Completed activities
CH-GNet successfully conducted a PEAK Continuing Education "Time Series Analysis of Groundwater and Environmental Data" in March 2022.
The course with 31 participants was divided into two parts. In the morning, the basics of the deconvolution method were taught. This using time series of natural tracers to estimate groundwater residence times between surface and groundwater. Tools and software were provided for this purpose. Guided and computer-based practical exercises enabled the participants to apply the tools independently.
In the afternoon, current and newly developed methods and tools were presented to estimate hydrogeological processes and hydromechanical paramaters. Selected case studies were used to demonstrate how environmental dynamics and key parameters and processes can be quantified using high-resolution time series analyses of tracers, contaminants, and groundwater levels. Participants gained an overview of recent developments in the analysis and evaluation of groundwater and environmental data based on high-resolution measurement time series.
Target audience:
Hydrogeologically interested professionals and laypersons involved in time series analysis of groundwater and environmental data, as well as issues related to the interaction between surface waters and groundwater.
Content:
- Computer-based application of the deconvolution method for estimating groundwater residence times.
- Groundwater-relevant case studies based on time-series analyses with the Mini-Ruedi: a portable and autonomous mass spectrometer for on-site environmental gas analysis.
- Presentation of the Python module HydroGeoSines (HGS). This can be used to study subsurface processes and estimate hydraulic and hydromechanical parameters from the response of groundwater to natural forces (e.g., tides and barometric pressure changes).
- High temporal resolution in situ monitoring of pesticide dynamics in a karst spring using the MS2field mass spectrometer.
Presenters:
- Dr. Christian Moeck, Eawag & CH-GNet
- Dr. Samuel Diem, CSD Engineers
- Dr. Matthias Brennwald, Eawag
- Johannes Schorr, Eawag
- Dr. Gabriel Rau, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
The first lecture in the webinar series - Groundwater protection in Switzerland: Interaction of agriculture, water supply, research, cantons and authorities organized by the Swiss Groundwater Network (CH-GNet) took place on 28.04.2022. Roman Wiget, managing director of the Seeländische Wasserversorgung (SWG) as well as member of the board of the Wasserverbund Seeland AG, held an exciting lecture based on 3 theses followed by a question and discussion session. The theses of this lecture were:
- The hydrogeological braking distance is very long.
- The core problems are persistent substances and nutrient surpluses.
- Drinking water protection fails due to special interests and inadequate instruments.
The slides to the presentation are available in pdf (click on the document below).
The presentation in the webinar series - Groundwater Protection in Switzerland: Interaction of Agriculture, Water Supply, Research, Cantons and Authorities organized by the Swiss Groundwater Network (CH-GNet) took place on 31.05.2022. Rainer Hug, scientific expert on groundwater protection / water supply in the Office for Environment in the Canton of Solothurn and project manager of the Nitrate Project - Niederbipp- Gäu-Olten, the largest nitrate project in Switzerland gave an exciting lecture based on 3 theses followed by a question and discussion session. The theses of this lecture were:
- Today's agricultural practice leads to high nutrient losses into groundwater, adapted management measures and complete nutrient balances are needed.
- Agriculture must adapt to the hydrogeological conditions.
- Agriculture and water supply, a community of destiny.
The slides of the presentation are available in pdf (click on the document below).
The presentation in the webinar series - Groundwater Protection in Switzerland: Interaction of Agriculture, Water Supply, Research, Cantons and Authorities organized by the Swiss Groundwater Network (CH-GNet) took place on 30.06.2022. Ruth Badertscher, agricultural economist working at the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) gave an exciting lecture based on 3 theses followed by a question and discussion session. The theses of this lecture were:
- Water protection: the cantons have a duty - but they cannot do it alone.
- Nitrate projects according to Art. 62a GSchG are effective, everywhere applicable standard solutions do not exist (yet?).
- The agricultural policy sets incentives.
The slides of the presentation are available in pdf (click on the document below).
CH-GNet is actively involved with partners from enforcement, practice, water supply to produce opinion and position papers to systematically look at critical points and controversial issues and their development from different perspectives. With these articles we want to contribute to close gaps between practice, enforcement and science and to initiate necessary developments.
Current papers can be found below:
Summary
A sustainable water supply in urban areas is a major challenge due to the pressure of use as well as diverse anthropogenic inputs. Artificial groundwater recharge has the potential to meet water demand and dilute any pollutant concentrations that may be present. High infiltration rates can also create a hydraulic barrier to pollutants from adjacent land uses. The basic prerequisite for using this barrier as effectively as possible is the precise description of the spatial and temporal distribution and the recording of the areas in which the protective function is reduced by the barrier.
In the case study described for a drinking water extraction area in northern Switzerland, we present a simple online tool. It can be used to complement the large amount of collected data to digitize and interpret contour maps by simplifying the analysis of collected data and visualizing groundwater flow directions and magnitudes. The results can be used to describe more complex flow systems, leading to more efficient groundwater monitoring.
Authors:
• Christian Moeck, Mario Schirmer, Eawag
• Markus Merk, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
• Dirk Radny, Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG)
• Adrian Auckenthaler, Office for Environmental Protection and Energy Basel-Landschaft
• Thomas Gabriel, Hardwasser AG
To download the document please click on the pdf.
Summary
A variety of methods exist for the generation of multiple groundwater models and their uncertainty analysis, but in practice this potential often remains unused and there is still a gap between academic approaches and approaches in practice. Since standard groundwater monitoring data do not contain sufficient information to identify hydraulic parameters, and even the addition of unconventional monitoring data does not completely eliminate parameter uncertainties, uncertainty analysis of groundwater models is essential. A considerable potential for groundwater protection and management strategies is lying fallow and often only a small part of the available possibilities of building multiple groundwater models and of their uncertainty analysis is used. This article highlights benefits and ways in which this can be implemented in practice.
Authors:
- Christian Moeck, CH-GNet and Eawag
- Oliver S. Schilling, University of Basel and Eawag
- Rouven Künze, TK Consult AG
- Mario Schirmer, Eawag
- Philip Brunner, Université de Neuchâtel (CHYN)
The document can be downloaded (click on the document on the right).
Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecture - Prof. Abraham E Springer, School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University.
Available here