Readings

Now that you have read the background material for the lesson, you should watch my Lesson 1 Microsoft PowerPoint, read Chapter 1 from the course textbook, and familiarize yourself with the material on the USGS Water Science website.

The Lecture 1.1 Microsoft PowerPoint is designed to give an overview of water resources and review topics/assignments for GEOG 431. We begin with What is water? and Where is water? using a variety of images to supplement Chapter 1 of the text. The latter sections cover uses of water - past and present - as a way to stimulate your thinking about which historic period you'd like to research for Assignment 1.1. We finish with water themes in art, and a few of my photographic images on water and aquatic ecosystems.

The first reading is Chapter 1 from the Holden text, where he describes the physical and chemical properties of water in more detail than the Lecture 1.1, and introduces us to water issues throughout the world. A few new terms are introduced here - they are highlighted - but many more will be covered in Lesson 2 and Chapter 2 of the text.

The U.S. Geological Survey is the federal agency in the USA most responsible for understanding and assessing water quantity. They are a science-based agency with little or no regulatory authority. Their websites and publications offer a wealth of information about the basic characteristics and measurement of water that is applicable to freshwater anywhere is the world. Become familiar with their educational website now, and I'm sure you will revisit it during the course when you either need a bit more information about a term or topic or you are just curious about some aspect of freshwater.