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Water: Floods and Droughts; Landslides and Wildfires |
Proposal
Material: b) Budget d) Some
resource material |
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Extremes of Water Excess and Deficiency |
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Geological Sciences 04 |
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(Access Word
document version.) |
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Synopsis: Water, the ultimate source of life, is often mankind's greatest killer during the cataclysms of tsunamis, mudslides, killer storms, droughts and wildfires. This course provides a common forum for science and humanities students to collaboratively analyze the physical processes and consequences of the distribution and movement of water throughout the environment. No prerequisites. No exams. |
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Tending Livestock During Flooding of |
Effects of 2002 Drought on |
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Wildfires. |
General Topics to be Covered:
Water
Movement Through the Natural Environment (Week #1)
Global
Circulation of Water in the Oceans:
Dynamics of Currents, Waves and the Coastal Environment (Week #2)
Global
Circulation of Water in the Atmosphere:
Weather Patterns, Climate and Severe Storms (Week #3 & 4)
Surface
and Subsurface Flow Generation (Week #5)
Water
in the Subsurface (Week #6 & 7)
Arid
Regions, Desertification and Drought (Week #8)
Water
as a Geologic Agent (Week #9 & 10)
Wildfires:
The interaction between water and
other natural environmental elements (Week #11)
Water
Hazards and Catastrophes: Physical and Human Impact (Week #12)
Tools of Hydrology
Forecasting Storms: Our expectations for "Ivan" change
rapidly !
Stage 1 Prediction:
Stage 2 Satellite Image (Note that
path is being deflected toward
Satellite-Derived Data of 1988 Drought in
Details on the Course
Water: Floods and Droughts; Landslides
and Wildfires
Extremes of Water Excess and Deficiency
Geological Sciences 4
Provisional Syllabus for Proposed Course
Fall ’05
(Access Word document version.)
(HTML
Version (web page) follows below.)
Synopsis: Water, the ultimate source of life, is often mankind's greatest killer during the cataclysms of tsunamis, mudslides, killer storms, droughts and wildfires. This course provides a common forum for science and humanities students to collaboratively analyze the physical processes and consequences of the distribution and movement of water throughout the environment. No prerequisites. No exams.
Semester I; 2005-06
John F. Hermance
Professor of Environmental Geophysics/Hydrology
Department of Geological Sciences
Tel.: 401-863-3830
Office: Room 167,
e-mail: John_Hermance@Brown.Edu
Course Description
The distribution and behavior of water in the
global environment has a multitude of intersecting facets. Fundamentally, of
course, is the need to protect and supply clean drinking water for the world’s
population. However, throughout human history water has not only been the
ultimate source of life, it has often been mankind's greatest killer, impacting
entire cultures through the cataclysms of killer storms, floods, droughts, mud
slides and wildfires. Which is the worst of these catastrophes? It clearly
depends on where you are standing!
Californians are beset with mudslides one
season, wildfires the next, while a sudden tsunami seizes the public’s
attention worldwide. However, far more insidious killers are droughts. In
The impact of water scarcity is manifest in
many ways. Wildfires have been sources of catastrophic conflagrations since
prehistory, and are an increasing menace as suburban populations encroach on
the world’s outback. Annually, in
Sickness and mortality is endemic in the
majority of the world’s population due to inadequate and disease-ridden water
supplies in water-scarce countries. While, in the minds of westerners, this is
an issue most often associated with the third world, water quality is a home-grown
issue in developed countries as well. Many
But water-deficiency is not the only issue - too much water can be devastating as well. The storm surge, flooding
and winds from a "predicted" monsoonal cyclone in the Bengal Sea of
India killed over 300,000 people in
This course provides a common forum for students in the sciences and humanities to collaboratively analyze the physical processes associated with both the beneficial and the catastrophic aspects of water in the environment. At one level, we want to explore issues of water sufficiency and the implications of science for good management procedures. On another level, we want to understand the causes and behavior of various natural water-related phenomena, ranging from the percolation of groundwater through a watershed to El Niño’s global scale teleconnections between the oceans and atmosphere. On a third level, we want to assess the impact of water-related catastrophes on mankind, and discuss the prospects for the national and international community to predict and mitigate their effects. To do so, students will engage in a semester-long, interactive dialogue on issues, solutions and consequences, while drawing on an evolving understanding of how water, due to its unique character and interaction with the sun and earth, transports energy and mass through the environment – sometimes the benefactor, sometimes the adversary of mankind.
Open to freshman and
sophomores in the humanities and sciences. One’s grade is based on individual
initiative, problem sets, essays, oral reports, research papers and class
participation. No formal exams. Individual initiative is profusely awarded. No
prerequisites.
General Educational Objectives
In keeping with the spirit
of a liberal arts education as defined at a modern university/college such as
Brown – to nurture self-actualization, critical analysis and the ability to communicate
ideas based on rational concepts – and to address a national concern with
bridging the communication barrier between the sciences and the humanities –
this course serves as a vehicle to attain the following broad educational
objectives:
1)
To better understand fundamental physical processes which drive the major
natural systems of our planet. How do these processes affect humanity, and how
can humanity can better adjust itself to accommodate its environment? To
discriminate between those events where nature has gone awry and man is
suddenly an unexpected victim of a catastrophic drama on a far greater stage,
and those events where man has knowingly (or unknowingly) placed himself in
harm's way and is the victim of a process that was totally predictable.
2)
To bring together science and humanities students in a common forum to exchange
ideas, attitudes and perceptions. This is not a science course for
non-scientists! Rather it is a course for scientists and humanists. It
is a course in which students in the physical, biological and social sciences
can explore together with humanists – students of philosophy, language,
fine arts and history – the uniqueness, as well as the commonality, of their
respective patterns of inquiry, abstract reasoning and critical analysis.
