Geology 323: Hydrology- Spring 2009

Instructor:

Dan Karner, 124 Darwin Hall.

Email: karner@sonoma.edu

Webpage: http://www.sonoma.edu/users/k/karner

664-2854 (note that I rarely check for phone messages)

Course Format:

Monday and Wednesday lectures, 4-5:15. Lectures will be supplemented with required reading and problem sets.

Field trips? Let’s discuss whether it’s possible to find a time.

If so- Sonoma County Water Agency? Sneak a peak at well drilling?

Required text:

Fetter, C. W., 2001, Applied Hydrogeology (4^th edition). Note: This is one book that you’ll want to keep forever. Do not even try to preserve it for resale. You should read this book with a highlighter in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. You should jot down notes in the margins. Equations derived in the text are extremely useful, and some I will expect you to know by heart.

Useful stuff: Scientific calculator and/or access to, and familiarity with, Excel (or some other graphing program).

Prerequisites:

You should have a good understanding of algebra, trigonometry, and dimensional analysis. If that part of your brain has become out of shape, the problem sets will help build it back up. I recommend that you discuss problem sets with your classmates- work separately but parallel.

Special note: Much of the business of calculus was developed to model groundwater flow. Calculus, which involves calculating the rates of change, will be discussed to provide you with application and context to this complex topic.

Course Objective:

Objective #1: Survival. I am optimistic that we will accomplish this objective. This is my second try at teaching hydrology. Fortunately, my predecessor was not a hydrologist either! This course will present a steep learning curve for me, as it will for you. College is a place where you learn how to become proficient with unsupervised learning; this course will give you that opportunity.

Objective #2: To learn a lot! This course is designed to provide students from geology, environmental studies and planning and geography with an understanding of the hydrologic system, surface and groundwater hydrology, and the geologic controls that affect the flow of water through a porous medium. We will focus on issues that pertain to California hydrology, including present water supply, anticipated future water supply and demand, and on water quality.

Evaluation and Grades:

I will tend to be more liberal with my grading than the standard 90-100% = A, 80-90% = B….format. To first order I will assign grades based on performance relative to your peers, including attendance, participation in class, effort on homework, and test scores. I will gladly let you know your class ranking through the semester. Note however that if you all are doing very well, then I will give you all really high grades. If you are all doing very poorly, then I will give myself a poor grade! If you must miss an exam or assignment, notify me before the exercise is due so that we can make alternate arrangements. Late assignments will be marked down 10% for each class meeting past the due date. Missed exams must be made up at the time that we mutually agree to, but certainly no later than a week following the scheduled exam date. Failure to take an exam will result in a zero score for that exam. Grades will be assigned based on performance on the following assignments:

Assignments (homework): 20%

3 midterm exams: 20% each

Additional weighting to your highest exam score: 10%

Participation: 10%

Course Schedule Reading assignments

Week 1: Chapter 1 Water

Jan. 26: Introduction, Hydrologic Equation, Dimensional analysis.

Homework 1: Flow conversion and dimensional analysis: Due Feb. 2

Jan. 28: Physical properties of water: structure, phases, latent heat, chemical behavior.

Week 2: Chapter 2 Elements of the Hydrologic Cycle

Feb. 2: Hydrologic Cycle: A whole lotta new terms to describe movements of water through the hydrologic cycle. Meteorology- Atmospheric circulation: Hadley cells and Coriolis Force.

Feb. 4: Atmospheric circulation (continued). Atmospheric pressure: adiabatic warming and cooling. Evaporation: Heat source, humidity, temperature effects. Evaporation measurements: Evaportion pan, Nomograph, Lysimeter.

Homework 2: Evaporation exercise. Due Feb. 9

Week 3: Chapter 2 continued

Feb. 9: Precipitation: Effective depth of precipitation, Infiltration capacity, Arithmetic mean, Isohyetal method, Theissen Method

Feb. 11: Hydrographs: storm hydrograph, annual hydrograph, seasonal recession method, baseflow recession equation, Rational Equation.

Homework 3: Isohyetal map exercise: Due Feb. 18

Week 4: Chapter 2 (Continued)

Feb. 16: Presidents’ Day: No class.

Feb. 18: Streamflow measurement:, flow in channels, stream gauging, Manning Equation.

Homework 4: Theissen map exercise: Due February 25.

Week 5: Chapter 3: Properties of aquifers

Feb. 23: Physics: Equations of energy, porosity. Hydraulic conductivity: Darcy’s Law

Feb. 25: Intrinsic Permeability, transmissivity, permeameters

Week 6: Chapter 3 continued

March 2: Aquifer characteristics: Water Table, Ground water flow, Potentiametric surface

March 4: Midterm 1: Chapters 1-3.

Week 7: Chapter 4: Principles of Groundwater flow

March 9: Plate tectonic context for California Hydrology

March 11: hydraulic head, mechanical energy

Week 8: Chapter 4 continued

March 16: Darcy’s Law II: in terms of head and potential

March 18: Aquifers: confined and unconfined

Week 9: Chapter 5: Groundwater flow to wells

March 23: Intrinsic Permeability

March 25: Pressure head

Week 10: Chapter 5 continued

March 29: Western United States Hydrolgy

April 1: Well hydraulics

Week 11: Chapter 5 continued

April 6: Aquifer test design

April 8: Drawdown, subsidence, salt water intrusion

Week 12:

April 13: Spring Break

April 15: Spring Break

Week 13: Chapter 6: Soil moisture and Groundwater recharge , Chapter 7: Regional Groundwater flow

April 20: Soils, soils profiles, soil surveys, classification, infiltration and measurement

April 22: Midterm 2: Chapters 4,5

Week 14: Chapter 7 continued

April 27: Groundwater provinces of the US

April 29: Sonoma County Hydrology

Week 15: Groundwater chemistry

May 4: Chapter 9: Groundwater Chemistry

May 5: Chapter 9-10??

Week 16: California Water concerns

May 11: Water quality and contamination

May 13: Cadillac Desert

Final Exam = Midterm 3