GSC 360/GSC 360L (CRN 12293/12295):

Groundwater Geology / Groundwater Geology Laboratory

Course Outline—Winter, 2006

 

Dr. Jonathan A. Nourse                        Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday: noon-1:30 PM

Office:  Building 8, Room 242C                        Tuesday and Thursday: noon-1 PM

Telephone:  (909) 869-3460                             (or make special appointment)

Email: janourse@csupomona.edu

 

Objectives

To provide an overview of groundwater interaction with solid Earth materials.  During the first ¾ of the lecture sequence, fundamental mass balance and 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 porous ground and the effects of pumping from aquifers.  The last ¼ of the lecture sequence concentrates on aquifer yield and groundwater exploration in various geologic terrains.  Laboratory exercises focus on quantitative interpretation of hydrogeologic and hydrochemical data.  The field exercises relate surface flow variations in perennial mountain streams to spring discharge and groundwater flow in associated aquifers.

 

Lecture           Meets MWF 11:00-11:50 PM, Building 8, Room 239

 

Laboratory     Scheduled for Friday 8:00-10:50 AM.  Laboratory will typically meet in Room A-634.  Two Saturday field trips will be taken to San Antonio Canyon to carry out surface water and groundwater observations.  Tentative dates (rain or shine) are January 7 and February 4Laboratory work will usually be due one week after date of assignment.  A substantial penalty will be assessed for late submissions.

 

Required Text            Fetter, C. W., 2001, Applied Hydrogeology (4th edition), Macmillan College Publishing Co., 694p.  **3rd edition is an acceptable substitute**

           

Required Laboratory Manual 

Lee, Keenan, Fetter, C. W., and McCray 2003, Hydrogeology Laboratory Manual 2nd Edition, Macmillan College Publishing Co., 135 p.  (1st Edition is acceptable if no pages missing)

 

Prerequisites

GSC 111; working knowledge of algebra and trigonometry

 

Evaluation

Because the lecture and laboratory components are interrelated, scores on exams, laboratory / field exercises, and class work will be combined to determine a total course grade worth 4 units.

Grades will be calculated as follows:

                        Pop Quizzes, Class Presentations, Homework               15%

                        Midterm Exam                                                              20%

                        Final Exam                                                                    25%

                        Laboratory and Field Exercises                                     40%

Tentative Schedule of Lectures and Laboratory

           

Part I: The Hydrologic Cycle; Measuring/Monitoring Water Quantity                               

(January 3-20; Read Chapters 1-2)

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

 

Lab 1 (Saturday, January 7): Field exercise--Analysis of surface discharge in Icehouse Creek drainage basin, eastern San Gabriel Mountains

Lab 2 (Friday, January 13): Mono Lake water budget

 

**Laboratory will not meet Friday, January 6**

**Lecture will not meet Friday, January 13**

**Martin Luther King Holiday: Monday, January 16**

 

Lab 3 (Friday, January 20): Precipitation and Runoff Analysis of Upper Rio Grande Basin

 

 

Part II: Water Quality and Groundwater Chemistry

(January 23-30; Read Chapter 9.13-9.14; and Ch. 10)

Water Quality;  Methods of Measurement; Drinking Water Standards; Classification  Systems; Chemical Evolution of GW; Geological Controls on Water Chemistry

 

Lab 4 (Friday, January 27):  Analysis of Groundwater Chemistry

 

                                               

Part III: Theory of Groundwater Flow in Porous Media

(February 1-February 20; Read Chapters 3-4)

Properties of Porous Media:  Porosity, Specific Retention and Yield, Intrinsic Permeability, Hydraulic Conductivity; Darcy's Experiment and Darcy's Law; Mathematical Derivation of Fluid Potential and Hydraulic Head; Applications and Limitations of Darcy's Law; Derivation of the Flow Net Equation; Determination of Unknown Quantities from Flow Nets; Relationship of Flow to Topography; Water Table Contours and Relationship to Gaining and Losing Streams;  Steady Flow in Confined and Unconfined Aquifers; The Du Puit Equation; Regional GW Flow

Lab 5 (Saturday, February 4): Field Exercise--Analysis of surface flow/groundwater interactions in upper San Antonio Creek drainage, eastern San Gabriel Mountains

 

**Midterm Examination:  Monday, February 6—Allow 2 Hours**

 

Lab 6 (Friday, February 10): Flow net construction and quantitative analysis

 

 

 

Part IV: Pumping From Ideal and Non-ideal Aquifers; Aquifer Yield

(February 22-March 1; Read Chapter 5)

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

Interpretation of aquifer pump test data from non-ideal aquifers

Multiple Wells and the Superposition Principle; Storativity and Regional Drawdown of Aquifers: Evaluation of Aquifer or Basin Yield

 

Lab 7-8 (Assigned Friday, February 17): Groundwater Basin Analysis                     

Lab 9 (Friday, February 24): Pump Tests: Theis; Jacob Solutions

                       

Part V: Groundwater Exploration in Various Types of Geologic Terrain

(March 3-10; Read Ch. 8 and Ch. 11.1-11.5; Peruse Chapter 12)

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

Review for Final Exam

 

Lab 10 (Friday, March 3) Pump Tests of Non-ideal Aquifers; Team projects assigned

Laboratory will meet for team presentations on Friday, March 10

 

**Basin Analysis (Lab 7-8) is Due Monday, March 13**

 

Friday, March 19: FINAL EXAM is scheduled for Friday, March 17, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM