Hidrogeologia

Code:

EC5287

Acronym:

HGE

Instance: 2006/2007 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Hydraulics, Water Resources and Environment Division
Course/CS Responsible:	Civil Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
LEC	0	Plano de estudos de transição para 2006/07	5	5	5	-
MIEC	0	Plano de estudos de transição para 2006/07	5	-	5	-

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Groundwater is an important component of the hydrological cycle. Nevertheless, teaching and practice of Civil Engineering have been traditionally focused on the study, and use, of surface water. However, the growing relevance of groundwater issues — being either the dimension of the existing reserves, and/or the over exploitation and contamination of these reserves — justifies a major attention to the whole set of issues that embody the Hydrogeology (or Subsurface Hydrology).

Groundwater science is a highly multidisciplinary field, with contributions from several areas of knowledge: Geology, Environmental Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Resources Management, etc. Consequently, its study demands teams with experts from different areas, in which those with a sound education on relevant issues, and a fair knowledge on the others, will play a leading role. This course on Hidrogeologia (Hydrogeology) is intended to provide the students with a solid formation on Groundwater Hydraulics and Groundwater Transport as well as to introduce them to the legal framework of exploitation and management of groundwater.

Program

Chapter 1: Basic concepts
- Definitions
- Types of aquifers
- Hydrogeological parameters
- Brief description of the components of the hydrologic cycle related to groundwater
Chapter 2: Groundwater hydraulics (theory of groundwater flow in porous, karstic and fractured media)
- Continuity equation in a porous media (macroscopic definition of the variables)
- Darcy law
- Generalised Darcy law (Navier-Stokes equations in a porous media)
- Differential equation of flow in a regional porous unconfined aquifer
- Differential equation of flow in a regional porous confined aquifer
- Modelling groundwater flow. Numerical integration of the differential equations by the finite element method — a brief introduction
- Uncertainty associated to groundwater modelling — a stochastic approach (brief introduction to Geostatistics as a methodology to estimate hydrogeological parameters; Monte-Carlo method simulations; perturbation method)
Chapter 3: Well hydraulics
- Definitions
- Hydraulics of pumping (or recharge) wells
- Pumping tests (well behaviour characterisation; aquifer characterisation; quantification of hydrogeological properties)
Chapter 4: Notions of hydrogeochemistry
- Definitions and concepts (types of contaminants; groundwater remediation)
- Solute transport in porous media (non-reactive substances; reactive substances)
- Well protection (capture zone; well protection perimeter)
Chapter 5: Exploitation and management of groundwater
- Legal framework

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lectures on the concepts, principles and theory concerning two groundwater phenomena: flow and transport. Demonstration of the most relevant governing equations.
Tutorial classes focused on problem solving with the help of numerical models.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Examinations or Special Assignments

Practical assignment: resolution of a proposed problem with a numerical (computational) model of groundwater flow and/or transport.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

In accordance with FEUP assessment regulations.

Classification improvement

In accordance with FEUP assessment regulations.

Observations

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Estimated working time out of classes: 3 hours