3)
To foster a deeper appreciation of global geography in understanding the
interaction of mankind with large-scale natural phenomena. To develop a sense
of similarities and contrasts in how various cultures react to their natural
environment, and how the natural environment and geography modify local and
regional cultures.
4)
To develop an understanding of the ways in which numerical data are handled and
quantitative analyses evolve. An important component of these studies is the
concept of model-building in which highly complex situations are reduced to one
or several fundamental attributes which largely determine the character of the
entire system to the level of accuracy required in a specific application, or
to prompt a specific decision.
5)
To promote literacy in science and in the English language through critical
reading, analysis, speaking and writing. A notable element of our pedagogy in
this regard is cultivating frequent oral and written exchanges among students.
A number of the written exchanges will undergo peer review and, following their
critique, will be revised for further analysis and discussion.
Provisional Weekly Schedule by
Topic
(A detailed list of topics
follows)
Water
Movement Through the Natural Environment (Week #1)
Global
Circulation of Water in the Oceans:
Dynamics of Currents, Waves and the Coastal Environment (Week #2)
Global
Circulation of Water in the Atmosphere:
Weather Patterns, Climate and Severe Storms (Week #3 & 4)
Surface
and Subsurface Flow Generation (Week #5)
Water
in the Subsurface (Week #6 & 7)
Arid
Regions, Desertification and Drought (Week #8)
Water
as a Geologic Agent (Week #9 & 10)
Wildfires:
The interaction between water and
other natural environmental elements (Week #11)
Water
Hazards and Catastrophes: Physical and Human Impact (Week #12)
Over
the course of the semester, lectures will be interspersed with presentations by
individual or groups of students interested in developing aspects of the topic
under current discussion.
Topical
Outline
Water Movement Through the Natural Environment
(Discussion
of the fundamental concepts and observational data for understanding the
"Water Cycle".)
A
Global View of Water Processes
Water
availability as a product of the interaction of oceans, atmospheric circulation,
continental land masses, precipitation, infiltration, groundwater flow and
stream runoff
Water
as a Resource, Commodity, Natural Hazard
The
yin and yang of floods and droughts
Water
as a defining factor of history
Partitioning
of Water in the Global Environment
Relative
Distribution of Water in the Earth's Environment
Global
water budget
Sources
of fresh water
Spatial
scales of hydrologic processes
Multiple
uses of, and demands on, water
Water
as a consumable resource
Global
fresh water usage patterns
Water
availability
Water-stressed
countries
Water-scarce
countries
Watersheds:
The fundamental "unit" of hydrology
(Watersheds are to hydrology as atoms are to modern physics)
Definition
Synonyms
Watershed
Drainage
basin
River
basin
Catchment
Delineating
a watershed
Topographic
vs groundwater divides
Terrain
analysis using digital elevation models
Watershed
Parameters
Mass
Balance in the Water Cycle:
One of the Fundamental Relations in Hydrology
Elements
of the hydrologic (or water) cycle
Precipitation Evapotranspiration
Overland
flow Infiltration
Groundwater
flow & baseflow
Stream
runoff
Gaining
vs losing streams
Concept
of water balance
Conservation
condition
Conservation
of flux with sources
Basic
processes & watershed elements
Inflow Storage elements
Outflow
Dynamic
storage of a watershed element
(Steady-state vs transient conditions)
Residence
times
Global Circulation of Water in the Oceans:
Dynamics of Currents, Waves and the Coastal Environment
The
Sea Water Column
Morphology
of the Ocean Floor
Continental
Margins.
Abyssal
plains
Midocean
Ridges.
Sediment.
Ocean
Currents and Circulation
Weather
and climatic stabilization and destabilization from ocean water masses
Example:
El Niño
ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation). El Niño refers to the arrival of a
warm pool of water in the eastern Pacific floating on cooler ocean water
transported from the western Pacific. The Southern Oscillation is a see-saw
shift in surface air pressure between Darwin, Australia, and Tahiti, having
important consequences for global weather patterns, such as increased rainfall
and flooding across the southern tier of the US and drought in the West Pacific
causing devastating brush fires in Australia.
Shoreline
erosion, emergent and submergent coasts
Question for Discussion: Should beaches be artificially replenished when naturally
washed away?
Waves,
Tsunamis and Storm Surges -- Causes
Examples
(suggested topics for student mini-research projects):
Indian Ocean,
Christmas, 2004: 150,000 people
killed in 40 countries bordering Indian Ocean from an earthquake on the
convergent plate margin at
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
Background
Ocean
Waters and the Ocean Floor, Tarbuck and Lutgens, Chapter 10, pp. 294-322.
The
Restless Ocean, Tarbuck and Lutgens, Chapter 11, pp. 324-354.
General
Resource Material:
Tsunami
Waves and Storm Surges; Ebert, Disasters, Chapter 4, p. 43-55.
Tsunamis,
Harold G. Loomis, Geophysical Prediction, NAS, Chapter 13, p. 155.
Tide
Predictions, Bernard D. Zetler, Geophysical Prediction, NAS, Chapter 14,
p. 166.
Ocean
Circulation, Kirk
Flood-Plain
Management Must Be Ecologically and Economically Sound, James E. Goddard, Geophysical
Prediction, NAS, Chapter 22, p. 263.
