Knowledge of the physical, chemical and biological processes involved when water in its many forms interacts with land is fundamental to managing natural resources and in dealing with the increasing environmental challenges confronting us in the 21st century. Faced with global change, an understanding of water science is increasingly important in relation to secure water supply; assessing water demand; safeguarding water quality in multi-use catchments and aquifers; maintaining human health; ensuring food and energy security; and sustaining the ecosystems which support us. Professionals who are aware of the concepts, principles and practices relevant to surface and groundwater hydrology and river processes are needed to work in a variety of water-related fields.
This course is structured around the water cycle and the concepts of mass and energy balance. The different pathways that water takes as it cycles through the atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere are examined, as are the interactions of the cycle’s components and their influence on geomorphic and geochemical processes and ecological function. Surface and groundwater are considered as an integrated system, including both their flows and quality. Students will become familiar with hydrological processes and the techniques required to address water security and landscape management, with a focus on Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Practicals, problem-solving workshops and field studies provide opportunities to develop skills in sampling, analysing and presenting data that relate to catchment characteristics, processes and change.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- describe hydrological and associated geomorphic processes, and their importance in environmental management
- interpret the relationships between water and the regolith which control landform evolution and water quality
- explain principles of, and demonstrate field skills in, hydrological and geomorphic measurement
- describe and compare practical examples of hydrology and landscape in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region
- appreciate the relationship between raw data and the interpretation(s) that stem from them, and how limited or poor quality data influence management decisions.
- assess how the balance between water availability, supply and quality informs natural resource management.
- predict the interactions between water and landform under a range of different scenarios
Indicative Assessment
•Practical exercises to demonstrate use of basic mathematics and statistics in hydrology and landform evolution (30%; LO 1, 2, 3, 4,5,6)
•Group based field study and individual report to demonstrate field skills and data analysis (30%; LO 2, 3, 4, 5)
•Research essay (40%; LO 1, 2, 3,5, 6)
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Workload
65 contact hours comprising lectures, practicals and fieldwork
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Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Davie, T. (2008) Fundamentals of Hydrology, Routledge, London.
Strahler, A. (2010) Introducing Physical Geography, Wiley, 5th edition.
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $3480 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $4638 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3260 | 15 Feb 2016 | 26 Feb 2016 | 31 Mar 2016 | 27 May 2016 | In Person | N/A |