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🌊 Water Course

Welcome to the Water Course — a companion site for the course EMSC3025 / EMSC6025 offered at the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University (ANU). This course focuses on the science of water in the environment, with an emphasis on groundwater systems and the broader hydrologic cycle.

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🎓 About the Course

The Water Course introduces students to the integrated processes of the hydrologic cycle—from atmospheric inputs like precipitation and evaporation, to land surface processes such as infiltration and runoff, and finally to subsurface storage and flow in aquifers.

The course is structured around lecture modules that reflect the natural flow of water through Earth systems. Slide sets and exercises accompany each lecture and are available through the Content Page and Canvas.

Note

Modules focusing on Remote Sensing are only provided on Canvas.

Warning

If you are an ANU student currently taking this course, please note that Canvas is the authoritative source for this course where additional instructions and announcements will be provided. In case the information here contradicts that on Canvas, trust Canvas but contact me.

By the end of the course, students will gain:

  • A conceptual and quantitative understanding of the water cycle
  • Fundamental knowledge of precipitation, evaporation, runoff
  • In-depth coverage of groundwater processes, aquifer behavior, and subsurface flow
  • Experience with worked problems and real-world case studies

📚 Core References

This course draws on two foundational texts:

  • Tim Davie (2008), Fundamentals of Hydrology, 2nd Edition — for precipitation, evaporation, runoff, and surface hydrology
  • Franklin W. Schwartz & Hubao Zhang (2024), Fundamentals of Groundwater, 2nd Edition — for aquifers, groundwater flow, contamination, and sustainability

These are the basis for all slides and should be used throughout for deeper understanding and exercises.

💡 Get Involved

This site is a living resource, and contributions are welcome.

Whether you're a student, researcher, modeller, or practitioner:

  • Provide feedback on course materials
  • Join the discussion on the Zulip board
  • Suggest additions or improvements to exercises and workflows
  • Participate in future offerings of the course or workshops

📧💬 Contact

For questions, feedback, or collaboration, reach out to:

Dr. Siavash Ghelichkhan
Course Convenor – EMSC3025/6025
📧 siavash.ghelichkhan@anu.edu.au
🏢 Jaeger 4, Level 1.18
💬 Zulip Discussion Board