Hydrogeology

Article in TUB intern

Our research group is in the advantageous situation of operating a hydrogeological test field located within Berlin in Hobrechtsfelde.

The area is a former sewage field (“Rieselfeld”). Rieselfelder are areas over which wastewater was seeped into the ground.

After the reunification of Germany, the area was declared a remediation project and was accordingly the subject of various researches.

With more than 100 groundwater measuring points and numerous scientific publications, Hobrechtsfelde is the optimal test site for hydrogeological research and teaching.

Film: field course in Berlin

Field course in Berlin Hobrechtsfelde. Scientists from the Department of Hydrogeology and students of Geotechnology jointly research groundwater processes.

© Olaf Michalke

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Research Group Hydrogeology

The Hydrogeology Research Group currently operates two specific research sites in the Hobrechtsfelde area: one site with multilevel measuring points and one for tomographic investigations.

Four multilevel monitoring sites were installed along a cross-section between one of the remaining wastewater ponds and a drainage channel.

Each of the multilevel monitoring sites consists of three wells close to each other with open screens at different depths.

This allows us to take water samples from different aquifers to enable detailed monitoring of groundwater transport processes.

Tomographic examinations

The site for the tomographic surveys is formed by 14 boreholes spaced 1-2 meters apart. The role of these boreholes, which are distributed in a 3-D subsurface domain, is to house high-resolution pressure and temperature monitoring equipment.

The site is suitable for 3-D hydraulic, tracer and thermal tracer tomography experiments and could also host distributed temperature monitoring systems.

Part of the wells will be filtered in an upper unconfined aquifer, the other part in a lower confined aquifer, so that the different hydraulic conditions can be demonstrated.

Studying

In teaching, the new hydrogeological test field, which is currently under construction, enables us to impart practical knowledge to the students. The focus is on methods of:

  •     hydrogeological exploration techniques
  •     hydrogeophysical exploration techniques
  •     hydrochemical sampling and
  •     hydrological characterization

Hydrochemical sampling

Using a flow cell, initial parameters can be obtained on site.

Further chemical analysis of the groundwater is carried out in cooperation with the Berliner Wasserbetriebe and in the soil science laboratory of the TU Berlin.

Measuring instruments and equipment

  • Sampling: electrical conductivity, pH, redox and O2 content (WTW)
  • Flow cell
  • Flow thru meter
  • Lowerable pumps (Grundfos SP14, Grundfos MP1)
  • Generator (Honda), suction pumps
  • Drilling rig
  • Core drilling equipment
  • Equipment for slug-and-bail tests
  • Water level gauges, pressure probes
  • Surface discharge measuring devices: measuring blades of various sizes