Groundwater Gradient Exercise

Geology 210

Objectives:
In this lab we will perform the following tasks:
1) Measure water levels in six wells located on the edge of the CSUS campus.
2) Plot the results from shallow and deep wells on two different maps.
3) Construct three point problems to determine the direction of groundwater flow
in shallow and deep wells.
4) Write a technical report that summarizes results.

Equipment needed:
Ruler or engineering scale, calculator

Todays exercise:
1) Measure water levels in the three shallow wells and three deep wells. These water
levels must then be converted to elevations above or below sea level (note: the common
abbreviation for sea level is MSL or Mean Sea Level). Use the following formula to calculate
the elevation of the water table above or below sea level:
(Land surface elevation) - (Measured water level) = Elevation (MSL)
Record your results on this table:
Well number

MW-1
MW-1A
MW-2
MW-2A
MW-3A
MW-3A

Land surface
elevation (surveyed
elevation at top of
casing)

Measured water level

in well (from land
surface to water
table)

Elevation of water
table (MSL)

2) Plot the water levels (MSL) for the shallow wells on the map labeled Shallow
wells". Plot the water levels (MSL) for the deep wells on the map labeled Deep wells".
3) Construct a graphical three-point problem to determine the direction of
groundwater flow for each of the maps. Remember that groundwater flows down-gradient
(down-hill), so the water will flow from a higher elevation toward a lower elevation. Be careful
with positive and negative numbers in this part of the exercise. A positive number is an elevation
above sea level, and a negative number is an elevation below sea level.
The three point problem is based on a simple principle of geometry: three points define a
plane, and if you can define the position of a plane in space you can also determine the dip
(inclination) of the plane. Because groundwater flows down-gradient, it will flow in the direction
of dip of the plane.
"Three point problems" didasari dari prinsip-prinsip geometri : "three points"
mendefinisikan sebuah bidang, dan ketika anda dapat mendefinisikan posisi dari bidang pada
ruang, anda juga dapat menentukan dip ( inklinasi ) dari bidang. Karena airtanah mengalir ke
bawah gradien, airtanah akan mengalir sesuai arah dip pada bidang
Use the following example to help you work through your three point problems for the
shallow and deep wells:
ay, dibawah ini langkah2nya buat gambar pake metode 3 point tadi, kalau mau ditranslatetin bilang
lintang ay .
Sample problem: Follow steps 1-4 to solve this example of a three point problem:
Contoh permasalahan : Ikuti langkah 1 sampai dengan 4 untuk menyelesaikan permasalahan
dengan metode three point problem :

Step1) Draw a line between the highest and lowest groundwater elevations. Remember to use
elevations that are corrected (compared) to sea level.
2

Langkah 1.
Gambarlah sebuah garis diantara elevasi( ketinggian?) airtanah tertinggi dan ketinggian airtanah
terendah. Ingatlah untuk menggunakan ketinggian yang dikoreksi ( dibandingkan ) dengan
permukaan air laut.

KetinggianTertinggi

200 ft

75 ft
Ketinggian Intermediate

50 ft
Ketinggian Terendah

Step 2)
Langkah 2.
a. Determine the position where the intermediate groundwater elevation would project along this
3

line. Use measured distances on the map and differences between water level elevations to
construct a ratio and determine this position:
a. Tentukan dimana posisi ketinggian intermediate airtanah yang akan diproyeksikan
disepanjang garis ini. Gunakan jarak yang telah diukur pada peta dan perbedaan antara
ketinggian muka air untuk menentukan rasio dan menentukan posisi.
b. Read the highest elevation, lowest elevation and intermediate elevation from your map, and
plug these values into the ratio equation. Use your ruler to measure the distance between the
highest and lowest elevations on your map and plug this value into the equation. Any units are
will work, but millimeters or metric units are often easiest to use. Solve for the unknown distance.
The unknown distance is the map distance from the highest elevation to the intermediate
elevation.
Example ratio equation:
(highest elevation - intermediate elevation) =
(highest elevation - lowest elevation)

unknown distance
(measured distance between
highest and lowest elevations)

