What is a Hydrologist and what does he/she do?

Question

And if this sounds like what I think it would be what would I have to do to become one?

Answer 1

Hydrology is the study of water and its interactions with the environment. Hydrology includes water in the atmosphere, but is primarily involved in the presence of water in and on the ground (surface water hydrology and groundwater hydrology).

Water is a primary limiting resource with respect to human populations; the amount of available freshwater is very limited, and is (and will continue to be) of great value to global population growth and survival. See also reference 1.

In order to become a hydrologist, you would get a degree in chemistry, geology, computer science, or meteorology, followed by a graduate education in hydrology. A number of schools offer graduate degrees in this field, including the following:

Brigham Young University--Provo
Florida Institute of Technology
Heidelberg College
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Northern Arizona University
SUNY College--Oneonta
Tarleton State University
University of California--Santa Barbara
University of Nevada--Las Vegas
University of Texas--Austin

New Mexico Tech (www.nmt.edu) has the fourth-ranked hydrology program in the world, and is probably the least expensive of the schools on that list. Unfortunately, the faculty is a pack of jerks there, and the administration is too full of themselves to help students.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Answer 2

Hydrologists study the distribution of water. They may research the flow or discharge of water along a river or over a dam. Hydrologists often work as a team with other scientists. Hydrologists on the Great Lakes are interested in lake levels and how these levels affect commerce, shoreline erosion, etc. Hydrologist are often employed by federal agencies like NOAA, United States Geological Survey, or the US Army Corps of Engineers. Some hydrologist work as researchers in universities. Others may find employment with engineering firms that design and build sewers, channels, and other water related structures.


Additional Resources
Career Profile: Hydrologist
Read a profile of Frank Quinn a Hydrologist whose current job involves conducting hydrologic, hydraulic, and climatological studies in the Great Lakes and to a lesser extent in other areas of the world.

US Geological Survey Hydrology Primer
Very good discussion of what hydrologists do. Also gives you an idea of educational requirements and allows you to "Ask a Hydrologist" your questions.
http://wwwdmorll.er.usgs.gov/~bjsmith/outreach/hydrology.primer.html
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Hydrology
An exhaustive compilation of Great Lakes hydrological resources & links from the Great Lakes Information Network.
http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/water/hydro.html

Answer 3

Hydrologists study the distribution of water and one of their functions can be studying the quantity of rain that falls every day/month and year, making statistics charts where they can predict whether in some region there's a probability of having droughts or floods.
Their studies and research in water percentage in soils with the combination of the rain studies it's possible to make assessments on agriculture and forestry.

Answer 4

something to do with water. the word hydro means water since water is 67%water.