Course NumberEN-02-303W
PDH Hours1
Price$40
Buy Now
The Principles of Groundwater Flow

Webinar: The Principles of Groundwater Flow

Webinar calendar pdhAuthor: Michael Penzo

This Live Webinar course provides an overview of the principles of groundwater flow. Groundwater flow is governed by the three outside forces acting on groundwater: gravity (which pulls water downward), external pressure (combination of atmospheric pressure and the weight of the overlying water), and molecular attraction (adherence, surface – tension).

Groundwater possesses mechanical, thermal and chemical energy. As groundwater moves through a porous medium there are forces, which resist flow: shear stresses acting tangentially to the solid and normal stresses acting perpendicular to the surface of the solid. We know these collectively as friction. The internal molecular attraction of the fluid to itself resists the movement of fluid molecules past each other. This shearing resistance is known as the viscosity of the fluid.

The primary way we describe groundwater flow through an aquifer is through Darcy’s Law. Darcy’s Law states that Discharge is equal to hydraulic conductivity times the cross-sectional area of the aquifer times the hydraulic gradient.

Learning Objectives

This Live Webinar course is intended to provide you with the following specific knowledge and skills:

  • Forces that act on groundwater: gravity, external pressure, and molecular attraction
  • The types of energy associated with groundwater
  • Darcy’s Law

Note: This is a live webinar delivered via GoToMeeting. Login instructions will be emailed to you 24-48 hours prior to the webinar and the morning of the webinar. If you have not received your instructions for any reason please call customer support the day of the event. Webinars are live and interactive and students will have the ability to directly interact with and ask questions of the presenter.

We provide technical courses for PDH credits that meet Board requirements for Professional Engineers, Geologists and Land Surveyors. This course is guaranteed to be accepted in AK, AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY. Before purchasing this course, please confirm that your state Board is listed above.