Field Hydrogeology

Rick Brassington worked in the UK public water industry for some 24 years before moving into consultancy. He was employed at director level in three major companies before setting up his own consultancy in 1998. He has also been the Visiting Professor of Hydrogeology in the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Newcastle University since 2007.

• Preface to the Fifth Edition viiiPreface to the Fourth Edition ixAcknowledgements x1 Introduction 11.1 Groundwater Systems 11.2 Conceptual Model 41.3 Groundwater Computer Modelling 81.4 Hydrogeological Report Writing 91.5 Expert Witness 92 Desk Study 132.1 Defining the Area 132.2 Identifying the Aquifers 142.3 Groundwater Levels 152.4 Surface Water 172.5 Recharge 172.6 Groundwater Use 182.7 Groundwater Chemistry 182.8 Aerial Photographs and Satellite Imagery 192.9 Planning a Fieldwork Programme 203 Field Evaluation of Aquifers 233.1 Grain Size Analysis 233.2 Hydraulic Properties of Aquifers 253.3 Hydraulic Properties and Rock Types 273.4 Assessing Hydraulic Properties 333.5 Using Hydraulic Property Information 343.6 Recharge through the Vadose Zone 384 Groundwater Levels 454.1 Water Level Dippers 454.2 Continuous Water Level Recorders 484.3 Measuring Ground Levels and Locations 534.4 Tool-Box 564.5 Well Catalogue 574.6 Field Surveys for Wells, Boreholes and Springs 574.7 Interpretation of Abstraction Borehole Water Levels 62Case History 1 – Interpretation of Groundwater Strikes 664.8 Groundwater-Level Monitoring Networks 70Case History 2 – Groundwater-Level Interpretation 704.9 Groundwater-Level Fluctuations 714.10 Managing Groundwater-Level Data 784.11 Constructing Groundwater Contour Maps and Flow Nets 794.12 Interpretation of Contour Maps and Flow Nets 824.13 Using Other Groundwater Information 835 Rainfall, Springs and Streams 855.1 Precipitation 855.2 Evaporation 895.3 Springs 91Case History 3 – Measuring Flows with Low Heads 925.4 Stream-Flow Measurement 985.5 Stage–Discharge Relationships 1075.6 Choosing the Best Method 1095.7 Processing Flow Data 1096 Pumping Tests 1116.1 What Is a Pumping Test? 1116.2 Planning a Pumping Test 1126.3 Pumps and Pumping 1136.4 On-Site Measurements 1166.5 Pre-Test Monitoring 1216.6 Test Set-up 1216.7 Step Tests 1236.8 Constant Rate Tests 1236.9 Recovery Tests 1256.10 Pumping Test Analysis 1256.11 Tests on Single Boreholes 1346.12 Packer Tests 1377 Groundwater Chemistry 1417.1 Analytical Suites and Determinands 1417.2 Sampling Equipment 1427.3 Sampling Protocols 1537.4 Monitoring Networks 1607.5 Using Chemical Data 1618 Recharge Estimation 1658.1 Water Balance 1658.2 Rainfall Recharge 1678.3 Induced Recharge 1688.4 Other Sources of Recharge 1709 Specialist Techniques 1719.1 Borehole and Piezometer Installation 1719.2 Down-Hole Geophysics 177Case History 4 – The Use of Borehole Geophysics 1789.3 Using Artificial Tracers 181Case History 5 – The Use of Groundwater Tracers 18210 Practical Applications 18910.1 Borehole Prognoses 18910.2 Groundwater Supplies 19010.3 Wells in Shallow Aquifers 19510.4 Contaminated Land Investigations 19710.5 Landfills and Leachate 19810.6 Geothermal Energy 20110.7 Groundwater Lowering by Excavation 20210.8 Rising Water Tables 20610.9 Soakaways 20810.10 Investigating Wetland Hydrology 208Appendix A Good Working Practice 211A. 1 Safety Codes 211A1. 2 Safety Clothing and Equipment 211A1. 3 Distress Signals 212A1. 4 Exposure or Hypothermia 212A1. 5 Heat Exhaustion 213A1. 6 Working near Wells, Boreholes and Monitoring Piezometers 213A1. 7 Hygiene Precautions for Water Supplies 213A1. 8 Trial Pits 214A1. 9 Electrical Equipment 214A1.10 Filling Fuel Tanks 214A1.11 Waste Disposal Sites 214A1.12 Stream Flow Measurement 214Appendix B Conversion Factors 217References 219Index 225