There's a lot of discussion about hydrology and everybody is frantically working on his own subject that will be edited into the group reports. I am very confident that the reports will be good.
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
Friday, July 6, 2007
The final touch at university...
We have been back at the university for nearly two weeks now and the report has to be finished today. So everybody has been camping out in the small computer room of the Hydrology section.
There's a lot of discussion about hydrology and everybody is frantically working on his own subject that will be edited into the group reports. I am very confident that the reports will be good.
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
There's a lot of discussion about hydrology and everybody is frantically working on his own subject that will be edited into the group reports. I am very confident that the reports will be good.
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Last tango in Aveiro...
The last week is always messy. There are still lots of things to investigate and there is a deadline for removal of equipment and flights back to the Netherlands... But we manage every year again. Here are some final impressions.
Ellen and Carmen got old on the garbage dump
Creation of artificial rainfall
Italians love driving...
After lunch at Sesta, but before coffee...
After lunch at Sesta
Glad I don't have a driver's license...
Meteo group with Boris
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Wet excursion: Serra de Estrela
The last weekend we spent going to the Serra de Estrela, a natural parque in the granitic area of Portugal. We left in the morning under a rather sunny sky but the weather got worse when we reached the mountains. First we stopped for a good lunch in Manteiga and bought some very smelly goat cheese.
We then passed the beautiful glacial vally and went for a hike, while Robert and Achille went for a run. Then it started raining... So we got soaked and we really cold. Carmen and Ellen went up a granite rock to reach some kind of peak.
The remaining trip was made into a big fog and rain. No mountain views and just a short stop in a shop to buy some warm shoes and drink a good Delta coffee to try to get warm again. When we came down from the mountain the sun started shining again...!
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
We then passed the beautiful glacial vally and went for a hike, while Robert and Achille went for a run. Then it started raining... So we got soaked and we really cold. Carmen and Ellen went up a granite rock to reach some kind of peak.
The remaining trip was made into a big fog and rain. No mountain views and just a short stop in a shop to buy some warm shoes and drink a good Delta coffee to try to get warm again. When we came down from the mountain the sun started shining again...!
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The Waste Dump!
For the past week my group, (Sebastian, Carmen and Ellen), has been working hard on our small project at the waste dump. We are trying to determine the extent and direction of the plume of contaminated water that is being produced by the waste dump. We have installed piezometers to determine the waterlevels (and groundwater flow directions) and to take samples for chemical analysis.
The 7+ meter hole is finally dug! What a relief!
Now all that's left is getting the auger out........
And putting the piezometer in.......
We also walked several EM34 sections (measurement with 2 rings that emit electromagnetic waves; allows you to look at the layering in the subsurface (different sediments, contamination)). And we did some EM39 measurements. This instruments works the same as the EM34, only it is designed to go down a borehole and gives you precise conductivities of each layer of sediment.
There were several lakes near/in the waste dump, two of which were not contaminated and one which was full of waste. We measured the amount of oxygen in the dirty lake and it was very close to zero. The only inhabitants of the lake were huge crabs and lobsters.
After many long days of hard work, we are happy to have an idea about where the plume is going. But spending too much time at a waste dump can do crazy things to people at the end of the day.....
Cheers, Ellen
The 7+ meter hole is finally dug! What a relief!Now all that's left is getting the auger out........
And putting the piezometer in.......We also walked several EM34 sections (measurement with 2 rings that emit electromagnetic waves; allows you to look at the layering in the subsurface (different sediments, contamination)). And we did some EM39 measurements. This instruments works the same as the EM34, only it is designed to go down a borehole and gives you precise conductivities of each layer of sediment.There were several lakes near/in the waste dump, two of which were not contaminated and one which was full of waste. We measured the amount of oxygen in the dirty lake and it was very close to zero. The only inhabitants of the lake were huge crabs and lobsters.After many long days of hard work, we are happy to have an idea about where the plume is going. But spending too much time at a waste dump can do crazy things to people at the end of the day.....Cheers, Ellen
Surprise
While we were making plans for the fieldday of yesterday, Maarten called to tell us we should go to the island! We didn´t expect to go there anymore, so that was a surprise! The little birds were still there so we only could get there for half an our to get the diver which was installed the week before.
