Spring 2017 - EASC 704 G100
Special Topics (3)
Class Number: 7246
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 4 – Apr 7, 2017: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Diana Allen
dallen@sfu.ca
1 778 782-3967
Office: TASC 1 Room 7239
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Prerequisites:
Permission of the instructor.
Description
COURSE DETAILS:
General: Groundwater contamination can be a significant environmental problem leading to degradation of the quality of fresh water both in the subsurface and where groundwater discharges to surface water bodies. This course introduces the basic principles of contaminant hydrogeology (inorganic and organic contaminants, chemical processes, mass transport processes) and contaminant transport modeling. Analytical solutions for mass transport and numerical solutions (e.g., MT3D) are covered. The course culminates in the development of a numerical transport model and appropriate model documentation to investigate the transport of a contaminant at a well-known contaminated site. The course also explores methodologies for site investigation as well as various remediation methods that have been developed to clean up groundwater.
Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor. Requires undergraduate courses in aqueous geochemistry (EASC 315 equivalent), physical hydrogeology (EASC 304), and groundwater flow modeling (EASC 613).
Course Topics:
1. Overview of Groundwater Contamination - types of contaminants, lab analysis, sources
2. Inorganic Chemicals in Groundwater – chemical processes in the unsaturated and saturated zones, mixing, zonation, inorganic contaminants
3. Organic Compounds in Groundwater - naming organics, properties of organics, chemical partitioning. Mass Transport in Saturated Media (concepts and equations for mass transport, analytical solutions, field measurements, scale dependence, plumes.
4. Transformation, Retardation and Attenuation
5. Monitoring and Sampling – Site characterization
6. Flow and Mass Transport in the Vadose Zone
7. Multiphase Flow
8. Remediation Methods (overview)
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge Development: students integrate their knowledge of types of contaminants (inorganic, organic, radionuclide), sources of contamination, and the physical and chemical processes that control the fate and transport (mobility) of contaminants (liquids – dissolved and free phase, gases) to predict the presence of contaminants in groundwater systems. How will they move? Will they degrade? How can they be cleaned up? Transport of non-aqueous phase liquids /gases in the groundwater context is analogous to transport of oil and gas in petroleum reservoirs.
Analytical Skill Development: students learn analytical methods (computational and lab experiments) for quantifying fate and transport of a variety of contaminants within a groundwater system.
Computing Skills: Students further develop skills in spreadsheets (calculation, graphing), numerical modeling using specialized software (introductory level).
Writing Skill Development: Students write a proposal in response to a call for proposals for a particular contaminated site. Oral Presentation Skill Development: Students present their proposal orally.
Course Organization:
1 two-hour lecture and 1 three-hour laboratory. The assignments are based on the theory part of the course, and these will be distributed during lab time. A term project consists of the development of a solute transport model implemented in MT3DS (Visual MODFLOW interface).
Grading
- Assignments 20%
- Mid-Term Exam 10%
- Mock Trial Participation 5%
- Term Project 50%
- Final Exam 15%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
ISBN: 978-157766-583-0
RECOMMENDED READING:
CCME Contaminated Sites Report. Specific readings on contaminant transport modeling.
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS