8/29/2018 ENEN 621 Groundwater Hydrology

Lectures ~1-3

Topics to be covered

Overview of course materials and objectives

I. Introduction/Occurrence and Use of Groundwater

A. Hydrologic Cycle
B. Motivation for Studying
1. World water balance
2. Water use trends and sectors
3. Nature of some groundwater problems
C. Distribution of Groundwater
D. Subsurface Moisture Zones
E. Concept of Hydraulic Head
F. Aquifer types

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I. Introduction - Occurrence and Use of Groundwater

Readings: Chapters 1,2,4, Freeze and Cherry; USGS reports posted; NRC readings posted

A. The Hydrologic Cycle

1. Components

2. Flows within the hydrologic cycle (vol/time)

Scaled to precipitation over land, where 100 = 119,000 km3/yr

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B. Motivation for Studying

1. Importance of groundwater in the world water balance

2. Water use trends and sectors

a. World consumption and water use sectors worldwide (all countries)

(1) Water consumption worldwide

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 (2) Water use sectors worldwide

(3) Groundwater vs surface water withdrawals worldwide

What percentage of the water use is from groundwater vs surface water?

See http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/water_use/index.stm
for country of interest.

b. Water use in the US (322 bgd in US, 2015)

(1) Water sources

(a) Surface water vs groundwater

(b) Fresh vs saline

(2) Importance of groundwater in domestic supply

(a) public water supply

(b) self-supplied

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(3) Water use - U.S. sectors and trends

(a) Public supply (domestic, commercial, industrial)

(b) Rural domestic and livestock

(c) Irrigation

(d) Thermoelectric power

(e) Other (mining, aquaculture, self-supplied industrial)

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c. Baltimore water supply

(1) Municipal supply

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(2) Private wells

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ional Aeronautics and Space 3.
Administration
Nature of some groundwater problems
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
CIENCE SERVING SOCIETY: WATER
a. Water supply SCIENCEMANAGEMENT
- quantity SERVING SOCIETY: WATER MANAGEMENT
and quality

January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004

January 2004 February 2004 March 2004

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

SCIENCE SERVING SOCIETY: WATER MANAGEMENT

May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004
May 2004 June 2004 July 2004
January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004

The water stress indicator is the fraction of available water appropriated for use by
humans. Fractions greater than one indicate the use of fossil groundwater. Source:
http://www.grida.no/resources/5586

WATER MANAGEMENT
GRACE satellite data
September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004

May 2004
March 2004 September
2004 2004
June2004
April October
July 20042004 November
August 20042004

Water Layer Height (Departure from Average) in centimeters

-20 -15 August

-10 2004
-5 0 5 10 15 20 Water Layer Height (Departure from Average) in centim
July 2004
September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004
-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
The amount of water flowing through the Amazon Basin varies from month-to-month, and
can be monitored from space by looking at how it alters the Earth’s gravity field. This series
of images was produced using data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate The Experiment
amount of water flowing through
(GRACE) and shows month-by-month water mass changes (relative to a 3-year can average) over
be monitored from space by loo
the Amazon and 8 neighboring regions. Oranges, reds, and pinks show where gravity is lowerwas
of images than
produced using data
average; greens, blues, and purples show where gravity is higher than average.(GRACE)
The Amazonand has
shows month-by-mont
distinct rainy and dry seasons, and the seasons show up clearly in the monthly maps. Noticeand neighboring regions
the Amazon
also that the smaller Orinoco Basin to the north of the Amazon has a distinctly different
average;seasonal
greens, blues, and purples
b. Groundwater protection and remediation

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c. Groundwater control

d. Conjunctive use (aquifer storage and withdrawal; water banking)

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C. Distribution of groundwater

1. Major aquifers in the US

2. Regional

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D. Subsurface Moisture Zones and related definitions

1. Zone of saturation

2. Unsaturated (vadose) zone (OLD: zone of aeration)

3. Soil water zone

4. Phreatic surface (water table)

5. Capillary fringe

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6. Moisture content

a. Definitions

Volume of solids = Vs

Void volume = Vv

Bulk (total) volume = Vb

Vv volume of voids
e = void ratio (soil mechanics) = = [dimensionless]
Vs volume of solids

