Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the basic concepts and principles governing the flow of groundwater in the subsurface environment. These are used to develop an understanding of aquifers and their physical properties, groundwater sustainability and management, and interaction of groundwater with surface water. In addition, as a foundation course in fluids in geologic media, this course has relevance to the oil and gas and mining industries, as well as to engineering applications such as dewatering. Quantitative.

COURSE DETAILS:

General:
This is an introductory course in physical hydrogeology. As a foundation course in fluids in geological media, this course has relevance to the oil and gas and mining industries as well as to environmental and engineering applications. The objective of the course is to introduce the basic concepts and principles governing the flow of water in the subsurface environment (i.e. groundwater), and to use these to develop an understanding of aquifers or oil reservoirs and their physical properties. The course forms the basis for environmental courses EASC 315, EASC 405, EASC 410 and EASC 416, which introduce respectively groundwater chemistry, impacts of climate and environmental change on water cycles and resources, groundwater contamination and transport, and field methods in hydrogeology. The course is also required for EASC 420 (Petroleum Geology).

Course Topics:
1. Water and the Hydrologic Cycle                  6. Regional Groundwater Flow
2. Principles of Groundwater Flow                   7. Recharge and Interaction with Surface Water
3. Properties of Aquifers                                8. Groundwater as a Resource
4. Geology of Groundwater Occurrence            9. Groundwater and Geologic Processes
    and Field Methods                                   10. Groundwater Modeling
5. Groundwater Flow to Wells


Course Organization:
1 two-hour lecture and 1 three-hour laboratory. The assignments are based on the theory component of the course, and these will be distributed during lab time. There is also a laboratory project that will be distributed and worked on during lab time over the course of five weeks.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Learning Outcomes:  

Knowledge Development – students learn the basic principles of subsurface fluid flow, encompassing measurement of hydraulic head, hydraulic gradients, and the hydraulic properties of the subsurface to quantify fluid pathways and rates of movement in the subsurface. Students learn about the controls on fluid movement at different scales (basin scale to site scale), encompassing natural flow due to geological and topographic differences and flow that may be altered, for example, due to pumping, interaction with surface water, at the near surface (infiltration). This knowledge is directly transferrable to petroleum geology - reservoir characterization.  

Analytical Skill Development: students employ basic problem solving skills to quantify the three dimensional movement of fluid in the subsurface. Students learn how to interpret field data to characterize fluid flow in subsurface systems (geological, geophysical and hydrogeological).  

Computing Skills: Students develop skills in spreadsheets (calculation, graphing).  

Writing Skill Development: Students write a comprehensive report, in the form of a consulting report.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

RECOMMENDED READING: