INTRODUCTORY HYDROGEOLOGY - GEOL/42067/52067
Offered annually during Fall Semester
Textbook: Applied Hydrogeology - C.W. Fetter, Jr., Third Edition Macmillan College Publishing Company 1994
Pre-requisites: MATH-12001, -12002; GEOL-32066 or special permission
This is a one-semester survey course treating at an introductory level the principles of occurrence of ground water in various geological environments, and provides an introduction to methods of assessment of quality and quantity of ground water resources. Concepts are developed at the introductory level, assuming prior familiarity with only basic freshman level physics, algebra, calculus and chemistry. Certain simplifications are made and the material is intentionally presented in an intuitive fashion rather than in a rigorously mathematical framework. Nevertheless, the goal of this course is to enable students not only to understand concepts, but also to work practical, quantitative problems dealing with aquifer characterization and the availability of ground water resources.
The course consists of lectures, four lab projects, and "take-home" projects. The course grade is based on the weighted average of grades received for "take-home" and lab-projects (30%), plus the grades received at two mid-term tests (15% each) and the final exam (40%). Both mid-term tests, and the final exam are comprehensive. Attendance at mid-term tests and the final exam is mandatory. Grading is based on a 0 to 100% scale, with the following grade ranges:
87.5% < A < 100%
75.0% < B < 87.5%
62.5% < C < 75.0%
50.0% < D < 62.5%
F < 50.0%
The following is a sequence of the course topics and activities: