GEO 435 is computer-math intensive and the student should either be proficient in these subjects or be committed to developing the necessary skills during the course. The course is fundamental to the Program's core curriculum and much of our thesis research. Students are expected to enroll in GEO 435 early in their graduate studies in Geohydrology. Different perspectives of and changes in the concept of water quality are an important opening topic. In most geohydrologic investigations, chemical analyses of water play a key role, whether a pristine situation such as chemical evolution of ground water or one involving contamination by inorganic or organic compounds as a result of human activity.
Students learn the relationships of chemistry and geology and human activity and natural processes.
Approaches to determine reliability of analytical data are applied to real data. Students interpret water-rock interactions and trends. Methods include ionic ratios, graphical techniques, and equilibrium modeling. Topics of organic compound nomenclature and properties are followed by consideration of partitioning of organic compounds in water, soil, and air, and finally by solute transport models. Students gain experience in computer assisted interpretation by using programs for such efforts as determination of chemical balance for cations and anions, preparation of Piper and stiff diagrams, and evaluation of the degree of saturation of a water sample with respect to mineral species.