Atchafalaya,
John McPhee, 1989, The Control of Nature, pp. 3-92, Farrar Straus
Giroux,
Shoreline
Structures as a Cause of Shoreline Erosion: A Review, James G. Rosenbaum, Geophysical
Prediction, NAS, Chapter 17, p. 198.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
Global Circulation of Water in the Atmosphere:
Weather Patterns, Climate and Severe Storms
Nature
of Water in the Atmosphere
Moisture,
humidity, and condensation
Lapse
rate and adiabatic
Atmospheric
Convection and Advection
Cloud
formation
Topographic
effects on precipitation (Implications for local and regional water supply;
exploitation)
General
Circulation of the Atmosphere
Global
solar insolation
Influence
of ocean currents
Pressure
and Wind
Pressure
gradients as forces
Coriolis
Effect
Cyclones
and Anticyclones
Regional
implications for water excess versus water deficit
Rain
forests
Seasonal
monsoons of Asia, Africa and
Arid
regions and deserts
Atmospheric
water in temperate regions
Precipitation
Point
measurements
Areal
samples
Depth
of precipitation
Computer
visualization, interpolation and animation of station gauge data
Evapotranspiration
Temperature
Solar
Radiation
Wind
Humidity
Statistic
of rainfall: "normal" versus "extreme" conditions
Severe
Storms
Cyclones
Thunderstorms
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Monsoons
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
Background
Moisture,
Tarbuck and Lutgens, Chapter 13, pp. 386-414.
Pressure
and Wind, Tarbuck and Lutgens, Chapter 14, pp. 416-435.
Weather
Patterns and Severe Storms, Tarbuck and Lutgens, Chapter 15, pp. 436-462.
General
Resource Material:
Disasters
Involving the Atmosphere; Ebert, Disasters, Part III, p.71-127.
River
and Urban Floods; Ebert, Disasters, Chapt. 5, p.57-69.
Numerical
Weather Predication, Frederick G. Shuman, Geophysical Prediction, NAS,
Chapter 10, p. 115.
Severe
Thunderstorm Systems, Edwin Kessler and Allen D. Pearson, Geophysical
Prediction, NAS, Chapter 11, p. 130.
Hurricane
Prediction, Robert H. Simpson, Geophysical Prediction, NAS, Chapter 12,
p. 142.
Storm
Surges,
p.
185.
Streamflow
Forecasting, Alfred J. Cooper, Geophysical Prediction, NAS, Chapter 17,
p.
193.
Prediction
of Streamflow Hazards, William Kirby, Geophysical Prediction, NAS, Chapter
18, p. 202.
Floods,
physical setting, factors affecting the severity of floods, riverine flood
hazard areas, risk assessment, flood forecasting, reducing losses, Geophysical
Prediction, NAS, p. 218.
Global
Summary of Human Response to Natural Hazards: Floods, Jacquelyn L. Beyer, Geophysical
Prediction, NAS, Chapter 20, p. 234.
Flood-Hazard
Mapping in Metropolitan Chicago, John R. Sheaffer, Davis W. Ellis, and Andrew
M. Spieker, Geophysical Prediction, NAS, Chapter 21, p. 249.
American
Weather Stories, Hughes,
U. S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Washington, DC, 1976.
Early
American Hurricanes, 1492-1870, Ludlum, American Meteorological Society,
The
Great Hurricane and Tidal Wave,
Surface and Subsurface Flow Generation
Review of Precipitation
and Evapotranspiration
Infiltration, Depression
Storage & Overland Flow
Depression
storage
Direct
runoff
Horton
overland flow
Saturated
overland flow
Infiltration
Subsurface
stormflow
Groundwater
recharge and baseflow
Groundwater
"outcrops" – Springs, seeps, wetlands, lakes and streams
Streamflow Generation
Streamflow
& hydrographs: Measuring streamflow
Flowmeters
Weirs
Stage versus discharge
Baseflow
recession
Controls
on flow velocity (assessing the Manning Equation)
Channel
radius
Flow
gradient
Channel
roughness
Rainfall-runoff
relations
Components
of storm hydrograph
Characteristic
delay times (theoretical versus observed)
Response
to overland flow
Interflow
and throughflow
Enhanced
baseflow
Decay
of overland flow
Separating
components of hydrograph: Unit hydrographs
Streamflow
statistics (peak flow probabilities, etc.)
Characteristic
residence times
Stormflow
and Flooding
Climatic
factors that contribute to floods:
Very
heavy rainfall over a short period causing rivers to rise and flood.
Sudden
melting of ice and snow, especially in spring in mountain areas.
Prolonged
heavy rain over weeks or months, saturating the ground and swelling rivers.
Very
high waves (tsunamis) along coastal areas, caused by high winds, tides or
earthquakes.
Human
factors that cause floods:
The
collapse of river defenses or dams.
A
change in the land use affecting the stores and flows of water in the drainage
basin.
