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GROUNDWATER
Module Activites
Only a Drop to Drink On Earth
Water distribution on earth
Students demonstrate water distribution on Earth - the relative
volumes of salt water and freshwater (surface vs. groundwater included)
- and learn how very little is available for human use.
Porosity and Permeability of Soils
Porosity, permeability, water retention
Students learn about water movement through various soil and rock
materials
Porous Pots
Porosity, permeability, capillary action
Students observe how water can be absorbed through a clay pot
through capillary action, learning the characteristics of clay material
that allows water to seep through.
Saturated Soil
Infiltration, percolation
Students learn how different soil characteristics play important
roles on how fast water can be absorbed
Exploring Aquifers and Water Flow
Darcy effect, artesian well, hydraulic gradient
Students learn how water flows through an aquifer and determine
what effect a difference in elevation between the point of water
entry and the outflow from a well has on water flow within an artesian
well system.
A Grave Mistake
Arsenic in groundwater, groundwater movement, land use interaction.
Students plot data to determine a source of arsenic contamination
and determine possible actions for solving the problem
The Pucker Effect
Plume, groundwater contamination, groundwater movement
Students determine the origin of a toxic contaminant polluting the
drinking water or a community by learning about groundwater movement.
Groundwater Pollution and Spill Assessment
Plume, groundwater contamination, groundwater movement
Students will assess and solve a groundwater contamination problem
caused by an accidental spill of a pollutant in a simulated exercise
based on real world conditions.
Groundwater Flow Velocity (simulator
activity)
Flow, velocity, aquifer, hydraulic gradient, permeability, hydraulic
conductivity
Students will use the groundwater simulator to duplicate and
measure the velocity of groundwater.
Groundwater Discharge
(simulator activity)Discharge, recharge areas
Students determine discharge rates and velocity of water moving
through groundwater simulator
Hydraulic Gradient(simulator activity)
Hydraulic gradient, confined and unconfined aquifers
Students learn to calculate the hydraulic gradient for various regions
of the groundwater simulator
My Groundwater Dyed (simulator
activity)
Contaminants, plumes, aquifer, homogenous aquifer material
Students learn how contaminants behave in groundwater and how different
types of contaminants react with water and each other.
Wells, Wells, Wells (simulator
activity)
Water levels in wells, total head, transition areas, potentiometric
surface, piezometeric surfaces
Students calculate static water levels of wells in simulator, learn
the cause of different levels, and determine the potentiometric
surface.
The Wells Are Contaminated (simulator
activity)
Contamination, remediation
Students explore the effects of contaminated wells or pollution
spills on groundwater, and research various methods of groundwater
pollution remediation.
Groundwater
Websites
EPA
Guide to Groundwater Protection
Hamilton to New Baltimore
Groundwater Consortium
The Groundwater
Foundation
Center
for Groundwater Studies: Groundwater Information
USGS Groundwater
Pennsylvania's
Cool Resource (DEP)
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