EARTH SC/ENVIR SC 2W03

Physical Hydrology

Calendar Description

Hydrological processes including precipitation, snowmelt, hillslope runoff, streamflow and hydrological data analysis. Two lectures, one lab (two hours); one term Prerequisite: ISCI 1A24,; or onr of MATH 1A03, 1B03, 1D03, 1LS3, SOC SCI 2J03, STATS 1CC3, 2B03; and one of ENVIR SC 1A03, 1B03, 1G03 or ISCI 1A24Cross-list: EARTH SC 2W03, ENVIR SC 2W03 Antirequisite: GEO 2W03

Time/Term Offered: Term Two Winter 2011-12

Instructor: Dr. Mike Waddington
Room: General Science Building Rm. 234
Tel:(905) 525.9149 ext. 23217
Email: jmw@mcmaster.ca
Office hours:: The hour prior to all lectures (unless noted otherwise on Avenue or by appointment)

Teaching Assistant:
TBA

Introduction:

‘Hydrology is the science which deals with terrestrial waters, their occurrence, circulation, and
distribution on our planet, their physical and chemical properties, and their interactions with
the physical and biological environment, including the effect on them of human activities’

Overview: This course will focus on the major hydrological processes that occur above the ground surface, using examples mainly from the temperate latitudes. Emphases will be placed upon understanding the principles of hydrology, quantification of the hydrological processes and prediction of hydrological events

Lecture/Labs:

Wednesdays 14:30 – 15:20 and Fridays 16:30 – 17:20 in BSB/135

The course will evolve around the water balance concept and will be partitioned into the following topics: i) the hydrological cycle and the water balance, ii) infiltration and slope runoff, iii) spatial and temporal variations in precipitation, iv) streamflow measurement and analysis, v) snow cover and snowmelt, vi) unit hydrograph and flow routing, vii) evaporation, and viii) hydrology. Lecture notes will NOT always be made available. It is your responsibility to attend class, or to obtain missed material from classmates. Key figures and equations will be posted on Avenue.

Labs: L01 Monday 09:30 - 11:20 ABB/166
L02 Wednesday 15:30 - 17:20 BSB/238
L03 Thursday 15:30 - 17:20 BSB/238
L04 Tuesday 14:30 - 16:20 BSB/238
L05 Thursday 09:30 - 11:20 BSB/238

You should be registered in one of the above lab sections. There will be five required labs throughout the course. The goals of these labs are to introduce you to quantitative physical hydrology and enhance your data computation and analysis skills. Lab reports are due by 16:30 the week after the date the lab was assigned. For example, if your first lab is on Tuesday January 17th, your report is due at 16:30 on Tuesday January 24th. Lab reports should be handed in to the ENVIR SC 2W03 Drop-box located around the corner from the School of Geography and Earth Sciences Main Office, GSB 202.

Required Text Books/Course materials:

Required
Introduction to Physical Hydrology (Hendricks) Oxford University Press

Avenue: All students enrolled in the course should have access to the course Avenue page. Important announcements and assignment material will be posted there. It is the student’s responsibility to frequently check this page to obtain all relevant information.

Evaluation:

Labs: 30 % (5 at 6% each)
Term tests: 30 % (2 at 15% each, February 3 & March 16)
Final Exam: 40 %

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

• Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained.

• Improper collaboration in group work.

• Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.