Examples for Discussion:
Great
Mississippi
floods; Summer, 1993, Midwest
Wetlands
The
issues of sustaining wetlands
"Buffers"
of hydrological anomalies
Effect
of groundwater withdrawal on wetlands
Water in the Subsurface
Hydrologic
nature of the geologic environment
Hydrologic
characteristics of "rock" materials
(Consolidated vs. unconsolidated materials)
Grains
Pores
Cracks,
joints and fractures
Distribution
of water in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary formations
Morphology
of glaciated terrains
(Hydrologic nature of residual soils & other unconsolidated overburden)
Soil
Unconsolidated
sediments
Glacial
outwash
Alluvial
fans
River
valley and stream bed deposits (Sorted vs unsorted deposits)
Clay Silt
Sand Gravel
Cobbles
General
comments on the soil-bedrock interface
Hydrology
of unconsolidated sediments
River
valleys
Coastal
plains
Glaciated
terrain
—
Surface materials
—
Buried fossil landforms
Foundations for Understanding Patterns of
Ground-Water Flow
Conservation
condition
Darcy's
law
Pressure
and hydraulic head
Hydraulic
conductivity
Effect
of matrix and fluid properties on mass transport
Inhomogeneous
versus anisotropic media
Lateral
inhomogeneities: Discrete or "block" discontinuities versus smoothly
varying properties
Refraction
of fluid flow across a material boundary
Flowlines
and flow nets
Physical Processes in Aquifers
Conceptual models
of the hydrogeologic environment
Infiltration dynamics
Capillary forces and soil
moisture tension
Unsaturated or vadose zone
Aquifer
characteristics, divisions and classes
Confined aquifers
Unconfined aquifers
Perched aquifers
Compressibility,
pore pressure and effective stress
Aquifer flow
parameters
Transmissivity & storativity
for confined aquifers
Specific yield for unconfined
aquifers
Potentiometric (piezometric) head
versus the "watertable"
Simple steady-state
models for confined and unconfined flow
Unconfined flow
with regional recharge
Subsurface flow to a discharging
(recharging) well
Confined
vs unconfined flow
Steady-state
vs transient conditions
Effect
of local boundaries and local recharge zones: Method of images
Well tests and monitoring wells
Regional Flow Patterns
Transient vs
steady-state conditions
Confined vs
unconfined aquifers
Horizontal vs
vertical recharge processes
Water Quality
(Physical and chemical properties of water)
Physical
properties of water
Dissociation
& solubility of chemical elements in the hydrosphere
Water
Quality
Watershed Pollution & Contaminant
Migration
Impacted
components
Natural
ecosystems
Domestic
wells
Public
water supplies
Irrigated
land
Aqui-culture
Fish
farms
Estuaries
Oceans
Classes
of pollution: Toxic vs. Non-toxic
Non-reactive
suspended matter
Chemical:
Haz-Mat versus agricultural by-products
Medical
wastes
Biological:
Bacterial, viral and algal
"Point
source" pollution
Chemical
& fuel spills (or leaks)
Landfills
Waste
treatment facilities
Septic
systems
"Non-point"
or distributed contaminant sources
Agricultural
Feedlots
Fertilized fields
Community
Pesticides & herbicides
Composite septic fields
Mitigating
contaminant migration
Recovery
wells
"Capture
zones"
Dispersal,
soil "washing" and biodegrading
Natural and man-made
impoundments and channels (dams, canals and levees)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
General Resource
Material:
Bachmat,
Yehuda, John Bredehoeft, Barbara Andrews, David Holtz, and Scott Sebastian, Groundwater
Management: The Use of Numerical Models, American Geophysical
Black,
P.E., Watershed Hydrology, Prentice Hall, Inc., 408 p., 1991.
Bras,
R.L., Hydrology, Addison Wesley Publishing Company,
Chow,
V.T., D.R. Maidment, and L.W. Mays, Applied Hydrology, McGraw-Hill,
Inc., 572 p., 1988.
Davis,
Stanley N., and Roger J. M. DeWiest, Hydrogeology, 463 pp., John Wiley
& Sons, Inc.,
Dingman,
S.L., Physical Hydrology, Macmillan Publishing Company, 575 p., 1994.
Domenico,
Patrick A., and Franklin W. Schwartz, Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology,
824 pp., John Wiley & Sons,
Eagleson,
Peter S. (Chairman), Opportunities in the Hydrological Sciences, 348
pp., Committee on Opportunities in the Hydrological Sciences, National Research
Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1991.
Fetter,
C.W., Applied Hydrogeology, Third Edition, 691 pp., Macmillan Publishing
Company,
Fetter,
C.W., Contaminant Hydrogeology, Macmillan Publishing Company,
Foley,
D., G.D. McKenzie, and R.O. Utgard, Investigations in Environmental Geology,
Macmillan Publishing Company, 304 p., 1993.
Freeze,
R. Allan, and John A. Cherry, Groundwater, 604 pp., Prentice-Hall,
Gabler,
R.E., R.J. Sager, and D.L. Wise, Essentials of Physical Geography,
Heath,
R.C., Ground-Water Regions of the United States, Geological Survey
Water-Supply Paper 2242, United States Government Printing Office, 78 p.,
1984.
Heath,
Ralph C., Basic Ground-Water
Heath,
Ralph C., and Frank W. Trainer, Introduction to Ground Water Hydrology,
285 pp., National Ground Water Association, Dublin, OH, 1992.
Hermance,
J.F., A Mathematical Primer on Groundwater Flow, Prentice Hall, 1998.
Kazmann,
R.G., Modern Hydrology, Third Edition, 427 pp., National Water Well
Association (now National Ground Water Association),
Keller,
E.A., Environmental Geology, Macmillan Publishing Company, 521 p., 1991.
Mayer,
L., Introduction to Quantitative Geomorphology: An Exercise Manual,
McGraw-Hill, Inc. 380 p., 1990.
McIntyre,
M.P., H.P. Eilers, and J.W. Mairs, Physical Geography, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc., 536 p., 1991.
Postel,
Sandra, Last Oasis; Facing Water Scarcity, 239 pp., W.W. Norton &
Co.,
Rahn,
Perry H., Engineering Geology: An Environmental Approach, Elsevier
Science Publishing Company, Inc.,
Roscoe
Moss Company, Handbook of Groundwater Development, 493 pp., Wiley &
Sons,
Schwartz,
Frank W. (Chairman), Ground Water Models, Scientific and Regulatory
Applications, 303 pp., Committee on Ground Water Modeling Assessment,
National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1990.
Todd,
Keith David, Groundwater Hydrology, 535 pp., John Wiley & Sons,
Walton,
W.C., Principles of Groundwater Engineering, 546 pp., Lewis Publishers,
1991.
