In an effort to better develop student understanding of essential hydrogeologic concepts, a hydrogeological field laboratory is being established. The field laboratory contains three shallow monitoring wells, three soil moisture samplers, and three tensiometers. A geotechnical consulting firm is installing the monitoring wells, and the project director is installing the remaining instrumentation. A portable field permeameter and a high-precision pump is being purchased for use at the field laboratory. Students enrolled in Hydrogeology are gathering data from the field laboratory each week as part of the laboratory component of the course. Among the laboratory activities the students are conducting are ground water sampling, soil water sampling, pump tests, slug tests, determination of unsaturated zone hydraulic conductivity, in situ permeability measurements, and shallow seismic refraction surveys. Hydrogeology laboratory exercises stress methods of collection, analysis, and interpretation of field data, as well as identification of sources of measurement error. Other courses that are using the field laboratory are Elements of Engineering Geology and Environmental Geology. Students wishing to undertake undergraduate research projects for credit are also conducting studies at the field laboratory. *
