General Hydrology Course

Lesson 1 • Hydrologic Data and Units

Covers measurement units, data types, and standard conventions used in hydrology. Ensures consistent communication and calculation throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • The Global Hydrological Cycle

Describes water movement through atmospheric, surface, and subsurface pathways. Provides the conceptual framework underlying all subsequent hydrologic analysis.

Lesson 3 • Scope and History of Hydrology

Traces hydrology from ancient water management to modern science. Grounds students in disciplinary identity and the evolution of measurement methods.

Lesson 1 • Precipitation Measurement

Covers rain gauge types, radar, and satellite estimation methods. Students evaluate instrument errors and select appropriate measurement tools.

Lesson 2 • Frequency Analysis of Rainfall

Fits statistical distributions to rainfall extremes and derives design storms. Outputs are used directly in flood frequency and drainage design.

Lesson 3 • Spatial Analysis of Precipitation

Applies interpolation methods to estimate areal rainfall from point data. Prepares students to compute mean areal precipitation for watershed models.

Lesson 4 • Types and Mechanisms of Precipitation

Classifies precipitation by origin and physical mechanism. Connects storm type to intensity, duration, and spatial pattern.

Lesson 1 • Canopy Interception

Quantifies rainfall retained by vegetation canopies before reaching the soil. Integrates interception losses into the watershed water balance.

Lesson 2 • Transpiration and Plant Water Use

Describes stomatal control, root uptake, and crop coefficients. Connects plant physiology to field-scale water consumption estimates.

Lesson 3 • Evapotranspiration Estimation Methods

Compares Penman-Monteith, Priestley-Taylor, and empirical methods. Students select and apply the appropriate method given available data.

Lesson 1 • Soil Properties Affecting Infiltration

Reviews soil texture, structure, and hydraulic properties relevant to water movement. Provides the physical basis for selecting infiltration model parameters.

Lesson 2 • Unsaturated Zone Water Movement

Applies Richards' equation to describe flow in the vadose zone. Connects soil moisture profiles to recharge and evapotranspiration fluxes.

Lesson 3 • Soil Moisture Measurement and Monitoring

Covers TDR, neutron probe, and remote sensing methods for soil moisture. Students design monitoring networks and interpret sensor data.

Lesson 1 • Curve Number and Loss Methods

Applies the SCS curve number method to estimate direct runoff from rainfall. Covers antecedent moisture conditions and land use effects on runoff.

Lesson 2 • Unit Hydrograph Theory

Derives and applies the unit hydrograph to predict storm runoff from rainfall excess. Extends to synthetic unit hydrographs for ungauged watersheds.

Lesson 3 • Hydrograph Analysis

Separates baseflow from storm runoff and identifies hydrograph components. Provides the analytical foundation for unit hydrograph derivation.

Lesson 4 • Streamflow Measurement

Covers current metering, stage-discharge rating curves, and acoustic methods. Students develop and apply rating curves to convert stage records to discharge.

Lesson 1 • Groundwater Recharge Estimation

Covers water table fluctuation, chloride mass balance, and baseflow separation methods. Students quantify recharge rates for water balance and management.

Lesson 2 • Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction

Analyzes gaining and losing stream reaches and hyporheic exchange. Integrates groundwater contributions into the surface water budget.

Lesson 3 • Darcy's Law and Groundwater Flow

Derives Darcy's law and applies it to one- and two-dimensional flow problems. Introduces the groundwater flow equation and potentiometric surfaces.

Lesson 4 • Aquifer Types and Properties

Classifies confined, unconfined, and leaky aquifers and defines their hydraulic properties. Establishes the conceptual model framework for groundwater analysis.

Lesson 1 • Flood Processes and Classification

Describes flash floods, riverine floods, and dam-break floods by cause and behavior. Contextualizes frequency analysis within the broader flood hazard framework.

Lesson 2 • Probable Maximum Precipitation and Flood

Derives probable maximum precipitation using moisture maximization and storm transposition. Converts PMP to PMF for dam safety and critical infrastructure design.

Lesson 3 • Statistical Flood Frequency Analysis

Fits log-Pearson Type III and GEV distributions to annual maximum series. Students compute confidence intervals and select the best-fit distribution.

Lesson 4 • Regional Flood Frequency Methods

Extends frequency analysis to ungauged sites using regional regression and index flood methods. Addresses record length limitations and data transfer.

Lesson 1 • Lumped and Distributed Model Concepts

Contrasts lumped, semi-distributed, and fully distributed model structures. Students select model complexity appropriate to data availability and study objectives.

Lesson 2 • Model Calibration and Validation

Applies objective functions and sensitivity analysis to calibrate model parameters. Students assess model performance using split-sample and cross-validation strategies.

Lesson 3 • Watershed Delineation and Characterization

Uses digital elevation models to delineate watersheds and extract morphometric parameters. Provides the spatial foundation for all subsequent modeling steps.

Lesson 4 • Continuous Simulation and Long-Term Analysis

Runs continuous models over multi-year periods to simulate seasonal and inter-annual variability. Outputs support water supply planning and drought assessment.