Hydrology GEG 3102 Course Topics

Hydrology GEG 3102 Course Topics

• The course covers the hydrological cycle, examining water's various forms and movement through the atmosphere, surface, and subsurface of Earth.
• It explores stable isotopes of water as tracers, focusing on atmospheric water transitions (gas to liquid/solid), cloud formation, precipitation, evaporation, and evapotranspiration.
• Surface water dynamics, including laminar and turbulent flow, water velocity measurement, hydrographs, and runoff, are also key components.
• Groundwater movement and storage are analyzed, including concepts like infiltration, porosity, laminar flow, hydraulic conductivity, confined and unconfined groundwater flow, and flow systems.
• Soil water, negative water pressure, soil moisture, unsaturated flow, capillarity, infiltration, percolation, and preferential flow are studied in detail.
• The course also examines watersheds, streams, rivers, and lakes, focusing on basin shape, drainage patterns, and density.
• Erosion, transport, deposition, and chemical processes shaping landscapes and landforms are included.
• Environmental hydrology is explored, including specific environments like lacustrine (lakes), nival (snow), glacial (ice), periglacial (cold), and karst (caves).

Course Evaluation

• Lab reports constitute 35% of the grade.
• Quizzes (weeks 3, 5, and 11) account for 15% of the grade.
• A mid-term test on February 24th contributes 20% to the grade.
• The final exam, during the exam period, makes up 30% of the final grade.

Hydrology: Basic Concepts and Challenges

• Hydrology is a geoscience describing and predicting water occurrence, circulation, and distribution in the earth and atmosphere.
• Several disciplines (engineering, meteorology, chemistry, and geology) contribute to the study of hydrology.
• These contributions support effective water resource management, including water supply systems, sewage systems, hydropower production, flood management, environmental protection, ecosystem health, water quality management, and agricultural productivity.

Hydrological Cycle

• The hydrological cycle is the continuous movement of water between the atmosphere, the surface of the Earth, and below the surface.
• Driven by solar energy, the cycle includes key processes like: evapotranspiration, condensation, precipitation, runoff, and infiltration, each influencing the Earth's water balance.

Key Hydrological Processes

• Evaporation: The conversion of liquid water to water vapor.
• Transpiration: The release of water vapor from plant leaves.
• Evapotranspiration: The combined process of evaporation and transpiration.
• Condensation: The conversion of water vapor into liquid water or ice, forming clouds.
• Precipitation: The falling of water from the atmosphere in liquid (rain, drizzle) or solid (snow, sleet, hail) form.
• Interception: The capture and storage of precipitation by vegetation.
• Throughfall: Precipitation that passes through the canopy directly to the ground.
• Stemflow: Precipitation that flows down plant stems and trunks to the ground.
• Net Precipitation: The total precipitation reaching the Earth's surface after accounting for losses due to interception, evaporation, and transpiration.
• Runoff: The flow of water over the land surface, entering rivers, lakes, and oceans.
• Infiltration: Water movement from the land surface into the soil.
• Percolation: Water movement through the soil profile, moving deeper into the ground and towards groundwater aquifers.
• Water Table: The upper surface of the groundwater zone.

Factors Influencing Hydrological Processes

• Temperature: Affects evaporation, transpiration, and condensation rates.
• Humidity: Affects evaporation and condensation rates.
• Wind Speed: Affects evaporation rates.
• Solar Radiation: Affects evaporation and transpiration rates.
• Soil Type: Affects infiltration rates.
• Soil Texture: Affects infiltration rates.
• Soil Structure: Affects infiltration rates.
• Rainfall Amount, Intensity, and Duration: Affect infiltration and runoff.
• Canopy Cover: Affects interception.
• Vegetation: Affects interception, infiltration, and evapotranspiration.
• Topography: Influences runoff.
• Rock Characteristics: Influences infiltration and groundwater flow.
• Groundwater Extraction: Influences water table levels.