Hydrogeology

Kallina Dunkle,
Austin Peay State University

Summary

Hydrogeology will introduce the concepts related to the occurrence and movement of groundwater, as well as evaluation of groundwater resources. Major topics of the course include examination of governing equations, analyses of aquifer properties, regional groundwater flow, groundwater contamination, and field methods. The history of hydrogeology will be discussed throughout the semester. Final projects will give students the opportunity to investigate a specific problem, site, or historical figure related to hydrogeology.

Course Size:

less than 15

Course Format:

Students enroll in separate lecture and lab components. The lecture and the lab are both taught by the professor.

Institution Type:

Public four-year institution, primarily undergraduate

Course Context:

This is an upper-level required course for the geosciences degree with a geology concentration and for the water resources management minor our university offers. This course has a prerequisite of precalculs, but does not serve as a prerequesite for other courses.

Course Content:

Hydrogeology covers topics in physical and contaminant hydrogeology. The hydrogeology lab will provide students with an opportunity to perform experiments in order to better understand concepts related to the occurrence and movement of groundwater, as introduced in lecture. Additionally, students will use several widely used computer software programs in order to analyze aquifer properties, regional flow patterns, and groundwater chemistry.