MTMG44-Hydrology and global environmental change

Module Provider: Meteorology
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Prof Richard Allan
Email: r.p.allan@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module covers topics in hydrology and global environmental change.

Aims:

• To develop an understanding of the physical processes involved in the hydrological cycle and their importance both meteorologically and in a wider context;


• To understand the methods of measurement and estimation of key parameters in the hydrological cycle and have a critical appreciation of the limitations of these methods;


• To understand basic techniques used in modelling hydrological processes and have a critical appreciation of the limitation of these methods;


• To develop an awareness of the relationship between global environmental change and hydrological systems.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of this module students should be able to:

• Describe the physical processes which give rise to the transport of water through the hydrological cycle;


• Give order of magnitude estimates of global stocks, rates of transport and residence times for stages within the cycle;


• Describe instrumentation and methods of measurement or estimation for the various components of the hydrological cycle;


• Write down equations describing the surface water bud get on a global and local scale.


• Describe the significance of the hydrological cycle in the context of both local and global energy budgets.


• Describe simple, hydrological catchment models and discuss their limitations and areas of application.


• Discuss how the hydrological cycle is dealt with in meteorological models.


• Explain the significance of the hydrological cycle in the context of climate and climate change.

Additional outcomes:

Students will improve their skill in problem solving and data analysis.

Outline content:

• Introduction: scope and importance of the hydrological cycle on a global and local scale. Outline of the components of the cycle. Fluxes and stores of water on a global scale.


• Precipitation: measurement by gauges, radar and satellite. Variations in space and time. Area estimates. Extreme values.


• Evaporation: physics of evaporation. Actual and potential evaporatio n. Interception. Methods of measurement. Methods of calculation (e.g. Penman, Bowen ratio).


• Soil moisture: characterisation of soils. Physics of water movement in soils. Infiltration and percolation.


• Run off and river flow. Streamflow generation; flow measurement. Effect of human interventions on hydrological regimes


• Links between atmosphere, oceans and the hydro logical cycle on land Catchment modelling: Simulating river flows from rainfall and evaporation


• Climate and weather models: water budget modelling for climate and weather simulation.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Lectures and problem classes.

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Class test – 2 hours

Formative assessment methods:

Quantitative exercises.

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy 􀀓Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes􀀔, which can be found here: