Stream Discharge Measurement
Summary
Students tend to have fun with this exercise as they take discharge measurements with a flow meter to measure flow rates across straight and meandering stream channels. They find zones of maximum and minimum velocity and begin to understand the influence of a channels' size and shape on how fast it flows.
Learning Goals
- Obtain hands-on, practical experience of field data acquisition using appropriate instrumentation.
- Experience the ground-water investigation process from field data collection to hand and computational data analysis and final interpretation.
- Become better prepared for environmental employment.
Context for Use
This is the third of nine one-week exercises designed for a senior-level undergraduate lecture/lab hydrogeology course.
Teaching Materials
The following equipment is required:
- A flow meter, preferably digital.
- A flow velocity calibration chart.
Assessment
The author is seeking feedback from companies that hire students that have gone through the course that this activity is from to see if this training provides a positive impact on job performance.
References and Resources
The activity is from the following article:
See the other eight related activities derived from this article:
- Lee, 1998, Hands-On Laboratory Exercises for an Undergraduate Hydrogeology Course. Journal of Geoscience Education v. 46, p. 433. Contact the author to request furthur details and copies of the laboratory exercises.
See the other eight related activities derived from this article:
Contact the Author
Please contact Ming-Kuo Lee at leeming@mail.auburn.edu with questions or suggestions.
Controlled Vocabulary Terms
Special Interest: Quantitative
Quantitative Skills Activity Type: Field Activity
Quantitative Skills Activity Type: Field Activity
