Introduction to Hydrogeology

This course provides an introduction to hydrogeology. Course topics include the hydrologic cycle, flow through the unsaturated zone, principles of groundwater flow, properties of aquifers, and an introduction to analytical methods. These analytical solutions include calculations on simple groundwater flow situations in confined and unconfined aquifers, determination of flow at the salt water / fresh water interface, and aspects on quantification of water for dewatering of construction sites and infiltration into the aquifer. Characterization of flow nets and practical applications will be discussed and demonstrated.

The following course/module was developed at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.

Learning outcomes / Competencies:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will have demonstrated the ability to describe groundwater within the hydrologic cylce, and define the controls of water quantity and distribution at the earths’s surface. The will be able to identify the basic principles governing the flow of water in the subsurface and the interaction of water in different geological media.