Hydrogeology Field Course Modules

Gain essential safety training for working at hazardous waste sites and conducting environmental field investigations. This intensive, 40-hour course provides practical instruction in workplace safety, hazard recognition, and emergency response.

Training topics include:

• OSHA regulations and hazardous waste site safety requirements
• Hazard recognition, site evaluation, and exposure prevention
• Selection and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Safe handling of hazardous materials during drilling, soil sampling, and groundwater investigations
• Emergency spill response and field safety procedures

HAZWOPER Requirement: Current 40-hour HAZWOPER training is an HFC program requirement for participation in applicable field modules. Students may fulfill this requirement by completing GEOS 5230 or by providing documentation of previously completed 40-hour training and their most recent 8-hour refresher, if applicable.

8-Hour Refresher: Refresher training is typically offered during HAZWOPER week for participants who need to maintain their training currency. Contact the HFC Director for availability, scheduling, and fees.

Explore how geophysical methods are used to investigate groundwater and characterize subsurface conditions. This hands-on module introduces the principles, equipment, and field applications of commonly used geophysical techniques.

Methods covered may include:

• Electromagnetic methods
• Ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
• Magnetic methods
• Electrical resistivity methods
• Shallow seismic methods

Students gain practical experience collecting and interpreting geophysical data to support environmental and hydrogeologic investigations.

Gain hands-on experience with the drilling techniques, equipment, and procedures used in groundwater investigations and environmental projects. This module introduces students to a variety of drilling technologies and the practical considerations involved in constructing monitoring and production wells.

Topics and field activities may include:

• Hollow-stem auger drilling and well installation
• Mud, air, and foam rotary drilling
• Cable tool drilling
• Direct-push and sonic drilling technologies
• Sediment sampling, logging, and description
• Borehole geophysical methods
• Monitoring and production well design, installation, completion, and development

Field Experience: This module typically includes an overnight field trip to a professional drilling training facility near Wilmington, Illinois. Accommodations vary from year to year and may include camping or shared lodging. Participants will receive advance notice of travel plans, lodging arrangements, and any equipment they may need to bring.

Gain hands-on experience with the equipment, techniques, and procedures used to sample, monitor, and evaluate groundwater systems and their interactions with surface water. This module emphasizes practical field methods, water quality assessment, and the collection of reliable environmental data.

Topics and field activities may include:

• Field hydrogeochemical equipment and measurement techniques
• Monitoring of nonaqueous-phase liquids (LNAPLs and DNAPLs)
• Low-flow groundwater sampling and bailer sampling methods
• Field surveying and site characterization
• Groundwater sampling equipment and standard procedures
• Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) practices
• Water quality assessment and analysis
• Vadose zone water and soil gas sampling

Field Experience: This module typically includes a half-day excursion aboard a research vessel on Lake Michigan, offering students a unique opportunity to experience Great Lakes field research and surface water monitoring firsthand. Excursions are subject to weather and vessel availability.

Gain hands-on experience designing, conducting, and interpreting aquifer tests used to evaluate groundwater systems and determine hydraulic properties. This module emphasizes practical field techniques, data collection, and the analysis of aquifer responses to pumping and recovery.

Topics and field activities include:

• Step-drawdown pumping tests
• Extended-duration aquifer pumping and recovery tests (typically 24–48 hours)
• Physical and pneumatic slug testing
• Water-level monitoring using pressure transducers, data loggers, and field measurement equipment
• Computer-based analysis and interpretation of aquifer test data
• Evaluation of aquifer hydraulic properties and groundwater system responses

Overnight Field Experience: Students participate in a continuous aquifer pumping and recovery test at the Asylum Lake Preserve well field. Each participant is required to complete one overnight monitoring shift as part of a small team. Shifts typically occur during the evening or early morning hours. Detailed schedules, equipment requirements, and safety procedures are provided in advance.

Gain hands-on experience evaluating contaminated sites and developing practical remediation strategies for impacted soil and groundwater. This module emphasizes the selection, design, and implementation of environmental remediation technologies, considering site conditions, regulatory requirements, and project costs.

Topics and field activities may include:

• Bioremediation
• Groundwater pump-and-treat systems
• Soil vapor extraction
• Monitored natural attenuation
• Air sparging
• In situ chemical oxidation and reduction
• Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs)
• Remedial investigations and feasibility studies
• Remediation technology selection, design, and cost evaluation

Field Experience: Students explore practical applications of remediation technologies through field demonstrations, site visits, and applied exercises, connecting classroom concepts with real-world environmental consulting and remediation practices.