Wang,
Herbert F., and Mary P. Anderson, Introduction to Groundwater Modeling:
Finite Difference and Finite Element Methods, 237 pp., W. H. Freeman and
Company, San Francisco, 1982.
Watson,
I., and A.D. Burnett, Hydrology - An Environmental Approach, Buchanan
Books
Arid Regions, Desertification and Drought
The
nature of arid regions and deserts (they are not the same thing)
Processes
through which mankind adapts to arid regions
Processes
through which deserts are naturally and artificially created
Examples:
The
"Dust-Bowl" of the 1930's.
The
African
Does
landscape modification affect local climate?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
Background
Deserts
and Wind Erosion; Tarbuck and Lutgens, pp. 130-143.
General
Resource Material:
Drought
and Desertification; Ebert, Disasters, p. 129-144.
Water as a Geologic Agent
Geologic Background
Water in the context
of plate tectonics
Landforms (namely
mountains and plateaus) affect water, and water affects landforms
Erosion
Mass
wasting
Effects
of rock types
Mountain building
occurs at the boundaries between plates
Three types of plate margins:
Divergent
Convergent
Transform
Types of mountains
1.
Folded mountains
2.
Volcanic mountains
3.
Fault-block mountains
4.
Upwarped mountains
Examples
of how water interacts with geologic processes
Water
and crustal isostasy
The
concept of isostasy: The earth's crust, lithosphere and asthenosphere are in
buoyant equilibrium so that less dense rigid materials "float" on a
more dense plastic substratum.
Case
Study: Glacial "loading" causes crustal deflection and unloading
causes . . . (?)
During the last ice-age, 3-kilometer-thick masses of ice caused down-warping of
the earth's crust.
In the 8,000 to 10,000 years since the last ice sheets melted, uplifting of as
much as 330 meters has occurred in the
Activity:
Reconstruct the sea level shoreline for a selected area of the earth for
various climate scenarios.
Role
of Water in Landslides, Subsidence, Mass Movement & Earthquakes
Mechanisms
of mass movement
Define
seismic vs. aseismic behavior
Morphology:
Local, regional, and global effects; risk assessment, prediction, and
prevention
An
underestimated national hazard: Catastrophic (aseismic) movement of unstable
earth masses
Causes
of erosion, control of erosion and sedimentation, predicting soil loss and sediment
yield
Earthquakes,
causes, severity, and effects related to water and effective stress
Prediction
and forecasting
Hazard
monitoring
Short-term
versus long term prediction
Risk
assessment, and reducing damage
Earthquake
control (possible or improbable?)
Prediction
and mitigation of mass movement events
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
General Resource
Material:
Weathering, Soil, and Mass
Wasting, Tarbuck and Lutgens, Chapter 2, pp. 46-73.
Landslides and Avalanches;
Ebert, Disasters, Chapter 3, p. 29-39.
Mass Movement, Tank, Environmental
Geology, p. 134-144.
Erosion and Sedimentation,
Tank, Environmental Geology, pp. 174-183.
Quick Clays and
The
Vaiont Reservoir Disaster, George A. Kiersch, Environmental Geology,
Tank, ed., Chapter 13, p. 151.
Expansive Soils-The Hidden
Disaster, D. Earl Jones, Jr. and Wesley G. Holtz, Environmental Geology,
Tank, ed., Chapter 15, p. 170.
Land Subsidence in the
Landslides, Richard H.
Jahns, Geophysical Prediction, NAS, Chapter 5, p. 58.
Erosion of the Land, or
What's Happening to Our Continents? Sheldon Judson, Geophysical Prediction,
NAS, Chapter 16, p. 184.
Sediment, A.R. Robinson, Geophysical
Prediction, NAS, Chapter 19, p. 213.
Crozier, Michael J., Landslides:
Causes, Consequences and Environment, Croom Helm, 1986.
Wildfires: The interaction between water and
other natural environmental elements.
Significant
Points:
- Wildfires are natural process occurring at regular intervals in the forests, grasslands and chaparrals of the world.
- May be the greatest single instrument in plant
community change and adaptation
- An important and desirable element in the evolution of
a healthy forest
- Total exclusion of fire lays the foundation for the
worst kinds of fire
- Are an increasing problem as human populations encroach
on areas abundant with natural fuels
- Often associated with windstorms, droughts, floods,
diseases and insect invasions
- Fires at the wildland/urban interface: Impact on
aesthetics, loss of life, destruction of a community's economic base.
Increasing levels of financial losses (infrastructure, raw materials, farm products) and fatalities.
Environmental
Setting: Fuel-rich area (may range from forests to "deserts")
|
forests |
brush |
|
grassland |
chaparral |
|
cities |
|
Causes
(triggers):
|
lightning |
campfires |
|
arson |
spontaneous combustion |
|
earthquakes |
volcanic eruptions |
Types
of wildfires
Groundfires
occur in thick layers of organic materials, old root work and peat deposits
Canopy
fires, temperatures 500-800°C
Crown
fires
Mass
fire (or running crown fire)
Primary
differences between grassland and forest fires
Processes
and controlling factors
Topography
and surface configuration
Elevation,
slope, and orientation
A
long uniform slope allows the fire to move upslope without hindrance and aids a
fire in spreading rapidly.
Daytime
valley breezes caused by the heating of the valley floor and subsequent
convection reinforce forest fires as they move upslope.
Upslope
fire spreading may be slowed down at night due to the mountain breeze.
High
elevation summits: The effect of higher elevation is usually one of lower
temperature. This lowers evaporation from soils and plants so that moisture
levels are high. At high elevations clouds and mist prevail and tend to protect
high altitude forests from fire.
