1. Environmental forensics subject of National Ground Water Association course
An intermediate-to-advanced course on environmental forensics will be held September 19-20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by the National Ground Water Association.
Among the most important disciplines in environmental forensics — the multidisciplinary field of investigating how and when contamination occurred — are often chemistry and hydrogeology.
In this NGWA course, participants will learn about cross-discipline investigation methods, current contaminant-specific tools for the most common contaminants in groundwater, and experiences in sharing methods.
This course is best suited to:
- Consulting engineers and hydrogeologists
- Potentially responsible parties
- Regulators
- Attorneys whose practice includes environmental litigation
- University researchers
- Graduate students.
The course instructors are:
- Alan Jeffrey, Ph.D., the senior geochemist at DPRA/Zymax Forensics in Escondido, California
- Robert Morrison, Ph.D., an environmental consultant and cofounder of the International Society of Environmental Forensics
- Brian L. Murphy, Ph.D., who has more than 30 years experience in data analysis and mathematical modeling of pollutant fate and transport and editorial board member for the journal, Environmental Forensics.
To learn more about this course, as well as the many other NGWA educational programs, click on the “Events/Education” menu tab above or call 800 551.7379 (614 898.7791)
2.Conference to focus on fractured rock and Eastern groundwater issues
Groundwater professionals, policymakers, and regulators will discuss fractured rock-related groundwater issues in the Eastern U.S. at a September 26-27 conference conducted by the National Ground Water Association in Burlington, Vermont.
The New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Atlantic regions, as well as western segments of the United Kingdom, face the challenge of providing sufficient water supplies to meet public primary and secondary demands. Strategies include protecting existing groundwater supplies while developing alternative ones.
The “NGWA Focus Conference on Fractured Rick and Eastern Groundwater Regional Issues” will, among other things, compare characterization techniques and remedial solutions, explore policy initiatives regarding the fractured rock environment, and provide networking opportunities.
Sessions include:
- Hydrostratigraphy of crystalline rock aquifers
- Surface water/groundwater interaction
- Fate and transport of complex hydrocarbons in groundwater
- Sedimentary rock environments
- Geophysical measurements in fractured rock settings
- Naval Air Warfare Center
- Enhanced bioremediation of DNAPL in fractured rock.
The conference also offers exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities.
To learn more about this conference as well as the many other NGWA educational programs, click on the “Events/Education” menu tab above or call 800 551.7379 (614 898.7791).
3. Course explores hydrogeological principles of groundwater
A course examining the concepts, theories, and procedures in hydrogeology will be conducted by the National Ground Water Association on September 12-14 in Columbus, Ohio.
A range of issues will be discussed including movement and occurrence of groundwater, transmissivity, hydraulic head and gradient, aquifer test procedures and analysis, water-quality characterization, solute transport, plume configuration and delineation, capture zone analysis, groundwater modeling, and remediation techniques.
The curriculum has been strengthened to include more discussion on the principles and practice of groundwater remediation for hydrogeological site investigations. In-class exercises present and reinforce practical application of various mathematical formulae describing flow to wells. The course format consists of theoretical lectures, practical discussions, and hands-on exercises.
This course is best suited to:
- Those wanting to advance their knowledge of groundwater
- Persons seeking a refresher course on the principles of groundwater
- Professionals in other disciplines wanting to broaden their knowledge base in groundwater.
The instructors are:
- Scott Bair, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio State University, teaching water resources, hydrogeology, hydrogeologic field methods, and numerical modeling
- Thomas Naymik, Ph.D., a senior consultant with GeoSyntec Consultants Inc. in Columbus, Ohio.
To learn more about this course, as well as the many other NGWA educational programs, click on the “Events/Education” menu tab above or call 800 551.7379 (614 898.7791).
4. Conference to address groundwater and water supply issues amid urban growth
The National Ground Water Association is offering a conference August 8-9 in Los Angeles aimed at public- and private-sector professionals grappling with groundwater and water-supply issues in urban areas.
