Handbook home
Groundwater Hydrology (ENEN90030)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Prof Stephan Matthai
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
AIMS
This subject covers theoretical and practical aspects of groundwater flow, and groundwater contaminant transport. The subject includes the field methods to characterise aquifers, the modelling of groundwater flow, and transport of, pollutants through porous media and reactions. The subject takes students fundamental knowledge of advanced differential calculus and flow processes and applies them to movement of pollutants in groundwater systems. Techniques learnt in this course may be applied in capstone design and research projects.
Concepts and techniques learnt in the subject are directly applicable to contemporary industry issues such contaminant movement through soils from poor historical industrial practice, the design and performance prediction of containment structures such as sanitary landfills or carbon dioxide geo-sequestration projects. The growth of manipulation of geological strata for coal seam gas extraction is another burgeoning area of industrial application of the learning of this subject.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Specific topics include:
- Groundwater flow in saturated aquifer systems
- Characterisation of acquifer systems using various hydraulic tests
- Numerical solution of groundwater flow
- Groundwater flow in the vadose zone
- Characterisation of unconfined aquifer systems
- Mass transport in saturated media
- Transformation, retardation and attenuation of solutes
- Organic/inorganic compounds in groundwater
- Nonaqueous-phase liquids in groundwater
- Introduction to site remediation.
Intended learning outcomes
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILO)
On completion of this subject the student is expected to:
- Design hydrogeological tests to obtain basic aquifer parameters
- Compute groundwater flow and contaminant transport in porous media
- Identify major sources and types of groundwater contamination
- Recognize chemical reactions and biodegradation of groundwater contaminants
- Quantitatively assess the fate of contaminants via modelling
- Design basic site remediation.
Generic skills
- Ability to apply knowledge of science and engineering fundamentals
- Ability to undertake problem identification, formulation, and solution
- Proficiency in engineering design
- Ability to conduct an engineering project.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
Students cannot enrol in and gain credit for this subject and:
421-491 Quantification of Physical Processes B
OR
CVEN90014 Hydrological Processess 2
Recommended background knowledge
Knowledge from the following subjects will assist with learning in this subject:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ENEN90031 | Quantitative Environmental Modelling | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
MAST20029 | Engineering Mathematics |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Three reports requiring approximately 80 hours of work (Intended Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 5 and 6)
| Throughout the semester | 64% |
Three 20-minute quizzes (ILOs 1 to 5)
| Throughout the semester | 6% |
Examination (ILOs 1 to 6)
| During the examination period | 30% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Stephan Matthai Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 60 hours (Lectures: 48 hours per semester; Laboratory Sessions: 6 hours per semester; Tutorials: 6 hours per semester) Total time commitment 200 hours Teaching period 4 March 2019 to 2 June 2019 Last self-enrol date 15 March 2019 Census date 31 March 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 10 May 2019 Assessment period ends 28 June 2019 Semester 1 contact information
Prof Stephan Matthai
Time commitment details
200 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Recommended texts and other resources
Fetter C.W. (2000). Applied Hydrogeology. Prentice Hall.
Fetter C.W. (2008). Contaminant Hydrogeology. Waveland Pr Inc.
Freeze R. A. and Cherry J. A. (1979). Groundwater. Prentice Hall. - Subject notes
LEARNING AND TEACHING METHODS
Key analysis methods are introduced in lectures, which are then followed up in tutorial and computer based exercises.
INDICATIVE KEY LEARNING RESOURCES
MODFLOW Software
Analysis Toolpak of MS Excel.
Fetter C.W. (2001). Applied hydrogeology. Upper Saddle River, N. J: Pearson Education.
Fetter C.W. (1999). Contaminant hydrogeology. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Prentice Hall.
CAREERS / INDUSTRY LINKS
This subject provides key skills for careers in contaminated site remediation and groundwater modelling. Data from real sites and industry standard software (MODFLOW) is used in the assignments. - Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Doctor of Philosophy - Engineering Course Master of Philosophy - Engineering Course Ph.D.- Engineering Course Master of Environmental Engineering Specialisation (formal) Civil Specialisation (formal) Environmental - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022