Undergraduate courses:
Graduate courses:
   

GGR 206H1F Introduction to Hydrology

Instructor: J. M. Chen
Office: Room 305, 45 St. George St.
Office Hours: Mon. 3-5pm
Telephone: 978-7085
E-Mail: chenj@geog.utoronto.ca

Teaching Assistant: Ajit Govind
Office: Room 306, 45 St. George St.
Telephone: 946-7715
 E-Mail: ajit.govind@utoronto.ca
 

Lectures:

  • Mon. 10am-12pm, SS 2125
  • Tutorials Thurs. 10am -12pm, PGB 101, 45 St. George St, or Wednesday 7-9 pm, SSH 2125, 5 times in this term (consult schedule). It is optional. Students only need to come to one of these two time slots for each tutorial.
  • Consultation: Mon. 2-4 pm, Room 305, 45 St. Goerge St.

Recommended Preparation:

GGR101Y or JGF150Y or JGG150Y; MAT 135Y

Outline:

Hydrology is the science dealing with the waters of the earth, their occurrence, distribution and circulation, their chemical and physical properties and their interaction with the environment". This course encompasses major hydrological processes, including precipitation, evapotranspiration (evaporation and transpiration), rainfall interception, soil water, ground water, and runoff. The emphasis of this course will be on the understanding of these physical processes forming the complete hydrological cycle at global, regional and watershed scales. A series of 4 assignments are given for students to gain practical skills in hydrological analysis.

Evaluation

  • 4 assignments ____ 40%
  • Mid-term exam ____ 20%
  • Final exam _______ 40%

Late assignment reports will be penalized at 10% of the portion of the lab for each day of delay, i.e., a multiplying factor of 0.9 will be used for 1-day delay, and 0.8 for 2-day delay, etc.

Required Reading

  • Ward, R.C. and M. Robinson, 2000, Principles of Hydrology. 4th edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0077095022 (available in the UofT bookstore)

Other References

  • Jones, J. A. A., 1997. Global Hydrology: Processes, Resources and Environmental Management. Longman.

Lecture Schedule

Date Lecture Subject Assignments Readings
Sep 11 Administration and Introduction Hydrological cycle and system (1)   WR 1.1-1.3
Sep 18 Hydrological cycle and system (2) Precipitation processes   WR 1.1-1.3
WR 2.1-2.1.1

Sep 25

Sep 27-28

 Precipitation-clouds
Precipitation measurements
Assignment #1 tutorial		 #1 due Oct 10, 10% WR 2.1.2-2.2.3
Jones 5.2
Oct 02 Precipitation analysis
Evaporation processes		   WR 2.6; Jones 4.2
WR 4.1-4.2

Oct 09 Oct 11-12

Holiday
Assignment #2 tutorial

 #2 due Oct 23, 10%

 
Oct 16 Transpiration processes
Evaporation estimation
Evaporation measurements		   WR 4.4.3-4.4.4
WR 4.6.1-4.6.2
Jones 5.3
Oct 23 Interception processes
Interception estimation
Mid-term test (same day, 10-11 am)
Mid-term, 20% 		WR 3.1-3.4
WR 3.6

Oct 30
Nov 01-02

 Soil water (soil properties)
Soil water movement (I)
Assignment #3 tutorial		 #3 due Nov 13, 10% WR 6.1-6.3.2
WR 6.3.3-6.3.5
Nov 06 Soil water movement (II)
Soil water measurement		   WR 6.4 (up to Eq. 6.3)
WR 6.3.6; Jones 5.5
Nov 13 Ground water (storage)
Ground water movement (I)		   WR 5.1-5.4.1
WR 5.5-5.5.2
Nov 20

Nov 22-23		 Ground water movement (II)
Runoff (sources and processes)
Assignment #4 tutorial 		#4 due Dec 04, 10% WR 5.5.3
WR 7.1-7.3.4
Nov 27 Runoff (event-based)
Runoff (temporal variations)		   WR 7.4.1-7.4.2
WR 7.4.4-7.7
Dec 04

Dec 06-07		 Runoff (spatial variations)
Conclusion and review
Pre-exam tutorial (optional)		   Jones 4.2.1 and 6.1.1
    Final exam, 40%  

WR: Ward and Robinson (2000) - textbook; Jones: Jones (1997) - reference book

Note: Any additional readings are to be provided in class in advance.

Hydrological analyses require some basic mathematical skills from simple summations to logarithmic functions. Students who are incapable of logarithmic operations are not encouraged to take this course. Logarithmic functions would be the most complex functions used in this course. Calculus is not essential.

Hydrology also uses some basic physical principles. Although there no prerequisites, students are expected to have some basic background in physics. The concept of gravity, Newton's laws, and unit conversions are used in this course. Students who are incapable of understanding Newton's laws are not encouraged to take this course.

Students also need to review materials in GGR101 or review Chapters 2,7, and 9 in R.W. Christopherson (2000), Geosystems: An Introduction to Physical Geography, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.