GEO4190 ¨C Hydrogeology

Course content

This course teaches the physical processes that control the flow of water in the subsurface, surface-water groundwater interactions, transport of solutes, and well hydraulics. It aims to give students a sound understanding of how water moves in the subsurface, including soil and groundwater flow. It prepares students on topics related to groundwater production, remediation of polluted soils and industrial sites, mine drainage and landfill drainage, management of wastewater, land planning, shallow geothermal energy, exploitation of tunnels, and hydroelectricity.

The teaching focuses on a physical understanding of key processes in the hydrogeological cycle that control the state and movement of water in the subsurface. The knowledge gained will serve as a basis for addressing practical aspects such as: how to apply common and advanced techniques in hydrogeology, how to solve practical problems, and which tools can be used in each case. Analytical and numerical models are applied and benchmarked software will be used to model groundwater flow and transport of solutes.

Learning outcome

After taking this course, you will be able to

• describe the characteristics of groundwater flow in porous and fractured aquifers
• identify and measure aquifer properties and their effects on groundwater flow
• calculate groundwater recharge, flow and discharge
• use physics-based equations that describe flow in the unsaturated zone, groundwater flow under natural conditions, and around a pumping well, the flow of immiscible fluids, contaminant transport, retardation of chemicals in groundwater, and heterogeneities of underground flow
• decide on appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods commonly used in physical hydrogeology (e.g. piezometric maps, conceptual and numerical models aquifers, analytical solutions for groundwater flow, multiphase flow, interpretation of pumping tests)
• read and present results from the scientific literature in hydrogeology
• become an independent user of existing software modelling groundwater

Admission to the course

Students admitted at UiO must?apply for courses?in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other master's degree programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may?apply to take this course as a single course student.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

The course?has a limited total capacity of a maximum of 17?students. If the number of applicants exceeds the course capacity, applicants will be ranked in the following order:

1. Master's students in Geosciences admitted to one of the?following programme options?(not prioritized order):

   • Water and Climate (programme option)

   • Environmental Geosciences, Geohazards, and Geomatics (programme option)

2. Other master's students in Geosciences

3. Master¡¯s level exchange students and other master¡¯s level students at the MN Faculty

4. Single course students on master¡¯s level

Applicants will be ranked by the number of ECTS-credits within each category:?all applicants within category 1 are ranked before applicants in category 2. If there are space limitations in the course, available places will be given to students selected randomly.

Recommended previous knowledge

• Bachelor's degree in Geosciences or Applied Mathematics

Overlapping courses

• 4 credits overlap with GEO3020 ¨C Soil- and groundwater (discontinued).

Teaching

Teaching consists of 2 x 2 hours of lectures per week and practicals up to 3 hours a week. Active participation is expected of the students. There are teaching activities which count towards the final grade. These include:

• Two compulsory sessions of laboratory experiments of groundwater flow, with the submission of a report from the experiments in the lab.
• Around seven sessions of numerical modelling of groundwater flow and transport of solutes, with the submission of a report and an oral presentation.

Digital learning modules are available for several of the topics included in the course.

Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the course responsible.

We reserve the right to change the teaching?form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.

Examination

• One oral presentation of an article in the subject field counts 20% towards the final grade.
• One written report on laboratory experiments counts 30% towards the final grade.
• One written report of a modelling assignment which shall also be presented orally counts 50% towards the final grade.
• Both the 2 written reports and the oral presentation must be passed separately in order to pass the course.

Assignments in the two first bullet points?will be due during the course of the semester, whereas?the 4th bullet point will be due at the end of the semester.

When writing your exercises make sure to familiarize yourself with the rules for use of sources and citations. Breach of these rules may lead to suspicion of attempted cheating.

Examination support material

Approved calculator

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• How to use AI as a student
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.