Academics
Introduction to Water Resources (CRSS (FORS) 1020)
An introduction to the science and policy related to managing fresh water resources. Fundamental hydrologic processes, how the United States has managed water through history, and the environmental impact of water resources management. The course objectives include understanding the importance of water resources in both human and ecologic terms (the uses of water resources to meet human needs; the role of water resources management to protect environmental systems; the laws and agencies that currently regulate and manage water resources; and the historical and modern conflicts that have arisen due to water scarcity) and the scientific basis for managing water resources (the quantification of water resources measurements; the occurrence and movement of components of the hydrologic cycle; and the components of water quality).
Soil Physics (CRSS 4600/6600)
The objective of this 4-semester hour course is to describe the physical and hydrologic properties and processes of soils. The emphasis is on soil water and chemical movement in the unsaturated (vadose) zone and it differs from other hydrology courses offered at the University in this respect. There is also an emphasis on learning how to measure water content and associated properties of soil and the laboratory exercises are chosen for this purpose. CRSS 3050, CRSS(FORS) 3060, ENGR 2150, ENGR 3050, or FORS 3110 can act as prerequisites along with MATH 2200 and PHYS 1111 or 1211. Topics to be covered are listed below:
- Primary soil particles
- Secondary soil particles
- Soil water content and potential
- Steady water flow
- Heat transport
- Solute transport
- Non-steady water flow
Advanced Soil Physics: Numerical Method (CRSS 8600)
This course offers a numerical approach to solving water and solute transport equations. Two-dimensional water and solute movement in unsaturated soils and shallow groundwater are examined by solving the governing partial differential equations using a finite difference numerical technique and/or a solute transport model such as HYDRUS 2D. MATH 2210 and MATH 2210L and CRSS 4600/6600-4600L/6600L are prerequisites for this course.