In situ characterization of large aquifer systems

This course is designed to provide students with the necessary skills to collect hydrometric data (in the broadest sense) in the field and to apply them to different types of case studies in order to conduct an engineering/research project in hydrogeology.

This EU is divided into two parts:

• A first week entirely realized on the field in the department of Pyrenees Orientales;
• A second week in the classroom, in order to analyze and interpret the data acquired in the field.

During the^first week, the first 3 days are devoted to the acquisition of various technical skills in hydrometry (in the broad sense) in situ, so that the students are then "project managers" during the last 2 days during which they will work on a case study to be solved by project groups. They will then be divided on 2 experimental sites on which the projects to be carried out will be declined. The subjects will be presented in more detail at the beginning of the course so that the previously defined groups can propose an experimental protocol to be carried out in situ, enabling them to solve their problem. The supervisory team will validate the envisaged protocols the day before the experiments start.

During the^second week, the students will analyze their data acquired on their field-project, and will share the different analyses and interpretations of these data in order to propose a presentation and a report integrating and synthesizing all these results, which will be used to evaluate their work.

The lessons will take place in two phases, a first phase of data acquisition on various experimental sites during the week of the internship in the Pyrenees and a second phase of processing and interpretation of these data by project group during the week following the return from the internship. The work done in each project group will include

- a field learning phase (field reconnaissance, measurement techniques, instrumentation, data collection) for each of the techniques covered (gauging, piezometry, hydrodynamic and hydrochemical measurements, chemical and microbiological quality of water, ...)

- a gestation phase of the project to be carried out by groups on a case study defined by the educational team (team work to elaborate the experimental protocol and its application in the field, as well as during the analysis of the results and their interpretation)

- a phase of restitution of the case study carried out within each project group (technical report on the activities implemented and the results obtained in the field + technical appendices + oral defense)

The field learning phase is multidisciplinary (all the proposed measurement techniques should be acquired by all students).

"Functioning of Hydrosystems" (M1 S1)

"M1 field course in geology and hydrogeology (M1 S1)

"Hydrogeophysics (M1 S1)

"Water Quality and Microbiology" (M1 S2)

"Applied hydrochemistry" (M1 S2)

"Underground Hydrodynamics" (M1 S2)

"Applied Hydrodynamics and Hydraulics (M1 S2)

The work will be mainly evaluated by groups of students, but will also include an individual evaluation (results sheets on the experimental techniques used). The evaluation of the work will be done on the basis of a written report (report + digital technical appendices including raw and interpreted data on the various experimental sites) and a defense by group.

- Acquire skills in operational hydrogeology and other environmental measurement techniques;

- To be able to carry out, in an autonomous way, various types of measurements in situ in various contexts;

- Critique, analyze and value the field measurements made;

- Work in a team (collective, organization, communication).