Unit APPLIED HYDROGEOLOGY

Course
Geosciences for risk and environment management
Study-unit Code
A002113
Curriculum
Geosciences for environmental sustainability
Teacher
Valter Ulderico Dragoni
Teachers
  • Valter Ulderico Dragoni
Hours
  • 42 ore - Valter Ulderico Dragoni
CFU
6
Course Regulation
Coorte 2021
Offered
2021/22
Learning activities
Caratterizzante
Area
Discipline geomorfologiche e geologiche applicative
Academic discipline
GEO/05
Type of study-unit
Opzionale (Optional)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
ENGLISH
Contents
SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM
The water cycle, hydrological systems, continuity equation, water budget. Discharge of rivers, canals, and pipes; flow measurement. Chezy and Manning equations.
Temperature, rain, evaporation, evapotranspiration, infiltration (measurement and estimation).
Concept system and model. Underground water, basic terms. Piezometric head and hydraulic potential.
Darcy's equation (also in terms of Bernoulli's Equation). Reynolds number, validity of Darcy's equation. Hydraulic conductivity, permeability, and their measurement.
Dupuit-Forchheimer hypothesis and Darcy's equation as a solution of a differential equation. Solution of some elementary groundwater problems.
Isotropy and anisotropy, refraction of flow lines. Flow parallel and orthogonal to the stratification.
Flow nets. Transformation of anisotropic media into isotropic media via the Forchheimer equation. Filtration force and consequences. Piezometric maps, relations between surface water and groundwater.
Hydraulics of wells. Steady-state and unsteady-status. The inverse problem. Pumping tests.
Superposition principle and its applications to groundwater systems. Real and theoretical aquifers, aquifer hydraulics with undisturbed inclined piezometric head.
Well tests: step-drawdown test, well efficiency, optimal discharge. Well-fields.
Fractured and karstic systems. Source Hydrogeology of water springs; depletion curves. The intrusion of seawater into coastal aquifers: Gyben-Herzberg, Glover, Bear-Dagan equations. Introduction to the art of hydrogeological modeling. Information about water quality and pollution problems.
Reference texts
- Heath - Basic Ground-Water Hydrology (Internet Open Source)
- U.S. Army Ce - 1999 - Groundwater Hydrology (Internet Open Source)
- Written material provided by the instructor.
Educational objectives
The objectives of the course are:
- To provide students with basic knowledge of hydrogeology, integrated into the broader field of hydrology.
- Teach students to derive the topics covered on a logical basis, as appropriate for a Master's Degree. Apart from the inevitable few primary concepts to know by heart, students must be able to derive the basic knowledge. The main concepts, formulas, and applications must be understood, not just applied in the same way as using a cooking recipe.
- Provide students with a clear understanding of the experimental, geological, physical, and mathematical foundations on which hydrogeology rests.
- Teaching students to study using books and publications. To this end, students are encouraged to search independently on paper and internet texts, beyond the recommended books, for works dealing with the most interesting or complex topics.
- Provide students with the ability to independently deepen the knowledge acquired during the course.
Prerequisites
PREREQUISITES
The students should know Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Statistics and Geology as provided by a Bachelor's degree in Geology, Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Civil Engineering, or other related degrees.
Teaching methods
TEACHING METHODS
These are traditional (classroom presence), which can be transformed into telematics if the evolution of the Covirus epidemic and students' needs require it.
Other information
Notes:
- To pass the exam, the student must show a clear understanding of basic concepts and equations.
- Attendance at the lessons is not compulsory but is strongly recommended. The continuous study is also essential since each lesson's topics presuppose knowledge of the issues already presented.
- The first lesson will include a written test to assess the knowledge of the topics necessary to follow the course successfully.
- The course focuses on groundwater but stresses that hydrological, hydrogeological, and hydroclimatic phenomena belong to the same general process.
- During the lectures, the necessary mathematics, physics, chemistry, and geology concepts will be recalled.
- Whenever possible, i.e., taking into account the knowledge of Mathematics and Physics provided in the three-year degree courses, equations will be derived on the basis of physical principles, with extensive use of dimensional analysis.
- During the lessons, each topic presented will be followed by numerical or logical written exercises. Also, where appropriate, one or more case studies relevant to the topics studied will be presented.
- Students will be actively involved through questions and derivations to be made by them on the blackboard.
- If possible, a lesson on the water spring will be given in the field.
- Students are recommended to follow the lectures with a scientific calculator capable of performing linear and non-linear regressions (this from the first lesson). The use of a spreadsheet is also fine. Also, it is recommended to follow the lectures by taking notes.
Learning verification modality
EXAM
Written Test:
The Written Test is a set of questions and problems with numerical or logical answers (takes about 2-3 hours). Students can only take the Oral Examination after passing the written test. The test's purpose is to verify that the student has the minimum knowledge necessary to pass the exam. Considering that the Applied Hydrogeology course is a course with a substantial practical cut and that, in the real world, professionals work by consulting texts, students can consult books and notes and use scientific calculators or spreadsheets. Despite this last facilitation, students should be aware that if they do not have a solid preparation, have not performed the exercises discussed during the course, and are not used to studying and consulting books, the passing of the written test is not guaranteed.

