701-0401-AAL  Hydrosphere

SemesterAutumn Semester 2016
LecturersR. Kipfer, C. Roques
Periodicityevery semester recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentEnrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit.


AbstractQualitative and quantitative understanding of the physical processes that control the terrestrial water cycle. Energy and mass exchange, mixing and transport processes are described and the coupling of the hydrosphere with the atmosphere and the solid Earth are discussed.
Learning objectiveQualitative and quantitative understanding of the physical processes that control the terrestrial water cycle. Energy and mass exchange, mixing and transport processes are described and the coupling of the hydrosphere with the atmosphere and the solid Earth are discussed.
ContentTopics of the course.
Physical properties of water (i.e. density and equation of state)
- global water resources
Exchange at boundaries
- energy (thermal & kinetic), gas exchange
Mixing and transport processes in open waters
- vertical stratification, large scale transport
- turbulence and mixing
- mixing and exchange processes in rivers
Groundwater and its dynamics
- ground water as part of the terrestrial water cycle
- ground water hydraulics, Darcy's law
- aquifers and their properties
- hydrochemistry and tracer
- ground water use
Case studies
- 1. Water as resource, 2. Water and climate
Lecture notesIn addition to the self-learning literature handouts are distributed.
LiteratureTextbooks for self-studying.
Surface water.
'Physics and Chemistry in Lakes', ed: Lerman, A., Imboden, D.M., and Gat, J., Springer Verlag, 1995:
Chapter 4: Imboden, D.M., and Wüest, A. 'Mixing Mechanisms in Lakes'
'Environmental Organic Chemistry', ed: Schwarzenbach, R., Imboden, D. M., and Gschwend, Ph., Willey, 2002:
Chapter 6.4: Air-Water Partitioning
Chapter 19.2: Bottleneck Boundaries

Ground water:
Fetter, C.W. 'Applied Hydrogeology', Prentice Hall, 2002 (4th edition):
Chapters 1 - 6, 8, 10, 11.

Optional additional readers.
Park, Ch., 2001, The Environment, Routledge, 2001
Price, M., 1996. Introducing groundwater. Chapman & Hall, London u.a.


a) Park, Ch., 2001, The Environment, Routledge, 2001
b) Price, M., 1996. Introducing groundwater. Chapman & Hall, London u.a.