GEO2010 – Surface hydrology

Course description

Course content
Learning outcome
Admission
Prerequisites

Overlapping courses
Teaching
Examination

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

The course, together with GEO3020 – Soil- and groundwater (discontinued), covers the water balance of the land surface and introduces the most important components of the hydrological cycle. GEO2010 gives an introduction to the surface components of the hydrological cycle, and discusses meteorological data, snow and snowmelt, runoff, hydrological characteristics of the basin and hydrological models. The material on Extreme value estimation for floods and droughts is briefly introduced. While the focus of the course is principally on the hydrologic cycle in the context of Earth System Processes.

Learning outcome

To provide a basic understanding of the surface components of the hydrological cycle and to understand the link between meteorological and hydrological processes. In addition to give the student experience in the use of hydrological observations and enable her/him to perform basic hydrological calculations using Python.

Admission

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

In addition to fulfilling the Higher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:

Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2) + R2

And in addition one of these:

Physics (1+2)
Chemistry (1+2)
Biology (1+2)
Information technology (1+2)
Geosciences (1+2)
Technology and theories of research (1+2)

The special admission requirements may also be covered by equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies (in Norwegian).

The following courses must be taken before the first lecture in GEO2010:

For students taking GEO2010 spring 2015 or later, to have GEO2010 included in your degree you must first pass the following HSE courses:

For further information se website for transitional arrangements between old and new HSE courses.

Recommended previous knowledge

MAT1000 – Mathematics for applications I (discontinued) or similar mathematical knowledge, GEO1030 – Winds, currents and climate (discontinued)

Overlapping courses

8 credits overlap with GEO2330 – Hydrology
10 credits overlap with HYD2010 – Surface hydrology (discontinued)

100% overlap with GF-GG141 when taken with HYD2020 – Soil- and groundwater hydrology (discontinued) / GEO3020 – Soil- and groundwater (discontinued)

Teaching

The course is scheduled with 4 lectures per week and 2 hours of exercises / seminar per week. There will be visits to relevant institutions (eg NVE, Statkraft or Norwegian Meteorological Institute). Active participation from the students are expected in project work, and may include an oral seminar presentation or the like. Activities included in the project work count towards the final grade.

There is a compulsory snow excursion (date for this depends on snow conditions), as well as participation for up to one week field course together with the course GEG2110. From the field course, a field report must be written, and this counts towards the final grade

Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet, are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the Studies administration, email address: studieinfo@geo.uio.no

To attend the course it is required that the following courses must be taken before the first lecture:

You will need to provide documentation that you have passed HMS0504 when you attend the first lecture.

General information about excursions at the Dept. of Geosciences.

As the teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance cover as a student.

Examination

The field report and project work (oral presentation or similar) counts in combination 40%.
Final written examination (3 hours) counts for 60%.
All parts have to be passed separately.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

Explanation of grades and appeals

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass the original examination.

Withdrawal from an examination

It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: HYD2010 – Surface hydrology (discontinued), GEO2330 – Hydrology

Special examination arrangements

Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.