BEE 4110 - Hydrologic Engineering in a Changing Climate

(CU-CEL)

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: CEE 3040 or ENGRD 2700; one hydrology course (BEE 3710) at the 2xxx level or higher or permission of instructor. Co-meets with BEE 6110.

S. Steinschneider.

This course introduces methods in hydrologic engineering to assess and cope with climate variability and change. The course will cover both statistical and physical approaches to analyzing and modeling hydrologic systems. Students will learn the core concepts of traditional statistical analyses in hydrology, and will also learn the limitations of these approaches in a changing climate. Students will become familiar with physical modeling approaches to understand hydrologic response under future climate projections and their limitations. They will recognize the rapidly changing nature of the field of hydrologic engineering as it tries to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Topics include extreme event frequency analysis, trend detection, water balance modeling, and hydrologic simulations under projected climate change. Applications to stormwater and flood risk analyses are discussed and used as examples throughout the course.

Outcome 1: Students will improve their ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics (ABET 1).

Outcome 2: Students will display an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences (ABET 3).

Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements which consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts (ABET 4).