Course outline, VVRN05 Advanced Hydrology 2011
Contact: Magnus.Persson@tvrl.lth.se
Objectives: The student should obtain an understanding of the physics behind the hydrological
processes, be able to use theoretical approaches on real data, read scientific literature and put it
into a context.
Requirements: For a pass the student should be able with deep understanding to explain how
water is stored and moves in nature of different character. The student should be able to approach
hydrological problems of complex character and critically analyze them relying on findings from
the literature and on theoretical evaluations. The problem analysis should be presented in a clear
scientific way orally and in writing.
To pass the course, two assignments and a written examination have to be passed, see details
below.
Contents: Cold climate hydrology, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, hillslope and basin runoff
processes, urban hydrology, extreme events. Essay, applied assignment.
Literature: Journal papers (from the web or protected homepage for the course), handouts, W.
Brutsaert: Hydrology, An Introduction, Cambridge Press 2005 (handouts and journal papers are
sufficient). Exercises are found on the home page.
Deadlines: The first assignment (essay) should be handed in December 5 and the second (group
assignment) December 15. Assignments handed in later than these dates can only get the grade 3.
Examination 20 Dec 8.00-13.00 V:N1
The exam and the assignments are graded (3-5). The final grade is calculated as:
Written test: questions and exercises, valued 50 % for the final grade.
Exam examples are found on the home page of the course
Essay: individual valued 25 % for the final grade
Examples are found on the home page.
Assignment in group of two valued 25 % for the final grade
Examples are found on the home page.
Individual essays (you can choose other topic yourself) (contact suggested supervisor to
discuss and email MP when topic has been chosen)
Two options, literature review or critical analysis of news article
1. Literature review (maximum 5 pages (strict!) excluding the required cover page, table of
contents and scientific references, oral presentation)
Suggested topics. If the student has not decided on an essay 8 Nov, a topic will be given to
him/her.
1. Glaciers of the world and climate change (CU).
2. Glacier dynamics (LB)
3. ENSO-effect on the hydrology of western South-America (CU).
4. Different climate phenomena and their effect on climate in different parts of the world
(CU).
5. Praxis for determining pre-historic climate (CU).
6. Ongoing rising of the land in northern Sweden and Finland and consequences on bays and
the living near the coast (LB).
7. Increasing of snow and ice melt (LB).
8. Snow distribution and melt in/from large river basins (LB).
9. Trends of ice covered period and ice thickness (LB).
10. Infiltration in frozen soils (MP).
11. Albedo of snow, ice, water and vegetation and its variation in time and with solar angle
(LB).
12. Permafrost and hydrology (LB):
13. Irrigation methods (MP).
14. The Dead Sea in a historical perspective (LB).
15. Major flood events in Europe in a 1000 year perspective (LB).
16. Different types of wetlands (LB).
17. Lake classification based on origin, water balance, nutrients (LB)
18. Terminal lakes (LB).
19. Agricultural rain water harvesting (MP).
20. Antarctic lakes (LB).
21. The Yellow river – hydrology, utilization, problems (LZ).
22. Environmental problems related to hydro-power (LZ).
23. Real time river flow forecasting (LB).
24. Comparison of different evaporation models (MP)
25. Long term trends in evaporation (global dimming) (MP)
26. Factors that influence the resistance to transpiration (MP)
27. Groundwater recharge in arid areas (MP)
28. Macroporosity and agriculture (MP)
29. Flood protection (Magnus Larson)
2. Critical analysis of news article (maximum 5 pages (strict!), oral presentation)
Find a news article (in a newspaper or on the internet) about hydrology. Write a critical review,
putting the article in the correct context. Include calculations to show that the figures in the article
are correct (or incorrect). The article needs to be in an appendix, if the original article is written
in another language, an English translation should also be provided.
Assignments (others can be chosen)
Work on a consultant like problem
Group of two or three students (individual reports will not be accepted), scientifically written
report.
1. Extreme daily rainfall in a Swedish city over the last 90 years – trends, probability (CU).
2. Comparison of properties of measured rainfall and output from Regional Circulation Models
(MP).
3. Solute transport to the groundwater after accidental spreading of pollutants on the soil surface
(MP).
4. Determine the dielectric properties of a soil (MP).
5. Urban snowmelt with hourly time resolution (LB).
6. Consequences on a shallow lake (to be chosen) of changed climate (LB).
7. Rain water harvesting for water supply - roof area and tank volume (LZ).
8. River regulation for hydropower for specific river (LB).
9. Annual northern river peak flows with changing temp and precip. (LB).
10. Design of an urban pond in a botanical garden (LZ).
11. How much water is needed to maintain a certain water level in an artificial lake in a planned
park in Malmö (LZ).
12. T-year flood in a river with limited data (LB or CU).
13. Snowmelt runoff from a large northern basin under different climatic scenarios (LB).
There can be more than one group on each assignment if the study area is different.
