Geology trip: Quaternary terrace, Belle Fourche Shale, Fall River Formation, Lakota Formation, Gypsum, Spearfish Formation, Minnekahta Limestone, Opeche Shale, Minnelusa Formation. Which are considered aquifers? Which are considered confining layers? Which can cause engineering problems such as slope stability?

Geology trip: Madison (Pahasapa) Limestone, Englewood Limestone, Whitewood Formation, Winnipeg Formation, Deadwood Formation, Precambrian rocks. Other stops include Homestake Mine, the great Unconformity, stream loss zone, anticline, gold nugget, and "MAZE". What is the general direction of dip of sedimentary rocks on the western side of the Black Hills? What are the approximate values of dip? How to consider stream loss in groundwater modeling? Can we use Darcy's law to describe groundwater flow in the Madison aquifer where caves and other conduits are well developed?

Hydrology trip: 1972 Rapid City flood, water rights, surface water - groundwater interaction, greenway, levees, artificial fill, 100-year flood, 500-year flood, paleofloods, Infiltration gallery, stream gage, Jackson Spring, Dark Canyon, Tittle spring, dam safety, and Pactola Reservoir. Can the 1972 flood happen again? How to prevent flooding? What measures did Rapid City take to prevent flooding again? Why is Pactola dam a high-hazard dam?

Measure groundwater table, draw potentiometric surface, run pumping/recovery test, model groundwater flow in a sand tank, and analyze data to determine transmissivity, storage coefficient, and hydraulic conditions. Through this type of field work, students collected data and gained ownership over their learning, which can strengthen independent research and technical skills.

Day 5: Mount Rushmore National Memorial trip: Groundwater contamination, wastewater treatment, water supply system, drinking water treatment, arsenic contamination, perchlorate contamination, fireworks, fracture monitoring, and environmental impacts. Former superintendent of M. Rushmore Cheryl Schreier gave comments about decision making process of fireworks display. USGS hydrogeologist Galen Hoogestraat discussed his work of groundwater quality study in M. Rushmore. M. Rushmore park service rangers gave a tour of wastewater treatment and water supply facilities. How to make the best decision based on the best science for the fireworks at M. Rushmore? What are the environmental impacts of fireworks at M. Rushmore? How to prevent and mitigate groundwater contamination? How to treat contaminated surface water and groundwater? How to maintain the sculpture? Visit to Black Hills Institute of Geological Research in Hill City with lecture on the current state of paleontology by Peter Larson. Review significance of fossils on display, T. Rex, Sue, Stan, paleontologist, and fossil collector. See preview of movie Dinosaur 13.

Wrap-up and Work day on campus

Free day. Enjoy the Black Hills

Abandoned Belle Eldridge lead-zinc mine trip: Environmental monitoring, water-quality sampling, acid rock (mine) drainage, remediation, migration of contaminants, heavy metals contamination, geologic mapping, pH, specific conductance, peacocks and llamas. What is acid rock drainage? What are potential environmental impacts of mining? What can be done to prevent or clean up acid rock drainage? How to assess the effectiveness of the environmental remediation?

Hot Springs trip. Fall River, Evans Plunge, Cascade Springs, temperature, pH, specific conductance, TDS, stream gaging, cascade anticline, swimming, buffalo, prairie dog, and Custer State Park. Why is stream gaging important? How to conduct stream gaging? How to measure discharge of springs? Why are springs warm at Hot Springs? What are potential effects of new water supply wells on the springs and existing surface-water rights downstream?

Adventure tour: Rushmore Cave. Speleothem, calcium carbonate, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, columns. How do caves form? How to use speleothems to trace the past environments and climates? What are the implications of caves on groundwater flow and contaminant transport?

Ethylene dibromide contamination at Nemo, South Dakota: EDB, DNAPL, fractured aquifer, anisotropy, remediation, natural attenuation, banded iron formation, and phyllite. What is EDB？How was EDB used in the Black Hills? How does the anisotropy of fractured aquifer affect on the direction of EDB migration? How to provide water for homeowners whose wells were affected by the EDB contamination?

Badlands National Park: Chadron Formation, Brule Formation, Sharps Formation, Pierre Shale, fossils, climbing, ghost town of Scenic, and Wall Drug

Wrap-up and Work day on campus.

Free day. Enjoy the Black Hills

Slope stability and dam safety trip: slope failure, cross section of the slope, high water table, frictional resistance, Spearfish Creek, Carbonate Water Chemistry and formation of falls, Dye study of karst geology potential for municipal water supply contamination, watershed comparison and flooding of Rapid and Spearfish Creeks, Spearfish Canyon, flooding, Roughlock Falls, Iron Creek Lake, inadequate spillway, and moderate-hazard dam. What are the causes of slope failure? How to analyze slope stability? How to mitigate slope failure? How to conduct a dam safety inspection?

Gilt Edge Superfund Site trip: groundwater contamination, acid drainage, dissolved metals, water treatmeants, remediation plans, costs, and inadequate reclamation bond.

Boxelder Creek Loss Zone trip: sustainability, rapid city wells, Madison aquifer, gravel spring, doty spring, city spring, disappearing stream, sinkhole, stream gaging, dye test, 1972 flood marker, adventures (crossing creek), and long-distance hiking. What is the role of Madison aquifer for the Rapid City water supply? Why is Madison aquifer vulnerable? How would the city pumping wells impact on the spring discharge?

Headwater of Rapid Creek trip: sustainability, Madison plateau, recharge, precipitation, pH, specific conductance, anticline, syncline, Englewood formation, springs, USGS gaging station, acid rock drainage, and beaver dam. What percentage of precipitation recharges the Madison aquifer? What's the mechanism of spring occurrence at the North/South Fork? Where does the water of Pactola Reservoir come from?

Spring Creek Loss Zone trip: sustainability, water rights, water conservation, water reuse, aquifer storage, water permit, future water needs, surface water, dye test, sinkhole, and hiking. How much water can we pump without affecting springs and existing wells?

Wrap-up and Work day on campus