course-context

name	course-context
description	Course-specific context for ETH Zurich Groundwater course (651-4023-00). Use when creating exercises, assessments, rubrics, lecture materials, or aligning content with learning objectives. Knows the Limmat Valley case study, grading structure, and teaching philosophy.

Groundwater Course Context (ETH Zurich 651-4023-00)

You are assisting with the development and improvement of the Groundwater course at ETH Zurich. This skill provides the course-specific context needed to create aligned materials.

Course Overview

Attribute	Value
Course Code	651-4023-00
Credits	4 ECTS
Level	MSc Earth Sciences / Engineering Geology
Department	Geothermal Energy and Geofluids Group (GEG), ETH Zurich
Instructors	Dr. Xiangzhao Kong, Dr. Beatrice Marti
Teaching Assistant	Louise Noel du Payrat

Brief Description

The course provides an introduction to quantitative (analytical and numerical) analysis of groundwater flow, solute transport, and unsaturated flow.

Four Fundamental Aspects

Groundwater is treated as:

1. Natural System - Part of hydrologic cycle; distribution, movement, interaction with geologic framework
2. Resource - Exploration, development, production; mapping and simulation tools
3. Environmental System - Aquifers as dispersive propagation systems for chemical/pollution stresses
4. Managed System - Integrated approach to use, conservation, remediation, quality control

Special emphasis on cross-over between hydrogeology and rock mechanics / engineering geology.

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Learning Objectives (Bloom's Taxonomy Aligned)

LO1: Understanding Flow & Transport Principles

Students will be able to describe and explain (Understand) the basic principles of groundwater flow and solute transport processes, identify (Apply) relevant boundary conditions for various practical scenarios, and evaluate (Evaluate) their significance in groundwater modeling contexts.

LO2: Problem Formulation

Students will be able to construct (Apply) simple, practical groundwater flow and solute transport problems, analyze (Analyze) their underlying assumptions, and adapt (Create) them to address real-world challenges.

LO3: Analytical & Numerical Methods

Students will be able to solve (Apply) fluid flow and solute transport problems using simple analytical and/or numerical methods, compare (Analyze) the results for different scenarios, and justify (Evaluate) their choice of method.

LO4: Critical Evaluation

Students will be able to critically evaluate (Evaluate) a groundwater modeling report by assessing (Analyze) its methodology, assumptions, and conclusions, and recommend (Create) improvements to enhance its scientific rigor.

Mapping Bloom's Levels

Level	Verb	Where Applied
Remember	Recall, list, define	Prerequisite knowledge
Understand	Describe, explain	LO1
Apply	Identify, construct, solve	LO1, LO2, LO3
Analyze	Analyze, compare, assess	LO2, LO3, LO4
Evaluate	Evaluate, justify, critically evaluate	LO1, LO3, LO4
Create	Adapt, recommend	LO2, LO4

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Course Structure (HS26 Revision)

New Structure: Theory First, Project Second

Phase	Weeks	Content	Assessment
Theory	1-8	Lectures + Exercises	Formative quiz (flow), Comprehensive exam
Project	9-14	Case Study (numerical modeling)	Report + Presentation

This addresses student feedback about overlap between exam prep and project work.

Assessment Timeline

Week 1-4: Flow Theory
    ↓
Week 5: Formative Quiz (Flow) - Low stakes, feedback-focused
    ↓
Week 5-8: Transport Theory
    ↓
Week 8: Comprehensive Exam (Flow + Transport) - 50% of grade
    ↓
Week 9-14: Numerical Project
    ↓
Week 14: Presentation + Report Submission - 50% of grade

Weekly Topics (Planned)

Week	Topic	Key Concepts	Assessment
1	Introduction	Water cycle, porosity, REV, aquifer types, water budget
2	Flow Fundamentals	Hydraulic head, Darcy's law, flow equation, storativity
3	Flow Problems	Boundary conditions, problem formulation, flow nets
4	Analytical Solutions (Flow)	Well hydraulics, Theis, Cooper-Jacob, superposition
5	Numerical Methods (Flow)	Finite differences, MODFLOW basics, grid design	Formative Quiz
6	Unsaturated Zone	Vadose zone, capillary pressure, Richards equation
7	Water Chemistry & Transport	Meteoric water, ADE, advection, dispersion, retardation
8	Transport Solutions	Analytical solutions, numerical transport, MT3D/GWT	Comprehensive Exam
9-10	Project: Flow Model	Case study implementation, calibration concepts
11-12	Project: Transport Model	Transport scenarios, sensitivity analysis
13	Project: Analysis	Uncertainty, documentation, interpretation
14	Presentations	Student presentations, peer feedback	Report + Presentation

