2019/20 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

GEOG5680M Hydrological Processes and Analysis

15 creditsClass Size: 30

Module manager: Richard Grayson
Email: r.grayson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

Module replaces

GEOG5770M Hillslope Hydrology

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

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Objectives

This module has objectives to;
1. Describe and critically evaluate the measurements involved in producing a river basin water budget.
2. Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge of river basin hydrological processes.
3. Analyse and measure the key river basin runoff processes that lead to river flow and explain spatial and temporal changes in runoff generation.
4. Analyse river stage records, hydrographs, rainfall and flood records.
5. Demonstrate a high level of understanding of how climate change and land use may affect runoff and storm hydrographs and apply this understanding to a range of environments.
6. Identify the problems and benefits of coupling hydrological process understanding at a range of scales.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this module, students will be able to;
Describe and critically evaluate the measurements involved in producing a river basin water budget
Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge of hillslope hydrological processes
Analyse and measure the key hillslope runoff processes that lead to riverflow and explain spatial and temporal changes in runoff generation
Analyse river stage records, hydrographs, rainfall and flood records
Demonstrate a high level of understanding of how climate change and land use may affect runoff and storm hydrographs and apply this understanding to a range of environments
Identify the problems and benefits of coupling hydrological process understanding at a range of scales

Skills outcomes
Hydrological data analysis. Hydrological process understanding

Syllabus

1. Introducing issues in river basin hydrology; measuring water inputs, outputs and stores
2. River basin runoff processes – Infiltration/saturation-excess overland flow and throughflow
3. Hydrograph analysis, runoff separation and controls on storm runoff (and practical)
4. River floods and river flows; magnitude and frequency (and modelling practical)
5. Drop-in surgery for practical assignment floods and river flows; magnitude and frequency (and modelling practical)
6. Groundwater, soil water store, infiltration, hydraulic conductivity and Darcy’s Law
7. Laboratory practical – Soil hydrology
8. River flood control and river engineering
9. River basin hydrology, land management and climate change
10. Oral presentations

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	7	2.00	14.00
Practical	3	2.00	6.00
Tutorial	2	1.00	2.00
Independent online learning hours			128.00
Private study hours			0.00
Total Contact hours			22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

Private study and independent learning will include:
Wider reading around lectures
Reading directly related to coursework
Completion of pass to progress practicals (see ‘monitoring of student progress’ below)
Preparation of assessments

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Week 1 short calculation set, submitted week 2, written and verbal feedback provided. Not a formal assessment.
Week 3 Individual hydrometric methods summary tables - Assessed as pass to progress only.
Week 7 Individual practical report (50 %); work set week 3 written feedback provided as well as verbal feedback in class on generic learning issues. Progress also monitored in two classes where the students have a chance to interrogate data and ask the convenor questions plus in one to one supervisions with open office surgeries.
Week 10- Group practical report (25 %) A short lab practical report with written feedback provided
Week 11 - Oral presentations (25 %)- written and verbal feedback provided on both teamwork and individual presentation skills as well as subject specific content

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Practical	Individual practical worksheet to be submitted	50.00
Report	Group practical report is a written report summarising results and interpretation from some experiments conducted in the labs. Involves conducting the experiments and then writing a succinct report on findings (1,000 words)	25.00
Presentation	Presentation/debate. 20 minutes followed by questions and also contribution to a debate on other groups' presentations over a 2 hr period. Students are awarded 50 % for individual performance and 50 % for the team performance.	25.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/08/2017

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