Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Description

The course material emphasizes mathematical models for predicting distribution and fate of effluents discharged into lakes, reservoirs, rivers, estuaries, and oceans. It also focuses on formulation and structure of models as well as analytical and simple numerical solution techniques. Also discussed are the role of element cycles, such as oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as water quality indicators; offshore outfalls and diffusion; salinity intrusion in estuaries; and thermal stratification, eutrophication, and sedimentation processes in lakes and reservoirs. This course is a core requirement for the Environmental MEng program.

Prerequisites

1.060 Engineering Mechanics II

Textbooks

The primary text for the class is a set of the instructor's course notes, which closely parallel the material in the lecture notes. The following book is used as a supplemental text:

Buy at Amazon Fischer, Hugo B., John E. List, C. Robert Koh, Jorg Imberger, and Norman H. Brooks. Mixing in Inland and Coastal Waters. Burlington, MA: Academic Press, 1979. ISBN: 0122581504.

Grading Criteria

Activities percentages
Problem Sets 30%
Two Quizzes (25% each; one take-home, one in-class; both open book) 50%
Special Project (short group computer modeling exercise, or individual critique of modeling paper) 20%

Optional final exam ("third quiz," you can average the three to improve grade). 3 hour open book.