ES 212: Subsurface Hydrology

Graduate Course | 3 Units | Archive - Last Offered Spring 2025

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Course Description

Hydrologic and geologic factors controlling the occurrence and use of groundwater on regional and local scales. Physical, mathematical, geologic and engineering concepts fundamental to subsurface hydrologic processes. Introduction to ground-water flow and transport modeling. This advanced course covers theoretical and applied aspects of groundwater hydrology, including analytical and numerical methods for solving practical problems.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply fundamental principles of fluid flow in porous media to groundwater problems
• Solve analytical equations for steady and transient groundwater flow
• Design and analyze pumping tests for aquifer characterization
• Develop conceptual and numerical models of groundwater systems
• Evaluate contaminant transport processes in the subsurface
• Assess groundwater-surface water interactions and their implications
• Apply groundwater models to real-world water resource management problems

Course Topics

1. Fundamentals of Groundwater Flow
   • Darcy's Law and its limitations
   • Hydraulic head and groundwater flow equations
   • Aquifer properties: porosity, permeability, storativity
2. Hydrogeologic Settings
   • Geologic controls on groundwater occurrence
   • Confined, unconfined, and perched aquifers
   • Fractured rock and karst hydrology
3. Groundwater Flow Equations
   • Derivation of the groundwater flow equation
   • Boundary and initial conditions
   • Analytical solutions for simple geometries
4. Well Hydraulics
   • Steady radial flow to wells
   • Theis equation and transient well hydraulics
   • Multiple well systems and image well theory
5. Pumping Test Analysis
   • Design of pumping tests
   • Curve matching techniques
   • Diagnostic plots and derivative analysis
6. Regional Groundwater Flow
   • Flow nets and graphical solutions
   • Recharge and discharge processes
   • Groundwater budgets and sustainability
7. Contaminant Transport
   • Advection, dispersion, and diffusion
   • Retardation and sorption processes
   • Reactive transport and biodegradation
8. Numerical Modeling
   • Finite difference methods
   • Introduction to MODFLOW
   • Model calibration and uncertainty analysis
9. Vadose Zone Hydrology
   • Unsaturated flow theory
   • Richards equation and solutions
   • Preferential flow and transport
10. Special Topics
    • Seawater intrusion
    • Managed aquifer recharge
    • Groundwater-ecosystem interactions

Course Requirements

• Class Participation: 10%
• Homework Assignments (6): 30%
• Midterm Exam: 20%
• Modeling Project: 20%
• Final Exam or Paper: 20%

Required Texts

• Freeze, R.A. and Cherry, J.A. (1979). Groundwater. Prentice Hall.
• Fetter, C.W. (2018). Applied Hydrogeology (4th Edition). Pearson.
• Anderson, M.P., Woessner, W.W., and Hunt, R.J. (2015). Applied Groundwater Modeling (2nd Edition). Academic Press.

Prerequisites

ES 110 or ESS 110 (Hydrology) or equivalent, MATH 23 (Vector Calculus), and MATH 24 (Linear Algebra and Differential Equations), or consent of instructor. Programming experience (Python, MATLAB, or R) is beneficial.

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Course Schedule

Week	Topic	Readings	Assignments
Week 1	Introduction & Darcy's Law	Freeze & Cherry Ch. 1-2	-
Week 2	Hydraulic Head & Flow Equations	Freeze & Cherry Ch. 2	HW 1 Assigned
Week 3	Hydrogeologic Settings	Fetter Ch. 3-4	-
Week 4	Groundwater Flow Equations	Freeze & Cherry Ch. 2.11	HW 1 Due, HW 2 Assigned
Week 5	Analytical Solutions	Selected Papers	-
Week 6	Well Hydraulics - Steady State	Fetter Ch. 5	HW 2 Due, HW 3 Assigned
Week 7	Well Hydraulics - Transient	Fetter Ch. 5	Project Proposal Due
Week 8	Pumping Test Analysis	Kruseman & de Ridder	HW 3 Due
Week 9	Midterm Exam	-	Midterm Exam
Week 10	Regional Flow Systems	Freeze & Cherry Ch. 5-6	HW 4 Assigned
Week 11	Contaminant Transport	Freeze & Cherry Ch. 9	-
Week 12	Reactive Transport	Selected Papers	HW 4 Due, HW 5 Assigned
Week 13	Numerical Methods & MODFLOW	Anderson et al. Ch. 2-4	-
Week 14	Model Calibration	Anderson et al. Ch. 8-9	HW 5 Due, HW 6 Assigned
Week 15	Vadose Zone Processes	Selected Readings	HW 6 Due
Week 16	Project Presentations	-	Final Projects Due
Finals Week	Final Exam or Paper	-	Final Exam/Paper Due

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Modeling Project

Each student will complete a comprehensive groundwater modeling project that involves:

• Conceptual model development for a real groundwater system
• Data collection and analysis
• Numerical model construction using MODFLOW or similar software
• Model calibration and sensitivity analysis
• Predictive simulations for management scenarios
• Written report and oral presentation

Professional Development

This course includes professional development components such as:

• Technical report writing
• Peer review exercises
• Professional presentation skills
• Introduction to consulting practices in hydrogeology
• Guest lectures from practicing hydrogeologists

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Course Policies

Academic Integrity

All work must be original. Collaboration is encouraged on homework, but each student must submit their own solutions. The modeling project must be individual work unless otherwise specified.

Late Policy

Late assignments will be penalized 10% per day. Extensions may be granted for documented emergencies.

Computing Resources

Students will have access to the computer lab with necessary software. Personal laptops are encouraged for modeling work.

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Note: This is an archived course last offered in Spring 2025. For current groundwater-related courses, please see ES 280 (Advanced Hydrology) or contact the department.