Coastal Hydrology - Coastal flows course introduces the students to surface and subsurface hydrology and provides the modeling skills for solving practical problems dealing with water exchange at the costal boundary.
This course is part of the master's degree program in "Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Engineering", whose objective is to train civil engineers with high professional qualification for development of coastal and marine infrastructures, with an increasing concern towards environmental protection and sustainable development under environmental changing conditions.
Within this framework, the course aims to provide an in-depth knowledge of 1) the main physical processes involved in water cycle, 2) the fundamental issues related to water resources use, 3) the measurement and analysis of hydrologic data, 4) the hydrologic modeling of transport in aquifers and vadose zone, 5) the hydrologic modeling of surface processes at the catchment scale, contributing to water exchange across the coastal boundary and through the sea, and 6) the main criteria to develop a complex hydrological model, with specific focus on the interface with coastal and ocean environments.
This course is part of the master's degree program in "Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Engineering", whose objective is to train civil engineers with high professional qualification for development of coastal and marine infrastructures, with an increasing concern towards environmental protection and sustainable development under environmental changing conditions.
Within this framework, the course aims to provide an in-depth knowledge of 1) the main physical processes involved in water cycle, 2) the fundamental issues related to water resources use, 3) the measurement and analysis of hydrologic data, 4) the hydrologic modeling of transport in aquifers and vadose zone, 5) the hydrologic modeling of surface processes at the catchment scale, contributing to water exchange across the coastal boundary and through the sea, and 6) the main criteria to develop a complex hydrological model, with specific focus on the interface with coastal and ocean environments.
teacher profile teaching materials
- The issue of environmental matrix contamination and its impact on water resource quality
- Sources of contamination
- Classification of contaminants: chemical, physical, and toxicological aspects
2. Transport of Non-Reactive Substances in the Saturated Zone
- Solute transport: mechanisms and mathematical modeling
- Introduction to stochastic models
3. Transport of Reactive Substances in the Saturated Zone
- Classification of reactions
- Adsorption of water-soluble compounds
- Biodegradation
4. Multiphase Flow
- Relative permeability and Darcy’s law for multiphase flow
- DNAPL and LNAPL: behavior and environmental implications
5. Coastal Aquifers
- Introduction to the issue of salinization in coastal aquifers
6. Equations for the Study of Variable-Density Flow in Saturated Porous Media
7. Saltwater Intrusion
- Evaluation of the saltwater wedge using simplified approaches (e.g., SWI)
- Analysis of media properties, natural phenomena, and procedures contributing to the salinization of aquifers
8. Solutions for Controlling Saltwater Intrusion
9. Remediation
- Techniques for source control and remediation of contamination
- Techniques for containment and remediation of the contaminated plume
10. Human Health Risk Assessment
- Risk models (EPA) for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic contaminants
Practical Exercise
Development of a numerical model to simulate a contamination event and design a remediation intervention for a contaminated site.
C.W. Fetter, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J., 1999.
ISBN 10: 0137512155 / ISBN 13: 9780137512157
Coastal Hydrogeology
J. Jiao, V. Post, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-107-03059-6
Programme
1. Introduction- The issue of environmental matrix contamination and its impact on water resource quality
- Sources of contamination
- Classification of contaminants: chemical, physical, and toxicological aspects
2. Transport of Non-Reactive Substances in the Saturated Zone
- Solute transport: mechanisms and mathematical modeling
- Introduction to stochastic models
3. Transport of Reactive Substances in the Saturated Zone
- Classification of reactions
- Adsorption of water-soluble compounds
- Biodegradation
4. Multiphase Flow
- Relative permeability and Darcy’s law for multiphase flow
- DNAPL and LNAPL: behavior and environmental implications
5. Coastal Aquifers
- Introduction to the issue of salinization in coastal aquifers
6. Equations for the Study of Variable-Density Flow in Saturated Porous Media
7. Saltwater Intrusion
- Evaluation of the saltwater wedge using simplified approaches (e.g., SWI)
- Analysis of media properties, natural phenomena, and procedures contributing to the salinization of aquifers
8. Solutions for Controlling Saltwater Intrusion
9. Remediation
- Techniques for source control and remediation of contamination
- Techniques for containment and remediation of the contaminated plume
10. Human Health Risk Assessment
- Risk models (EPA) for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic contaminants
Practical Exercise
Development of a numerical model to simulate a contamination event and design a remediation intervention for a contaminated site.
Core Documentation
Contaminant HydrogeologyC.W. Fetter, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J., 1999.
ISBN 10: 0137512155 / ISBN 13: 9780137512157
Coastal Hydrogeology
J. Jiao, V. Post, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-107-03059-6
Type of delivery of the course
Face-To-Face lessons ExercicesAttendance
The course is delivered in person; attendance is not mandatory. However, given the structure of the course—which includes a significant applied component and the development of a practical exercise conducted primarily in class, along with collective discussions on technical and conceptual issues—regular attendance is recommended.Type of evaluation
The final assessment consists of two components: A) Project Report (33% of the final grade) Students are required to submit a written report that summarizes the development and application of a numerical model for solute transport in saturated media. The report will be evaluated based on the following criteria: - Conceptual model - Mathematical model - Processing of results - Presentation of results - Discussion of the report during the oral exam session B) Oral Examination (67% of the final grade) The oral exam includes: - A discussion of a fundamental topic related to transport modeling or coastal aquifer systems - A question addressing more technical or practical aspects of the subject Both components (A and B) are mandatory and must be completed to pass the course.