Hydrology & Water Resources

4.0 credits

Physical flow of water through the natural environment and use as a resource for human consumption. Physical and chemical properties, global water balance, basics of hydrology. Understanding and calculating water flows: precipitation, evaporation and evapotranspiration, surface and subsurface runoff, and atmospheric processes. Causes of scarcity and surplus. Human uses: storage in dams, municipal usage, agriculture, energy. Sensitivity of water systems to climate change, population growth, and economic drivers.