At the University of Guelph, two of our faculty, Dr. Beth Parker (Director of MG360), and Dr. Ferdinando Manna will be teaching in the Winter 2025 Semester:
ENGG 6760 Groundwater Flow Systems
Professor: Dr. Beth Parker Offered: Winter Semester (Odd years)
Course Description: Groundwater flow systems connect water recharged from rainfall and snowmelt through the ground and discharging at surface waters or wetlands, sustaining ecosystems and water supplies for communities, whether taken from wells or from surface water. Groundwater represents more than 97% of our available freshwater, sustaining surface water flows throughout the seasons and resilience to climate variability, however, groundwater systems are spatially complex and dynamic. Unlike the majority of ‘groundwater flow system’ courses that focus on the most transmissive zones (aquifers), this course also focuses on aquitards that play a key role in directing groundwater flow paths and rates and infrastructure support. This course provides an in-depth exploration of real-world groundwater systems using field studies conducted in a range of geologic environments and climates, offering students the opportunity to examine diverse data sets and measurement tools used by the profession to understand system conditions and quantify parameters needed to inform models. Familiarity with field/lab measurement techniques and data analysis methods prepares the engineer or scientist to address some of society’s most pressing challenges: managing legacy contaminated sites, protecting source water, building resilient cities with reliable underground infrastructure, reducing impacts from mining and energy extraction operations (i.e. geothermal, oil/gas) and effective waste disposal/isolation.
ENGG 6790 Special Topics: Tracers in Hydrogeology
Professor: Dr. Ferdinando Manna Offered: Winter Semester
Course Description: Curious about how water moves through the Earth’s critical zone, tracking rainfall infiltration through unsaturated zone and recharging shallow and deep groundwater? This course focuses on the use of tracers as powerful tools to understand water flow and transport through porous media and fractured aquifers. By using tracers, you’ll gain the ability to track, quantify, and better understand water movement in the unsaturated zone, assess groundwater recharge, and uncover how these processes inform groundwater quality and quantity, which in turn impact ecosystems and drinking water supplies. Moreover, this course dives into today’s most pressing global challenges related to groundwater. You’ll explore how climate change influences groundwater systems, assess the growing risks associated with groundwater depletion, and develop strategies for the sustainable management and protection of this vital resource.
For more information on groundwater focused and groundwater related courses offered at the University of Guelph, checkout this summary package: