Hydrogeologist Course

Lesson 1 • Aquifer Types and Properties

Defines confined, unconfined, and perched aquifers and their hydraulic characteristics. Provides the vocabulary for all subsequent aquifer analysis chapters.

Lesson 2 • Geologic Controls on Groundwater

Examines how lithology, stratigraphy, and structure govern water occurrence. Links geologic mapping skills to hydrogeologic interpretation.

Lesson 3 • The Hydrologic Cycle

Covers precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, and infiltration as linked processes. Establishes the mass-balance perspective used throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Darcy's Law and Hydraulic Conductivity

Derives Darcy's Law from first principles and defines hydraulic conductivity for various media. Forms the quantitative core of all flow calculations in the course.

Lesson 2 • Groundwater Flow Equations

Presents the governing partial differential equations for steady-state and transient flow. Connects mathematical formulations to physical aquifer behaviour.

Lesson 3 • Hydraulic Head and Gradients

Explains pressure head, elevation head, and total hydraulic head. Students construct potentiometric surfaces and determine flow directions from field data.

Lesson 4 • Groundwater Velocity and Travel Time

Distinguishes Darcy flux from pore velocity and introduces travel-time calculations. Essential for contaminant transport and wellhead protection analysis.

Lesson 1 • Monitoring Well Design and Installation

Teaches screen interval selection, casing materials, and grouting standards for monitoring wells. Ensures data quality and regulatory compliance in well construction.

Lesson 2 • Water Level Measurement and Monitoring

Covers manual and automated water level measurement, datum correction, and data management. Provides the foundation for hydraulic head analysis.

Lesson 3 • Site Reconnaissance and Mapping

Covers desktop review, surface geologic mapping, and geomorphic analysis before drilling. Establishes systematic site characterisation workflow.

Lesson 4 • Surface Geophysical Methods

Introduces electrical resistivity, seismic refraction, and electromagnetic surveys for subsurface imaging. Reduces drilling costs through non-invasive characterisation.

Lesson 1 • Pumping Test Design

Covers test objectives, well spacing, pumping rates, and monitoring network design. Proper design ensures data quality and parameter reliability.

Lesson 2 • Theis and Cooper-Jacob Methods

Applies the Theis curve-matching and Cooper-Jacob straight-line methods to transient drawdown data. Derives transmissivity and storativity for confined aquifers.

Lesson 3 • Unconfined and Leaky Aquifer Analysis

Addresses delayed yield in unconfined aquifers and leakance in semi-confined systems. Extends analytical methods beyond ideal confined conditions.

Lesson 4 • Slug Tests and Bail Tests

Teaches Hvorslev and Bouwer-Rice methods for low-permeability or small-diameter wells. Provides rapid, low-cost hydraulic conductivity estimates.

Lesson 1 • Contaminant Geochemistry

Examines sorption, speciation, and degradation of inorganic and organic contaminants. Links geochemical processes to contaminant fate and transport predictions.

Lesson 2 • Major Ion Chemistry and Diagrams

Analyses major cations and anions to classify water types and identify mixing. Piper and Stiff diagrams visualise hydrochemical facies for spatial interpretation.

Lesson 3 • Sampling and Field Measurements

Establishes protocols for representative groundwater sampling and field parameter measurement. Data quality depends on proper purging, preservation, and chain of custody.

Lesson 4 • Isotope Hydrogeology

Uses stable and radiogenic isotopes to determine recharge age, source, and flow path. Isotopic tracers provide constraints unavailable from hydraulic data alone.

Lesson 1 • Reactive Transport and Natural Attenuation

Integrates biodegradation, sorption, and redox reactions into transport modelling. Supports natural attenuation evaluations and monitored remediation strategies.

Lesson 2 • In Situ Remediation Technologies

Covers in situ chemical oxidation, bioremediation, and thermal treatment methods. Students match technology selection to site-specific geochemical and hydrogeologic conditions.

Lesson 3 • Plume Characterisation and Monitoring

Covers sampling network design, plume delineation, and statistical trend analysis. Accurate plume characterisation drives remediation design and regulatory decisions.

Lesson 4 • Pump-and-Treat and Barrier Systems

Evaluates pump-and-treat design, capture zone analysis, and permeable reactive barriers. Addresses common limitations and optimisation strategies for active remediation.

Lesson 1 • Numerical Model Construction

Covers finite-difference and finite-element grid design, parameter assignment, and solver settings. Students build a working model from a prepared conceptual framework.

Lesson 2 • Conceptual Model Development

Translates field data into a structured conceptual model defining boundaries, layers, and stresses. A robust conceptual model is the foundation of any numerical simulation.

Lesson 3 • Predictive Simulations and Uncertainty

Runs predictive scenarios for pumping, drought, and contamination and quantifies forecast uncertainty. Communicates model limitations to decision-makers.

Lesson 4 • Transport Modelling Applications

Extends flow models to simulate contaminant advection, dispersion, and reaction. Produces plume forecasts and remediation performance predictions.

Lesson 1 • Managed Aquifer Recharge

Evaluates infiltration basins, injection wells, and riverbank filtration for aquifer storage and recovery. Addresses water quality and clogging challenges in MAR systems.

Lesson 2 • Wellhead and Source Water Protection

Delineates wellhead protection zones using travel-time and flow-boundary methods. Integrates land-use controls to reduce contamination risk to supply wells.

Lesson 3 • Groundwater Recharge Assessment

Applies water table fluctuation, chloride mass balance, and baseflow separation methods to quantify recharge. Recharge estimates constrain sustainable yield calculations.

Lesson 4 • Wellfield Design and Optimisation

Covers well spacing, interference analysis, and pump selection for municipal and agricultural supply. Optimises yield while minimising drawdown and energy costs.