The course intends to train participants up to the level that data collection and monitoring tasks can be individually performed. The course will teach the participants the principles of groundwater data collection and monitoring and the use of software to process and analyse the information.

The experiences of data collection and monitoring will be obtained through a series of lectures, hands-on training in class exercises and computer workshops.

Learning objectives

On the conclusion of this course, the participant should:

Know how to carry out groundwater data collection and analyses procedures relating to hydrogeological mapping and well inventories, surface geophysics, exploration drilling, well design, pumping tests and groundwater monitoring.
Be familiar with the most popular groundwater codes: GEWIN, AQUIFERTEST, FREQ and NETGRAPH.
Be able to visualise the application of data collection and monitoring techniques within the wider framework of groundwater studies.

Target group

The course is addressed to postgraduates and professionals in hydrogeology and water resources management: civil engineers, environmental engineers, geologists and hydrologists who are engaged in the investigation, management, and protection of groundwater resources.

Additional information

The following outline provides a summary of the content of the course and includes the main areas of instruction and a list with problems that will be addressed :

Introduction; Need for data collection and monitoring, Management and planning of surveys and networks
Available data and basic surveys; How to handle available data?, Hydrogeological interpretation of remote sensing data, Hydrogeological mapping and well inventories
Surface geophysical methods; Principles of geo-electrical surveying, Variable electrode distance techniques, Horizontal profiling, Hydrogeological interpretations
Exploration drilling; Selection of well sites, Drilling methods and their applicability, Geological and geophysical well logging; water quality sampling, Well design criteria and design methods, Well development
Pumping tests; Principles of pumping tests, Field guidelines and data processing, Preliminary interpretation, Analyses of constant yield tests
Introducing monitoring networks; Introduction, Basic concepts and procedures
Design of networks; Network density for estimating global mean, Monitoring of diffuse pollution, Monitoring of waste disposal sites, Network density graph, Determination of network density with Kriging, Determination of sampling frequency
Instructional problems; Preparation of hydrogeological maps and sections, Interpretation of a Schlumberger measurement (GEWIN), Preparation of a well log, Analytical analysis of a step-drawdown test, Analytical interpretation of constant yield tests (AQUITEST), Error analysis using Kriging (GEO-EASE), Designing an adequate network (NETGRAPH), Interpretation of time series and assessing sampling frequency (FREQ)