James W. Kirchner: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2019 |
| Name | Prof. em. Dr. James W. Kirchner |
| Field | Environmental Systems |
| Address | Dep. Umweltsystemwissenschaften ETH Zürich, CHN F 50.3 Universitätstrasse 16 8092 Zürich SWITZERLAND |
| Telephone | +41 44 632 80 18 |
| kirchner@env.ethz.ch | |
| URL | https://pes.ethz.ch/ |
| Department | Environmental Systems Science |
| Relationship | Professor emeritus |
| Number | Title | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 651-2915-00L | Seminar in Hydrology | 0 credits | 1S | P. Burlando, J. W. Kirchner, S. Löw, D. Or, C. Schär, M. Schirmer, S. I. Seneviratne, M. Stähli, C. H. Stamm, University lecturers | |
| Abstract | |||||
| Learning objective | |||||
| 701-1316-00L | Physical Transport Processes in the Natural Environment | 3 credits | 2G | J. W. Kirchner | |
| Abstract | Fluid flows transport all manner of biologically important gases, nutrients, toxins, contaminants, spores and seeds, as well as a wide range of organisms themselves. This course explores the physics of fluids in the natural environment, with emphasis on the transport, dispersion, and mixing of solutes and entrained particles, and their implications for biological and biogeochemical processes. | ||||
| Learning objective | Students will learn key concepts of fluid mechanics and how to apply them to environmental problems. Weekly exercises based on real-world data will develop core skills in analysis, interpretation, and problem-solving. | ||||
| Content | dimensional analysis, similarity, and scaling solute transport in laminar and turbulent flows transport and dispersion in porous media transport of sediment (and adsorbed contaminants) by air and water anomalous dispersion | ||||
| Lecture notes | The course is under development. Lecture materials will be distributed as they become available. | ||||
| 701-1644-00L | Mountain Forest Hydrology | 5 credits | 3G | J. W. Kirchner | |
| Abstract | This course presents a process-based view of the hydrology, biogeochemistry, and geomorphology of mountain streams. Students learn how to integrate process knowledge, data, and models to understand how landscapes regulate the fluxes of water, sediment, nutrients, and pollutants in streams, and to anticipate how streams will respond to changes in land use, atmospheric deposition, and climate. | ||||
| Learning objective | Students will have a broad understanding of the hydrological, biogeochemical, and geomorphological functioning of mountain catchments. They will practice using data and models to frame and test hypotheses about connections between streams and landscapes. | ||||
| Content | Streams are integrated monitors of the health and functioning of their surrounding landscapes. Streams integrate the fluxes of water, solutes, and sediment from their contributing catchment area; thus they reflect the spatially integrated hydrological, ecophysiological, biogeochemical, and geomorphological processes in the surrounding landscape. At a practical level, there is a significant public interest in managing forested upland landscapes to provide a reliable supply of high-quality surface water and to minimize the risk of catastrophic flooding and debris flows, but the scientific background for such management advice is still evolving. Using a combination of lectures, field exercises, and data analysis, we explore the processes controlling the delivery of water, solutes, and sediment to streams, and how those processes are affected by changes in land cover, land use, and climate. We review the connections between process understanding and predictive modeling in these complex environmental systems. How well can we understand the processes controlling watershed-scale phenomena, and what uncertainties are unavoidable? What are the relative advantages of top-down versus bottom-up approaches? How much can "black box" analyses reveal about what is happening inside the black box? Conversely, can small-scale, micro-mechanistic approaches be successfully "scaled up" to predict whole-watershed behavior? Practical problems to be considered include the effects of land use, atmospheric deposition, and climate on streamflow, water quality, and sediment dynamics, illustrated with data from experimental watersheds in North America, Scandinavia, and Europe. | ||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts will be available as they are developed. | ||||
| Literature | Recommended and required reading will be specified at the first class session (with possible modifications as the semester proceeds). | ||||