ENVI / GEOL 342 - Environmental Hydrology

Guidelines for the Final Report:

Goal: Use the data collected throughout the term to support or refute our hypotheses about hydrologic processes in the Fuller Hollow Creek Watershed.

Note: The final report must go beyond a simple presentation of the data for the individual hydrologic processes to include synthesis into how they interact within the campus watershed

Guidelines:

◦ Include a separate Title Page with an Abstract.

In the abstract, describe the project scope briefly (watershed location, monitoring sites, parameters measured), the hypotheses addressed, and the specific conclusions drawn. (The abstract should be the last piece of the report that you compose).

◦ Use section headings to show the organization of the report:

Introduction

Provide a clear and concise overview of the project:

Study Area*

(Include watershed location and description, description of sub watersheds,location of monitoring sites)

Methods

(Briefly describe field data collected and laboratory work done. No need to provide detailed procedures for each task.)

Hypotheses to be tested

For each Hypothesis:

Statement of the hypothesis

Data presentation

(Just those data needed to examine and draw conclusions about the

hypothesis)

Data discussion

(The data might not be straightforward: examine the data that do support the hypothesis, but also provide possible explanations for the processes causing unexpected behavior.)

Conclusions

(Specifically conclude whether or not the hypothesis was supported).

Proposed Future Project (see below)

* Including a watershed /site map might help you to place your introduction into context and help you to present and interpret your datasets.

Future Project:

Based upon the data collected and what you have learned in this class, suggest a project design scenario for a specific hypothesis that you might like to test concerning processes within the campus watershed as an independent study project. So state your hypothesis, and then your means to test it. What data would you have to collect to be able to test your hypothesis? Where? How often? You may assume that you could have as long as one year to collect all of the information you might need (e.g. for a Senior Honors Thesis project).

Format Guidelines

◦ Present thereport professionally: Type, single space, 12 point font, spell check, proof read.

Data presentation:

◦ Include the field data in single or composite graphs of the data (e.g. versus time or other parameters).

◦ Be selective: Use charts and tables for data needed to support or refute the hypotheses, rather than plots of everything collected during the term.

◦ Use visual presentation: figures are much more effective than tables for presenting patterns in data.

◦ Include captions, legends,axis labels, units of measureon all figures and tables.

◦ Number the figures in the order used.You must make reference to each within your text (for example:See Figure 1).

◦ You may either incorporate the figures directly into your text orgroup them at the end of the document.

Data discussion:

◦ Comment on the field data rather than just present it :

Are there patterns? Does there appear to be a relationship between processes? Do the patterns support or refute the hypotheses? If there is unexpected behavior, comment on it and explore the processes which might explain it.

Points for Grading:

10Abstract

15Introduction

Hypothesis 1:

5Data Presentation

10Data Discussion

5Conclusions

Hypothesis 2:

10Data Presentation

15Data Discussion

5Conclusions

15Future Project

10Report format and length

100Points total