Groundwater Hydraulics

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the course the students will:

1. Βe familiar with the basic properties of groundwater movement, understand Darcy’s law and its applications, know the basic hydraulic properties of groundwater aquifers such as hydraulic conductivity, permeability and porosity.
2. Θnderstand the basics of groundwater hydrology: groundwater distribution, aquifers and categories thereof. Confined and un-confined aquifers. Water table – groundwater level. Pumping and potentiometric surface.
3. Βe familiar with the graphical construction of groundwater flow networks and the concept of the water yielding capacity of a hydrogeological basin.
4. Βe able to do basic calculations with the help of specialized software programs in MATLAB.

 

General Competences

• Search for, analysis and synthesis of data and information
• Decision-making
• Working independently
• Team work
• Project planning and management
• Respect for the natural environment

 

SYLLABUS

Groundwater. Approach of the equivalent continuous medium. Groundwater hydraulics, steady and unsteady flow. Groundwater movement – Darcy’s law and hydraulic conductivity: hydraulic head, hydraulic gradient, Darcy’s experiment, Darcy’s law, hydraulic conductivity, permeability, transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity estimation (types of methods). The continuity equation for flow in groundwater aquifers. Horizontal groundwater flow equations. Heterogeneity and anisotropy. Groundwater hydrology: Groundwater distribution (aquifers, aquifer categories). Confined and unconfined aquifers. Water table- water level in well. Groundwater flow networks and water yield. Well hydrographs. Aquifer tests by well methods. The Cooper-Jacob method. Hydrogeological basin – Recharge – Discharge. Aquifer storage. Groundwater balance. One-dimensional flow. Steady flow into wells. Well radius of influence. Piezometry – Flow Networks: level variation, metering, potentiometric surface maps. Pumping and pumping tests. Critical pumping discharge. Over-pumping and consequences.

 

STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Theory
• Final exam, 70%
• Practical exercises, 30%

 

ATTACHED BIBLIOGRAPHY

In Greek:
1. Elements of Physical Hydrology, G. Hornberger et al., Translated in Greek by S.H. Karalis, Publisher DISIGMA, 2019.
2. Groundwater Hydraulics, D. Tolikas, Publisher Epikentro (In Greek)
3. General Hydrogeology, G. Soulios. (In Greek)

Related academic journals:
1. HYDROTECHNICA, Journal of the Hellenic Hydrotechnical Association
2. Water Science and Technology, IWA Publishing
3. Journal of Hydrogeology & Hydrologic Engineering.
4. International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology.