Undergraduate Course: Hydrogeology 1: Applied Hydrogeology (EASC10082)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Students will gain a knowledge that covers and integrates most of the principal areas, features, boundaries, terminology and conventions of applied hydrogeology. They will also gain an understanding of the principal theories and concepts behind the development of a conceptual hydrogeological model. They will cover a range of standard techniques for the investigation of hydrogeological parameters. They will be knowledgeable and skilled in the use of numerical data to solve issues in hydrogeology. In addition they will be able to use both analytical and graphical techniques to predict the movement of groundwater and contaminant transport, as well as be able to produce water balances for catchment areas. Through group based case studies on real life problems, which the students will present, the applicability of the subject area, its use and its limits are demonstrated. In addition as part of the assessment students are expected to complete a project on the distribution of groundwater in different hydrogeological environments, requiring a synoptic understanding of hardrock and surface geology, facies interpretation and material characteristics. Finally accompanying the lecture series reference is made to the parameter uncertainty and its impact in terms of risk. |
| Course description |
Replaces EASC09039
Chapter 1 Introduction to Applied Geoscience Foundations
Chapter 2 Soil description for Applied Geoscience Purposes
Chapter 3 Groundwater Flow
Chapter 4 Groundwater Geochemistry
Chapter 5 Case study Ogallala Aquifer & Arizona
Chapter 6 Modelling Groundwater Flow
Chapter 7 Aquifer Investigation Techniques
Chapter 8 Contaminant Transport
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students should show a background in applied science. For non-engineering or non-geoscience students who wish to take the course, contact should be made with the course organiser. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2014/15, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 500 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 3,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
63 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
75 %,
Coursework
25 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam: 75%, Course Work: 25 %, Practical Exam: 0%.
Students will need to complete an overview of hydrogeological environments/scenarios (25%). This should be a maximum of four pages of A4, excluding references, with an additional page for figures and tables, which students can integrated into text. More details will be provided in the lecture notes.
Students will also sit a two-hour written exam (75%). |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Hydrogeology 1: Applied Hydrogeology | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
The course should enable students to:
1. gain an understanding of applied geoscience;
2. understand the physics of groundwater flow;
3. understand the impact of geology on groundwater distribution;
4. describe a material according to its engineering relevant characteristics (BS5930);
5. understand the geochemistry and the classifications of groundwater;
6. be able to divide the subsurface in terms of aquifers, aquitards, aquicludes;
7. understand how the groundwater flow equation is derived and the physics behind it (Darcy's law, Balance equations);
8. understand key hydraulic parameters such as permeability, hydraulic conductivity and how they relate to the material and fluid parameters;
9. be able to define the difference between confined and unconfined flow;
10. use graphical techniques to determine the groundwater piezometeric surface and flow direction;
11. understand the key concepts of contaminant transport (diffusion, dispersion, sorption, decay);
12. use analytical solutions to model groundwater flow and mass transport; and
13. apply hydrogeological knowledge to a critical analysis of water management issues demonstrated in terms of key case studies.
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Reading List
Freeze, R .A. and J.A. Cherry (1979): Groundwater.- Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs
Fetter, C.W. (2001): Applied Hydrogeology.- Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs
Fetter, C.W. (1993): Contaminant Hydrogeology. - Macmillan Publishing Company, New York; S. 458 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Lectures on Fridays at 14:10-17:00, Weeks 1-11.
Tutorial to be confirmed in lecture, 1 hour per week.
There is an excursion one Friday afternoon early in the Semester to the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh. The date of the trip is dependent on the weather.
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| Keywords | Hydro1_appliedhydro |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Chris Mcdermott
Tel:
Email: cmcdermo@staffmail.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Ken O'Neill
Tel: (0131 6)50 8510
Email: koneill3@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
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