Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute

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Groundwater Research Continues in all Weather Conditions

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Fieldwork is the foundational core of the research carried out at Morwick G360. Real world sites offer the ability to capture comprehensive, high-resolution datasets about unique subsurface conditions, enabling us to better understand groundwater systems and contaminants, and devise more effective remediation techniques to keep our drinking water safe. In this way, fieldwork is and incredibly rewarding undertaking, but it can also be a challenge, especially when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Dr. Jonathan Munn braving the weather at Grayling Airfield.

This month, for example, at a research site at the Grayling Army Airfield, Michigan, where Morwick G360 researchers in collaboration with partners Arcadis and ENRX are testing new methods of measuring mass flux (the movement of contaminants across an area), an unexpectedly heavy snowfall blanketed the area. Dr. Jonathan Munn, who was heading out to the site, woke up to a message that:

“the site area received up to 12 inches (30.5 cm) of snow in the last 24 hours. Drive carefully – take it slow in ice and snow. Monday looks like it will be windy (13-20 mph), which really increases the chill factor on this site. Tuesday and Wednesday looks like temperatures will be pretty low (highs around 20F/-7C) with moderate winds. Dress warmly.”

With safety precautions taken, and shovels in hand, the wintery weather didn’t hold the team back or keep them from splicing a fibre optic network to run planned A-DTS tests to measure groundwater flow. Just another day in the field.

With the holidays just around the corner, we at Morwick G360 would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a happy new year and all the best in 2022. To send us off, Jon shared a couple more photos of, as he put it, the “winter wonderland.” Enjoy!

Equipment set up as snow squalls roll in.

Testing during cold weather.

Thank You to Aardvark Drilling for Supporting the Morwick Groundwater Research Centre

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We are happy to announce that Aardvark Drilling has made a substantial contribution to the development of the Morwick Groundwater Research Centre at the University of Guelph. With their help, we are building a world-class hub for groundwater research, training, and collaboration. When complete, the Centre will house classrooms, a rock core library, teaching wells, and technology demonstration displays, serving as a focal point and staging ground for Groundwater projects and student education.

Aardvark Drilling Inc. is a contractor with roots in the Guelph community. They have operations throughout Southern Ontario, Eastern Canada, and Bermuda. Since 2002, they have provided high quality drilling services, equipment, and expertise for a wide variety of projects. They employ over 20 people, and serve the public sector, private sector, and government projects alike. Aardvark and the Morwick G360 Institute have a long history of collaboration, working together on various projects in Wellington Region for over a decade. With this contribution, Aardvark demonstrate an ongoing commitment to evidence-based research, hands-on training, and collaborative, sustainable best practices in the field.

The Morwick Groundwater Research Centre is now nearing three-quarters of our fundraising goal, and there are more opportunities available to support this endeavour. Contact us or visit https://www.uoguelph.ca/ceps/water-protection to learn more.

Morwick G360 extends a warm thank you to Aardvark Drilling Inc. for their valuable gift in support of the project.

The Morwick Groundwater Research Centre wins Learning by Design’s “Outstanding Project Award”

Posted by on in Announcements, Awards

Last June, the MG360 Institute launched a campaign to build the Morwick Groundwater Research Centre (MGRC), a cutting-edge hub for groundwater studies at the University of Guelph. The campaign kicked off with an initial donation from Ted Morwick, and is now over 60% of the way towards achieving its goal. We invite and encourage people to connect with us to help meet our fundraising target, and are excited about what the MGRC will offer as a space to showcase new technologies, carry out valuable research, and to train the next generation of groundwater science professionals.

Today, we are excited to share that the MGRC has won an “Outstanding Project Award” from Learning By Design, whose Architectural and Interior Design Awards of Excellence program recognizes exceptional educational spaces.

Learning-by-Design-Magazine-Award-for-MGRCDownload

Designed by WalterFedy architects, the MGRC will be built on the same footprint as the existing Bedrock Aquifer Field Facility, minimizing the environmental impact of the renovations. The Learning By Design committee stated that when complete, the MGRC will be “a modern learning environment that exhibits many design attributes that others may emulate.” In particular, the judges indicated that “the Net Zero Carbon approach is commendable, something for which the community can be grateful for, which benefits society as a whole. Preserving the existing barn is tremendously beneficial to the environment, as are the other measures indicated. Exposed structure becomes a theme and a point of continuity between program spaces. The building is appropriately scaled and reflects the nature of the earth-science focus.”

Rendering of the MGRC exterior.

