Study Programmes 2015-2016
HYDR0013-1  
Modelling of transfers in soils
Duration :
24h Th, 24h Pr
Number of credits :
Master in environmental bioengineering (120 ECTS)4
Lecturer :
Gilles Colinet, Aurore Degré, Benoît Mercatoris
Coordinator :
N...
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
This course aims at introducing basics of hydrodynamic modelling in soils with emphasis on plant uptake and solute transport and transformation.
This course allows the student to improve their understanding of such phenomenon and the principles of modelling. The exercices are based on situations related to the professionnal context of bioengineers, i.e. quantification of water flows to surface and groundwater and the related transfer of nutrients and pesticides.
The course includes:
- Soil caracterisation in the context of modelling : rentention and conductivity functions, pedotranfer functions.
- Notions of numerical computation applied to hydrodynamic in soils.
- 1D modelling in variably saturated soils.
- Representation of tranfers and transformation/degradation of solutes.
- The study of computational tools allowing resolving 1D transfer problems in variably saturated soils.
Learning outcomes of the course :
By the end of the course, the student will have reached an intermediate level of skills in the different step of development:
- Design and model scientific and technical solutions, support decision.
- Optimise and manage fluxes between water, soil, fauna, flora and atmosphere.
- Design and implement solutions of environmental remediation in soil-water-plant systems and atmosphere.
- Design and manage environmental and geographical database systems and develop  tools for interpretation, cartography, spatial modelling and diagnostic.
In addition, the course certifies that the students are able to "compare and discuss the choice of appropriate models in order to establish predictions, interprete results and conclude a research work".
More particularly, the students will be able to:
- Parametrize a 1D hydrodynamic model in order to represent a soil profile on the basis of a pedologic description.
- Perform simulations in various conditions (with plants, under irrigation, fertilizers application, ...).
- Present its results and discuss them (water and solutes).
- Understand the basic principles of computational frameworks to resolve transfer problems in soils.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
General Hydrology
Edaphology
Pedogenesis, international references and soil hydrodynamic
Pedology
System dynamics
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
oral lectures and computer workshops
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
24h lectures
24h workshops
Recommended or required readings :
"soil physics with hydrus" Radcliffe and Simunek 2010 slideshows and articles (available on eCampus)
Assessment methods and criteria :
The students have to write a personnal report at the end of the period. If their evaluation is equal to or above 16/20, they do not have to attend the oral examination.
The students whom evaluation was below 16/20 have to pass the oral examination, composed of theory and exercice on computer.
The cotation system includes penalties in case of delay in the reports submissions.
The course is composed of two parts. The final mark is the mean value of both marks except of one of them is below 10/20. In this case, the final mark will be the lowest one.
 
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
It's compulsory for students to attend the workshops. In case of unjustified absence, a penalty will be applied on the final cotation.
Contacts :
Aurore Degré (aurore.degre@ulg.ac.be)
Benoît Mercatoris (benoit.mercatoris@ulg.ac.be)