Foundations of Engineering Hydrology

Understanding how water moves through the environment is critical for managing resources, predicting floods, and designing infrastructure like dams and drainage systems. This course provides the essential quantitative framework used by civil engineers. By the end of this course, you will be able to interpret hydrological data, calculate key parameters like runoff and infiltration, and use fundamental modeling techniques to assess water resource availability and risk for engineering projects. What you'll learn: * Understand the components and processes of the hydrologic cycle, including precipitation, evaporation, infiltration, and runoff generation. * Practice measuring and analyzing hydrometeorological data, focusing on rainfall frequency analysis and intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves. * Apply methods for streamflow measurement and hydrograph analysis, including the derivation and application of the Unit Hydrograph theory. * Analyze the fundamentals of groundwater movement, storage, and interaction with surface water systems. * Configure basic models for flood routing and water resource estimation using statistical and computational techniques. * Learn how modern data sources, such as geospatial information systems (GIS), are used to delineate watersheds and estimate catchment characteristics. The course begins with foundational definitions and the physics of water movement before transitioning into quantitative analysis techniques. It concludes with practical methods for applying hydrological principles to engineering design problems. This course is designed for absolute beginners interested in civil engineering, environmental science, or water resource management. No prior knowledge of hydrology or advanced mathematics is required. Begin your journey toward mastering engineering hydrology principles.