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Assessment Structure

Grade Components

Component	Weight	Timing	Format
Formative Quiz	0% (feedback only)	Week 5	Short online quiz, immediate feedback
Comprehensive Exam	50%	Week 8	Closed-book, 2 hours, covers all theory
Project Report	25%	Week 14	Group (2-3 students), written documentation
Project Presentation	25%	Week 14	15 min per group

Formative Quiz (Flow) - Week 5

Purpose: Early feedback on flow concepts before moving to transport

Aspect	Details
Stakes	Ungraded (0%) - purely formative
Format	~10-15 questions, multiple choice + short numeric
Duration	20-30 minutes
Topics	Darcy's law, flow equation, boundary conditions, well hydraulics
Feedback	Immediate, with explanations for each answer
Retakes	Unlimited - students can practice until comfortable

Sample Question Types:

• "Which boundary condition is appropriate for...?" (conceptual)
• "Calculate the drawdown at distance r using Theis" (calculation)
• "What assumption is violated when...?" (critical thinking)

Comprehensive Exam - Week 8

Purpose: Summative assessment of all theoretical content

Aspect	Details
Weight	50% of final grade
Format	Closed-book, 2 hours
Allowed	One A4 page handwritten notes (both sides), calculator
Content	Flow (60%) + Transport (40%)
Questions	Short-answer essay + hand calculations

Exam Structure:

• Part A: Flow (Darcy, flow equation, BCs, well hydraulics, numerical concepts)
• Part B: Transport (ADE, advection/dispersion, analytical solutions, numerical concepts)
• Questions similar to homework exercises

Project Report Rubric

Criterion	Weight	Excellent (6)	Good (5)	Satisfactory (4)	Needs Work (3-)
Problem Definition	10%	Clear objectives, well-justified scope	Clear objectives, adequate scope	Objectives stated but vague	Unclear or missing objectives
Conceptual Model	15%	Comprehensive, well-reasoned assumptions explicitly stated	Good conceptual basis, most assumptions stated	Basic conceptual model, some assumptions missing	Inadequate conceptualization
Model Implementation	20%	Correct setup, appropriate discretization, all packages justified	Mostly correct, minor issues	Functional but with notable issues	Major implementation errors
Calibration/Validation	15%	Rigorous process, appropriate metrics, uncertainty discussed	Good calibration, metrics reported	Basic calibration attempted	Poor or missing calibration
Results & Interpretation	20%	Insightful analysis, physical reasoning, limitations acknowledged	Good analysis, reasonable interpretation	Basic interpretation	Superficial or incorrect interpretation
Documentation	10%	Professional quality, reproducible, clear figures	Good documentation, mostly clear	Adequate documentation	Poor or missing documentation
Writing Quality	10%	Clear, concise, well-structured, correct terminology	Good writing, minor issues	Understandable but needs improvement	Difficult to follow

Project Presentation Rubric

Criterion	Weight	Excellent (6)	Good (5)	Satisfactory (4)	Needs Work (3-)
Content	40%	Key points clear, appropriate depth, technically accurate	Good coverage, mostly accurate	Basic content, some gaps	Missing key content or errors
Visualization	20%	Clear, informative figures, appropriate complexity	Good visuals, mostly clear	Adequate visuals	Poor or confusing visuals
Delivery	20%	Confident, clear, good pace, handles questions well	Good delivery, minor issues	Understandable, some awkwardness	Difficult to follow
Time Management	10%	Within time, well-paced	Slightly over/under, adequate pacing	Notable time issues	Significantly over/under
Team Coordination	10%	Seamless transitions, balanced participation	Good coordination	Some coordination issues	Poor coordination

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Case Study: Limmat Valley Aquifer

Overview

The course uses a real-world case study based on the Limmat Valley aquifer in Zurich, Switzerland.

Why Limmat Valley?

• Real-world complexity at manageable scale
• High-quality publicly available data
• Relevant local context for ETH students
• Active groundwater management (drinking water, thermal use)
• River-aquifer interaction
• Urban influences

Model Specifications (MODFLOW 6)

Aspect	Specification
Software	MODFLOW 6 via FloPy
Grid	Flexible (DISV) with local refinement
Layers	1 (simplified) to 3 (detailed)
Extent	~15 km along Limmat valley
Resolution	50-200 m (coarse), 10-25 m (refined areas)
Time	Steady-state and transient options
Starting Point	Pre-calibrated model provided to students

Key Features to Model

Component	Package	Notes
Aquifer properties	NPF	Heterogeneous K field
River-aquifer exchange	RIV	Limmat, Sihl rivers
Recharge	RCH	Spatially variable
Pumping wells	WEL	Major abstractions
Lateral boundaries	GHB/CHD	Valley margins
Transport	GWT	Conservative tracer scenarios

Available Data

Data Type	Source	Coverage
Geology	Cantonal geological maps	Full extent
Topography (DEM)	swisstopo	2m resolution
River stages	BAFU gauging stations	Hourly, multi-year
Groundwater levels	Cantonal monitoring	~50 wells, multi-year
Pumping rates	Water utilities	Monthly/annual
Recharge estimates	Derived from precipitation	Gridded

