VANN200 Hydrology

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:Nils-Otto Kitterød

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:250 hours.

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in Spring parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in Spring parallel.

About this course

In this course we study the hydrologic cycle and the properties of water with examples from small (catchment) scale to regional - and global scale. The most important hydrological processes will be elaborated: precipitation; evaporation and transpiration; soil water; groundwater; and runoff, and how these processes are described; measured and quantified. We will emphasize tutorials where we work through practical problems related to different parts of the hydrology. In addition there will be lectures in chemical quality of water, and effects of human interference in the water shed. Canvas is used as communication platform, and MATLAB is used for tutorials.

Learning outcome

The expected learning outcomes can be summarized in the following:

A) Knowledge

Students should be able to describe the water cycle, and the most important elements in the global energy balance. After the course, students should be able to describe basic hydrological processes, do data harvest, and perform simple calculations. Students should also have basic knowledge of physical oceanography. This part of the course is compulsory for students who take pedagogical education for teaching geoscience in high school.

B) Skills

Students are expected to achieve skills to make simple calculations of the water balance with data from the mainland Norway, to estimate area precipitation, snowmelt and evapotranspiration.

C) General competence

Students will obtain a general knowledge of the importance of the water cycle for the climate, how the various processes in the water cycle can be observed and calculated.

  • Self-study, lectures,exercises in computer lab (compulsory hand in of exercises), group (voluntary); participation in the excursion (compulsory) and submission of a written field report (compulsory).
  • Canvas, exercises and lectures.
  • GEO100, JORD100.
  • Written examination (3.5 hours). Grading scale A-E / Ikke bestått.
  • The examiner will assess the plan for the course and the final examination.
  • (1) Three exercises must be approved. (2) Excursion and excursion report.
  • VANN200 covers both quantity and quality of water and ideally requires some insight into geology, pedology, physics, chemistry, meteorology and botany.
  • Lectures: 50 hours. Exercises: 18 hours.
  • B-MILJØ.
  • Letter grades
  • Special requirements in Science