Groundwater Processes and Resources (ERTH3250)

Course overview

The hydrologic cycle, water budgets and basic hydrologic processes. Physical properties of porous media and groundwater flow principles. Steady-state groundwater flow; transient groundwater flow, well hydraulics and groundwater resource evaluation and regional groundwater flow. Hydrogeochemistry and transport processes. All applied to current issues around groundwater and the hydrologic cycle.

The course is designed as a general introduction to hydrogeology. Itﾠcovers the basic principles of aquifer properties,ﾠgroundwater flow, groundwater chemistryﾠand contaminant hydrogeology.ﾠThe principles ofﾠfield and laboratory methods for water sampling and analysis will also be discussed.

The course is divided into three sections, with each section focusing on a specific topic.ﾠ

• Physical hydrogeology: In this part of the lecture series, the basic principles of hydrogeology, definitions and general understanding ofﾠthe hydrological cycle are covered. The physical properties of aquifer storage and permeability are discussed in relation to different rock types and hydrogeological conditions. The fundamental law of groundwater flow (Darcy's law), the equations of steady-state and transient groundwater flow are derived for the hydraulic conditions encountered above and below the water table.
• Chemical hydrogeology: In this part, the major hydrochemical processes of importance to groundwater are introduced. Interpretation techniques for combining data and defining hydrochemical types of groundwater are also discussed as part of an integrated approach to understand groundwater flow mechanisms. The basis for the application of environmental isotopes in groundwater investigations are discussed with emphasis given to groundwater source identification, origin of groundwater recharge and residence time estimationsﾠusing stable and radioactive isotopes of water. Contaminantﾠhydrogeology is part of chemical geology. Contaminant hydrogeologyﾠcovers water quality in terms of pollutants and contamination. Following a general introduction on the types and sources of pollutants, the principles of groundwater contaminant transport are then discussed in relation to non-reactive and reactive transport through homogeneous and heterogeneousﾠaquifer material. An overview of the major polluting activities and contaminants is provided. The lecture series concludes with a discussion on groundwater resources and environmentalﾠmanagement.
• Hydrogeophysics:ﾠIn this part of the course, we will learn the basics of some geophysical methods that are used in hydrogeology to understand the distribution of aquifers and aquitards, getting information on aquifer heterogeneity, understanding the water table and soil moisture. The main idea is to learn the theoretical background and how to apply these methods.ﾠ We will discuss techniques such as seismic, electrical resistivity tomography, ground penetrating radar and induced polarisation.ﾠ
• Practicals: Alongside the lectures will be practical sessions to demonstrate groundwater flow and groundwater chemistry.ﾠThe practicals include the discussion of case studies and exercises using maps and spreadsheet calculations.ﾠAt the end of the course, students will have gained sufficient knowledge to evaluate simple hydrogeological problems, evaluate sets of groundwater data and analyses, read and understand hydrogeological literature and reports, and appreciate the complexity of a hydrogeological investigation.
• Important: Course content might change due to circumstances beyond our control.ﾠ

Course requirements

Assumed background

Coursework in physics, chemistry, sedimentary geology and stratigraphy is also recommended, although enough background information will be provided so that students with limited geological training can successfully complete class assignments. However, a good understanding of the basic principles of geology is helpful. Typically, this is equivalent to having completed ERTH1501 (for Engineering students) or ERTH1000 (for Science students).

Similarly,ﾠenvironmental systems analysis, a solid background of inorganic chemistry and a working knowledge of calculus (MATH1050) through partial differential equations is helpful,ﾠbut not a pre-requisite for the course.

Students are advised, however, that groundwater hydrogeology is a quantitative field of study and this course will require manipulation and solution of mathematical relationships and relating chemical reactions to groundwater chemistryﾠthroughout the semester. Short reviews of basic chemistry principalsﾠwill be provided during the lectures.ﾠBasic Python skills can be useful, but keen learners are welcome.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Please refer to the course timetable information in mySI-net for the most up to date timetable and room information.

Aims and outcomes

This course is aimed at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in Engineering (Geomechanics) and Earth Sciences. It will provide knowledge of basic hydrogeology andﾠprocesses controlling water flow and water chemistry,ﾠbasic water sampling and testing of hydraulic parameters, andﾠfield and laboratory analytical techniques for water analysis.
ERTH3250 is strongly recommended for Geomechanics Engineering students, BSc Geological Sciencesﾠstudents,ﾠand students who intend to specialise in environmental science or environmental management.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

In-Semester Exam

• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination, Quiz

Weight

30%

Due date

16/04/2025 9:00 am

This in-semester exam will be on 16 April 2025 between 9:00am and 10:00am.

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications.

Hydrogeological Poster Session

• Team or group-based
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral, Written

Category

Poster, Project

Weight

40%

Due date

Poster Submission: 9/05/2025 5:00 pm

Poster Presentation: 16/05/2025 9:00 am

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

An electronic copy of your poster must be submitted by the due date via Turnitin on the course Blackboard site. It is recommended that students upload their report as a reduced size PDF (this helps to avoid upload issues into Turnitin).

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the available marks (assessment marked from value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 10% will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point your submission will receive a mark of zero (0) unless an extension has been approved. 

End of Semester Exam

• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination, Quiz

Weight

30%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Assessment Submission

• It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the on time, correct and complete submission of all assessment items.
• All written assessment must be submitted via the appropriate Turnitin submission portal, which can be found within the Blackboard site. You are responsible for ensuring that your submission is complete. It is wise to re-enter the Turnitin portal and confirm that your submission is there and that it has not been altered during the submission process.
• By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment”.
• In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

Turnitin

• All written assessment must be submitted via the appropriate Turnitin submission portal, which can be found within the Blackboard site. You are responsible for ensuring that your submission is complete. It is wise to re-enter the Turnitin portal and confirm that your submission is there and that it has not been altered during the submission process.ﾠ
• By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment”.ﾠ
• In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.ﾠ

Artificial Intelligence use (AI)

• The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT).
• Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Assessment/Attendance

• Please notify your Course Coordinator as soon as you become aware of any issue that may affect your ability to meet the assessment/attendance requirements of the course. Theﾠmy.UQﾠwebsite and the Electronic Course Profile (ECP) for your course also provide information about your course requirements, the rules associated with your courses and services offered by the University.

A note for repeating students in this course

• Any student who enrolls in a courseﾠmust notﾠbe given exemption or partial credit from their previous attempt(s) for any individual piece of assessment.ﾠInstead, the student must successfully complete all of the learning activities and assessment items within the study period of enrolmentﾠ(PPL Assessment - Procedures).
• If the same assessment item is set from one year to the next, repeating students are allowed to submit the same work they submitted in previous attempts at the course. Where possible SENV recommends that you use the feedback you received in your last attempt to improve parts of the item where you lost marks. Resubmission of an altered or unaltered assessment item by a repeating student (where the same assessment has been set) will not be considered as self-plagiarism.

Applications for Extensions to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum timeframe applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for timeframes. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total. If you are incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, you are advised to apply for Removal of Course.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

All the learning material presented in class will be available through the ERTH3250 Blackboard site.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.