Low
elevation summits: At lower average elevations the very tops of hills and
ranges are usually more prone to fire. Summits are arid. Soils are thinner,
more eroded, tend to be drier as they are exposed to wind.
Peaks
may induce triggered lightning and attract cloud to ground lightning.
Heavily
dissected topography complicates the pattern.
Wind
and Solar Insolation
Some
local wind systems reinforce wildfires; others counteract each other.
Prediction of fire behavior becomes difficult.
Windward
versus leeward slopes: Windward slopes tend to receive more orographic
precipitation and are more resistant to fire. Advantage may be offset by the
more frequent occurrence of thunderstorms and lightning on the windward side.
Northern
slopes in the northern hemisphere face away from the sun tend to be cooler and
hold more moisture. Northern slopes, therefore, tend to be less fire prone.
Fighting
forest fires. Know the land, and the way fires burn.
Effects
and consequences in wild areas:
Timber
and foliage may be destroyed
Animal
habitat disrupted
Soil
nutrients depleted
Scenic
value diminished
Precipitation
runoff from burned over area contributes to flooding
Erosion
of exposed soil
Landslides
Examples:
1871:
May,
1987:
February,
1967: Doomsday fire in
1971:
1977
May: New Miner,
1983:
1983
February 19:
1988:
Major fires in the western
July 13, 2002:
Biscuit fire,
2003, October;
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
General Resource
Material:
The Science of
Bushfires (A WebQuest
developed by UniServe Science):
http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/sciweek/2002/firescience.html
The role of
the NPWS in managing fire (
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/The+role+of+the+NPWS+in+managing+fire
Firenet
Virtual Library (
http://lorenz.mur.csu.edu.au/fire/library.html
Fire Regimes
and their Impacts in
http://www.deh.gov.au/soe/techpapers/fire/part3/fire3-2a.html
How Fires
Affect Biodiversity (A Malcolm
Gill, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research):
http://www.anbg.gov.au/fire_ecology/fire-and-biodiversity.html
Water Hazards and Catastrophes: Physical and
Human Impact
An
Overview
Storms
Floods
Mass
wasting and movements
Triggering
earthquakes by dam impoundments
Droughts
Discussion:
The Yin & Yang of Floods and Droughts
(The following will
be based, whenever possible, on student research projects w/ oral reports.)
Examples:
Central
& Western Europe. 1315-17: Unusually heavy rains in the spring and summer of 1315
devastated crops and resulted in a famine that killed as much as 10 percent of
the population.
Question
for discussion: Are water issues a catalyst for aggression or for peaceful
collaboration and coexistence?
Commonality
of "Catastrophic Phenomena"
Triggering
Of
primary phenomena
Of
secondary phenomena by primary events
Survival;
Prediction, Preparedness and Prevention
Mustering
of aid: The role of national, state, local and individual assistance
Cultural
contrasts in the way societies react to catastrophes
Fundamental
elements of risk assessment
Question(s)
for discussion: How do the following issues factor into the equation?
World’s
population;
Global
warming;
Technology.
The
Future
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
Background
Introduction;
Tarbuck and Lutgens, Earth Science, p. 1-8.
Recommended
Introduction;
Ebert, Disasters, p. xi-xiii.
Prologue;
Tank, Environmental Geology, p. 3-4.
Geologic
Hazards and Hostile Environments; Tank, Environmental Geology, p. 31.
General
Resource Material :
Land
Use and Misuse - Natural Hazards (Chapter 4, Ibid.).
Natural
Catastrophes in their Geologic Context, Facing Geologic and Hydrologic Hazards,
Earth-Science Considerations, Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 1240-B.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
Provisional Main Text
(One to be selected; possible examples follow):
Tarbuck,
E.J., F.K. Lutgens and D. Tasa, Earth Science, 10th Edition, Prentice
Hall, Inc., 2002.
Keller,
E.A., Environmental Geology, 8th Edition, Prentice Hall, Inc., 2000
Spencer,
Edgar W., Earth Science: Understanding Environmental Systems, McGraw
Hill, 2002
Provisional Recommended
Text (examples follow. All are available in Hydrology Resource Room):
Patrick
L. Abbott, Natural Disasters, McGraw Hill, ISBN: 0072528095, 2004.
Alexander,
David, Natural Disasters, Paperback (pp: 656), ISBN: 1-85728-094-6, Chapman and
Hall, 1993.
Ebert,
C.H.V., Disasters, 274 pp., Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.,
Other material --
background notes, Power-points, etc. -- will be distributed in class, or placed
on the Internet, during the course of the semester. Extensive use will be made
of the libraries electronic resources and the internet.
Evaluation of Student Performance
The following outline is
offered as a guide to those students who prefer a rigorous grading scheme. However,
we would much prefer that students take the initiative in formulating their
individual evaluation procedure (i.e. propose your own individual grading
scheme) in collaboration with the TA(s) and, ultimately, the instructor. Some
students may prefer to apply their communication skills through writing,
visually and/or orally; others may prefer a more quantitative approach through
modeling and mathematical analysis.
Most importantly, all
students are urged, either individually or jointly with their colleagues,
to study and to report in-depth on one or more research areas. We will, in turn,
either ease up on some of our expectations in other pursuits (e.g. problem
sets, formal research papers etc.) or assign extra credit (often as much as 30
grade points! see below). This will be negotiated with the student on an
on-going individual (or group) basis. [Students with alternative learning
styles please note the availability of alternative evaluation schemes, but to
implement these procedures please identify your interest early in the
semester.]
