Hydrologic Transport in the Envir
3.0
creditsAverage Course Rating
This course considers the transport of solutes and sediments by water through terrestrial landscapes, with an emphasis on the movement of nutrients and contaminants from the landscape into receiving water bodies like rivers, lakes and estuaries. The course will cover the theoretical approaches (advection-diffusion/dispersion, transit time distributions), the use of active and passive tracers to infer transport processes, analysis of water quality time series, runoff generation and flow pathways in watersheds, and the effect of climate variability on transport. Assessment is based on a semester project and in-class presentations. Seniors interested in joining the class must have Hydrology 570.353 and should contact the instructor.
Spring 2015
Professor: GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
The best aspects of this course included the student lectures, engaging class discussions, and interesting course materials. Some students felt that the studies were hard to understand which made student presentations difficult. The instructor was often late or at times absent from the class, and there were limited opportunities for feedback. Suggestions for improvement included having open discussion led by the instructor, creating deadlines to work towards writing a shorter final paper, and having more opportunities for feedback. Prospective students should have a strong background in mathematics and be prepared to lead discussion and lecture once a semester. Students interested in hydrology are encouraged to meet with the instructor prior to leading discussion or giving lecture.