Hydrology for engineers
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
- Hydrology: An Introduction / Brutsaert
- Water Resources Engineering / Mays
- Physical Hydrology / Dingman
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
- Courses: 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
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional