GEOG 5290 - Hydrogeography

Meets with GEOG 3290. In this course, we will be studying various components of the water cycle. We will start by examining the global climate system, and how heat and matter are transferred through the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere. Next we will examine the spatial and temporal distributions of precipitation and temperature in Utah. We will study hillslope and temporal distributions of precipitation and temperature in Utah. We will also evaluate extreme runoff events at annual and long-term trends in stream discharge. We will also evaluate extreme runoff events (floods) and examine where, when, and how often they occur. Next we will see how fluvial processes operate to create unique landforms, and examine how these landforms change over time. We will also examine how humans have altered the flow of natural channels by constructing dams and flood control structures. Additional parts of hydrologic cycle that we will examine will be ground water flow and storage, and mass balance models of lakes. Finally, we will explore human interactions with the water cycle, such as pollution and water development. Students enrolled in GEOG 5290 will be given extra assignments and will be held to a higher standard on exams and papers.