31472 - Hydrology

Learning outcomes

The course aims at dealing quantitatively with the basic components of the hydrological cycle: methodology and tools for the measurement and modelling of the main hydrological variables.

Course contents

The course examines the tools used for the acquisition of hydro-meteorological data to describe and characterized hydrological processes at different spatial and temporal scales, and the methodologies of data processing for the analysis of hydrological phenomena. In addition, the course deals with basic notions of statistics, with particular attention to the analysis of extreme values for the estimation of design variable associated to a given return time.

The course examines the following arguments:

• Introduction to Hydrology. Hydrological cycle. Description of hydrological processes at different spatial and temporal scales.
  Hydrological measurements techniques and instruments.
• Precipitation: phenomenology of liquid and solid precipitation, spatial interpolation of point measurements.
  
• Evaporation: evaporation and evapotranspiration, control factors, measurement and modelling of evapotranspiration.
  
• Surface runoff: runoff production mechanisms, Horton and Dunne mechanism.
  
• Rainfall-runoff transformation: fundamentals of rainfall-runoff modeling (instantaneous unit hydrograph, linear models, conceptual models, variable contributing area models).
  
• Fundamentals of open channel hydraulics.

Readings/Bibliography

Material supplied by the professor

Moisello: Idrologia Tecnica, La Goliardica Pavese

Greppi: Idrologia, Hoepli editore

Brutsaert: Hydrology An introduction, Cambridge University Press

Ciabatti: Elementi di Idrologia Superficiale. Coop. Libraria Univ. Ed. Bologna.

Chow, Maidment, Mays: Applied Hydrology, McGraw-Hill

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and PC exercises carrid out by means of common hydrological tools and codes.

Assessment methods

The learning assessment aims at verifying the achievement of learning objectives.

The final exam consists of an oral examination focusing on the theoretical topics covered during classes and practical exercises carried out at the computer (registration to the test at https://almaesami.unibo.it)

 

NEW: Exam instruction due to precautionary measures for limiting COVID-19 outbreak (document in Italian)

Teaching tools

Handouts on the topics covered in the course, exercises and their draft solutions are accessible during classes for registered students in the repository: Virtuale - AlmaDL University of Bologna.

Office hours

See the website of Alessio Domeneghetti