AIH Fundamentals of Hydrology Examination study plan
AIH Fundamentals of Hydrology Examination · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Fundamentals of Hydrology
Define the major components of the hydrologic cycle and describe how water moves between them
Explain the global water balance equation and identify each term in it
Compute basic water-balance problems for a defined catchment over a given period
Sketch and label a hydrograph, identifying rising limb, peak, and recession limb
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated diagram of the hydrologic cycle plus 10 solved water-balance calculations with units shown
Fundamentals of Hydrology
Convert between precipitation intensity, depth, and volume for a given area and duration
Describe how precipitation is measured and list sources of measurement error
Interpret a hyetograph and compute cumulative precipitation from it
Explain how interception, depression storage, and infiltration partition rainfall
Your checkpoint
A worked rainfall-to-volume problem set (8 problems) with a labeled hyetograph you constructed from a data table
Fundamentals of Hydrology & Surface Water
Explain evaporation and transpiration processes and the factors controlling their rates
Describe how watershed characteristics (area, shape, slope, soils) influence runoff response
Define catchment, watershed divide, and drainage basin and delineate a divide from a contour description
Calculate runoff volume from rainfall depth using a runoff coefficient
Your checkpoint
A 1-page summary comparing evaporation and transpiration controls, plus 6 solved runoff-coefficient problems
Surface Water
Explain streamflow generation mechanisms including overland flow, interflow, and baseflow
Compute discharge from velocity-area measurements
Interpret stage-discharge relationships and explain how a rating curve is used
Distinguish perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams
Your checkpoint
A velocity-area discharge calculation worksheet (5 problems) plus a written explanation of how baseflow appears on a hydrograph
Surface Water
Separate baseflow from direct runoff on a hydrograph using a simple graphical method
Describe how urbanization and land-use change alter hydrograph shape and peak flow
Explain the concept of time of concentration and factors that affect it
Describe flood frequency concepts and interpret a return-period statement
Your checkpoint
A completed baseflow-separation exercise on two provided hydrographs with a written comparison of their responses
Groundwater
Define porosity, permeability, and specific yield and distinguish among them
Explain the difference between the unsaturated and saturated zones and identify the water table
Describe aquifer types (confined vs unconfined) and how each responds to pumping
Compute hydraulic gradient between two points from head data
Your checkpoint
A groundwater vocabulary and concept map plus 8 solved hydraulic-gradient problems
Groundwater
State Darcy's law and compute discharge from hydraulic conductivity, area, and gradient
Explain how pumping affects water levels and describe the cone of depression
Describe recharge and discharge processes and how groundwater connects to surface water
Explain the causes and concerns of land subsidence and saltwater intrusion
Your checkpoint
A Darcy's law problem set (10 problems) with a written paragraph explaining groundwater-surface water interaction
Fundamentals of Hydrology & Surface Water & Groundwater
Synthesize how a single rainfall event moves through surface and groundwater pathways
Compare and contrast surface water and groundwater storage and response times
Complete a timed mixed-domain practice set and score it
Identify and re-study the two weakest concept areas revealed by practice results
Your checkpoint
A full-length timed practice exam with a scored results log and a one-page remediation plan for the weakest areas
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80% on a self-made 15-question fundamentals quiz covering water balance, precipitation, and hydrographs
Week 4: Correctly compute discharge and runoff volume on 8 of 10 mixed surface-water problems without notes
Week 6: Explain porosity vs permeability vs specific yield in writing and solve hydraulic gradient problems with 90% accuracy
Week 8: Achieve at least 75% on the timed mixed-domain practice exam and submit the remediation plan