FIELD LABORATORIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY

ALLEN, Timothy T., Dept. of Geology, Mailstop 2001, Keene State College, Keene, NH 03435-2001, tallen@keene.edu

Field studies of hydrogeology at Keene State College began with the discovery of a test well installed during a ground-water exploration program commissioned by the City of Keene, which happens to be located on property now owned by the College. The well taps a confined aquifer in stratified glacial drift 140 feet below the surface. Since it was decided not to develop the aquifer as a water supply, my students and I were given permission to use the well in our studies. We have since constructed and installed ourselves several shallow piezometers and water-table wells. In addition, the Ashuleot river runs through campus, which together with associated wetlands and ponds, provides plenty of opportunity for the study of surface water/ground water interactions. These facilities, with a minimum investment in equipment, have been used for student research and field-based laboratories in my courses, notably an upper-level Environmental Geology course as well as a standard introductory physical Hydrogeology course.

The Environmental Geology course includes a mix of students majoring in Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, and Geology. My approach in this course is to look at the geological, geophysical, and hydrological tools and techniques that geoscientists use to gather information about the environment--both how they work but also what their limitations are. The field-based laboratory includes introductions to geologic mapping and geophysical exploration, among other topics, as well as several hydrogeologic exercises--testing soil infiltration rates, monitoring ground water levels, collecting ground water samples, and measuring the discharge of the river.

While a formal laboratory section has not yet been a part of the Hydrogeology course (which is offered less frequently than Environmental Geology), I plan to add such a lab based on my experience with the Environmental Geology lab. Additional exercises will include aquifer testing, as well as more detailed hydrologic monitoring and hydrogeologic mapping.

1998 Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 30(7): A306.

The full paper was presented at the 1998 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting held in Toronto, Canada, October 25-29, 1998.