Lectures (V-building)
Lecture 1, Elements of meteorology (Cintia Uvo)
Climate of the world, circulation pattern, NAO, ENSO. (R1, 25 Oct 13-15)
Lecture 2 Evapotranspiration (Magnus Persson)
Energy balance, potential and actual evaporation, transpiration, different equations, MoninObukov theory, stomata resistance, evapotranspiration from different kinds of vegetation,
influence of interception. (R1, 26 Oct 8-10). Lit: Brutsaert.
Lecture 3 Infiltration and subsurface hydrology (Magnus Persson)
Soil physics, pF and Richards equation. (O2, 27 Oct 10-12). Litt: lecture notes, Tindal and
Kunkel.
Lecture 4 Infiltration and subsurface hydrology (Magnus Persson)
Preferential flow, solute transport. (O2, 1 Nov 13-15).
Lecture 5 Infiltration and subsurface hydrology (Magnus Persson)
Soil water measurement techniques, modeling. (V:Brand, 2 Nov 10-12).
Lecture 6 Infiltration and subsurface hydrology (Magnus Persson)
Modeling, irrigation. (V:Brand, 3 Nov 10-12).
Lecture 7 Cold climate (Lars Bengtsson)
Course introduction, Importance of snow on the hydrology, snow properties, metamorphism,
snow distribution, simple snow modeling. (O2, 8 Nov 13-15)
Lit: Lecture notes on Cold Climate, SNOW (handwritten covers the course in short) and
DegreeDAy. Journal papers on Energy balance (Snow NH76), refreezing (Refreeze-NH1982),
Melt runoff (Encyc) and scales (Snowscale NH2000).
Lecture 8 Cold climate (Carl Egede Bøggild)
Snow classification, energy balance, optical properties of snow. (DC:310, 9 Nov 10-12). Lit: see
above.
Lecture 9 Cold climate (Carl Egede Bøggild)
Water movement through snow, thermal properties, melt water refreezing in snow. (P2, 10 Nov
10-12). Lit: see above, UrbanSnow(Encycl).
Lecture 10 Lakes (Lars Bengtsson)
River routing, series of reservoirs, flooded areas, lake water balance. (O2, 15 Nov 13-15) Lit: see
below.
Lecture 11 Stream flow and lakes (Lars Bengtsson)
Energy balance lakes, water temperature, ice growth, real time forecasting. (V:Brand, 16 Nov 1012).
Lit: Lakes (Bengtsson course on Lake Hydrology), Lakes (Encycl text book Circulation, Thermal
regime, Water balance, Thermal bar) Lake heat balance (example hand written), Lake Poopo
(journal paper terminal lake), Lake water balance (excel lake routing, but water balance better on
Lakes), Ice covered lakes (journal paper mixing), Ice(Encycl; two parts Ice formation and general
about Ice covered lakes), ThermalIceLake (Enc. Text book heat balance under ice)
Lecture 12 Runoff processes (Lars Bengtsson)
Hillslope processes, hillslope – river basin relation, origin of stream water, kinematic wave
approach, particle movement age of water. (V:Brand, 17 Nov 10-12). Notes Hillslope., Melt
runoff (Encyc)
Lecture 13 Runoff processes (Lars Bengtsson)
Hillslope hydrology (cont), model distribution, drainage. (P2, 22 Nov 13-15) Lit: HBV-Top.
Lecture 14 Stream flow and lakes (Linus Zhang)
River basin management (P2, 23 Nov 10-12). Lit: IntRiverBasinMan.
Lecture 15 Extreme events (Cintia Uvo)
Flood risk and mitigation, extreme value analysis (V:Brand, 24 Nov 10-12)
Lecture 16 Arctic hydrology(Carl Egede Bøggild)
Fresh water hydrology and climate change of the Arctic. (DC:310, 29 Nov 13-15)
Lecture 17 Urban hydrology (Lars Bengtsson)
Short-term rainfall, time of concentration, rational method, time-area concept, conduit design,
pond-canal system, flood protection methods (DC:Lhö, 2 Dec 8-10). Lit: Notes urban, urban
design.
Lecture 18 Essay presentations (6 * 15 min incl discussion) (DC:Lhö, 2 Dec 10-12).
Lecture 19 Essay presentations (6 * 15 min incl discussion) (Q1, 5 Dec 8-10).
Lecture 20 Essay presentations (6 * 15 min incl discussion) (Q1, 5 Dec 13-15).
Lecture 21 Urban hydrology (Justyna Berndtsson)
Alternative storm handling methods, green roofs, rain water harvesting. (DC:310, 6 Dec 10-12).
Lit: notes urban-Justyna, green roofs, urban water quality (exercise).
Lecture 22 Essay presentations (6 * 15 min incl discussion) (Q1, 7 Dec 10-12).
Lecture 23 Essay presentations (6 * 15 min incl discussion) (P2, 8 Dec 10-12).
Lecture 24 Essay presentations (6 * 15 min incl discussion) (P2, 9 Dec 8-10).