Hydrology, Groundwater and Water-Related Geohazards

This course aims to enable students to understand the mechanisms of water flow above and below ground, and to evaluate how these impact societal issues related to water as both a resource and a hazard (e.g., flooding, slope and ground instability, and water quality).

The course focuses on the theory of hydrological and hydrogeological processes and discusses how human activity and climate change influence hydrological systems on various spatial and temporal scales. The course aims to enhance students’ understanding of the interactions between water, climate, landscape, and society.

The course introduces a range of methods and analytical skills for practical applications in hydrology and groundwater research and management, including discharge gauging, flood frequency analysis, and estimation of hydraulic conductivity. Students will gain experience in collecting, analysing, and presenting hydrological data. The course will train students to identify, assess, and critically evaluate the interactions between nature and society in hydrological processes.

In this course, we will also examine the triggering mechanisms of hydrometeorological geohazards and their societal impacts due to fluvial and slope-related processes, especially in the context of predict edanthropogenic climate changes, such as increased precipitation, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events. Additionally, we will explore ways for society to adapt to and mitigate water-related issues, emphasising a Norwegian context.

A student who has completed the course should have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The student...

• can explain essential concepts, theories, and processes in hydrology and hydrogeology
• can outline and discuss how climate change and human activity influence drainage above and below ground
• can explain the influence of climate change on geohazard risks and discuss the impact on society
• can explain and compare principles specific to each method, detailing their theoretical foundations,advantages, and limitations
• is familiar with research on hydrometeorological geohazards and extreme weather events
• can update their knowledge about ground and surface water hydrology and climate-related geohazards
• can critically evaluate the results obtained using different hydrological methods concerning geomorphological and geologic context

Skills

The student...

• can advocate for which methods to employ for determining river discharge and has developed skills in discharge gauging
• can perform simple calculations on hydrological data (e.g., river discharge, precipitation, flood frequency, infiltration rate, hydraulic conductivity) using spreadsheets and web-based resources
• can identify hydrological and geological processes and evaluate how human activity, land use, and climate change might affect these processes regarding flooding and ground and slope stability
• can apply knowledge to define a water-related academic problem and find literature to elaborate on that topic
• can illustrate observations, data, analyses, and results graphically
• can use precise professional language to describe and discuss processes and problems in hydrogeology, hydrology, and geohazards

General competence

The student...

• can communicate current issues in hydrogeology, hydrology, and geohazards and relate them to scientific literature
• can critically evaluate data sources and literature and use open-access scientific databases to retrieve relevant information
• can apply precise terminology to demonstrate and summarise hydrological and hydrogeological processes, instrumental records, material, and methods
• can write a field report in small groups with adequate analysis and illustrations
• can exchange opinions with others with a background in the field and provide constructive comments on their work