Hydrology

Hydrology CEE 440, CEE 598, GLG 490 Arizona State University Lecture 1:
1. Course Introduction Class introductions and list Meeting times for lectures Required text and supplementary readings Courseoutline Class Blackboard website Grading policy (homeworks, labs, tests) 2. Introduction to Hydrologic Systems In this course, we will study the land-phase of the hydrological cycle in order to: (a)understand hydrologic processes, (b) analyze hydrologic data, (c) perform a hydrologic evaluation and (d) conduct hydrologic design. We will emphasize basic concepts and modern applications to ensuresustainable engineering hydrology. Definitions: Hydrology: The geoscience that describes and predicts the occurrence, circulation and distribution of water on the earth and its atmosphere (thecontinental water processes). Global Hydrologic Cycle: The distribution and spatial and temporal variation of water substance in the terrestrial, oceanic and atmospheric compartments of the global system.(the global water balance). Land-phase of the Hydrologic Cycle: The movement of water substance on and under the earth’s land-surface, the physical and chemical interactions with earth materials and thebiological processes that conduct or affect that movement. Brief History: Engineering of the hydrologic cycle dates back thousands of years. For example, Irrigation networks, dams and rivermeasurements by the Egyptians. Canal network by the Hohokam and other pre-Colombian civilizations. The application of hydrologic principles in the 17th to 20th century led to the availability of clean,affordable water for electricity production, agriculture, industrial development, and urban domestic use, among many others.

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As an example of this transformation, compare the pre-Columbian to themodern canal networks in the Phoenix Metropolitan area, Arizona.

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With growing pressures on water availability and quality, the application of engineering principles to hydrologic design is of...