Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/629532
addition, we discussed the use of current and historical aerial photos, topographic maps, surface geology maps, drilling logs, geophysical logs, previously pub- lished works, and even potential outcrop reviews. One of the key points of the presenta- tion was: Understanding drill site geology is more than just classifying soils or rocks from a boring. In order to understand the complexities of the subsurface requires research, careful planning, keen observation, and artis- tic imagination. A good field hydroge- ologist, from the interpretation of drill cuttings, should be able to visualize the subsurface environment. (Straub 2015) When you agree to be a part of some- thing bigger than yourself, surprising things can happen. I have put on presen- tations before, but never at a university. I was not sure the kind of response I would receive from the students. In preparation for the classes, I dug through years of samples I had col- lected, looking for just the right combi- nation of cuttings. I had decided early on to create an analog of a particular formation. Over the years, I have col- lected geophysical logs, driller's logs, cutting sample logs, stratigraphic logs, cores, hand samples, and even photo logs of outcrops for this specific forma- tion. I wanted the students to see how all this information comes together and works in conjunction to provide an image of the subsurface. The student response was over- whelmingly positive. Even the early morning class was well engaged with the discussion. It was a pleasure to interact with the students in this learning environment. To be able to engage these students on topics related to our everyday work and have genuine and honest responses with follow-up questions and concerns was refreshing. I was receiving a rare kind of interaction with these students we so rarely see in today's continuing educa- tion classes that are heavily product endorsement driven with little or no interaction from the audience. During a discussion of a particular slide that represented aquifer material exposed in an outcrop, I asked the stu- dents if they noticed anything about the formation makeup. Specifically, the variation in potential hydraulic conduc- tivity of the exposed unit. The question posed was how they would see the for- mation in drill cuttings and how would the aquifer response curve look in a pumping test. Since this class was made up of pre- dominately senior level hydrogeology students and several faculty members, Dr. Ward became engaged with the stu- dents' responses. At one point, he said, "You should be taking notes now. This is a good final exam question and you will see it again." We went on to discuss soil and rock classification systems and various drill cutting analysis techniques. Some stu- dents were very interested in the cutting samples—how they compared to the hand samples taken from the outcrop. One student in particular was amazed how much different the sandstone cut- tings resembled just loose sand and not the sandstone from the hand sample. It is priceless the value gained by stu- dents from an understanding of the FIELD NOTES from page 25 26 February 2016 WWJ waterwelljournal.com National Groundwater Awareness Week Promote the resource that provides your livelihood! Educate your customers about the importance of annual water testing and well maintenance during National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 6-12, 2016. You will be helping them, yourself, your business, your industry, and the resource. NGWA is here to help you spread the word! From sample letters-to-the-editor and radio spots to print ads, posters, and iers, NGWA has materials for you to use. Find out how you can help spread the word! NGWA.org/AwarenessWeek 800 551.7379 • 614 898.7791 The Groundwater NGWA Association SM