Oral Test:
The Oral Test's purpose is to verify the degree of comprehension of the fundamental topics discussed during the course. Students will be asked to explain (conceptually and quantitatively) some of the issues covered during the lectures. Also, the students will have to demonstrate some equations if the latter were discussed and given during the lectures. Students will also be asked to present and briefly discuss a case study of their choice relevant to groundwater.
The final mark will depend on both tests, but, in the case of a seriously insufficient oral examination, having passed the written test does not guarantee to pass the exam.
Extended program
EXTENDED PROGRAM
Water cycle. Basic physics recalls: force, pressure, mechanical energy. Conservation of mass and energy. Hydrological systems, discharge of rivers, canals, and pipes. Discharge measurement (mechanical and chemical methods). Chezy and Manning equations. Equation of continuity, water budget.

Temperature, rain, evaporation, evapotranspiration, infiltration (measurement and estimation).
System concept and model. Hydrogeological systems. Groundwater, basic terms. Piezometric load and hydraulic potential.

Darcy's equation (also in terms of Bernoulli's equation). Reynolds number, validity of Darcy's equation. Non-Darcian flow. Hydraulic conductivity, permeability, transmissivity, effective porosity, storage coefficient, etc.. Darcy's velocity and actual velocity. Measurement and estimation of hydrogeological parameters, in the field and the laboratory.

Dupuit-Forchheimer approximations and Darcy's equation as a solution of a differential equation; boundary conditions. Solution of some elementary groundwater problems in the case of homogenous and isotropic media (parallel flow between boundaries with constant head, with and without recharge from above, etc.).

Isotropy and anisotropy, refraction of flow lines. Flow parallel and orthogonal to the stratification.
Flow networks. Transformation of anisotropic media into isotropic media through the Forchheimer's equation. Filtration force and consequences. Piezometric maps, relations between surface water and groundwater.

Hydraulics of wells. Water wells pumping in stationary and transient conditions. Some information about partially perforating wells. The radius of influence of pumping wells. Pumping tests in confined and free aquifers (Thiem-Dupuit, Theis, Cooper -Jacob equations). Pumping tests and inverse problem solution. Well-test (step-drawdown test); well efficiency, optimal flow rate (Jacob & Rorabough equations). Well-fields.

Superposition principle and its application to groundwater problems. Real and theoretical aquifers. Water wells in aquifers with undisturbed inclined piezometric head. Capture area, hydrodynamic barriers, travel time of pollutants, wellhead protection.

Fractured and karstic systems. Hydrogeology of sources; depletion curves (Torricelli, exponential, hyperbolic) and their application.

Hydraulics of seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers. Equations of Gyben-Herzberg, Glover, Bear-Dagan.

General information about water quality problems and pollution. Introductory information on hydrogeological modeling using finite differences, finite elements, and multiple reservoirs.
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