The finished MGRC will be a multi-functional space. It will house two classrooms that can become a larger room for conferences, and a two-story transparent groundwater well in which downhole instruments will be demonstrated. An onsite borehole into the underlying bedrock aquifer will provide a unique hands-on teaching tool, linking lectures to real-world demonstrations. In addition, a rock wall in the atrium will replicate the Silurian dolostone sequence and formation, typical of the local bedrock aquifer used by the City of Guelph for municipal, commercial, and industrial water supply. The MRGC will also house a rock core library, enabling students and professionals to put their research methods to the test. All together, these features will make the MGRC a world-class facility for research, technology demonstration, education, and public outreach. Groundwater is a vital resource to Canadians and to communities across the globe, and the research carried out at the MGRC will help ensure its sustainable future.

The Learning by Design recognition is an exciting affirmation of the value that the MGRC will bring to students, researchers, partners, and the community, and we are keen to keep the campaign momentum going. You can stay tuned to our blog for future updates, learn more about the MGRC here, or reach out to us directly about ways to help our campaign.

Rendering of the MGRC classrooms.
Rendering of the MGRC atrium with the Silurian dolostone rock wall.

Dr. Ferdinando Manna and Dr. Jonathan Munn join Morwick G360’s team of Principal Investigators

Posted by on in Announcements

Morwick G360’s mission to enable evidence-based stewardship of the world’s groundwater resources is only possible through high-quality, collaborative field research programs. Today, we are please to welcome two new colleagues to the Institute who will help carry out that research. Dr. Ferdinando Manna (left) and Dr. Jonathan Munn (right) have both received five year appointments as Assistant Professors in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph, and join the Institute as Principal Investigators. These familiar faces – both were Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Scientists with MG360 previously – will play a key role in advancing groundwater science and sustainability at the University of Guelph in the years ahead.

Dr. Manna is a groundwater hydrologist with expertise in the assessment of groundwater recharge rates in fractured rock. He studies hydrological processes occurring across the critical zone from the atmosphere to the water table in fractured aquifers, especially in regions with seasonally dry or semi-arid climates. For example, Dr. Manna has studied recharge conditions in the southern Apennine mountains – the main source of drinking water for southern Italy – measuring long term climate variability and water table fluctuations. Dr. Manna’s approach includes combining field research – physical and chemical observations – with numerical modelling at different temporal and spatial scales.

Dr. Munn is a contaminant hydrogeologist who specializes in the characterization of bedrock aquifers. He applies various sensor-based field techniques to measure flow system properties at a range of scales. He has carried out field research in the City of Guelph and surrounding area, designing and installing monitoring wells and characterizing hydrogeological units to better understand the bedrock aquifers that supply the region with drinking water. Dr. Munn brings with him a wealth of knowledge regarding multilevel monitoring systems and innovative approaches for measuring groundwater contaminants to inform remediation techniques.

We are excited to have both of these exceptional researchers on board, and are eager to build momentum together towards a better understanding of groundwater resources and sustainability. Please join us in wishing Dr. Manna and Dr. Munn all the best as they begin their new roles with Morwick G360 and the University of Guelph.

Remembering Michael MacCarthy

Posted by on in Announcements, Uncategorized

Morwick G360 is saddened by the loss of our good colleague and friend Dr. Michael MacCarthy. We would like to take a moment to honour his legacy and celebrate his many achievements. Mike was an Associate Professor in Environmental & Civil Engineering at Mercer University, and a Special Graduate Faculty at the University of Guelph (Canada). He was an Associate Editor & Member of the Editorial Board for the Hydrogeology Journal (International Association of Hydrogeologists), and in 2019 received the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Southeastern Section’s Outstanding New Faculty Research Award.

Mike led the Engineering for Development program at Mercer University, designed to help students become leaders in finding sustainable solutions for the environment and to improve the lives of under-served people. Through this program, Mike joined with MG360 to help maintain cost-effective, sustainable sources of drinking water in developing communities around the world. Mike worked with MG360 faculty and students to create the Spring Wells Project, which monitors contamination levels and water quality in mountain springs around cities in the San Juan province of the Dominican Republic. Research here will provide valuable data to ensure the sustainability of drinking water sources in mountain communities worldwide. The project is a clear example of the meaningful work Mike carried out during his career.

In addition to performing research with real-world humanitarian impact, Mike also served as a mentor to graduate students here at MG360 and the University of Guelph, and will be remembered for his care, and his commitment to training the next generation of researchers dedicated to a sustainable future for all. We at Morwick G360 mourn the loss of this exceptional individual. He will be remembered fondly by colleagues, friends, students, staff, and all who knew him.

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