Scroll through the outline or click on a week in the calendar
to find that week's topics, reading and assignments. To get back
to the top of the page, use the Back button on your browser. In
the Reading column, * = on reserve at Brill Library.
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
1
|
Some important issues.
Course description. Sustainability. |
|
Water and the Hydrologic
Cycle
Origin of water. Structure and properties of water. |
Manning: Chpt 2; Chpt
9, pp. 221-226
|
| Water's distribution
in the hydrosphere. Flux of water through the hydrologic cycle.
Salt water vs. fresh water. |
Manning: Chpt 1 |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
2
|
Flux of water through
the hydrologic cycle: evaporation. Some water mathematics. |
Manning: Chpt 3, pp.
21-30
Optional:
*Spellman, pp. 25-82
|
| Flux of water through
the hydrologic cycle: condensation. Global climate: where it's
wet and where it's dry |
Chpt 3, pp. 30-38.
*Murck, Skinner and Porter, pp. 218-222. |
| More on weather and
climate |
*Pipkin and Trent: pp.
390-397 |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
3
|
No Class. Martin
Luther King Day |
|
| Flux of water through
the hydrologic cycle: precipitation. |
Manning: Chpt 4
|
| River systems. Drainage
basins, river morphology |
Manning: Chpt 8, pp.
171-182; pp. 197-200 |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
4
|
Flooding. Flood prediction. |
Manning: Chpt 8, pp.
182-196; pp. 200-203
|
| Wetlands: their importance
and the threats facing them. Guest lecture: Dr. Dave Francko,
Department of Botany, Miami University |
*Article by Mitsch (1995) |
| Groundwater: what it
is; aquifers and interaction with surface water |
Manning: Chpt 7: pp.
129-142 |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
5
|
Groundwater: how it
flows, pumping and drawdown |
Manning: Chpt 7: pp.
142-169 |
| Groundwater: problems
and solutions. |
|
| Flux of water through
the hydrologic cycle: infiltration, soil water and groundwater
recharge |
Manning: Chpt 5
|
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
6
|
Flux of water through
the hydrologic cycle: transpiration. |
Manning: Chpt 6 |
|
First Exam
Wednesday, February 13
Water, the hydrologic cycle.
Check your electronic syllabus for information about exams.
|
|
|
Human Impacts on
Flow of Water
Urbanization, channelization. Levees and other control structures. |
|
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
7
|
Monday/Tuesday Switch Day
The Mississippi and Atchafalya Rivers
|
|
|
Cadillac Desert, Part
4: The Last Oasis. This video is a good preview for the
entire next unit on water scarcity issues. |
Clarke: Chpts 1, 2 |
|
Finish The Last Oasis.
Extent of the problem. Population and world water use. |
Clarke: Chpts 3 and
5 |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
8
|
Industrial and agricultural
use. Countries with severe water-scarcity problems. |
Manning: Chpt 10 |
| Irrigation: need and
problems. |
Clarke: Chpt 4 |
| The Aral Sea. Mining
of groundwater. Shrinking aquifers. |
Clarke: Chpt 6 |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
9
|
Video: Building Big:
Dams. Examples: the Aswan Dam, Hoover Dam, the town of Ita,
Brazil. |
Clarke: Chpt 8 |
| Dams. Benefits and problems.
Case studies. |
Clarke: Chpt 11 |
| Water Scarcity in
the US. US water law. Guest lecture: Cincinnati lawyer Jeffrey
Harmon. |
Reisner: Introduction,
Chpts 1, 2 and 3. |
| |
Spring Break!
|
|
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
10
|
Cadillac Desert: main
themes. Settlement of the US west. Video: Cadillac Desert, Part
2: An American Nile. |
Reisner: Chpt 4
Manning: Chpt 8, pp. 203-217 |
|
Finish An American
Nile. The growth and thirst of Los Angeles. Mono Lake. |
Reisner: Chpts 5 and
6
|
|
US Dam construction
in the 1900s. Economic sense? Who benefits? Who pays? |
Reisner: Chpt 12 and
epilogue |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
11
|
Small-scale irrigation.
Advantages and disadvantages. |
Clarke: Chpt 9, 10 |
Second Exam
Wednesday, March 27
Control of Water and Water Scarcity
Check your electronic syllabus for information about exams.
|
|
| Water and International
Conflict. International river basins. Cooperation and conflict. |
Clarke: Chpt 7
*Article by Olem and Duda (1995) |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
12
|
Water rights and American
Indians. Guest lecture: Dr. Dolph Greenburg, Department of Anthropology,
Miami University |
Begin reading Harr |
Water Quality
Connection to water quantity issues. Extent of problem. Types
of contamination. |
Manning: Chpt. 9 |
Pollution from agriculture.
Water and sewage treatment. Global issues. |
*Montgomery: Chpt 16
*Article by Anderson and Flaig (1995) |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
13
|
Finish sewage treatment.
Pollution from industry and mining. |
|
| More on industrial pollution.
Solutes, DNAPLs and LNAPLs. |
*Article by Lijklema
(1995) |
| Regulation of water
quality. Clean water act. SDWA. Love Canal. RCRA. CERCLA: Superfund. |
*Taking Sides, Issue
12 |
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
14
|
Debate on Superfund
legislation. |
|
| Case of Woburn. Hydrologic
and geologic complexities. Why is so much money spent on Superfund. |
Finish reading Harr. |
| Video lecture: Dr. Scott
Bair. Contamination of Woburn Wells G & H What the
Experts Said at the Trial, What We Know Now. |
|
Week
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
|
15
|
Case of Woburn: other
complexities. Municipal waste. |
|
| Aquifer remediation |
|
| Environmental Justice |
|
|
|
|
| |
Final Exam:
Monday, April 29, 5:30 p.m.
Room 10 Shideler
|
|
