ESS 450/ ESS 410 Deep River Field Courses
ESS 410 Field Techniques in Hydrogeochemistry
Instructor: Prof. Grant Ferris (grant.ferris@utoronto.ca)
ESS 450 Geophysical Field Techniques
Instructors: Prof. Charly Bank (charly.bank@utoronto.ca)
Saturday September 3 to Sunday September 11 , 2015
Sign-up ASAP with Scott Moore in ES1066 and pay ancillary fee ($400 by cash or money order, no personal cheques). There will be registration forms plus a consent form that need to be filled out and submitted to Scott. He will need those plus your ancillary fee payment to enroll you.
Deadline to apply is Monday April 11, 2015
The hydrogeochemistry field course, held in and around Deep River, will concentrate on the biogeochemistry and hydrogeology of natural waters in the region. The purpose of the course is to teach students how to evaluate a range of physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in wetlands, streams, lakes, and near-surface groundwaters. Working in small groups, students will learn how to (i) determine water table elevations and map groundwater flow, (ii) appraise microbial activity in a shallow sand aquifer through the measurement and interpretation of groundwater chemistry, and (iii) evaluate the steady state chemical composition of a small lake with respect to the biogeochemical cycling of iron and sulfur. Individual reports on each area of emphasis will be required no later than a day after the unit is completed. Background lectures, laboratory work, computer exercises, and report preparation/tutorials will generally be done in the morning or evening.
The geophysics field course will be offered at the same time. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to collecting and analyzing geophysical data using GPR, magnetic, resistivity, and seismic equipment and software. Students will be working in teams to characterize the subsurface at the field site, and how their results may link to the work of the hydrogeochemistry teams. The course will include background lectures/tutorials, computer work, presentations and report preparation in the mornings and evenings.
Both courses will be staying at a camp with well-equipped cottages (usually coed occupancy) with full bathroom and kitchen facilities. Cooking of meals is done individually or with a group (depending on personal preferences). Food costs are extra and must be covered by individuals. There will be ample opportunity to buy groceries in Deep River. Bring rain gear, towels, swim suits, comfortable work or hiking boots, rubber boots, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, field notebooks, calculator, computer and writing materials.