Student Tasks (Typical)

1. Understand the hydrogeological setting
2. Explore the pre-calibrated numerical model
3. Run steady-state and transient simulations
4. Compare results to observations
5. Analyze sensitivity to key parameters
6. Interpret flow patterns and water budget
7. Apply scenarios (changed pumping, climate)
8. Document methodology and findings

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Teaching Philosophy

Core Principles

1. Conceptual Understanding First

   • Equations follow from physical understanding
   • Always ask "why?" before "how?"
   • Fewer equations, deeper understanding

2. Learning by Doing

   • Numerical project applies lecture concepts
   • Exercises mirror exam problems
   • Self-assessment with immediate feedback

3. Real-World Relevance

   • Case study uses actual Swiss data
   • Connect to professional practice
   • Discuss model limitations honestly

4. Scaffolded Complexity

   • Start simple, add complexity gradually
   • Pre-calibrated model as starting point
   • Students modify and analyze, not build from scratch

5. Transparent Expectations

   • Clear learning objectives per notebook
   • Published rubrics before assignments
   • Example of "good" work provided

6. Early Feedback

   • Formative quiz after flow section
   • Students know where they stand before high-stakes exam
   • Opportunity to adjust study approach

What Students Should NOT Need to Do

• Write FloPy code from scratch
• Debug complex Python errors
• Understand every line of provided code
• Spend >60 hours on project (target for 4 ECTS)

What Students SHOULD Be Able to Do

• Modify model parameters and understand effects
• Interpret model outputs physically
• Recognize when assumptions are violated
• Write clear technical documentation
• Present findings to non-specialist audience

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Key References

Primary Textbook

• Domenico, P.A. & Schwartz, F.W. (1990). Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology. Wiley.

Supplementary

• Freeze, R.A. & Cherry, J.A. (1979). Groundwater. Prentice Hall. (Free via Groundwater Project)
• Anderson, M.P., Woessner, W.W. & Hunt, R.J. (2015). Applied Groundwater Modeling. Academic Press.
• Bear, J. (1979). Hydraulics of Groundwater. McGraw-Hill.

Practical Guides

• Chiang, W.-S. & Kinzelbach, W. (2001). 3-D Groundwater Modeling with PMWIN. Springer.
• Kruseman, G.P. & de Ridder, N.A. (1991). Analysis and Evaluation of Pumping Test Data. ILRI.

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Exercise Alignment Matrix

When creating exercises, ensure coverage across learning objectives:

Topic	LO1 (Understand)	LO2 (Apply/Create)	LO3 (Solve/Analyze)	LO4 (Evaluate)
Darcy's law	Explain when valid	Formulate problem	Calculate K, q	Assess assumptions
Flow equation	Describe terms	Set up BCs	Solve analytically	Compare methods
Well hydraulics	Explain Theis assumptions	Adapt to unconfined	Apply Cooper-Jacob	Evaluate test quality
Transport	Describe advection/dispersion	Formulate ADE	Solve 1D problems	Assess Peclet regime
Numerical modeling	Explain discretization	Build simple model	Run scenarios	Evaluate model quality

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Content Development Guidelines

For Lecture Slides (PDFs exist)

• Each topic has presentation slides ready
• Exercises should align with slide content
• Self-assessments should test key concepts from slides

For Exercises

1. Solvable on paper - No computer required for core calculation
2. Exam-aligned - Same format as exam questions
3. Progressive difficulty - Basic → Applied → Critical thinking
4. Clear solutions - Step-by-step, with physical interpretation

For Formative Quiz

1. Immediate feedback - Students see correct answer + explanation right away
2. Unlimited retakes - Low pressure, encourages practice
3. Coverage - All major flow topics from weeks 1-4
4. Diagnostic - Identifies specific misconceptions

For Case Study Notebooks

1. Learning objectives at top of each notebook
2. Connection to lectures - Reference relevant slide content
3. Expected outputs - Students know if results are reasonable
4. Completion markers - Track progress through material

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Common Student Questions (FAQ)

Question	Response
"Do I need to know Python?"	Basic familiarity helps, but you won't write code from scratch. Focus on understanding what the code does.
"What's on the exam?"	Short-answer questions and hand calculations covering flow and transport. Exercises are representative. One A4 notes page allowed.
"Does the quiz count?"	No, the formative quiz is ungraded. It's for your benefit to check understanding before the exam.
"How is the project graded?"	Report (25%) + presentation (25%). Rubric published at project start. Focus on understanding over complexity.
"Can I use AI tools?"	For learning, yes. For assessed work, you must understand and explain everything you submit.
"How much time should the project take?"	Target ~40-50 hours over the project phase. If it's taking much longer, ask for help.