A fisherman brought us to the island, and back to Costa Nova
We installed the diver from the island in one of our own piezometers. The day before we tried to speak with some local mini Portugues people. With Maarten it was possible to have a conversation and he asked if they wanted to be photographed with us... And this is the result!
Roos-Anne & Inge
A fisherman brought us to the island, and back to Costa NovaWe installed the diver from the island in one of our own piezometers. The day before we tried to speak with some local mini Portugues people. With Maarten it was possible to have a conversation and he asked if they wanted to be photographed with us... And this is the result!
Roos-Anne & Inge
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Meanwhile, on the beach...
The second part of our bachelor thesis is a groundwater study between Ria the Aveiro and the sea. Before we could start this study we had to find out where the best place along the coast is, where the dunes and the lagune are not too far from each other and where’s space enough to use the Electro-Magnetic methods. We had to wait for the bus of Maarten and Boris with all the materials. And this seems to be the perfect place.
Andreas, Jeremy and Roos-Anne. Fieldwork = hard working...
To find out where the fresh water is and how the fresh and salt groundwater move during the tides we drilled two piezometers, one near a freshwater well in a field next to the dunes and one near the river.
Roos-Anne drilling a hole for the piezometer near the freshwater well.
These piezometers can be used for different kind of measurements this year, but also next year, the year after etc. We make two more piezometers this week to find out where the fresh water comes from.
Finishing a piezometer near the Ria.
With the EM-39, an electromagnetic method, the conductivity of the water is measured. The EM-39 had to be calibrated.
Maarten as the Statue of Liberty, calibrating the EM-39.
Tomorrow we probably will do a measurement at the beach with Boris, so we can make a profile of the groundwater from the beach to the dunes, the field ending at the river. Still enough research to do...
Ciao, Roos-Anne & Inge
To find out where the fresh water is and how the fresh and salt groundwater move during the tides we drilled two piezometers, one near a freshwater well in a field next to the dunes and one near the river.
These piezometers can be used for different kind of measurements this year, but also next year, the year after etc. We make two more piezometers this week to find out where the fresh water comes from.
With the EM-39, an electromagnetic method, the conductivity of the water is measured. The EM-39 had to be calibrated.
Tomorrow we probably will do a measurement at the beach with Boris, so we can make a profile of the groundwater from the beach to the dunes, the field ending at the river. Still enough research to do...
Ciao, Roos-Anne & Inge
Rainfall - runoff madness...
It finally rained today..! After two weeks of great weather we could get new surface water data this morning. I am used to standing in the rain and getting cold while collecting these data, but our students were lucky. Rainfall stopped at dawn and the only inconvenience was the mud on our feet.
I went out with Robert, Pieter and Achille to take some samples of rainfall in their area and to do discharge measurements in the - now swollen - streams. This is allways a bit of a frantic process as the water level changes fast and 10 students want to measure discharge at the same time with the same instrument...
We also took some samples of the river water, which was pretty muddy as compared to before.
After lunch in Montouro, we ended up in some agricultural field of an old lady, who had given permission to place a raingauge there. People start to know us now and we get invited for drinks and to see their baby pigs!
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
I went out with Robert, Pieter and Achille to take some samples of rainfall in their area and to do discharge measurements in the - now swollen - streams. This is allways a bit of a frantic process as the water level changes fast and 10 students want to measure discharge at the same time with the same instrument...
We also took some samples of the river water, which was pretty muddy as compared to before.
After lunch in Montouro, we ended up in some agricultural field of an old lady, who had given permission to place a raingauge there. People start to know us now and we get invited for drinks and to see their baby pigs!
Posted by Maarten Waterloo
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