Hydrology

This UE will be articulated around the following concepts:

1) The watershed (definition, geometric, geological, physiographic characteristics, hydrological behavior)

2) Precipitation (Definition of precipitation, concept of showers and intensity, spatial analysis of point measurement (Thiessen, isohets), temporal analysis of point measurement (return period, Montana)

3) Evapotranspiration (interception, evaporation, transpiration, evapotranspiration, Turc's formulas, Thornthwaite)

4) Infiltration (definition of infiltration capacity, characteristics of the unsaturated zone, concepts 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)

5) Runoff (formation of surface runoff, runoff coefficient, subsurface runoff, table-river relationship, decomposition of flood hydrographs)

6) The water balance (the water cycle and the water balance at different spatial and temporal scales)

7) Hydrometry (principle and technique of measurement + field)

Hourly volumes:

CM :12h

TD :12h

TP : 6h

Field :6h

Understand the physical processes at the origin of the flows involved in the water cycle on the scale of the catchment area, determine a hydrological balance on different space-time scales.

no

100% CC distributed as follows:

- field data processing (hydrometry and soil)

- presentation based on a scientific article in English

- written exam on all the course, TD, TP, field

Description of the themes/manipulations addressed during your field trip(s) and details of the destinations/sites

- river gauging techniques (electromagnetic current meter, floats, salt gauging) near Montpellier (Lez at Castelnau le lez, Mosson ?, other site to explore)

- Measurement of hydraulic conductivity at saturation in situ using the Beerkan method, the Guelph infiltrometer. Moisture content measurement with FDR moisture probes. Site: generally on the Campus.

- know how to delimit the contours of a watershed and calculate its geometric characteristics

- know how to spatially interpolate rainfall data

- know how to determine peak flows with defined return periods in order to size hydraulic structures

- Know how to determine a runoff coefficient from the infiltration capacity of a soil and from the breakdown of a flood hydrograph

- know how to determine a water balance for different systems, at different spatial and temporal scales

- know how to measure the hydraulic conductivity of saturated soil in situ (theory and practice)

- master the techniques of river gauging (theory and practice)