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This course, provided by Colin Rice, will provide newly qualified geologists that have had little or no exposure to drilling operations, with a fundamental understanding of selected aspects of a drilling operation.

The Vadose Zone in Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology - Research by UP Geology Join us for a FREE one-hour series of talks on recent research on unsaturated hydraulics and the role of the vadose or unsaturated zone in engineering geology and hydrogeology. The Department of Geology has for the past decade focused on how the soil and rock between land surface and the phreatic or saturated zone behave with respect to highly variable moisture contents. We contributed to knowledge on variably saturated flow through soil, rock defects, karst, and the interfaces between these media.

The vadose zone stretches from the land surface to the groundwater table, where moisture in intergranular pore space and rock defects occurs at variable water saturation and at negative pore-water pressures.

Fundamental to the definition of groundwater availability and the management of any aquifer is an understanding of the changes in groundwater levels and storage, recharge, and groundwater discharge to surface water when the aquifer is pumped. This understanding forms the foundation for the determination of limits of future abstraction and thresholds of unacceptable impact and provides a tool against which to compare future datasets and make groundwater management decisions.

About the Talk: Fundamental to the definition of groundwater availability and the management of any aquifer is an understanding of the changes in groundwater levels and storage, recharge, and groundwater discharge to surface water, when the aquifer is pumped. This understanding forms the foundation for the determination of limits of future abstraction and thresholds of unacceptable impact, and provides a tool against which to compare future datasets and make groundwater management decisions.

One thing that we all know about water is that it always finds a way to get over, under, or through any obstacle that may stand in its way. It is no surprise then, that when we realized that the South African government proclamation against gatherings of more than 100 people meant that our meeting in June would have to be canceled, our amazing team of organizers put the #AllHandsOnDeck mindset into action. The result is that WISA2020 is definitely going ahead with the same excellent sessions and – pending confirmation – the same excellent speakers. And with the extra time we have, we will be able to make sure that our conference is bigger and better than ever before.

THEME: Enhancing Water and Food Security through Sustainable Groundwater Development in the SADC Region. Online Conference: 24-26 November 2020 BACKGROUND Parts of Sub Saharan Africa makes little use of its groundwater resources, which contributes only 1% of total renewable water resource withdrawals for agriculture. Projected and continuing changes to the amount, intensity and predictability of rainfall in much of Southern Africa will lead to changes in the way the region views its groundwater resources. Increasing water scarcity will be particularly difficult for smallholder farmers who produce 90% of Africa’s food who haven not access to central water supply infrastructure. Currently,

Parts of Sub Saharan Africa makes little use of its groundwater resources, which contributes only 1% of total renewable water resource withdrawals for agriculture. Projected and continuing changes to the amount, intensity and predictability of rainfall in much of Southern Africa will lead to changes in the way the region views its groundwater resources.

Being in South Africa we have all be exposed to the pressures associated with drought. In drought situations, we see how it becomes mayhem with numerous short-cuts being taking, incorrect methodologies being implemented and over-inflated prices and opinions being applied and pronounced in the drought regions. As water supply engineers, hydrogeologists and scientists, we all need to learn from one another and adhere to some form of standards in the areas of borehole drilling, pumping tests, and monitoring.

Natural attenuation of acid mine drainage by various rocks in a typical Karoo coalfield: case study of the Witbank, Ermelo and Highveld coalfields, South Africa Sakala1,2, F. Fourie2, M. Gomo2 and G. Madzivire1,3 Council for Geoscience, Pretoria, South Africa Institute for Groundwater Studies, University of the Free State The University of South Africa, Department of Environmental Science, 28 Pioneer Avenue, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709, South Africa ABSTRACT In the Karoo coalfields, mining operations which release acid mine drainage (AMD) are threatening groundwater resources. An important parameter controlling the extent and severity of AMD impacts is the natural attenuation of rocks