Entry requirements

60 credits in earth science or 90 credits within the Bachelor's Programme in Construction Engineering

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• describe the water cycle and its driving processes
• apply the water-balance equation to various hydrological problems in time and space
• measure important components of the water cycle, especially flow measurements in streams
• describe how components of the water cycle are influenced by human activity
• analyse hydrological data and municipal planning in order to evaluate water resource management in an area
• conduct and write a report on the results obtained from an individual project

Content

The course covers the basic processes of the water cycle such as precipitation, evaporation, the presence of soil water and groundwater, and runoff. Processes at the catchment scale, including the presence of recharge and discharge areas, the influence of topography on runoff formation, and flooding. Influence of forestry, agriculture, cities and dams on runoff and the water cycle. Water balance calculations for river basins and lakes. Chemical and physical processes in lakes. Water planning in society; municipal plans for water supply and treatment, the importance of the EU Water Framework Directive in Sweden and water resource management.

Instruction

Lectures, exercises, project work, field trips and field work. Subject-related communications training with feedback and evaluation are included in the course.

Assessment

The course is graded using a written examination (5 credits), and mandatory activities and reports (5 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.