GGR217H5 Fundamentals of Hydrology

Course Desciption

Course Description

Hydrology is the study of the quantity, quality, storage and transfer of the world's freshwater. The presence of water on and in the continents and atmosphere sustains the terrestrial biosphere, including human life. This course focuses on the central concepts of hydrology by taking a systems approach to the movement and storage of water on and in a watershed. Based on the framework of the water cycle, the course emphasizes the physical processes that control the stores and transfers of water and energy in the Earth system. This course serves as a gateway to the more advanced treatment of hydrology in upper levels, as well as providing a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the science of water for students in other streams of physical geography, environmental science, earth science and biology.

Distribution Requirement: Science

Lecture hours: 24

Practicum hours: 12

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits including GGR112H5 or ENV100Y5

Core Skills Developed

  • hydrosphere
  • linkages between the atmosphere, Earth’s surface, vegetation and open water
  • critical interpretation of textual, graphical, numerical and statistical data
  • terminology, definitions and concepts of hydrology
  • communication of scientific results