MSCI 550 - Rivers: Processes and Problems

Spring, odd years (3) Canuel

Rivers form the main link between land and the ocean, discharging more than 35 thousand km3 of water and more than 20 billion tons of suspended and dissolved solids annually to the global ocean. Three central themes are stressed: 1) How do rivers work: the hydrologic cycle and water budget, basin character, physical and chemical erosion; 2) Temporal and spatial variations, ranging from seasonal to millennial, with particular emphasis on catastrophic events; 3) Human interactions: land degradation, river management, future impact of climatic change and anthropogenic activities. Includes a one-week field trip.