Vv volume of voids
n = total porosity = = [dimensionless]
Vb bulk (total) volume

volume of connected voids

ne = effective porosity = [dimensionless]
bulk (total) volume

Vw volume of water
q = moisture content = = [dimensionless]
Vb bulk (total) volume

ne < n generally

ne = n if all voids are connected

q = n when all voids are filled with water (saturated zone)

q < n when voids are partially filled with water (unsaturated zone)

θ V volume of water
S = degree of saturation = = w =
n Vv volume of voids

0≤S≤1

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b. Moisture content as a function of depth

c. Specific retention = qr

= residual moisture content

d. Irreducible moisture content = qi

e. Specific yield (drainable porosity)

volume of drainable water

Sy = [dimensionless]
bulk (total) volume

= n - qr

Sy < ne < n

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f. Specific yield, specific retention, and total porosity as a function of grain size

“well sorted” (more homogeneous) vs “poorly sorted” material

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E. Concept of hydraulic head (F&C, Fig. 2.5)

1. Definition

h=y+z h = hydraulic or piezometric head [L]

p
y= = pressure head [L] p = fluid pressure at a point [F/A]= [M/Lt2]
ρg

p = rg y + po po = atmospheric pressure

Often take po= 0 and work in terms of gage pressure (pressure above
atmospheric).

z = elevation head [L]

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2. Use of piezometers to determine flow direction (F&C, Fig 2.6)

a. Horizontal flow

b. Vertical flow

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3. Field Measurement devices

a. PVC well Screen

http://www.milbyco.com/elkridge-md
http://www.milbyco.com/drilling-supplies/screens/PVC

b. Water level measurement device (“E-tape”) for use in wells

http://www.solinst.com/products/level-measurement-devices/101-water-level-
meter/datasheet/

c. Logging pressure transducers

i. Level TROLL 500 Water Level Data Logger (High end, USGS spec)
http://www.in-situ.com/products/water-level-sensors/data-loggers/level-troll-
500-data-logger

Barometric correction is built in.

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ii. Hobo Water Level Logger by Onset

HOBO U20 Fresh Water Level Data Logger 13 feet - U20-001-04

http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/data-loggers/u20-001-04

HOBO U20 Water Level Data Logger 100-Foot Depth - U20-001-02

http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/data-loggers/u20-001-02

Length = 15 cm
Diameter = 2.46 cm

Need to deploy one also in air to make barometric correction.

iii. Micro-Diver by vanEssen

https://www.vanessen.com/products/water-level/micro-diver

Length = 8.8 cm
Diameter = 1.8 cm

A separate model is sold to deploy in air to use to make barometric correction.

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F. Aquifer types and related definitions - see Figure 2-4

1. Aquifer

2. Aquitard

3. Aquiclude

4. Aquifuge

5. Potentiometric (piezometric) surface

See Columbus example. (WRR, 1992)

6. Unconfined aquifer (= phreatic aquifer = water-table aquifer)

7. Confined aquifer

8. Artesian well (flowing well)

9. Perched aquifer

10. Saltwater/freshwater interface in coastal areas

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Boggs et al, 1992. Water Resources Research. 28 (12): 3281-3291.

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References

Barlow, Paul M. 2003. Ground water in fresh water-salt water environments of the
Atlantic Coast. US Geological Survey, Circular 1262.

Boggs et al, 1992. Field Study of Dispersion in a Heterogeneous Aquifer1. Overview and
Site Description. Water Resources Research. 28 (12): 3281-3291.

Dieter, C.A., M. A. Maupin, R.R. Caldwell, M.A. Harris, T. I. Ivahnenko, J.K. Lovelace,
N.L. Barber, and K.S. Linsey. 2018, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015:
U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 76 p.

Freeze A., and J. Cherry, Groundwater, Prentice Hall, 1979.

Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 1999, Land subsidence in the United
States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, 175 p.

Hornberger et al. Elements of Physical Hydrology. Johns Hopkins University Press,

1998 (1st ed) and 2014 (2nd ed).

National Research Council. 2000. Investigating Groundwater Systems on regional and

National Scales. National Academy Press, 2000.

Reilly, T.E., Dennehy, K.F., Alley, W.M., and Cunningham, W.L., 2008, Ground-Water
Availability in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1323, 70 p., also
available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1323/

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