b. Bacalah ketinggian tertinggi, ketinggian terendah, dan ketinggian intermediate dari peta anda,
dan masukkan nilai-nilai tersebut dalam persamaan rasio. Gunakan penggaris untuk mengukur
jarak antara ketinggian tertinggi dan terendah dalam peta dan masukkan nilai-nilai tersebut dalam
persamaan. Semua satuan dapat digunakan, namun satuan milimeter atau satuan metrik lebih
mudah untuk digunakan. Selesaikan persamaan untuk mendapatkan nilai jarak yang belum
diketahu. Jarak yang belum diketahui tersebut merupakan jarak peta dari ketinggian tertinggi ke
ketinggian intermediet.
Persamaan rasio :
Ketinggianintermediet)
Tertinggi =
(Ketinggian tertinggi - ketinggian
Jarak yang belum diketahui
200 ft
.
(Ketinggian tertinggi - Ketinggian
terendah
)
(Jarak
yang
telah diukur antara
m
m
4
1
ketinggian tertinggi dan
=1
r
u
terendah )
k
diu
h
a
el
gt
n
a
y
ak
Jar
75 ft
50 ft
Ketinggian Intermediate
Ketinggian Terendah
a.
4

Penyelesaian :
(200 ft - 75 ft) = Jarak yang belum diketahui (x)
(200 ft - 50 ft)
114 mm.
x

= 94.6 mm.

Step 3) Mark the unknown distance that you calculated in step 2 along the line that connects the
highest and lowest elevations. Make sure that you start measuring from the highest elevation.
Langkah 3.
5

Tandai Jarak yang belum diketahui(x) yang telah anda hitung pada langkah 2, tarik garis yang
menghubungkan dari ketinggian tertinggi ke ketinggian terendah. Pastikan anda menarik garis dari
ketinggian tertinggi.
Ketinggian. tertinggi

a
Jar

um
bel
g
yan

(
hui
a
t
ike

=
x)

6
94.

mm

200 ft

Tandai posisi jarak (x)

75 ft
50 ft
Ketinggian Intermediate
Ketinggian terendah
Step 4) Draw a line between the intermediate elevation and the unknown point that you marked
in step 3. This new line is perpendicular to the dip (inclination) of the groundwater surface. It is
essentially an equipotential line (a line in an two-dimensional field where the total hydraulic head
or water level is constant for all points on the line). Draw a large arrow perpendicular to your
new line to represent the dip of the groundwater surface and the direction of groundwater flow.
The direction of groundwater flow is 90 to the equipotential line.
Langkah 4.
Gambar sebuah garis diantara ketinggian intermediet dan titik (x) yang telah anda tandai
sebelumnya pada langkah 3. garis baru ini tegak lurus terhadap dip ( inklinasi ) dari permukaan
airtanah. Garis ini pada dasarnya adalah garis ekuipotensial ( sebuah garis dalam bidang dua
dimensi dimana total ketinggian hidrolik ( disini "head"kalau menurut lintang itu satuan ketinggian
ay, soalnya lintang belajar di mekanika fluida, untuk british, satuan untuk persamaan panjang itu
bisa dalam bentuk yang namanya bentuk "head" ) atau ketinggian air adalah konstan untuk semua
titik dalam garis ) . Gambar sebuah panah besar yang tegak lurus dengan garis antara ketinggian
intermediate dan titik (x) tadi, untuk mewakili dip permukaan air tanah dan arah aliran dari
airtanah. Arah aliran airtanah sebesar 90 dari garis ekuipotensial.

Ketinggian Tertinggi
200 ft

Ketinggian terendah

50 ft

Garis Ekuipo
tensial

75 ft

Ketinggian Intermediate

Schematic cross section of on-campus wellfield at California State University,

Sacramento

Feet

50

100

Shallow
unconfined
aquifer

Shallow Monitoring
Wells

Confining layer

Extraction
Well

150

200

Deep confined aquifer

= coarse sandy interval

Deep Monitoring
Wells
= silty clay confining layer

Feet

5
0
Figure 1: Cross-section of the CSUS wellfield, showing location and depths of shallow and deep wells.
= fine sandy unconfined aquifer

10
0

Figure 2: Map of shallow wells, CSUS wellfield.

Figure 3: Map of deep wells, CSUS wellfield.