HYD 151 : Field Methods in Hydrology
Instructor:
Prof. Greg Pasternack, Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources
Course Description:
Understanding the environment begins with the ability to measure it. This course will introduce students to standard approaches for measuring the distribution and fluxes of water under real world conditions.
Course Goals:
- Students can recognize and design different types of scientific schemes to organize the measurement and sampling of water in the environment over time and space, including how to implement a hydrologic budget.
- Students can measure and sample the storage and flux of natural waters and sediments in different settings in light of how they are commonly distributed in space and time.
- Students can measure basic physical and chemical properties of natural waters and sediments in different settings in light of how they are commonly distributed in space and time.
- Students can list and explain the pros and cons of different methods and technologies available for measurement and sampling in hydrology.
- Students can define hydrological terms introduced in this course.
- Students can examine and interpret Earth's freshwater aqueous and riparian landscapes using the scientific method, historical analysis, and professional practices.
- Students can collaborate in small and large groups to produce high-quality reports on par with deliverables of professional hydrologists.
Video Podcasts
This course provides all of the faculty presentations as free, online video podcasts. There are 1291 minutes of video podcasts over 28 classes, yielding 46 minutes per class. To view the videos, please go to the syllabus, select a topic by clicking on its hyperlink, and scroll down to either the 480p streaming video(s) or to the links to download the videos in different resolutions.
Textbook and Course Reader:
- Artiola, J.F., Pepper, I.L., and Brusseau, M. 2004. Environmental Monitoring and Characterization. Elsevier Academic Press, Amsterdam, 410 pp.
- Supplemental readings are assigned for some lectures as listed on each week's web page accessible within the online syllabus.
Explanation of HYD151 Credit Hours
According to the UC Davis General Catalog (see this link), units of credit are assigned to courses based on 1 unit of credit for three hours of work by the student per week. HYD151 is a 4-unit course, so each item listed below is intended to be done 3 times each week, meaning that the course requires a total of 12 hours of activity each week. The total amount of material presented has been tested in past offerings of this class and students have confirmed that under normal circumstances the work can be achieved in 12 hours a week.
- One unit involves one hour of time three days a week outside of class dedicated to watching video podcasts on your own and submitting answers into the student response system on your own. There are 1-3 videos for each topic covered, with the video(s) totalling ~ 50-minutes for each topic. This credit hour involves a full hour of activity, as an extra 10 minutes has been built in for re-watching portions that students want to think through a second time during additional studying and thought. In all, this activity constitutes 3 hours per week for one unit of credit.
- One unit involves 3 meetings a week for 50 minutes of contact time with the professor and other students in-class. During this time you will discuss the topics of the week in small groups and as a class as well as work on project analyses and reports. These activities build your professional skills and increase your confidence in understanding the concepts presented in the video podcasts.
- One unit involves one hour of lab time per week gaining hands on experience with field equipment and prepping for field trips as well as one saturday every other week spent on a field trip perofmring field data collection.
- One unit involves one hour of time three days a week outside of class doing assigned reading.
Course Advertisement Flier
FIELD SAFETY INFORMATION
Special Announcements:
This course is no longer being offered by Professor Pasternack.
Copyright Greg Pasternack 1999.
All federal and state copyrights reserved for all original material presented in this course through any medium, including lecture or print. Individuals are prohibited from being paid for taking, selling, or otherwise transferring for value, personal class notes made during this course to any entity without the express written permission of Greg Pasternack. In addition to legal sanctions, students found in violation of these prohibitions may be subject to University disciplinary action.
