GLY 414/514: Hydrogeology			email Instructor	email TA
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Syllabus

Class Web Site:  http://www.geology.buffalo.edu/courses/gly414/
(please check for last minute changes)

Meeting Times:

Objectives:

Every year on this planet, tens of thousands of people die from either too much water (floods) or too little (drought).  The rest of us survive only because the water that we do drink is relatively clean.  The protection and exploitation of this most valuable of resources is entrusted, in part, to hydrogeologists.  This course is an introduction to the discipline of hydrogeology, in which we attempt to understand and control water in the Earth’s shallow subsurface.

Hydrogeology is a very quantitative discipline because ground water is only visible in small areas where it is expressed as streams and lakes (a hydrogeology field trip is like going to the submarine races).  Hydrogeologists rely heavily upon their understanding of geologic structure and morphology coupled with mathematical models to predict the occurrence and movement of subsurface water.  This course includes engineering students who are good at mathematical modeling, but have limited exposure to geology, and geology students who are usually in the opposite situation.  If you learn nothing else from this class you should learn how engineers and geologists communicate and cooperate to solve ground-water problems.  I will expect that all students have a basic understanding of calculus and can read a differential equation.

Registration Information:

This course is "cross-listed" as both undergraduate (GLY414) and graduate (GLY514) class. The primary difference is that the GLY514 students are expected to complete a project that they will present to the class. Regardless of which course you registered for, however, you will be required to attend and complete the laboratories and work together in the field and laboratory. 

Course Text:

Dominico, P.A and F.W. Schwartz, Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology, 2nd Ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1998.

Additional recommended texts from which I will draw are:

• Freeze, R. A. and J. A. Cherry, Groundwater, Prentice Hall, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1979.
• Fetter, C.W., Applied hydrogeology, 4th ed., Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1994.
• Charbeneau, R.J., Groundwater Hydraulics and Pollutant Transport, Prentice Hall, 2000.

Elements of the Course:

Lectures and Reading

Lectures and reading will be used to lay out basic concepts, provide a foundation for homework, and provide you with a sufficient "literacy" in hydrology to understand its scope and allow you to communicate intelligently with other hydrologists.  Your understanding of this material will be assessed in during the two exams.  Important concepts will be reinforced using homework assignments.

In-Class Assignments:

Occasionally, in-class assignments will be given to focus your attention or convey a topic that is not easily approached by lecture or homework.  These are not "pop-quizzes".  I will give you full warning when preparation before class is required for an assignment.  I do expect your best effort, however. Assignments may be graded so it is to your advantage to attend every class.  Please bring a calculator to class each day.

Laboratory:

The laboratory periods will consist of either hands-on activities or problem sets. Some activities will be in the field and others in NSC 880 or 858. You are encouraged to work together on all assignments, but are required to individually document the labs and work the problem sets. Chronic saprophytic behavior will not be tolerated.   These assignments are intended to give you the opportunity to process and apply the information given in class; most of your learning will come from homework and labs.  Please be aware that unless you understand the problem sets, there is little chance of succeeding on the exams.  I have particular expectations about the presentation format of the homework.  You will be provided with instructions with your first assignment. The laboratory is administered by the TA, who will provide you with a separate laboratory syllabus.

Project (514 only):

Students registered for 514 will be asked to prepare a short (5-10 page) research project. The results of this project will be presented to the class in 10 minute format. The topic of the project must be a ground-water contamination case. You must submit a 1 page project proposal to me for approval by Tuesday September 30.

Accessibility:

Students with special physical or learning needs have a right to and should expect full access to this course.  I will make any arrangements necessary to meet documented special needs. I must have sufficient advance notice to make these arrangements, however, so please make me aware of unusual circumstances as soon as possible.

Computer Access :

You will need a Science and Engineering Node Services (SENS) account to access the computers used for this class.  This account is separate from your CIT university account, and may be obtained by visiting the Help Desk in 101 Bell Hall. Address account problems to: accounts@nsm.buffalo.edu.

Lecture Attendance:

I expect that you will make it to class unless you are ill, or have notified me that you have other pressing matters.  You must be in class on the day in-class exercises are performed to receive credit (valid excuse or not).   There will be no makeup exams without a doctor's note.

Field Trip:

We will have a field trip sometime during October, to various hazardous waste and ground-water remediation sites in and around Niagara Falls.

Grading:

For purposes of grading, assignments will be weighted as follows:

Assignments will generally be corrected as percentages, and then converted to a letter grade at the end of the semester using the scale below.  You have until the end of the following semester to appeal a final grade.

Tentative Lecture Schedule:

Keep checking the web page for latest reading assignments, as I tend to change things around during the semester.

  There is no final exam.  Exam II will not be strictly comprehensive but will be held during the schedule final exam period.