Course-PM

ACE080 Hydrogeology lp4 VT20 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Contact details

Lars Rosén LR, Examiner, lecturer                                                   lars.rosen@chalmers.se

Johanna Merisalu JM, Course assistant, lecturer/tutor     Johanna.merisalu@chalmers.se

Johan Thörn JT, lecturer/tutor                                                           johan.thorn@chalmers.se

Linn Ödlund Eriksson LE, lecturer/tutor                                       linn.odlunderiksson@sweco.se

 

Introduction

Only a small percentage of the world’s total water is available to humans as fresh water and more than 98% of the available fresh water is groundwater. Groundwater constitutes approximately 26% of Sweden’s water supply (surface water 51% and artificial infiltration to groundwater 23%). The groundwater resources are of high value for the society, but overexploitation and pollutions are both potential threats to a secure sustainable usage of the resources. Groundwater is also of high importance for subsurface constructions because dewatering of groundwater resources induced by leakage into subsurface constructions can cause land subsidence and damage to constructions and their foundations. Stable groundwater levels are also of high importance for the health of groundwater depending ecosystems. This course focuses on how to manage groundwater resources in both urban and rural environments with application on both drinking water supply and infrastructure related issues.

Aim

The overall aim of this course is to give the students an advanced understanding of hydrogeology in groundwater resource management, groundwater supply and infrastructure. In doing so, the focus of the course is primarily on groundwater hydraulics, design of groundwater abstraction and recharge systems, and resource protection.

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives:

 

• Develop a conceptual hydrogeological model of an aquifer.
• Plan, establish and perform an investigation program for hydraulic analysis of a groundwater aquifer.
• Perform a hydraulic analysis of a groundwater aquifer.
• Evaluate groundwater quality and quantity for water supply.
• Design a groundwater supply facility.
• Evaluate the protection need for a long-term sustainable use of groundwater resources.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.

Study plan

If the course is a joint course (Chalmers and Göteborgs Universitet) you should link to both syllabus (Chalmers and Göteborgs Universitet).

Schedule

TimeEdit

Literature

Main literature: Fetter, C. W. (2018). Applied hydrogeology (fourth edition): Waveland Press.

Supplement: Gustafson, G. (2012). Hydrogeology for rock engineers: BeFo Stockholm, Sweden.

 

Course content and structure

The course is structured around a set of lectures and exercises together. The lectures will provide you with the necessary theory in the subject of hydrogeology. The exercises will give you practical experience of analyzing hydrogeological data. Note that the result from some of the exercises must be handed in on Canvas. These exercises are marked as mandatory in the schedule.

Lectures will be given on a regular basis during the whole course. The main contents are:

1. Overview of hydrogeology
   1. Hydrologic cycle
   2. Water supply
   3. Resource protection
   4. Infrastructure
2. Water balance and aquifer properties
   1. Precipitation, evaporation and transpiration
   2. Runoff, baseflow, streamflow – interaction surface water – ground water
   3. Porosity and water content (primary and secondary porosity)
   4. Capillarity
   5. Water table variations
3. Geological interpretation and hydrogeological conceptualization
   1. Geology of different types of aquifers (unconsolidated materials, fractured rock)
   2. Hydrogeological information and interpretation
4. Groundwater flow
   1. Potential and hydraulic head
   2. Darcy’s law
   3. Solution to flow equations
   4. Flow lines and flow nets
   5. Steady flow and transient flow in confined and unconfined aquifers
5. Groundwater flow to wells
   1. Basic assumptions
   2. Radial flow
   3. Pumping tests – planning, performing and evaluating
   4. Slug tests – planning, performing and evaluating
6. Well design
7. Groundwater supply
   1. Design of a water supply
   2. Artificial recharge
   3. Groundwater protection (wellhead protection zoning)
8. Water quality and ground-water contamination
   1. Groundwater chemistry (basic)
   2. Contamination sources
   3. Groundwater monitoring
   4. Mass transport of solutes
   5. Groundwater remediation/restoration
9. Groundwater and infrastructure
   1. Groundwater drawdown and settlements
   2. Design of recharge systems
   3. Design of underground constructions – sealing
10. Groundwater models
    1. Analytical
    2. Numerical

Lectures

The lectures will be given in Zoom. For you to access the lecture you will need to use a link provided for you in canvas and on e-mail. There will be a new link for each lecture. The link will be sent out at latest 15 minutes before the lecture starting time.

Exercises

The exercises are provided to you as modules on Canvas. In the modules you will find all the material needed for the task. In each module you will also find the hand-in function for the exercise and a discussion forum that you can use to help each other. All exercises are mandatory, and they should be handed in on Canvas. Deadline for each exercise is stated in the hand-in function.

There are also scheduled time for the exercises. During these sessions we will meet on Zoom and a link will be sent out just as for the lectures. All exercises are structured in a way so that you can work with them yourselves using the material provided in the lectures, the data provided in the modules and the course books. The exercise on Zoom is therefore preferably used for questions regarding the exercises.

Excursion

If possible, considering the restrictions from the Swedish government on meeting in groups, we will meet for one day during 12-15 May. During this day we plan to visit a site in Gothenburg to learn more of how the industry is working with hydrogeology. More information will come in April/May.

Literature

Main literature: Fetter, C. W. (2018). Applied hydrogeology (fourth edition): Waveland Press.

Supplement: Gustafson, G. (2012). Hydrogeology for rock engineers: BeFo Stockholm, Sweden.

Examination

Examination will be based on written exam. Main exam is planned for 5^th June, afternoon. First re-exam is planned for 27^th august, afternoon (check student portal for registration and possible changes). The exam is based on the content of both the lectures and exercises.

Grading

Grading will occur according to Chalmers rules (three graded scale) for the written exam. The final grade is not reported until all the exercises are handed in on canvas.