But let us be clear, the
following outline will be the basis for determining a student's grade
unless he/she takes the initiative in making other arrangements within the
first two weeks of the semester. Rest assured on two counts:
First, if the student goes through this
lock-step scheme, they are well on their way to an "A".
Second, we will constantly nag the student
to experiment a little on their own, or with their colleagues, to get out of
their rut and to begin thinking creatively. Your creative energy, however, should
become focussed before mid-semester (see below).
Method of Assigning Course Grade
1.) Written Research
Compositions
Summary:
Three (3) brief (40 words or less) expository definitions. Two (2) brief (80
words or less) expository descriptions of an assigned water-related process.
One (1) statement of theme or thesis. One (1) topical paper (600 to 750 words).
Each exercise must undergo revision(s) to be accepted. May be combined with, or
integrated into, other activities described below (see 3), 4) and 5),
especially; but, again …be creative in patching together material in a way most
interesting and helpful to you. Students who opt for this activity will receive
credit for the exercise upon required revisions being accepted by the
Instructor.
a)
Brief (3 @ 40 words or less) expository definitions of an assigned
water-related process. 9 pts
b)
Brief (2 @ 80 words or less) expository descriptions of an assigned
water-related process. 8 pts
c)
Statement of theme or thesis (1 @ 200 words or less) 10 pts
(This can be a synopsis of a technical article, a proposed research paper, or
for a hypothetical research paper, and need not be for an actual paper that you
plan to write)d) Topical Paper (2 pages, 750 words maximum) 10 pts
Revision of paper: 5 pts
e)
Research "Term Paper" (or other writing assignments of your choice) optional
(Typically up to
15 grade points)
Written Papers Sub-Total 42 grade points (or more)
2.) Problem sets and
short answer essays (approximately 8 sets @ 4 grade points each) 32 grade points
3.) Individual
Initiative (up to 30 grade points)
This
category nurtures the creative element and fosters the individual's
responsibility and maturity. As a means of emphasizing our recognition
of the importance of self-actualization as a direct measure of an
individual's internal development, we encourage the student to become
voluntarily involved in one or more optional activities associated with
specific evaluative protocols (i.e. grading procedures) which, while perhaps
requiring a more subjective evaluation of each student by the instructor,
allows the student at his/her discretion a variety of directions in which to
develop, and of opportunities to demonstrate his/her intellectual growth. Some
examples of possible activities:
a)
Class Participation
i)
Spontaneous contributions in class.
ii)
Short answer essays.
iii)
Brief formal interrogatories.
iv)
Brief (5 minutes or less, or more) class presentations on current events or on
topics currently being discussed in class.
b)
Special Projects (grade points to be negotiated)
i)
Oral presentation(s) on individual or group research (typically 10 minutes.).
ii)
Written report(s) on individual or group research.
aa)
Reviews on outside reading.
bb)
Interviews (personal experiences, reporters, scientists, etc.).
cc)
On-site visits or investigations.
dd)
Physical demonstrations or experiments.
ee)
Computer simulations and numerical modeling.
It
is strongly recommended — but not strictly required — that the results of such
special projects be summarized to the class as an integral part of the lecture
series. It would be constructive to coordinate your presentation with the
coverage of the relevant material in regular lecture/discussion. Alternatively,
a student may opt to present a summary of his/her project at the end of the
course. Except in exceptional circumstances, all projects have some written
component. The cost of constructing physical demonstrations is usually borne by
the student.
A
short description of all special projects must be submitted for approval in
writing (with a suggested time-table for completion) to the instructor as early
in the course as possible, but in no case later than Mid-Semester noontime. As
the student’s ideas are evolving, he/she (or the group) is encouraged to
discuss these projects with the instructor or TA(s).
4) "News story of
the week":
A
weekly, written synopsis of a water-related report from the news media, topical
technical journals or from the Web. An electronic or hard copy of the
actual article, or articles, used should be appended to a student composed, 250
to 400 word review, professionally presented with citations, etc. Due the Wednesday
of each week beginning in week 2. A total of 5 due throughout the first half of
the semester. Late submissions not permitted. Generally 2 grade pts each
providing they contain some thoughtful analysis, but some may warrant extra
credit. Students will be randomly selected to present an informal, spontaneous
oral overview to the class each week.
10 grade points
5) Surfing the Internet
Web:
A)
Each student is expected to identify a total of 2 unique water-related
resources on the Internet, respectively, on 2 separate occasions throughout the
course of the semester (i.e. approx. 1 resource every three weeks; 3 pts each).
These will be appropriately documented and reported (see Item 2, above).
Include the URL and a representative hardcopy (printout) of representative
material. 6 grade points
B)
The following web exercise is totally student-initiated. At their own
discretion, students should monitor specific Web pages of their choosing on the
Internet for a period of days, during which they will systematically download,
on a daily basis, key hydrological data or "events" – such as (but
not exclusively) satellite or ground-based radar images of storms, videos,
precipitation data, streamflow data – from specific regions or watersheds that
they will analyze and, at some point, disseminate to the rest of the class.
(This will be done on an ad hoc basis throughout the first half of the
semester, for a maximum grade point accumulation of 6 points.) up to 6 grade points
———
Possible Semester Total
Grade: 130 grade points
[Out of which each
student's letter grade will
be based on 90 points for an A, etc.; see below.]
Based on the actual cumulative grade points,
in general, a grade of
90 points or
greater will be an A,
75 points or
greater will be a B,
60 points or
greater will be a C,
59 points or less
will be a no credit (NC)
Note regarding alternative learning styles: The class is purposely designed to naturally
accommodate the different ways in which students learn, and can easily adjust
to particular situations. This may be particularly beneficial to students with
alternative learning styles (including, but not exclusively, special needs,
such as learning inefficiencies, health considerations, physical needs, etc.).
