Cursos

February 2011
Kananaskis, Alberta

Canadian Society of Hydrological Sciences Short Course:
Physical Principles of Mountain and Cold-Climate Hydrology
Kananaskis, Alberta: February 2011
With the usual apologies for cross-posting...

The University of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Society for Hydrological Sciences are offering an intensive short course on the physical principles of '3rd pole' hydrology in mountainous and cold-climate settings. The course will take place at the University of Calgary Biogeoscience Institute's Barrier Lake Station in the Kananaskis Valley, near Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from February 28 to March 11, 2011.

The course will provide an overview of a range of relevant topics related to hydrological processes in high-altitude and high-latitude landscapes, including precipitation, interception, snow accumulation, snowmelt, evaporation, infiltration, groundwater movement and streamflow. These processes will be framed within a variety of contexts, including glaciated uplands, high mountains, and arctic / sub-arctic lowlands. Modules will be taught by experts in each field, and include recent scientific findings, new cutting-edge theories, tools and techniques.

Studies will progress through a combination of classroom instruction and fieldwork: they will include lectures, exercise assignments to develop skills in problem-solving and synthesis of complex hydrological concepts, and field excursions to nearby Marmot Creek Research Basin and a range of other local environments to gain experience of current instrumentation and measurement techniques. Students will emerge from the course with a deeper understanding of physical hydrological processes and how they interact to produce catchment water budgets and streamflow response.

The course is intended for researchers and practioners in hydrology and water resources, including graduate students and junior to intermediate water resource engineers, hydrologists, aquatic ecologists and technologists: it will suit those who are either working directly in hydrology and water resources, or are looking to broaden their understanding of hydrological systems and processes.

Maximum capacity is 30 students: registration closes February 7, 2011. This is a physical science course, and quantitative in nature, so a firm foundation in calculus and physics at first-year university level, together with some undergraduate hydrology or hydraulics training, is required. Registration and further information is available here.

If you have further questions, please contact Dr Christopher Spence or Dr John Pomeroy. If interested in receiving academic credit for your participation, please contact Dr Pomeroy. Arrangements are available for anyone not currently enrolled in a university program to receive academic credit.

The full announcement is available in PDF form here.