Hydrogeology – Battle of Valley Forge 2017
Names:______
School:______
Team #:______
Part I: Part 1 is worth 30% of the total score for this event.
Please mark your answers clearly.
Multiple Choice
- _____ supports streamflow during non-storm periods.
- Base-flow
- Surface Flow
- Interflow
- Storm Flow
- Current Flow
- Springs are fed from ______.
- Base-flow
- Current Flow
- Surface Run-off
- Groundwater
- Transpiration
- The percentage of available freshwater is ______of the total water on the Earth.
- Less than 1%
- 2%
- 10%
- 86%
- 97%
- Which of the following does not impact the infiltration rate of water?
- The porosity/permeability of the soil
- The water table level
- The rate of precipitation
- The amount of pollution in a nearby stream
- None of the Above; All of the answers do impact the infiltration rate of water
- Which is formed when a section of impermeable rock forces groundwater to move laterally and emerge on the surface of the Earth?
- An aquifer
- A geyser
- A well
- A spring
- A superfund
- The best groundwater reservoirs have ______?
- Low permeability and low porosity
- Low permeability and high porosity
- High permeability and low porosity
- High permeability and high porosity
- Both A & B – porosity is not relevant
- The lowering effect on the water table about the base of the well stem is called a(n):
- Aquitard
- Aquilude
- Artesian surface
- Spleothem
- Cone of depression
- A local water table positioned above the regional water table is described to be ______.
- Perched
- Stranded
- Displaced
- Conductive
- Depressed
- Most caves, especially around Pennsylvania, form in what type of rock?
- Granite
- Shale
- Wackeys
- Sandstone
- Limestone
- What type of rock is most likely to work as a confining layer?
- Granite
- Shale
- Conglomerate
- Sandstone
- Limestone
- Cleaning groundwater is more difficult than cleaning surface water because….
- The soil around the aquifer must also be cleaned to avoid recontamination
- The groundwater is harder to access
- Chemicals cannot be used to treat groundwater
- All of the above
- A & B
- Which of the following is not and nonpoint source of pollution?
- Herbicides
- Acid drainage from abandoned mines
- Excess sediment from eroding streambanks
- Wastewater treatment discharge
- Rock salt run-off from winter road treatment
- Which of these is not an in-situ method of remediation?
- Air Sparging
- Pump and Treat
- Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs)
- Thermal Treatment
- Hydrofracturing
- Which of these is the largest aquifer in America?
- Ogallala Aquifer
- Edwards Aquifer
- Mahomet Aquifer
- Kirkwood-Conhansey (Kirkcon) Aquifer
- Freddie Mercury Aquifer
- What is not a component of hydraulic head?
- Pressure head
- Elevation head
- Table head
- Velocity head
Part II: Part II is worth 10% of the total score for this event.
Please note: Your answers will be turned in online for this portion of the event. It is a good idea to write down your calculated values as you work through the Hydrology Challenge just in case there are computer issues.
Directions:
- Students will use the Deuel Springs Regional to answer the questions posed with respect to Flow Direction, Gradient, and Horizontal Velocity.
- Use the following URL for the TEST and SUBMISSION.
Official URL
Shortcut URL
**Please submit your answers to Valley Forge Invite**
- You MUST use wells A, C, E for Part II. Make sure you are always using the correct wells for this portion.
- When submitting your answers, use the following format in the pop-up.
- Name: Team #, School, Your names
- EX. Team 99Z, State College High School, Joey Smith & Johnney Smith
- Location: Valley Forge Invite
- Please make sure that you type in “Valley Forge Invite” for the LOCATION. If not, you scores will not be recorded.
Part III:Part III is worth 60% of your total score for this event.
Scenario: The Deuel Springs area is expected to get over 16 inches of snow over the period of two days, with intermittent period of freezing rain and sleet. Deuel Springs’ Head Meteorologist, “Bowtie” Ligget, predicts that the storm will reach the area at approximately 2100 hours on January 14th, 2017. With this warning, The Deuel Springs Dept. of Transportation (DSDOT) quickly gets to work preparing the roads for the impending storm. DSDOT will be using large amounts of rock salt (an inorganic pollutant) and road brine, especially on Route 66, which runs East-West just North of Mr. Kane’s Evil Rabbit farm, located at Well B.
Extra Information:
- Dr. Best’s Cattle Ranch is located at Well A.
- Mr. Wood’s Putt-Putt Course is located at Well C.
- Wells A, B, and D are pumping water throughout this scenario.
- Wells C, and E are not pumping water throughout this scenario.
- As the storm hits the Deuel Springs area, rock salt (or an inorganic pollutant) has run off of Route 66, contaminating WellB.
Use the scenario above, and the information given, to answer the following questions. Although the program only allows you to look at 3 wells at once, you may need to analyze more than 3 wells to answer the questions. You may assume that all the wells are contained in the same watershed. **For the purposes of this test, your pollutant is simply an Inorganic Compound. Therefore, you can solve this scenario with the pollutant being Rock Salt, or simply an Inorganic Compound. If you choose to solve this as Chloride, your answers will be the same, but such specifics are not required until the state level.**
Remediation Technique / Definition (1pt) / In-situ, Ex-situ, or Both (0.5 pts) / Type (Biological, Physical, Chemical, Thermal, Contaminant Only, or Other) (0.5 pts) / Cost (low, medium, or high) (0.5 pts) / Applicable to BTEX? (yes/no) (0.5 pts)Chemical Reduction/ Oxidation
Hydro-fracturing
Phyto-remediation
- Based on the well information provided, which direction(s) could the contaminant flow? (North, South, East, or West? – If there are multiple directions, list all possible directions) (Hint: Find out the water table elevations of every well, for this scenario) (1pt) ______
- Assume the water table, and flow direction, does not shift during the storm, what other wells (A-E), if any, are at risk of contamination? (1.5pts)
______
- DSDOT informs Dr. Kane, of Dr. Kane’s Farm, that his well is contaminated. Dr. Kane then stops pumping water from Well B. With this change, what wells (A-E), if any, are at risk of contamination? (Assume Well B is stays contaminated)(1.5pts)
______
- At the time of the storm, the water table elevation along the side of Route 66 where the inorganic compound, rock salt, first contaminated water was approximately 3,720ft. The distance from the contamination site to Well B is 1,515ft. The hydraulic conductivity in the area is ~100m/day. Assume that Well B is still pumping water at this instance. If needed, assume you are using the Constant Head Permeability Test.
- Using the values provided, what is the Hydraulic Gradient from Route 66 to Well C? (2pts)
______
- Despite the Hydraulic Gradient you calculated, DSDOT officials believe the Hydraulic Gradient is 6.56. Despite knowing they’re quite wrong, calculate the true velocity of the contaminated groundwater. Use the DSDOT official’s number, not the value you calculated. (Assume Well B is still pumping) (2pts)
______
- Of all the wells, which well is the deepest? (1pt)
______
- At Well E, which area of soil (lithology) is the most permeable? (1pt)
______