Where Does All the Water Go?
Students examine groundwater flowCopyright Wikimedia Commons http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/AlapahaRiver2002.jpg/1280px-AlapahaRiver2002.jpg
The best way for students to understand how groundwater flows is to actually see it. In this activity, students learn the vocabulary associated with groundwater and see a demonstration of groundwater flow. Students learn about the measurements that environmental engineers need when creating a groundwater model of a chemical plume.
Environmental engineers develop methods to treat the water in aquifers to be suitable as a drinking water source. However, sometimes fertilizer, pesticide and pharmaceutical chemicals seep into the ground and contaminate aquifers. Environmental engineers use groundwater modeling to determine the source of the chemicals and how fast they are moving through the soil. They also determine the best way to treat the water for any contaminants.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Understand how water flows through the ground.
- Compare a groundwater model with what it represents.
- Find the velocity of groundwater flow through a model.
- Describe the role of engineers in the treatment of aquifers.