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Students gain hands-on experience with essential hydrogeology concepts and field techniques, including pumping tests, slug tests, potentiometric mapping, stream gauging, groundwater–surface water interactions, well bailing and sampling, dye tracing, surveying, glacial geology, fractured rock hydrogeology, and more. Teamwork is a core element of the course, and students not only collect real-world data but also engage in data interpretation and technical writing. Below are some of the key activities offered in the course.
Pumping test
We conduct pumping tests in both unconfined and leaky confined aquifers. Students learn how to set up and perform the tests, as well as analyze data from surficial and confined aquifers. They are introduced to various analytical methods, including Jacob time-drawdown analysis, Hantush-Jacob analysis, and distance-drawdown analysis.
Slug test
Students learn to conduct slug tests and analyze the resulting data to estimate local hydraulic conductivity. By working with data from multiple wells, they gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of subsurface heterogeneity.
Groundwater-surface water interactions
Students learn how to install piezometers, conduct surveying, and use seepage meters to characterize lake–groundwater interactions along the beautiful beach at Lake Itasca. They collect data to quantify both horizontal and vertical groundwater fluxes.
Stream gauging
Students learn different stream gauging methods to measure stream discharge and evaluate the advantages and limitations of each. Specifically, they learn the salt tracer and velocity-area methods and explore hyporheic exchange. The stream, located within our field site watershed, provides an ideal setting for hands-on learning.
Infiltrometer & groundwater recharge
Students learn how to conduct infiltrometer tests to quantify infiltration rates and estimate soil hydraulic conductivity. They also explore concepts of aquifer recharge by characterizing vertical flux beneath a pond formed by discharged water from aquifer pumping tests.
Dye tracing and solute transport processes
Students learn the fundamental processes governing contaminant transport, including advection, dispersion, and both equilibrium and kinetic reactions. We conduct dye tracing experiments by injecting fluorescent dye and measuring its concentration at a downstream location or pumping well. Students analyze dye breakthrough curves to estimate average linear velocity and dispersion coefficient, using these parameters to model contaminant transport and apply their findings to a real-world example.
MODFLOW groundwater modeling
Students are introduced to the fundamentals of groundwater modeling using MODFLOW and the Python-based FloPy package. This half-day introductory workshop is designed to help students get up and running with model development, execution, and post-processing. Using data collected from the Hydrocamp field site, students will build and calibrate their own groundwater models. The workshop is led by Dr. Chris Langevin, a leading expert in MODFLOW development.
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