Watershed water cycle

The course is organized into three main chapters, alternating with tutorials applied to engineering problems. In the first part, after describing the major water reservoirs on a global scale and the basic principles of the water cycle in general, it addresses the effects of human activities on this cycle. The second part is devoted to the atmospheric part of this cycle, from precipitation to infiltration. The third part focuses on aquifers and groundwater, from the pore scale to the catchment scale.

• Acquire the technical vocabulary used by hydrologists and hydrogeologists;
• Be aware of major water-related issues (floods, climate change, access to water resources, effects of human activities);
• Acquire the technical vocabulary used by hydrologists and hydrogeologists;
• Be aware of major water-related issues (floods, climate change, access to water resources, effects of human activities);
• Acquire a foundation of knowledge in hydrology and hydrogeology;
• Understand the major processes of the water cycle;
• Be able to solve simple, common problems in applied engineering (water balance, rainfall intensity, volume of underground reserves, groundwater flow, etc.);
• Ensure a solid common foundation for all students in the Master's program in Water Sciences;
• Acquire a foundation of knowledge in hydrology and hydrogeology;
• Understand the major processes of the water cycle;
• Be able to solve simple, common problems in applied engineering (water balance, rainfall intensity, volume of underground reserves, groundwater flow, etc.);
• Ensure a solid common foundation for all students in the Master's program in Water Sciences;

 

None

 

Written Terminal Exam (2 hours)

1- Water cycle and water balance 

The main reservoirs

The mechanisms of the water cycle

Water circulation: from the global scale to the watershed scale

Humans: their influence on the water cycle

2- The atmospheric phase of the water cycle – Hydrology

The watershed

Atmospheric circulation and precipitation

Evapotranspiration

Infiltration

Surface runoff

3- The underground phase of the water cycle – Hydrogeology

Porous media and their hydrodynamic properties

The different types of aquifers

Piezometric levels and maps