Sara

Language: English


Summary

This is an introductory course to key concepts and methods in physical and engineering hydrology.

Content

- Introduction: hydrologic cycle, hydrologic processes, basic conservation principles and water balance.
- Precipitation: types, variability, characterization, frequency analysis and return period.
- Evaporation and plant transpiration.
- Subsurface hydrology: infiltration and water movement in soils, saturated and unsaturated flow, infiltration models, porous formations, well hydraulics.
- Surface hydrology: runoff and streamflow, hydrologic response, hydrographs.
- Floods: Hydrologic and hydraulic design.
- Droughts: water scarcity, scenarios of climate change, vegetation stress.
- Hydrology meets ecology: introduction to ecohydrology.
- Principles of hydrologic transport: residence time distributions, basin scale transport.

Keywords

Hydrology, hydrologic design, hydrologic model, floods, water balance, hydrologic cycle

Learning Prerequisites

Recommended courses

Elementary Fluid Mechanics; Hydraulics (in particular, Open Channel Flow)

Informatics and programming (especially in MATLAB)

Science du sol

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • Predict hydrologic extremes at a certain location (elementary methods)
  • Carry out basic hydrologic computations
  • Implement basic hydrologic models
  • Analyze hydrologic data
  • Explore limits and validity of hydrologic methods
  • Compare different methodologies
  • Characterize the main hydrologic features of a certain site
  • Identify fundamental physical processes within the hydrologic cycle

Transversal skills

  • Plan and carry out activities in a way which makes optimal use of available time and other resources.
  • Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.
  • Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking

Teaching methods

  • Weekly Lectures, carried out at the blackboard and with the aid of projected material
  • Weekly exercises, partly in class and partly in a computer room using the software MATLAB. Homeworks are supervised but not evaluated by the teacher.
  • 2 Assignments, to be carried out in groups of 2-3 students

 

Expected student activities

Plan and carry out activities in a way which makes optimal use of available time

Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.

Use a work methodology appropriate to the task. Regular attendance to classes and exercise sessions and a moderate amount of homework  should suffice to complete the class requirements in a satisfactory manner

Programming will be required.

Assessment methods

  • Assignment I (15%)
  • Assignment II (15%)
  • Mid term exam (15%)
  • Final written exam (55%)

Supervision

Office hours Yes
Assistants Yes
Forum Yes
Others Please contact the teachers by e-mail to fix an appointment

Resources

Bibliography

Slides/Class Notes

Support textbooks:

  • Mays, L.W., 2010. Water Resources Engineering. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Dingman, S.L., 2015. Physical Hydrology. Waveland press.
  • Brutsaert, W., 2010. Hydrology: An Introduction. Univ. Press, Cambridge.

Ressources en bibliothèque

Notes/Handbook

Essentials for completion of the course will be self-contained in the Class notes -- uploaded weekly through the Moodle Platform

Moodle Link

In the programs

  • Semester: Fall
  • Exam form: Written (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Hydrology for engineers
  • Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Project: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: mandatory
  • Semester: Fall
  • Exam form: Written (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Hydrology for engineers
  • Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: optional

Reference week

Tuesday, 10h - 12h: Lecture CM2

Tuesday, 15h - 17h: Exercise, TP INM10
BC07-08

Tuesday, 17h - 18h: Project, other INM10
BC07-08

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