“Groundwater: Cities, Suburbs, and Growth Areas — Remedying the Past and Managing for the Future” will include four major topic areas: (1) competing needs, (2) legal and policy issues, (3) recharge and low-impact development, and (4) remediation.
Among those who will benefit from the conference are:
- City and municipal planners
- Local government administrators and policymakers
- Developers
- Stormwater and wastewater professionals
- Chambers of commerce, industry
- Regulators
- Academics
- Power generators and water utilities
- Consulting and engineering firms
- Bankers
- Transportation officials.
Invited and featured speakers will focus on the importance of planned development, alternative water resources, and highway construction/water resources.
To learn more about this conference as well as the many other NGWA educational programs, click on the “Events/Education” menu tab above or call 800 551.7379 (614 898.7791).
5. ‘New MODFLOW Course’ slated for September
“The New MODFLOW Course: Theory and Hands-on Applications,” will be held September 13-16 in Princeton, New Jersey, by the National Ground Water Association.
This four-day course presents the theory behind MODFLOW-2005 and its related programs — MODPATH, ZoneBudget, MT3D, RT3D — and illustrates the practical development of three-dimensional groundwater flow and transport models using Visual MODFLOW. The course introduces the modeling process including conceptual model development, numerical model implementation, model calibration, and model predictions. It alternates between lectures and laboratory exercises to illustrate the attributes and usefulness of MODFLOW-2005 using Visual MODFLOW Premium. WinPEST is also used to perform automated parameter estimation to evaluate the quality of model calibration.
Participants will spend two-and-a-half days of the four-day course using the computer to complete laboratory exercises. The course goes beyond introductory topics and provides advice on how to choose appropriate parameter distributions and model boundaries to develop defensible models of the groundwater system. Participants will gain a more complete understanding of the integration of GIS and Visual MODFLOW for the development of groundwater models and for the presentation of model results.
Groundwater resource applications that are covered include model calibration using groundwater heads and flows, comparison of MODFLOW solvers, new well development, and capture zone delineation. Contaminant transport topics include transport model development, model calibration to contaminant concentrations, source area design, choice of appropriate concentration boundary conditions, and comparison of transport solvers and three-dimensional visualization of flow and transport results.
In this course, participants will learn how to use:
- Visual MODFLOW for their three-dimensional groundwater flow and contaminant transport projects
- Three-dimensional numerical models with proper grid designs, parameterization, boundary conditions, and site hydrogeologic conceptualization
- Modeling results to observe field data (heads, flows, and concentrations)
- MODPATH to model three-dimensional particle tracking for capture zone delineation
- ZoneBudget to assess subregional water budgets within the model domain
- MT3D to model the natural attenuation of contaminants
- WinPEST to improve model calibration and assess uncertainty.
This course is appropriate for novice and experienced groundwater modeling professionals. The complete range of topics covered will provide the novice modeler with the knowledge base required for starting a project, while the advanced topics covered will provide experienced professionals with insight into better modeling practices. A background of basic knowledge of the theory and concepts of groundwater flow is required.
The course instructors are:
- Daniel Gomes, Schlumberger Water Services’ Sacramento operations manager. Prior to this position, Gomes was general manager of Waterloo Hydrogeologic Inc., a world leader in the development and applications of groundwater flow, transport software, and modeling.
- Robert “Bob” W. Cleary, Ph.D., currently a groundwater consultant and an adjunct professor in the groundwater program at the University of Waterloo. Considered one of the outstanding teachers in the field, he is a principal lecturer in NGWA’s MODFLOW course and Princeton Groundwater’s “The Groundwater Pollution and Hydrology Course” and “The Remediation Course.”
To learn more about this course, as well as the many other NGWA educational programs, click on the “Events/Education” menu tab above or call 800 551.7379 (614 898.7791).
NGWA, a nonprofit organization composed of 12,000 U.S. and international groundwater professionals — contractors, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, scientists, and engineers — is dedicated to advancing groundwater knowledge. NGWA’s vision is to be the leading groundwater association that advocates the responsible development, management, and use of water.