Hydrogeology

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry.

Teaching Methods

The teaching methods are essentially interactive, with audiovisual means to introduce concepts and methodologies. In the project, students address a hydrogeological problem using the necessary skills to prepare the work, obtain data (through bibliography, databases or fieldwork), interpret and communicate results in a structured way and discuss the work with the colleagues. Fieldwork is planned and executed by groups of students, each group being responsible for a task, in a cooperative manner, in order to properly perform all the tasks.

Learning Outcomes

The curricular unit aims to provide general training in Hydrogeology, so that students understand the basic principles of this science and apply them in solving water resource problems, with a multidisciplinary, ethic and environmentally sustainable approach.

At the end of this unit, students will i) have a comprehensive view of the hydrological cycle; ii) estimate the hydrogeological parameters of natural materials, identifying and obtaining the necessary data; iii) iii) solve simple problems of groundwater flow at local and regional scales; iv) know the physicochemical properties of water, verify and interpret water chemical data and explain its compositional variability; v) use basic hydrogeological research techniques; vi) plan and carry out hydrogeological tasks to collect data, evaluate data quality and identify possible errors, analyze and interpret the results.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1.Water in Earth: distribution of the world water supply; water cycle (pathways, fluxes and reservoirs), residence times, scales and units. Sources of hydrogeological information. Elements of the hydrologic cycle: evaporation, evapotranspiration; precipitation; infiltration; groundwater flow, surface runoff.

2. Hydrogeological properties of earth materials: porosity; Darcy´s law and hydraulic conductivity; isotropy and homogeneity; hydraulic properties of soils and rocks; aquifer characteristics; groundwater potential and hydraulic head; groundwater flow; groundwater and geology.

3. Water chemistry: properties of water; chemical composition of groundwater; sequence of hydrochemical evolution; groundwater sampling, interpretation of hydrochemical data; chemical equilibrium, carbonate chemistry of groundwater, adsorption and ion exchange, redox chemistry, silicate weathering; groundwater pollution.

4. Groundwater  investigation techniques.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Laboratory work or Field work: 10.0%
Project: 20.0%
Exam: 35.0%
Frequency: 35.0%

Bibliography

Bibliografia principal | Main bibliography:

Fetter, C. W. (2001). Applied Hydrogeology (4th Ed.). London: Pearson Education International.

Hiscock, K.& Bense, V. F. (2014). Hydrogeology. Principles and practice. (2nd. Ed.) Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Hipólito, J. R. & Vaz, A. C. (2011). Hidrologia e Recursos Hídricos. Lisboa: IST Press.

Brassington, R. (2017). Field Hydrogeology (4th Ed.). New York: Ed. John Willey & Sons.