Students who might want to enhance this feature of the course – such as those
who simply "learn differently", and would benefit from alternative requirements
for assignments, assessments and/or tests – are encouraged to advise the
instructor (Jack) as early in the semester as convenient. Some students may
simply "learn differently", and would benefit from alternative
requirements for assignments, assessments and/or tests. Students with diagnosed
special needs should also contact the instructor early in the semester,
regardless if they anticipate special accommodation. All such arrangements will
be confidential.
Standard Policy
Toward Late-Work:
All assignments are due on the date and the time indicated. If this is
class-time, then assignments will be collected at the beginning
(precisely!) of class. After that time, until 4 PM the next day (unless there
is a persuasive case made by a Dean), homework will be prorated to 90% of its
normal, on-time grade. By the beginning of the next class, the grade will be
prorated to 80%. After that, to the beginning of the next class, grades will be
prorated to 70%. After 1 week, homework will be prorated to 50%, and will not
be accepted after 2 weeks from due date.
Policy toward plagiarism or other academic
misconduct
Students are encouraged to work
together and collaborate on homework, writing and projects – however, you
need to keep me (Jack) informed as to what and who this involves! The
majority of students in this course may not be familiar with the instructor's
broad & liberal style of assigning grade credit (which is virtually
anything goes, if it makes sense to your learning hydrology). The instructor is
most generous in recognizing individual interests and career objectives of the
student, and how this interest can bridge across two or more courses. Since I
want to provide the maximum opportunity to the motivated student to explore
non-traditional areas of inquiry in non-traditional ways, it is possible for
some to abuse the situation. Students should be aware, however, that there are
limits, and that transgressors will be summarily dealt with.
While students may — and are encouraged to —
discuss their homework with other class members (or prior class members), it is
expected that each person will usually contribute an independent component of
an assignment — an independent component that is specifically and
unequivocally identified. Students working together on an exercise or a
term project, and submitting virtually the same response or report, should
clearly identify each individual's contribution. In some cases, a specific
student – for a specific exercise – may contribute little or nothing to a group
activity, but still feel they benefit educationally from passively
participating (for informational background, etc.). This is completely
acceptable in some circumstances, and such a student may receive partial
credit for the work, providing she/he clearly states the same, and describes
the level of (or lack of) their participation.
But be aware and forewarned: The discovery of plagiarism of another's work in any
form, particularly copying — in spirit or substance — another student's homework
from this semester, or from previous semesters, without proper and unambiguous
acknowledgment, will immediately result in a "No Credit" for the
course, and notification of the Dean's Office.
Relation to Projects in Other Courses
In some cases, it may be appropriate, even
encouraged, for a student to continue, extend, or supplement activities
that developed in a previous or a parallel course, or from independent
research. However, if a student uses material from other activities to be
assigned credit for the present course, such material must be
identified. Discovery of failure to do will result in the student receiving a
No Credit for the course.
Related Courses in Geological Sciences
The following courses are recommended for
those students who wish to go into more depth in specific subjects which were
introduced in the present course:
Geo 1: Face of the Earth
Geo 5: Mars, Moon, and The Earth
Geo 7: Introduction to Oceanography
Geo 22: Physical Processes in Geology
Geo 24: Introduction to Earth Systems History
Geo 58: Introduction to Physical Hydrology:
Watershed Dynamics & Groundwater Flow
Geo 81: Planetary Geology
Geo 110: Descriptive Physical Oceanography
Geo 111: Estuarine Oceanography
Geo 113: Ocean Biogeochemical Cycles
Geo 124: Stratigraphy and Sedimentation
Geo 132: Introduction to Geographic
Information Systems
Geo 133: Global Environmental Remote Sensing
Geo 135: Meteorological Aspects Climatic
Change
Geo 137: Environmental Geochemistry Geo 110:
Estuarine Oceanography
Geo 158: Quantitative Elements of Physical
Hydrology
Geo 159: Quantitative Modeling of Hydrologic
Processes
Geo 160: Environmental and Engineering
Geophysics
Geo 161: Solid Earth Geophysics
Geo 171: Remote Sensing of Earth and
Planetary Surfaces
Geo 191: Individual Study in the Geological
Sciences (Independent Research)
Biographical Summary of Instructor
"Jack" (John F. Hermance)
Professor of Geophysics/Hydrology,
Highlights:
Senior
Geophysicist; Conrad Geoscience, Corp. (Current).
Principal
Coordinator, Geophysical Sensing Experiment on
Associate Editor, Environmental
Geology, 1980-82.
Chairman of Thermal
Regimes Panel,
Associate Editor, Tectonophysics,
1987-1992.
Chairman
& Principal Editor of Proceedings of the Workshop on the National
Geomagnetic Initiative, National Research Council, National
Author
of textbook: "A Mathematical Primer on Groundwater Flow", Prentice-Hall,
1998.
Member, Standing
Committee on Hydrologic Measurement Systems, Consortium of Universities for the
Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc. (CUASHI), 2001-2003.
Current research includes:
• Watershed
characterization, groundwater studies, aquifer characterization, &
subsurface flow modeling;
• Development of
adaptive signal processing techniques to extract temporal and spatial
vegetation signatures from remote sensing data;
• Site studies
assessing presence and potential migration of hazardous materials, including
chemicals, solvents and fuels, among others;
• Development of
new geophysical procedures applied to groundwater investigations, as well as to
delineating subsurface infrastructure: pipelines, underground storage tanks,
foundations, etc.
• Remote sensing of
spatial and temporal vegetation patterns in semi-arid regions from
earth-orbiting satellites.