Well Field

Ten inch diameter drill bit mounted on the drilling rig is used to ream out the hole.

The Geology and Geography Department has recently completed the installation of a network of 6 monitoring wells. This well field consists of 3 well clusters, each cluster contains a deep and shallow well and each well is instrumented with a data logger that continuously records water level and temperature. Approximately $33,000 in funding for this project was obtained through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Course and Curriculum Development (CCD) and Instrument and Laboratory Improvement (ILI) programs and from matching Georgia Southern University contributions. The monitoring well network is intended for the instruction of both introductory environmental geology and upper division hydrogeology courses.

Four inch diameter PVC well casing being lowered into the ten inch diameter hole.

Using a water-level tape, introductory students will measure the water level in each of the wells by hand. By observing first hand that water levels vary vertically from aquifer to aquifer, students should develop a better understanding of how multiple "water tables" exist in the subsurface. The water level data will also allow them to determine the vertical and horizontal hydraulic gradients at the study area, thereby gaining insight as to how water moves both vertically and horizontally within the subsurface. Continuous data from the data loggers will enable them to observe how subsurface water levels vary over time. Students will also plot rainfall data, from the departments weather station, alongside the continuous water-level data so that they can see how unconfined and confined wells respond differently to specific rainfall events and long-term weather patterns. Finally, students will collect water samples and measure the hardness, dissolved oxygen content, pH, and temperature of the groundwater. From this data, they should gain a better understanding of how water chemistry can change from one aquifer to another and also through time. Upper division hydrogeology students will use the well field to perform aquifer tests and to explore the same concepts as the introductory students, but in much greater detail.