Duration
5 days
Training structure
Faculty of Science, Continuing Education Department
Language(s) of instruction
French
Presentation
Water management is crucial to guaranteeing the availability of this vital resource for all ecosystems and human societies. This Short Course in Hydrology has been designed by Marine Rousseau, a lecturer in Water and Soil Sciences at the Faculty of Sciences,University of Montpellier.
Training benefits
This Short Course has been designed to alternate between theory and practice, with case studies in the field and in the laboratory.
1 training session is planned for the current year:
- June 2 to 6, 2025
It is possible to take only the last three days of the course (June 4 to 6) if candidates have the prerequisites for the first 2 days.
Objectives
To provide the basic knowledge of hydrology, hydraulics and hydrometry needed by water stakeholders and managers (government departments, local authorities, elected representatives, associations, engineering and design department employees, any employee interested in water management issues in the context of climate change) to enable them to discuss with all their contacts, including experts in the field.
It is possible to take only the last three days of the course (June 4 to 6) if candidates have the prerequisites for the first 2 days.
Know-how and skills
Global skills :
- Understanding the components and processes of the water cycle
- Know how to acquire hydrometric and infiltrometric measurements in situ (practical field work and data processing using appropriate digital tools).
- Basic knowledge of hydrological and/or hydraulic modelling (for non-experts, depending on the group and requests prior to training)
More targeted skills :
- Delineate the contours of a watershed and calculate its geometric characteristics
- Spatial interpolation of rainfall data
- Determining peak flows with defined return periods to design hydraulic structures
- Determine a runoff coefficient from a soil's infiltration capacity and from the decomposition of a flood hydrograph.
- Determine a water balance for different systems, at different space-time scales
- Know how to measure saturated soil hydraulic conductivity in situ (theory and practice)
- Master river gauging techniques (theory, practice, data processing)
- Interpret data from DRIAS Climat and DRIAS Eau (climate projections).
Program
This 35-hour Short Course is divided into 5 days of classroom training:
- Day 1 : full day (9am-12pm, 2pm-6pm)
Welcome, introductions
Introduction, Reminders of the water cycle
Watershed ( definition, geometric, geological, physiographic characteristics, hydrological behavior, characteristic times) (course+DT)
Precipitation (definition of precipitation, concept of showers and intensity, spatial analysis of point measurements (Thiessen, isohets), temporal analysis of point measurements, return period) (course + TD)
- Day 2: full day (8am-12pm, 1:30pm-4:30pm)
Evapotranspiration ( ETP, ETR, Turc, Thornthwaite, Oudin formulas)
Infiltration (definition of infiltration capacity, characteristics of the unsaturated/saturated zone, notions of water content, hydraulic conductivity at saturation, water potential, balance of forces and state of water in the soil, factors influencing infiltration and water profiles, Horton's law) (course + TD + lab work, on campus)
Water balance (Method based on examples, then case studies to choose from) (not in italics)
- Day 3: full day (8am-12pm, 1:30pm-4:30pm)
Runoff (runoff coefficient, decomposition of the flood hydrograph, characteristic times, peak flows, drying laws) (course + TD)
Basics of free-surface hydraulics (hydraulic parameters, concept of speed, flow, hydraulic speeds, pressure curve)
Principles of hydrometry (different gauging techniques, uncertainties) (course + TD)
- Day 4: Field day (8am-4.30pm) with picnic break (minibus or direct meeting point on site, bus or streetcar possible) (equipment including waders provided, picnic not included)
River gauging techniques (electromagnetic current meter, floats, salt gauging, ADCP if conditions are favorable) near Montpellier (Lez or Mosson)
Measurement of hydraulic conductivity at soil saturation using the Beerkan method, measurement of soil water content
Differential gauging / law of mixtures if conditions are right
- Day 5: full day (8am-12pm, 1:30pm-5pm) (bring your own laptop if possible, otherwise you can borrow one for the session)
Field data processing (xls sheets, Depjeau software) Introduction to hydrological modelling (HEC-HMS) or interpretation of DRIAS Climate and DRIAS Water data (climate projections)
4pm-5pm: end-of-course drinks, discussions, debriefing
Admission
Admission requirements
To enroll in the Water Sciences Short Course - General Hydrology, you need to have professional experience in the field of water sciences.
Target audience
Water stakeholders and managers (government departments, local authorities, elected representatives, associations, employees of consultancy firms, any employee interested in water management issues in the context of climate change).
Capacity
15 people maximum
Mandatory prerequisites
Professional experience in the field of water sciences.
It is possible to take only the last three days of the course (June 4 to 6) if candidates have the prerequisites for the first 2 days.