Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Hydraulic flume report | 25% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Unseen exam, short answer and essay | 75% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Hydraulic flume report | 25% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Unseen exam, short answer and essay | 75% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Describe the key processes and forms of the catchment system
2. Evaluate methods to monitor the material fluxes and evolution of the catchment system.
3. Critically evaluate different models of runoff generation and sediment delivery
4. Explain the structure of drainage networks, channel morphology and channel dynamics
5. Evaluate channel management issues and strategies
Brief description
Rivers basins, or catchments, are the fundamental natural system of most hydrological phenomena and the principle spatial unit in hydrology and geomorphology. The module aims to provide students with the theoretical framework for understanding controls, dynamics and links between the key material flows and forms of this key physical system. The module is divided into two natural sections, focusing on the primary domains of the catchment in turn: the hillslopes and channels. The first section of the module examines the controls and pattern of water and sediment flows through and across hillslopes, with a primary focus on runoff generation and sediment delivery. The second section of the course then examines the processes controlling the form and evolution of rivers, driven by the flux of material delivered from the hillslopes and the channel margin and the impact of these processes on the management of catchment systems.
Content
- Structure and Organization of the Catchment System
- Monitoring Catchment Processes
- Hillslope Hydrology and Runoff Generation
- Erosion and Sediment Delivery
- Bank Erosion Processes
- Morphology and Structure of Channel Networks
- Channel Dynamics
- Management of the Fluvial System
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Through an emphasis on the quantification of catchment form, and explaining geophysical flows from first mechanical principles |
| Communication | Verbal: None Written: Essay writing skills developed during the seen exam |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Independent reading from reading list |
| Information Technology | Access to extensive library and www resources will be an essential tool to develop students' background understanding. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Development of research skills, essay writing and a focus on important management strategies used widely within the environmental engineering industry. |
| Problem solving | Students will be required to understand the derivation of key physical processes and evaluate strategies used to monitor and manage key components of the catchment system. |
| Research skills | Undertaken during independent reading and preparation for seen exam |
| Subject Specific Skills | Successful students will leave the course an awareness of important environmental management issues and solutions. |
| Team work | None |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5