Geosciences 209 - Water and Hydrogeologic Systems
Water&HydrogeologicSystems
Fall
2026
01
4.00
Amy Larson Rhodes
W F 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM; M 1:40 PM - 2:55 PM
Smith College
GEO-209-01-202701
Sabin-Reed 103
arhodes@smith.edu
Water is a critical resource for sustaining ecosystems and human needs. This course takes a scientific view of all aspects of the hydrologic cycle, focusing on processes that move water through Earth’s freshwater system. Discussions include global precipitation patterns, watersheds, rivers and lakes, streamflow, storm water and flooding, surface/groundwater interactions and groundwater flow. Discussions address human usage and contamination of water with an eye toward protecting water quality and supply. Students work with real hydrologic data from case studies. Prerequisites: GEO 101 and GEO 102, GEO 108, or GEO 102 and any other 100-level GEO lecture course. Enrollment limited to 20.