Stratified lakes exhibit vertical gradients in organisms, nutrients, and oxygen, which have …
Stratified lakes exhibit vertical gradients in organisms, nutrients, and oxygen, which have important implications for ecosystem structure and functioning. Mixing disrupts these gradients by redistributing these materials throughout the water column. Consequently, it is critical to understand the drivers of lake mixing and thermal stratification, especially because of the sensitivity of lake thermal conditions to altered climate. In this module, students will explore spatial and temporal patterns of lake mixing using high-frequency temperature data from lakes around the world. They will also explore how increases in air temperature affect thermal stratification by interpreting output from a lake model. Project EDDIE modules are designed with an A-B-C structure to make them flexible and adaptable to a range of student levels and course structures.
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Students analyze local water chemistry by identifying and collecting local water samples, …
Students analyze local water chemistry by identifying and collecting local water samples, deciding upon questions they want to answer about their local water sources, and then performing simple water quality tests on their samples.
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This activity is a field investigation where students make observations, formulate a …
This activity is a field investigation where students make observations, formulate a question, construct and collect data on that question on stream flow on the Crow River in Central Minnesota
This activity is a field investigation where students will make stream observations …
This activity is a field investigation where students will make stream observations to determine its geologic processes and influence to our local topography.
This activity is a field investigation where students calculate stream discharge, develop …
This activity is a field investigation where students calculate stream discharge, develop and complete an investigation involving the stream, interpret their findings, and report to their peers.
This is a field investigation where students will gather data about the …
This is a field investigation where students will gather data about the South Crow River using techniques of their own design and develop a group (multimedia) presentation for class presentation.
Students are introduced to a simple approach to scientific writing. To make …
Students are introduced to a simple approach to scientific writing. To make the writing process immediately relevant to them, I present the approach after they have started the first assignment of the semester (whether lab or homework) but before it is due. Thus, students are more attentive to the presentation and are more invested in trying to apply the approach to a current assignment. As a class, we begin by answering the question "what did you do?" followed by answering the questions "who, what, where, when, how, and why?" as appropriate to develop the first paragraph/section. Next, we answer the question "what did you find?" followed by the questions "who, what, where, when, how, and why?" as appropriate to develop the second paragraph/section. Finally, we review what we have written and add the finishing touches (e.g., title, references, figures, etc.). Thus, students learn how to pose and answer basic questions that form the basis of a scientific report.
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This exercise uses an analytical method (Grubb, 1993) and Excel to calculate …
This exercise uses an analytical method (Grubb, 1993) and Excel to calculate the capture zone shape for a TCE remediation well in Wooster, Ohio. The case study description given in an extensive PowerPoint presentation. The capture-zone equations are programmed by the student into an Excel worksheet and used to delineate the contributing area of a contaminant recovery well. Students can then experiment with by varying the pumping rate, hydraulic conductivity, and hydraulic gradient to better understand the sensitivity of these parameters on capture-zone shape.
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Students will utilize the desert Southwest region of the United States and …
Students will utilize the desert Southwest region of the United States and the Ogallala Aquifer in a case study to evaluate issues regarding groundwater and its scarcity. Groundwater is often seen as a limitless resource in the Southwest since there is little regulation controlling the amount that is withdrawn (Rule of Capture). This mentality has led to overuse and to the dwindling supply of groundwater in many parts of the Ogallala Aquifer. This module will help students connect groundwater's role in the hydrological cycle to issues of inequity that can occur when groundwater is not properly regulated.
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This Yellowstone National Park website contains thousands of photographs of the Park. …
This Yellowstone National Park website contains thousands of photographs of the Park. Images are organized by category including fire, thermal features, mammals, park structures, petrified trees, water, weather, scenics, and more. The photographs may be freely downloaded and more are being added through time.
Students download a comma-delimited data set that is a time series of …
Students download a comma-delimited data set that is a time series of stream discharge measurements and the concentration of a trace element in the stream. Given the concentration of this element in the precipitation and in the groundwater, the students analyze the data using spreadsheet software to separate the hydrograph into baseflow and quickflow components. Students produce a graph of their results. To do the analysis, students must derive an appropriate equation based on other equations presented in the text (Eqs. 1.2 and 1.3).
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In January of 2003, CSUF drilled and completed a deep multiport-monitoring well …
In January of 2003, CSUF drilled and completed a deep multiport-monitoring well on the north side of campus. This was done in order to gain a better understanding of the local subsurface geology and groundwater conditions in and around CSUF. Samples were collected from the drill hole (boring) every 5-feet. The total depth of the well is 870 feet below ground surface (grade). Borehole geophysical data (E-log) information was collected from the boring prior to the installation of the well pipe. As you describe the soil samples, compare and contrast your findings to those of the geophysical signature (gamma-ray log) found in the accompanying "E-log" for the boring.
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The goal of this experiment is to measure the specific storage Ss …
The goal of this experiment is to measure the specific storage Ss of a balloon, which simulates aquifer elasticity. The experiment is designed to give observational meaning to the variable, increment of fluid content, and the influence of the state of stress on the specific storage. Increment of fluid content is the poroelastic variable defined as the amount of water added to storage per unit bulk volume. It is analogous to quantity of heat added to a unit volume of a material. Specific storage can then be expressed rigorously as the ratio of increment of fluid content divided by the change in head with specified external stress or strain conditions on the REV.
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In week one of the exercise students determine stream discharge by doing …
In week one of the exercise students determine stream discharge by doing some tedious, but simple hand calculations using data sets provided by the instructor. The following week is designed to be more hands-on. Here, they collect their own field data and create a spreadsheet to perform the calculations more efficiently and accurately. By collecting the data themselves, students gain a more thorough understanding of how stream discharge is both measured and computed; they also learn how the results can be used to determine groundwater baseflow. The fact they do hand calculations prior to creating the spreadsheet helps build their math skills and reduces the "black-box" effect that often develops when using software for data analysis. Students also gain valuable experience creating spreadsheets and learn how this tool can be used to perform repetitive computations more efficiently and with less error. Finally, this exercise asks students to consider the accuracy of their replicate field measurements through a series of questions related to their standard deviation and percent error calculations.
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This activity provides an opportunity for the student to collect data on …
This activity provides an opportunity for the student to collect data on their individual water use to set the stage for a unit on water resources.
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