Atmospheric and Hydrologic Processes

Code:

GEOGR055

Acronym:

PATHID

Instance: 2010/2011 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Geography
Institution Responsible:	Faculty of Arts

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
GEOGR	170	Study Plan - Geo. Minor in History (2008-2011)	1	-	6	-
		Study Plan (2008/2009 - 2011/2012)	1	-	6	-
HISTO	5	Study Plan - Hist. w/ Minor in Geography	2	-	6	-
			3

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The main goal of the subject Atmospheric and Hydrologic Processes is to transmit to the students a corpus of knowledge in the scope of climatology and hydrology in order to enrich their capacity of analysis and comprehension of the existing relational web between the various components of the Ecosystem at a global, regional and local scale.
The students, already familiarized with the vocabulary and language of geography, should understand some of the main basic concepts, in order to, in the future, be capable of:
- understanding the specific entities, symbols and methods of each theme, as well as how to relate them to each other;
- understanding the theoretical basis and principles;
- analysing the available statistical and bibliographical information for each theme and the relations between the various phenomena;
- applying and using the concepts, principles and methods learnt in class in new situations;
- summarizing the information received in a particular way, within an articulated, unique and coherent corpus of knowledge;
- evaluating an idea, a concept, a theory or a method, resorting, for this purpose, to the use of more suitable criteria.

Program

1. Climatology and Hydrology – geographical sciences.
2. The theoretical-methodological support of the General Theory of Systems
3. The Hydrologic Cycle – aerial and terrestrial branch
4. The Atmosphere – a subsystem of the climatic system. Composition and Structure.
5. Energy in the climatic system and thermal balance at the surface of the Earth.
6. Humidity in the atmosphere
7. Atmospheric stability and instability
8. Elementary mechanisms of ascendancy and subsidence
9. Precipitation – explanatory theories, characteristics and types and world standard of distribution
10. Movements of the atmosphere, mechanisms and general dynamics
11. Air masses and fronts
12. Weather conditions and relative placement of air masses, barometric devices and fronts
13. Climatic classifications
14. The Hydrographic basin and hydrological balance
15. Hydrology of surface waters
16. Hydrology of ground waters
17. Impacts of human intervention in the planning and management of water resources

Mandatory literature

CUADRAT, J., PITA, M; Climatología, Ediciones Cátedra, 1997
STRAHLER, A.N.; Physical Geography, John Wiley & Sons, 1975
BARRY, B.; CHORLEY, R.; Atmosfera, tiempo y clima, Omega, 1980
ESTIENNE, P., GODARD, A.; Climatologie, Armand Colin, 1970
PEIXOTO, J.P.; O sistema climático e as bases físicas do clima, S.E.A.R.N., 1987
PEIXOTO, J.P.; O ciclo da água em escala global, C.N.A., 1979
DAVEAU, S.; O ambiente geográfico natural. Aspectos fundamentais., C.E.G., 1976
HAMBLIN, W. K.; CHRISTIANSEN, E. H.; Earth’s Dynamic Systems, 2001
MONTEIRO, A.; Geografia Física I, ed. da autora, 1996
GRISOLET, H.; GUILMET, B.; ARLERY, R.; Climatologie, methodes et pratiques, Gauthier-Villars, 1973
LENCASTRE, A.; FRANCO, F. M.; Lições de Hidrologia, UNL, 1984
GIL OLCINA, A., OLCINA CANTOS, J.; Climatologia General, Ariel, 1997
HUFTY, A.; Introducción a la Climatologia, Ariel, 1984
PÉDELABORDE, P.; Introduction à l’étude scientifique du clima, Sedes, 1971
ESCOURROU, G.; Climatologie pratique, Masson, 1978
MONTEIRO, A.; O clima urbano do Porto. Contribuição para a definição de estratégias de planeamento e ordenamento do território, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Junta Nacional de Investigação Científica e Tecnológica, 1997
SELBY, M.J.; Hillslope Materials and Processes, Oxford University Press, 1993
HENDERSON-SELLERS, A., ROBINSON, P.J.; Contemporary Climatology, Longman Scientific & Technical, 1987
PEIXOTO, J.P.; A radiação solar e o ambiente, C.N.A., 1981

Teaching methods and learning activities

The students should:
i) be interested in the elaboration of an individual project that they wish to accomplish;
ii) acquire methodological competences (manage and organize time, learn to face and solve a problem, etc.);
iii) be at ease in the instrumental and methodological fields (select the essential bibliographical and statistical sources and the most suitable methodological procedures to solve the problems);
iv) have the opportunity to develop their individual and group work in an autonomous way;

keywords

Natural sciences > Environmental science > Global change > Climate change
Social sciences > Geography

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	56,00
	Teste	54,00
	Exame	2,00
	Total:	-	0,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
	Estudo autónomo	50
	Total:	50,00

Calculation formula of final grade

final exam - 100%

Examinations or Special Assignments

N/A