9 Engaging Hydrology Projects for High School Students

Hydrology is an area of research that focuses on the hydrologic cycle: the movement of water in relation to earth science or, in some cases, other planets. There are several subfields within hydrology, including:

• Surface Water Hydrology: the study of water movement through lakes and rivers

• Geohydrology (or hydrogeology): the branch of hydrology concerned with aquifers and other below-ground water flow

• Marine Hydrology: closely related to oceanography, marine hydrology is concerned with how water moves and changes (e.g. in temperature or salinity) through the ocean

• Precipitation Hydrology: the subfield of hydrology that focuses on rainfall and atmospheric water in the context of the water cycle

Hydrology vs. Hydrogeology: What’s the Difference?

As a student, it can be challenging to distinguish between different but related fields of research, especially when they involve interdisciplinary subject matter. Hydrogeology, also called geohydrology, is a specific sub-branch of hydrology and of geology concerned with aquifers and groundwater movement. The broader term of “hydrology” is sometimes used to refer to surface water hydrology (which includes the study of river systems and flood management). In fact, hydrology is concerned with all of earth’s water cycle.

In practice, surface water hydrological and hydrogeological research often overlaps. Surface water hydrologists need a solid understanding of engineering concepts like fluid dynamics, and tend to work on flood modeling, sediment transport, and fluvial geomorph. Hydrogeology research tends to require more porous media fluid dynamics, and can also include geology topics like groundwater contaminant transport and groundwater modeling.

Career Opportunities for Hydrologists

Hydrological research is an important and interdisciplinary area of study that tends to attract students interested in sustainability, climate science, water resource engineering, and/or environmental consulting careers. Many aspiring hydrologists pursue some level of higher education, most often a Master’s of Science degree program with a hydrology specialization, after completing their bachelor’s degree. After graduation, hydrologists can work for engineering firms, for universities, or for government agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife Service or state-level equivalents.

9 Hands-On Project Ideas for Students

1. Predicting Future Water Quality with Machine Learning

This project is inspired by the NASA Glenn Research Center’s Hydrology Capstone Project. The student will first collect real water samples from near their school or home, measure the water quality in dissolved oxygen and pH, and then determine the types of aquatic life that are viable in that environment. After repeating the sample collection over a period of several weeks, the student can use AI and ML tools to help predict changes to water quality over time. Students can even contribute portions of their data to support NASA’s GLOBE program.

2. Solar-Powered Water Desalination

In this project, the student will study and experiment with techniques for separating salt from water. The student will build and test devices and procedures for desalinating water through a) solar energy and b) boiling methods. Which design and procedure is the most efficient in terms of time and in the amount of fresh water collected?

3. The Effect of Fertilizer Runoff on Algal Blooms

Inspired by Polygence mentor Steffaney, this project would involve studying Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) in local waterways within the student’s community. Using collected samples, the student would then simulate agricultural runoff and measure the impact of these fertilizers on the growth of HABs.

4. Clean Water with Flocculation: How Water Treatment Works

Study the process of treating water to make it drinkable! Flocculation is a process in which small particles suspended in a liquid form together into loose clumps — or flocs — and can be easily removed. The student will experiment with varying techniques and clarifying agents to measure efficiency when working with one or more types of contaminant.

5. Build a Trash-Skimming Robot to Clean Waterways

This project is inspired by Polygence student Jahnavi’s project and global efforts such as the Ocean Cleanup Project. The goal of the project would be to design and prototype a floating robot to remove trash and debris from rivers and water sources. The robot would, of course, need to be able to distinguish between garbage and marine life. This could be a valuable project for students interested in interdisciplinary work that combines hydrology with robotics.

6. Investigating How Urbanization Affects Groundwater Recharge

This advanced project requires some previous knowledge of hydrogeological methods for measuring groundwater flow. Researchers around the world are working to understand the effects of urbanization on aquifer recharge. The student would apply existing methods for soil testing to their home region in order to estimate the groundwater supplies below highly developed land and below less developed land.

7. Studying the Impact of pH on Heavy Metal Contamination

Metal contamination in water has become a topic of concern for marine aquatic life, as well as for human consumption. This project will explore the relationship between pH levels — an important physicochemical parameter — and heavy metal (lead, arsenic, zinc, iron, manganese and copper) contamination in surface and groundwater supplies.

8. Modeling How Climate Change Affects Watersheds

This project will combine online climate and precipitation data with GIS (Geographic Information System) tools. The goal of the study would be to identify trends relating temperature shifts to watershed shifts. This project is perfect for students interested in studying climate change from a hydrological perspective.

9. Testing the Efficiency of Natural vs. Artificial Wetlands for Water Filtration

Natural wetlands are nature-based solutions (NBSs) for water filtration. But how do they compare to engineered, artificial techniques for extracting pollutants from water? This would make a fascinating research project for students interested in hydrology and environmental engineering.

For more inspiration, check out our project idea generator!

Taking Your Water Research Further with Polygence

Polygence matches intellectually curious high school students with PhD-level experts for individual guidance. Our research mentorship program is structured around Project-Based Learning, allowing students to develop their STEM research into college-ready portfolios for positive admissions results. The depth of our network at top research institutions around the country allows us to find students their ideal research mentor matches. Polygence students interested in hydrology could be matched, for example, with an expert like Julia, who is currently a PhD candidate in surface water hydrology at North Carolina State University. Polygence sessions take place entirely online, taking location out of the equation and making it simple to integrate into your busy schedule. With 1-on-1 guidance from your mentor, you’ll design and conduct an original experiment that addresses real-world water resource challenges. With access to various resources, students can create thorough research notes to keep track of their lesson plans. Finally, you’ll learn how to report and present your findings to the scientific community.

Is Polygence right for you? Request a meeting with one of our research coaches to learn how Polygence can help you deepen your hydrology research today!