ESS 110: Hydrology & Climate

Undergraduate Course | 4 Units

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Course Description

Basics of the hydrological cycle and the global climate system. Fundamentals of surface water hydrology, hydrometeorology, evaporation, precipitation, statistical and probabilistic methods, unit hydrograph and flood routing. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the physical processes governing water movement through Earth's atmosphere, surface, and subsurface environments.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe and quantify the major components of the hydrological cycle
• Apply fundamental principles of fluid mechanics to hydrological problems
• Analyze precipitation data and perform frequency analysis for engineering design
• Calculate evapotranspiration using various empirical and physical methods
• Design and evaluate surface water management strategies
• Understand climate-water interactions and impacts of climate change on water resources

Course Topics

1. Introduction to Hydrology
   • The hydrological cycle and water balance
   • Global water distribution and availability
   • History and scope of hydrological sciences
2. Atmospheric Water
   • Atmospheric moisture and water vapor
   • Cloud formation and precipitation mechanisms
   • Precipitation measurement and analysis
3. Hydrological Statistics
   • Probability distributions in hydrology
   • Frequency analysis and return periods
   • Risk assessment and uncertainty
4. Surface Water Hydrology
   • Watershed characteristics and morphology
   • Runoff generation processes
   • Stream gauging and hydrograph analysis
5. Evapotranspiration
   • Physical basis of evaporation
   • Penman-Monteith equation
   • Crop water requirements
6. Infiltration and Soil Water
   • Infiltration processes and measurement
   • Green-Ampt and Philip equations
   • Soil moisture dynamics
7. Flood Hydrology
   • Unit hydrograph theory
   • Flood routing methods
   • Design storms and flood frequency
8. Climate and Hydrology
   • Global climate patterns and teleconnections
   • El Niño/La Niña impacts on hydrology
   • Climate change and water resources

Course Requirements

• Class Participation: 10%
• Homework Assignments (8): 25%
• Laboratory Reports (5): 15%
• Midterm Exam 1: 15%
• Midterm Exam 2: 15%
• Final Exam: 20%

Required Texts

• Dingman, S.L. (2015). Physical Hydrology (3rd Edition). Waveland Press.
• Chow, V.T., Maidment, D.R., and Mays, L.W. (1988). Applied Hydrology. McGraw-Hill.
• Laboratory manual and supplementary materials provided on Canvas

Prerequisites

MATH 22 (Calculus II), PHYS 8 or PHYS 18 (Introductory Physics), or consent of instructor. Basic knowledge of differential equations recommended.

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Laboratory Schedule

Lab #	Title	Description	Due Date
Lab 1	Watershed Delineation	Manual and GIS-based watershed boundary determination	Week 3
Lab 2	Precipitation Analysis	Analysis of rainfall data, IDF curves, and spatial interpolation	Week 5
Lab 3	Stream Gauging	Field measurement of stream discharge and rating curve development	Week 8
Lab 4	Infiltration Testing	Double-ring infiltrometer tests and data analysis	Week 11
Lab 5	Flood Frequency Analysis	Statistical analysis of peak flows and design flood estimation	Week 14

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Weekly Lecture Schedule

Week	Topic	Readings	Assignments
Week 1	Introduction & Hydrological Cycle	Dingman Ch. 1	HW 1 Assigned
Week 2	Global Water & Energy Balance	Dingman Ch. 2	Lab 1
Week 3	Atmospheric Water & Precipitation	Dingman Ch. 4	HW 1 Due, HW 2 Assigned
Week 4	Precipitation Analysis	Chow Ch. 3-4	Lab 2
Week 5	Statistical Hydrology	Chow Ch. 12	HW 2 Due, HW 3 Assigned
Week 6	Frequency Analysis	Chow Ch. 12-13	Review Session
Week 7	Midterm 1 & Watershed Processes	Dingman Ch. 9	Midterm 1
Week 8	Runoff Generation	Dingman Ch. 9	Lab 3, HW 4 Assigned
Week 9	Stream Flow & Hydrographs	Chow Ch. 5-6	HW 4 Due, HW 5 Assigned
Week 10	Evapotranspiration	Dingman Ch. 7	Lab 4
Week 11	Infiltration & Soil Water	Dingman Ch. 6	HW 5 Due, HW 6 Assigned
Week 12	Unit Hydrograph Theory	Chow Ch. 7	Midterm 2
Week 13	Flood Routing	Chow Ch. 8-9	Lab 5, HW 7 Assigned
Week 14	Climate & Hydrological Variability	Dingman Ch. 3	HW 7 Due, HW 8 Assigned
Week 15	Climate Change & Water Resources	Selected Papers	HW 8 Due
Finals Week	Comprehensive Final Exam	-	Final Exam

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Course Policies

Attendance

Regular attendance is expected for both lectures and laboratory sessions. Laboratory attendance is mandatory as make-up labs cannot be arranged.

Late Work

Homework assignments lose 10% per day late. Laboratory reports will not be accepted more than one week after the due date.

Academic Integrity

All work submitted must be your own. Collaboration on homework is encouraged, but each student must submit their own work. Copying will result in a zero for all parties involved.

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This syllabus is subject to change. Students will be notified of any modifications via Canvas.