YSB 526E - Physical Hydrology

Course Objectives

1. To gain a qualitative and quantitative understanding of concepts and physical principles governing the occurrence, distribution, and movement of water in the Earth's atmosphere and the land surface layer
2. To gain a qualitative and quantitative understanding of how the occurrence of water in a watershed could be affected by a changing climate

Course Description

This course provides comprehensive treatment of modern conceptual and methodological approaches to hydrological science and the hydrologic cycle, with emphasis on atmospheric and surface hydrologic processes. Because of the pivotal role that water plays in supporting life on earth, it is of interest to a diverse number of disciplines including climatology, biology, meteorology, chemistry, engineering and hydrogeology. Physical hydrology shares several concepts and approaches in common with these fields but maintains a clearly distinctive focus that sets it apart from the other disciplines.