Penn State NASA

Goals and Learning Outcomes

Print

Goals and Learning Outcomes

Goals

On completing this module, students are expected to be able to:

  • describe the processes that affect the flow of water in aquifers;
  • explain how human activity is impacting the quality of water;
  • predict how climate change will affect water supply in different locations;
  • propose strategies to cope with an increasingly thirsty planet.

​Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, students should be able to explain the following concepts:

  • the uneven distribution of water on Earth’s surface
  • how water is cycled near the Earth’s surface
  • behavior of water in aquifers
  • the concepts of permeability, porosity, water table
  • causes of land subsidence
  • causes of cone of depression and groundwater contamination
  • arsenic groundwater contamination crisis
  • cause of saltwater incursion
  • climate change predictions for water supply
  • drought and its consequences in different parts of the globe
  • water management, including desalinization
  • the growing battle over water in the western US