GSC 360/GSC 360L:
Groundwater Geology / Groundwater Geology Laboratory
EXPANDED COURSE OUTLINE
I. Catalog Description
Groundwater occurrence and movement. Role of groundwater in the hydrologic cycle and geologic processes. Groundwater resource evaluation, geotechnical problems, groundwater contamination. 3 hours lecture, one 3 hour laboratory per week.
II. Prerequisites
GSC 111, GSC 141
III. Objectives
To provide an overview of groundwater interaction with solid Earth materials. During the first two thirds of the lecture sequence, fundamental flow equations are derived from first principles, then applied to practical groundwater problems. Geologic maps and cross sections are used extensively in quantifying the flow of water through the ground and the effects of pumping from aquifers. The last third of the lecture sequence concentrates on aquifer yield, groundwater exploration in various geologic terrains, groundwater seepage near dams, tunnels, and steep slopes, and groundwater contamination. Laboratory exercises focus on quantitative interpretation of hydrogeologic data. The field exercises relate surface flow variations in perennial mountain streams to groundwater flow in a associated aquifers.
IV. Method of instruction
Standard lecture format with assigned reading related to the topics in part IX below. Students will be expected to take notes and work occasional practice exercises in class. Most laboratory exercises will consist of problems selected from the laboratory manual. At least two laboratory exercises will be conducted in the field. Generally, students will have one week to submit formal laboratory reports. The instructor will provide feedback to students through one-on-one interaction and timely evaluation of lab reports and examinations.
V. Required Text
Fetter, R. W., 2000, Applied Hydrogeology (4th edition),Macmillan College Publishing Co., 694p
VI. Required Laboratory Manual
Lee, Keenan and Fetter, C. W., 1993, Hydrogeology Laboratory Manual, Macmillan College Publishing Co., 135 p.
VII. Minimum Student Materials
pencil, notepaper, protractor, ruler, colored pencils, calculator, clipboard
VIII. Minimum College Facilities
velocity flow probe, Xeroxed handout materials and graphics
IX. Summary of Lectures and Laboratory Sequence
Part I: The Hydrologic Cycle; Water Quantity; Water Quality
Weeks 1 and 2: Course Logistics; Introduction to the Hydrologic Cycle; General Groundwater Flow Dynamics; The Continuity Equation and Water Budgets; Precipitation, Evapotranspiration, Runoff, Infiltration, and Recharge;
GW Zones(Aquifers, Aquicludes, etc); Confined vs. Unconfined Conditions;
GW Recharge and Discharge
Lab 1: Field exercise: Analysis of surface discharge in Icehouse Creek, eastern San Gabriel Mountains
Lab 2: Mono Lake water budget: Determination of average precipitation, evaporation, runoff, and change in storage; solution of continuity equation for GW flow into Mono Lake
Week 3: Water Quality; Methods of Measurement; Drinking Water Standards; Classification Systems; Chemical Evolution of GW;
Geological Controls on Water Chemistry
Lab 3: Interpretation of water chemistry data; calculation of ppm and epm; determination of GW sources; Piper diagrams and mixing of two or more GW sources
Part II: Theory of Groundwater Flow in Porous Media
Weeks 4 and 5: Properties of Porous Media: Porosity, Specific Retention and Yield, Intrinsic Permeability, Hydraulic Conductivity; Anisotropy and Heterogeneity,
GW Flow: Mathematical Derivation of Fluid Potential and Hydraulic Head; Darcy's Experiment and Darcy's Law; Applications and Limitations of Darcy's Law; Derivation of the Flow Net Equation; Determination of Unknown Quantities from Flow Nets
Lab 4: Field Exercise: Analysis of surface flow/groundwater interactions in upper San Antonio Creek drainage, eastern San Gabriel Mountains
Lab 5: Construction of flow nets under a dam (cross section view) and through a constricted aquifer (map view)
MIDTERM EXAM
Week 6 and 7: Regional GW Flow; Relationship of Flow to Topography;
Water Table Contours and Relationship to Gaining and Losing Streams;
Radial Flow to Wells: General Geometry; Nonsteady Confined (Theis) Solution; Nonsteady Unconfined and Semiconfined Solutions.
Pump Tests and Determination of Aquifer Properties: Graphical Representations of Radial Flow; Jacob's Approximation to Theis; Steady State Radial Flow
Multiple Wells and the Superposition Principle; Bounded Aquifers: Constant Head (Recharge) Boundaries; Impermeable Boundaries; Image Well Techniques;
Lab 6: Pump Tests: Theis; Jacob Solutions
Lab 7: Interpretation of aquifer pump test data from non-ideal aquifers
Part III: Aquifer Yield / Groundwater Exploration and Hydrogeology
Weeks 8-9: Storativity and Regional Drawdown of Aquifers: Evaluation of Aquifer
or Basin Yield; Phreatophytes; Seismic Refraction Surveys of Water Table;
GW in Unconsolidated Sediments: Fluvial Deposits; Glacial Deposits; Aeolian Deposits
GW in Crystalline Terrain; GW in Volcanic Terrain; GW in Well-Indurated Sedimentary Strata
Lab 8-10: Groundwater basin analysis of a heavily pumped irrigated region (Final project worth three normal labs; due in three weeks)
Part IV: Special Topics
Week 10: GW Contamination; GW Management: Artificial Recharge; Seawater Intrusion, Coastal Aquifers; GW and Engineering Geology: Dams, Tunnels, and Unstable Slopes
Review for Final Exam
Week 11 FINAL EXAM
X. Evaluation
Because the lecture and laboratory components are intimately interrelated, scores on exams, and laboratory/ field exercises will be combined to determine a total course grade worth 4 units.
Grades will be calculated as follows:
Midterm Exam 25%
Final Exam 35%
Laboratory and Field Exercises 40%
Passing letter grades will correspond approximately with these ranges:
100-90 (A); 89-80 (B); 79-70 (C); 69-60 (D)
A curve may be used to adjust these grades downward slightly, but no overall
course grade below 50% will be considered passing.